Country Stars Weigh In
Country Artists Take To Twitter To Protest Gender Airplay Inequality
The perennial issue of the lack of female artist representation in Country music came to a head again this week… twice! On the same day (1/15) that TBS’ “Full Frontal With SAMANTHA BEE” was taking a comedic jab at the issue, a ...
KWJJ/Portland Hires ‘Nick And Kristen’ Morning Show From KOIT/San Francisco
ENTERCOM Country KWJJ 99.5 THE WOLF)/PORTLAND, OR names NICK AND KRISTEN as its new morning show, effective WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22nd. They replace MIKEL CHASE and AMY FAUST, who departed ...
Midland’s latest single, “Cheatin’ Songs,” is not your typical “I’ve been cheated on” breakup anthem. In contrast to a song like Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats," the trio -- made up of Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson -- tell the story of being cheated on in a more calm, passive, and dare we even say fun style? Frontman Wystrach starts the story singing, “Sometimes her jacket smells like cigarettes / But she hates the smoke." In the chorus he works in a nifty little Conway Twitty homage, singing, “She’s lying with him and she’s lying to me / She’s bringin’ back diamond rings / Slipped in the pocket of her tight fittin’ jeans / It’s back in fashion doin’ somebody wrong / She’s bringin’ back cheatin’ songs.” Midland manages to tell what is typically a painful story in a way that is light, catchy, and makes you want to sing along. The mid-tempo song, written by the three band members alongside Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne, brings listeners back to the classic '80s sound Midland is known for. On Facebook, Midland accurately described the single as “a funky Country Twitty homage ear worm that gets ya scootin’ to a taboo hook.”
With their four-year romance going strong, fans are still eating up any collaboration between Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani, and they’re finding plenty to love about the pair’s newest duet. With lines like, “Gonna love you like you oughta be loved, darlin’,” and “When I look in my future, you're all I can see,” this midtempo song oozes romance and possibility. And while it was written by four of Music City’s top tunesmiths (Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James) rather than the couple, it seems to perfectly capture the state of the “Shefani” relationship, particularly in lines like, “I took my time to tell you how I feel / Just because I took so long, don't mean that it isn't real / I ain't got no diamond, but I'm down on my knees, honey / Don't go lovin' on nobody but me.” The duet is one of four new tracks on Shelton’s recently released “Fully Loaded: God’s Country” album. “When I heard it, I was just floored,” Shelton said. “I realized how important that song was for me and where I am in my life right now. I just think it’s magical. I literally think it’s [as] important of a song as I’ve ever recorded.” Watch for the couple to perform it on “The 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards” January 26th on CBS, where Shelton is also up for Best Country Solo Performance for his 2019 hit, “God’s Country.”
HARDY has teamed up with Lauren Alaina and Devin Dawson for his next Country radio single, "One Beer" and if you ask us, it's one big hit. The tune, written by HARDY alongside Jake Mitchell and Hillary Lindsey, was inspired by a personal favorite of HARDY's, John Prine's "Six O'Clock News," and tells the story of an unconventional family that started with a beer. The chorus goes, "One beer turns into a lit cigarette / Burnin' into a two beer buzz / Then a love drunk kiss in the back of that truck / Just like that, everything rearranges / Life changes out of the blue / It's just a Bud Light, but ain't it funny / What one beer can turn into." A more serious approach than his last single, "Rednecker," HARDY shows his versatility as a writer and performer with this song, but stays true to the one-of-a-kind Mississippi native we love, who can be found shotgunning beers on stage. "It's a song about drinking, but it's not like a party song," said HARDY in a video posted to his YouTube channel. "It's one of my favorite songs I've written in a long time and it's a very songwriter song, but its got a really cool, like, hip hop or R&B kind of feel to it." The collaboration of HARDY, Alaina and Dawson is maybe not what you expected, but we assure you it is pure gold coming out of the speakers. "It's really cool because I sing the verses in the song and then they sing the chorus. Kind of unintentionally they become the couple the song is about," said HARDY. "I love this song. It's one of my faves." If there's one thing we've learned about HARDY, it's that he is a force to be reckoned with. Through his countless hits as a songwriter and his fearlessness in adhering to own his brand, we have no doubt this song will only add to his list of accolades, and we're excited to watch it take on life on the charts.
