Pelago

Ryan Hurd’s Pelago, released on Arista Nashville, finds the country artist navigating the murky territory between pop-country radio and introspective balladry. The collaboration with Maren Morris on lead single “Chasing After You” became the project’s anchor, a duet that trades the bombast of contemporary Nashville for intimate, conversational delivery. Hurd’s production choices emphasize restraint—fingerpicked guitars, subtle strings, and vocal layering that recalls the confessional country-pop of the 2010s rather than the stadium-sized production dominating the format.