The new year marks the beginning of a new decade, but 2010 is specifically the start of a second decade for Rascal Flatts. The band released its debut single, “Prayin’ For Daylight,” in April 2000, kicking off one of the most successful artist careers thus far in the 21st century.

Built around a pop-leaning sound and big harmonies, the trio won the Country Music Association’s Vocal Group of the Year award six times in a row before Lady Antebellum knocked them off in November. The guys have had five albums sell 2 million copies or more; they’ve appeared on the soundtracks to Hannah Montana: The Movie, Cars and The Emperor’s New Groove; and they’ve become one of the top headlining acts in the business, selling out Wrigley Field in Chicago and Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

But make no mistake: They’ve got more to do in the years ahead.

“We’ve talked about doing a gospel record someday,” bass player Jay DeMarcus told The Tennessean. “We’d like to do a full-blown Christmas record at some point, and we’d like to stretch some, too.”

What constitutes stretching? Well, for a band that’s been compared to pop acts since its debut, that means doing more standard country fare.

“The six records we’ve done have been unmistakably Rascal Flatts,” Jay said. “But there’s an itch inside of each one of us that wants to do a hardcore country record that hearkens back to the stuff we grew up on, and that our parents loved, and that we’ve been singing our whole lives. It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary to see a few surprises from us.”

In the meantime, look for Rascal Flatts to mount a 10th anniversary tour this summer.

ShareThis