He’s poor, but dating a woman with high-dollar tastes. So what does he do? Fake it, of course. That’s the amusing concept behind this mid-tempo song, written by Lay and Andrew DeRoberts. His lady favors private jets black Cadillacs and “$10 drinks in threes,” and “sees her city highlife dreams on TV screens.” But she’s falling for the guy, so he pretends his Ferrari is in the shop, and that calls from his mother are coming from overseas, all with the hope that his deception can secure this gold digger’s heart. Lay sings in the chorus, “She only loves me for my money / Oh, but the thing that she don’t know / I ain’t got none honey, but I’d just hate to see her go / So, if I fake it till, I make, if I keep her long enough / Maybe I can find some paper, we can really fall in love.” Good luck with that! Meanwhile, look for the song to be included in his set when Lay joins Brantley Gilbert for the “Fire’t Up Tour,” kicking off January 23 in London, Ontario. 
You don’t have to dig too deep to get the meaning behind this lighthearted, easygoing song shared by two of Country music’s most promising rising stars. One listen and you’ll be singing (and whistling) along with this tempo-driven tune, which makes a convincing case that there’s no stressful scenario that isn’t made better with a cold one. Whether it’s an awkward party, a fight with a significant other, an aggravating work situation, an unsuccessful fishing trip, a rain-filled vacation, or even watching your favorite team lose a championship game, the song posits, “It might take one or it might take six,” but “drink it down it’ll do the trick.” Behold the power of the brew! According to the song’s catchy chorus, “Ain’t nothin’ that a beer can’t fix / Ain’t no pain it can’t wash away / From the moment that it hits your lips / Makes those clouds look a little less gray / Oh you could be lonely, heartbroken, or hungover from the night before / Turn that frown into a smile real quick / There ain’t nothin’ that a beer can’t fix.” Written by Rhett, Julian Bunetta, Zach Skelton, and Ryan Tedder, the song was already a crowd-pleaser on last year’s “Very Hot Summer Tour.” Look for it to continue its good work on Rhett’s “The Center Point Road Tour,” kicking off in May.
New Country artist Nathan Sheridan is making his presence known with a reflective ballad that will grab your heart from the moment he sings the first line. The song, penned solely by Sheridan, entertains the idea of turning back time to re-live moments with loved ones "again." Sheridan wears his emotions on his sleeve as he pays tribute to the individuals who shaped him most in life, including his grandparents, wife, and late sister. The song has reached many through Sheridan's live performances on WSMV-TV's "Today In Nashville" and Chicago's WGN-TV. Sheridan has also seen a lot of love via print outlets, including features in HomeLife magazine, Life: Beautiful magazine and CCM Magazine. The gripping music video debuted on CMT in November 2019, and continued to run three times per day through the end of December as a part of the network's “Artist Discovery” platform. The tune comes at the perfect time as listeners and their loved ones reflect on the start of a new year. What better way to be reminded of how precious time is with the ones we love than a beautifully crafted ballad? 
Here’s a song that sets just the right tone for the coming new year: a bubbly, catchy, tempo-driven tune about putting in the time and effort to find the right man, and being willing to wait for the kind of love her parents shared. Arts, who wrote the song with Alex Kline and Allison Veltz Cruz, sings, “I still remember mama walking down the living room stairs / And daddy saying with a smile, ‘That's my girl right there’ / They had their share of ups and downs / And I saw the best, and the worst, and the work, and the worth it.” The song has already spent two weeks atop the Radio Disney Top 50 Country Chart, is getting exposure on several key Spotify playlists, and got additional traction when Arts performed it on the season premiere of ABC-TV’s “The Bachelor” on January 6th, marking her third appearance on the franchise. With clever lyrics about seeing “that Cinderella fairy tale go up in cigarette smoke,” it’s a perfect choice for the dating show. This single is the first track from the Saskatchewan native’s upcoming album, “Love, Heartbreak & Everything In Between,” due out January 10th.
Fans of Zac Brown Band’s more sensitive songs, like “Colder Weather” and “Highway 20 Ride,” are going to find plenty to love in this equally emotional single that looks back sadly at a failed relationship. Written by ZBB’s Zac Brown, Clay Cook, Coy Bowles and Jimmy De Martini, along with longtime Brandi Carlile collaborators Tim and Phil Hanseroth, the ballad’s lyrics are expressive, poignant and beautiful. Don’t be fooled by the corresponding music video, which defuses the serious tone in an unexpected way by featuring a series of adorable and hilarious animal videos. This song packs a punch. Brown sings in the chorus, “I believe, yes I do / That everything we lose will be a gift in time / But the hardest part is leaving love behind.” Then, in a final, wrenching verse, he sings, “The sun fades on me now and I miss you like words can't know / And I missed my shot at dying young a long time ago / It's just a lesson learned in love, it's not angry it's not sad / Sometimes you have to lose somethin' to know what you have.” This is certain to be a stunning concert moment when the band resumes its “The Owl Tour” in late February, just be sure to bring along a tissue or two.
