There are several artists who have crossed the lines between country music and pop -- superstar Taylor Swift is one of the first to come to mind. There are other musicians, such as Kelly Clarkson or iconic singer/songwriter Jewel, who have jumped from pop music into success on country radio. With trio Lady Antebellum's raw talent and infectious albums, it would be easy for them to walk away from country music. But they're committed to staying country.

The band found great success on pop radio with 'Need You Now,' and band member 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."

However, as all their devoted country fans know, the trio's follow-up album, 'Golden,' is a return to their solidified country music roots with some new twists and surprises, as Lady A 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.

"We feel loyal to the country market," Kelley states. "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 immediate success of 'Downtown' and their highly-anticipated record hitting the streets on May 7, the fan-favorite group can rest assured that as long as they stay true to country music, their fans will support them through thick and thin. The group will undoubtedly show off their country chops at the 2013 Taste of Country Music Festival this June.

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