There are several artists who cross the lines between country music and pop. Taylor Swift has polished what Shania Twain forged, and The Band Perry, Hunter Hayes and others have followed. There are other musicians, such as Kelly Clarkson and Darius Rucker, who have gone from pop music to country radio success. With trio Lady Antebellum's mainstream sound and song lyrics, it would be easy for them to commit to becoming pop stars, but Lady A has made it clear that they're not leaving country.

The band found great success on pop radio with 'Need You Now,' and Lady A's Charles Kelley tells USA Today,

"We had a door open that we weren't really planning on opening with pop radio. So, let's be honest. We wanted to see if there was a chance we could get back on it. We went into the third record thinking that could be a possibility."

But as all the band's devoted country fans know, Lady Antebellum's new album, 'Golden,' is a return to their country roots, complete with some surprises, as they emerge even bolder than before. As it turns out, the trio felt so exhausted in trying to consciously crossover that it felt more like a tug of war than a natural progression. So, they stopped. And that's how 'Golden' came into being. Kelly states:

"We feel loyal to the country market. I don't know how well we would fit in between Bruno Mars and Phoenix. It's so funny. We think maybe we're not the country-est thing in the world until we've played some shows with pop artists. Then it's like, 'Yep. We are definitely really country.' So we feel comfortable in this genre and we want to be loyal to the genre."

With the single 'Downtown' becoming the band's fastest rising #1 record, and their much anticipated CD coming out May 7th, the Lady Antebellum can rest assured that as long as they stick to their country roots, their fans will give them unconditional support. Lady A will be all country when they perform at the 2013 Taste of Country Music Festival this June.

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