If you never believed there could be a Country Rap version of The Oak Ridge Boys’ 1981 signature song, “Elvira,” think again. Artist Buck 22, who describes himself on Twitter as “the new revolution of Country music mixed with Hip-Hop,” takes a fun swing at this Pop Country classic and succeeds, in part because he was clever enough to include the Oaks in both the song and its accompanying music video. That makes for some fun moments, like in the beginning of the song where Oaks bass vocalist Richard Sterban chides, “Buck, don’t Buck this song up!” This version of the Dallas Frazier-penned tune sounds familiar in parts, and completely unrecognizable in others, but at a tight two minutes and 36 seconds, it’s worth trying out some morning show spins to gauge listener reaction. The artist (real name Damon Elliott) is the son of R&B legend Dionne Warwick. The track was executive produced by none other than Billy Ray Cyrus, with whom Buck 22 previously teamed for an “Achy Breaky Heart” remix in 2014, and Cyrus says of their “Elvira” collaboration, “If this doesn’t make you smile or help you get your groove on, then you are possibly dead.”
Jackson Michelson is serving up a big gift to the Country airwaves this holiday season with his new single, "Stay Over." The relatable break-up tune, penned by Michelson, alongside Jeff Pardo and Molly Reed Grayson, features well-crafted lyrics that call out a split couple on their inability to keep their relationship status as "over" due to their desire to "stay over" with each other on a regular basis. “'Stay Over’ is about an on-again, off-again relationship filled with passion,” Michelson told Taste of Country. “Sometimes the relationship is meant to be, but the timing just isn’t right. I wanted to write a song from that vulnerable point of view.” Vulnerable is right. Michelson leaves no details to the imagination with a steamy chorus that goes: "I know you’re gonna show up at my door / Throw your heels on my floor / You’ll be saying maybe you should stay over / I know we’ll be kissing up the stairs / I’ll be messing up your hair / Fall asleep with your head on my shoulder / We can’t let it go / Even though we know / This ain’t gonna help us get closure / We’ll say the same goodbyes / Swear that it's the last time / But no matter how we try baby / We can never stay over." With a recent add on Spotify's "Hot Country" playlist, this song is already proving its strength to the Country music world, and you won't want to miss out.
Brantley Gilbert is keeping the momentum from his recent #1 rolling right into the next hopeful hit with "Fire't Up." The single, featured on his latest album, "Fire & Brimstone," lives up to the title and is sure to heat up your airwaves during these cold winter months. Written by Gilbert alongside Brandon Day and Justin Weaver, the song stays true to Gilbert's reckless side and will have listeners turning up the volume and ready to get rowdy. Driven by guitar, kick drum and, of course, Gilbert's unmistakable Georgia vocals, the chorus says, "We gon' tear the night up / Got 'shine in the masons / Good times in the making / Baby, crank it / Fire't up." It's clear this is just one big 'ol party, and you won't find us complaining! "Get you a little buzzed / Country queens do your thing / Y'all can get this small town lit / Let's fire't up," he sings in the chorus. Gilbert will bring the party to life in 2020 with the "Fire't up Tour," featuring special guests Chase Rice, Dylan Scott and Brandon Lay, and it'll be one you don't want to miss. Get ready to fire up that playlist with an add, you'll be glad you did.
Leading with a hooky banjo riff, Morgan Evans captures your attention immediately with his latest single, "Diamonds." The tune’s lyrical concept compares finding a significant other to finding a diamond, with the lyrics, "It's like I was down a mine / Lost and lookin' for the light / Then I found you like a treasure." Evans then sings in the chorus, "I love you like a diamond / And diamonds are forever." What girl wouldn't want to be compared to a precious gemstone? Not only are the lyrics clever, but the stripped down music highlights bluegrass instruments like the banjo and dobro. The Country crooner knows a thing or two about finding love, as he is married to fellow singer Kelsea Ballerini. In a recent press release, Evans shared more details about the song, saying, "I wrote ‘Diamonds’ for my wife, and I’m so stoked to release it as a single. It's a fun love song, but deeper than that it celebrates that journey from lost to found you feel when you meet that person and everything changes forever." Evans co-wrote the tune with hit songwriters Chris DeStefano and Evan Bogart. You can catch Evans performing "Diamonds" on the remaining dates of his 2019 headlining tour.
