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Yeehaw! Hayden Panettiere<\/strong><\/a>, Kelly Clarkson<\/strong><\/a>, Nicole Kidman<\/strong><\/a> and more stars have all stepped out of their comfort zones \u2014 and into their cowboy boots \u2014 to get into the country groove.<\/p>\n Panettiere starred on Nashville<\/em><\/a> from October 2012 to July 2018, portraying former teen sensation and country industry hopeful Juliette Barnes. Throughout the series, Juliette nipped at the heels of longtime superstar Rayna Jaymes (Connie Britton<\/strong><\/a>), whose reign over the top of the charts appearing to be fading.<\/p>\n Becoming one with her character was a challenge, especially when the show tackled some hard-hitting topics. The Heroes<\/em> alum told Access Hollywood<\/em><\/a> in December 2016, \u201cYou have to ride the waves like the character. When you\u2019re that close to your character, you feel their pain and sometimes things hit close to home, and there\u2019s been a lot of that. \u2026 It definitely takes it out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Two months later, Britton, whose character died at the end of season 5, reflected on her own country journey. \u201cIt was incredibly emotional. It was very difficult for me and it still is,\u201d she told The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a> in February 2017. \u201c[Nashville<\/em>] has become an essential part of my life. It was really tough doing those last couple weeks especially.\u201d<\/p>\n Viewers might not have expected to see Panettiere and the Friday Night Lights<\/em><\/a> alum channeling their inner country songstresses \u2014 and some music stars have given fans the same surprise twist. Clarkson, known for her gigantic pop hits, has dipped a toe into the country world. The Voice<\/em><\/a> coach teamed up with Jason Aldean<\/strong><\/a> for 2010\u2019s \u201cDon\u2019t You Wanna Stay,\u201d and while she might not be a certified country queen, she has some strong feelings about how the genre has developed<\/a> over time.<\/p>\n \u201cCountry music doesn\u2019t sound country anymore \u2026 Country music is gone,\u201d the Kelly Clarkson Show<\/em> host said during a 2019 Youtube Q&A. \u201cLike, I don\u2019t know who\u2019s making it, but there might be, like, four people. Now it\u2019s, like, weird word rap.\u201d<\/p>\n The \u201cBreakaway\u201d singer\u2019s quibbles with the genre were personal, not professional. \u201cI\u2019m not in the country music industry. I\u2019m not trying to get played on country radio,\u201d Clarkson explained at the time. \u201cHere\u2019s the thing, I just love country music. So, why don\u2019t we all start putting our \u201980s and \u201990s records on and let\u2019s figure out, \u2018What is country music? What\u2019s the sound we like again?\u2019 Because it\u2019s not what you\u2019re playing on the radio. I\u2019m mad about it.\u201d<\/p>\n