While the 2012 presidential election is poised to dominate the news in the coming year, The Boot is excited to give you a little musical relief from both sides of the fence. We've selected a few stories that we believe will be the big country newsmakers, whether it's long-awaited music from acts we've missed or the ascension of rising stars to superstar status. And although we may not be able to predict exactly what the country music future holds, we can assure you we'll cover it all with more exclusive news, interviews, live performances and more. The Boot presents our picks for the 10 country music events we can't wait to experience in 2012.
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10. Kellie Pickler Releases '100 Proof'
Set to pour out on Jan. 24, Kellie's new album promises some strong stuff. Heck, the lead single is called 'Tough,' and the lead-off track namechecks a powerhouse country star in 'Where's Tammy Wynette.' There's also 'Mother's Day' to remind us, as Kellie notes, "Wow, she's not the little girl on 'American Idol' anymore. She's a woman now."
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Jon Kopaloff, FilmMagic
9. Jason Aldean Continues to Reign
A double winner at this year's CMA awards and six-time winner at the ACAs, those victories only tell a small portion of the story that is the the Jason juggernaut. Look for the high-octane performer to fire up the new year with more awards possibilities (we love his plan to get cozy with his Grammy should he win on Feb. 12!) And in case you forget, he's sure to remind us with his live show