Fresh on the heels of her #1 hit with Brantley Gilbert, Ell has dropped her latest single, which is also the first from her upcoming album. Steeped in longing and regret, the ballad references things she used to share with a loved one — a bottle of wine, dinner at a favorite restaurant, movies and Stevie Wonder records — that she now avoids because they’re simply too painful to indulge in alone. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who’s experienced a breakup which, let’s face it, includes just about everyone. “I got so much free time / On my hands / ‘Cause I don’t do, the things we did / ‘Cause they’re not as good / Without someone to share ‘em with,” Ell croons. Her vocals soar on the chorus, where she tries desperately to convince herself and the listener that she’s really over it. Yet she belies her own message when she belts, “I don’t miss your kiss / The 'love you baby' from your lips / When the lonely closes in / I fight to convince myself / I don’t love you.” The Calgary native is spending the rest of November playing a string of dates in eight cities in Germany, and will return to the U.S. for two more shows in early December.
Chris Janson shows us his romantic side with new single, "Done." The mid-tempo track offers an immediate hook as Janson sings, "Done / The first time I saw you, done / Like the first dance was through, I was done / That one kiss, I knew / There was nothing I wouldn't do." The tune’s lyrics are accentuated by a musically pleasant chord progression. Written by Janson, Jamie Allen Paulin, Mitchell Edward Oglesby and Matthew Ryan Roy, Janson confirmed with 
Granger Smith is back with new music, and it's a breath of fresh air in this fast-paced world. In the midst of a life-changing year in which Smith lost his 2-year-old son, River, he shared with fans via Instagram that he's found a new perspective on life and plans to share that through his music and tours. "If you see me on tour, or hear new music, know this: it matters to me. Or makes me smile, or makes me think of my dad, or my little red-headed boy [River]. Or my wife, kids, momma, friends, struggles and triumphs," he wrote. "But ... wait ... isn’t that what Country music is supposed to be about?" In the same post, Smith introduced his new single, writing, "It’s about finding peace. Finding yourself. Finding God on a road that’s rough around the edges just like us. It’s about that rural sanctuary we all know so well behind a pair of headlights, a steering wheel and your heavy thoughts." The tune, written by Smith, Chris DeStefano, Jon Nite and Brad Rempel, starts with the heartbeat of a kickdrum that calls listeners to the freedom of the dirt road. Smith sings, "Midnight Milky Way through a cracked windshield / The highways never know how free this feels." As your shoulders drop and you're daydreaming of the open road, Smith proves the simplicity of a dirt road is often the only therapy we need, singing: "Talk to God on 'em, we get lost on 'em / Find our way to a rocky mountain top on 'em / We get stuck on 'em, fall in love on 'em / Rough around the edges just like us / That's why I love dirt roads." Feels good, doesn't it? Believe it or not, the lyrics aren't the only thing that paint a beautiful picture in this song. The single artwork brings Smith's lyrics to life with an illustration of a dirt road scene with a few personal touches, like his late son's image illuminating the mountains. The message Smith shares through all aspects of this single is a strong one, and we encourage you to share it by adding it to your playlist.
What could be more special and true-to-life than a song written for the artist’s own proposal, then played as the first dance at his recent wedding to reality TV personality Lauren Bushnell? The mid-tempo song, written by Lane, Jacob Durrett and Ernest K Smith, was already a fan favorite, which led to it being chosen as Lane’s next single. Bonus songwriting points to whoever came up with the lines that reference George Strait and his 1995 hit, “Check Yes Or No.” Lane’s song sweetly describes looking at the woman he loves during an everyday moment, while mentally mapping out a future with her that involves a diamond ring, “a little house out on some hand-me-down land,” and even a vacation with their future children. He then reveals, “She don't know I already bought a ring / Hid it in the bottom left drawer, right beside the sink / Shiny emerald diamond on a brand-new band / Asked her mama for permission and her daddy for her hand.” By the end of the song, the couple’s real-life proposal plays out in song as he drops to one knee and pops the question in her hometown. Lane will embark on his headlining “Big, Big Plans Tour” on October 31st, taking it to major cities nationwide through February. We’re taking bets now on just how many fan couples get engaged onstage or in the audience as Lane plays “Big, Big Plans” throughout the tour.
Tullahoma
