During the 2010s, few country-pop groups were as big on either the country or pop side of things as Little Big Town. The band's reliance on sumptuous four-part harmonies and interwoven lead vocals -- Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook alternated in the spotlight throughout their career -- helped evoke memories of Fleetwood Mac, a comparison the group would lean into once they began racking up hits on the country charts starting with 2010's "Little White Church." That was a downhome raver, but it was the breezy 2012 number one "Pontoon" that established their soft pop crossover potential, reaching 22 on the Top 40. Little Big Town achieved an across-the-board smash with 2014's "Girl Crush," a dreamy, slow dance number that climbed to 18 on the pop Top 40 and earned the band's second Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance. "Girl Crush" gave Little Big Town license to try whatever they wanted, an opportunity they seized in 2016 by working with hip-hop producer Pharrell Williams, but they often chose to stick to their strengths: supple melodies and soothing harmonies that sounded at home in such cheerful settings as 2022's Mr. Sun. Their holiday album The Christmas Record followed in 2024.
