Country
Zach Bryan’s ‘American Heartbreak’ Launches With Biggest Week for a Country Album in 2022 So Far
Zach Bryan earns his first leader on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart, as the 26-year-old singer-songwriter from Oologah, Okla., launches American Heartbreak at No. 1 on the June 4-dated list. The hefty 34-track effort, released May 20, opens with 71,000 equivalent album units in the week ending May 26, according to Luminate – the biggest week for a country album in 2022. Of the set’s starting sum, streaming equivalent album (SEA) units comprise 64,500, equaling 84.1 million on-demand official streams – likewise the best streaming frame for a country album this year. The LP bows at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200, where it’s Bryan’s first entry. It currently premieres atop Americana/Folk Albums, becoming his first No. 1 among three top 10s, and Top Rock Albums, where it’s his firs...
‘Her Country’ Author Marissa Moss on the Inequalities Women Artists Face in Country Music
In new book, Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be, journalist Marissa Moss chronicles the way that the country music industry has proved inequitable for women artists, and especially women of color. Though she provides a broad history of women in country music — including the ongoing influence of pioneers like Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton, and a fond look at the early-’90s heyday when women artists achieved near parity with their male counterparts on radio — she primarily looks at the contemporary scene, through the careers of Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves and Mickey Guyton. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Despite their overwhelming talents, Lambert is the only one of that tri...
Wynonna Judd Talks Mother Naomi’s Death: ‘I Feel So Helpless’
Wynonna Judd on Sunday (May 29) opened up about the death of her mother and singing partner, Naomi Judd, who died by suicide April 30 following a long struggle with mental health issues. In a heartfelt Instagram post, she wrote about the pain of her mother’s death and her feelings of helplessness. First asking “WHAT DO I KNOW?” — imagining her life coach was asking her that very question — she proceeded to answer it in several ways. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “I DO know, that the pain of losing Mom on 4/30 to suicide is so great, that I often feel like I’m not ever going to be able to fully accept and surrender to the truth that she left the way she did,” she wrote. “This cannot be how The Judds story ends,” adding a hear...
Wilco Unveil Double Album Cruel Country: Stream
Wilco have unveiled their new double album Cruel Country via dBpm Records. Stream it below on Apple Music and Spotify. Cruel Country is the band’s follow-up to 2019’s Ode to Joy, and features lead single “Falling Apart (Right Now)” and “Tired of Taking It Out on You” among its sprawling twenty-one tracks. The two-disc studio set finds the indie rockers fully leaning into the country music rumblings that have followed them since their 1995 debut album A.M. “I think there’s been an assumption over the years that Wilco is some sort of country band,” frontman Jeff Tweedy wrote upon announcing the album. “There’s a lot of evidence to support that way of thinking about our band because there have been elements of country music in everything we’ve ever done. But to be honest, we’ve never been par...
Wynonna and Waxahatchee Bravely Face the “Other Side” on New Single: Stream
Wynonna Judd hasn’t let losing her mother Naomi Judd get in the way of making music. Less than a month after the sudden death of her former bandmate in The Judds, the country music legend has teamed up with modern indie-folk icon Waxahatchee (aka Katie Crutchfield) for a spirited new song called “Other Side.” An upbeat, breezy country number, “Other Side” seems topically relevant, serving as a beacon of light in the midst of tragedy. “I got a heart, got a heart of gold/ Casts a shadow, dark and cold/ If we move our way against the tide/ There’s something on the other side,” the pair sing in blissful harmony over a steady drum beat and fingerpicked guitars. “In the midst of everything that has happened, I said that I would continue to sing,” Wynonna explained in a statement. “So, here I am....
No ‘Trouble’ At All: Jason Aldean Scores His 25th Country Airplay No. 1
Jason Aldean notches his 25th leader on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart with “Trouble With a Heartbreak,” up 15% to 24.9 million audience impressions, according to Luminate, as it crowns the May 28-dated tally. The song — which Kurt Allison, Brett Beavers, Tully Kennedy and John Morgan wrote — is from Aldean’s double album Macon, Georgia, which was released in two 15-song halves; Macon arrived at its No. 3 high on Top Country Albums last November and Georgia started at No. 2 earlier this May. “Trouble” is from Georgia. Aldean adds his fourth Country Airplay leader in succession, following “If I Didn’t Love You,” with Carrie Underwood (No. 1 for three frames starting last October), “Blame It on You” (one week, last July) and “Got What I Got” (one, October 2020). [embedded content] Aldean,...
Zac Brown Band’s John Driskell Hopkins Diagnosed With ALS
John Driskell Hopkins, multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/writer for Zac Brown Band, has revealed he has been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that impacts nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Hopkins appeared alongside his ZBB bandmates in a video message to discuss his diagnosis and his future with the band. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Over the past several years, I’ve noticed some balance issues and some stiffness in my hands,” Hopkins said. “After careful analysis by some of the country’s top neurologists, I’ve been diagnosed with ALS. Because my symptoms have been slow-progressing from the start, we believe they will continue to be ...
Wynonna Judd Moving Forward with The Judds’ Final Tour As Celebration of Naomi
Prior to Naomi Judd’s passing last month, she and her daughter Wynonna had announced their first tour as The Judds in over the decade. Now, Wynonna has announced that the tour will take place as scheduled, serving as a celebration of her mother. Wynonna will be joined on the road by a number of special guests, including Martina McBride, Brandi Carlile, Faith Hill, Little Big Town, Ashley McBryde, Trisha Yearwood, and others to be announced. The tour will now conclude with a newly announced hometown show in The Judds’ native Kentucky on October 29th, with Faith Hill set to perform with Wynonna on stage at the Rupp Arena in Louisville. Advertisement Related Video “I am humbled, once again, by the loyalty of the fans who have been with us for 38+ years, who continue to show up for me when I n...
How to Get Tickets to Carrie Underwood’s 2022 Tour
Carrie Underwood is set to strut across the US in style as she embarks on “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour” this year. To support her upcoming album of the same name, the American Idol winner has laid out quite a lengthy runway, hitting 43 cities from early October into March 2023. Get tickets here, and read on for more details including pre-sale dates. What Is Carrie Underwood’s Next Tour? “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour” kicks off after a few months’ rest following Underwood’s soon-to-be-concluded Las Vegas residency, “REFLECTION.” It opens in Greenville, South Carolina on October 15th before heading west to Indianapolis, Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Lexington, Kentucky. Next, she plays Milwaukee on October 23rd, Minneapolis on October 25th, and Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 31st. She sta...
Keith Whitley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joe Galante to Join Country Music Hall of Fame
Keith Whitley, Jerry Lee Lewis and veteran music executive Joe Galante are the 2022 inductees to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Brooks & Dunn, who were inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2019, led the reveal of the Hall of Fame’s newest members on Tuesday (March 17) at an event at the Hall of Fame and Museum’s rotunda. The CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 “to recognize noteworthy individuals for their outstanding contributions to the format.” Each year, the Country Music Hall of Fame inducts honorees in three categories: modern era artist, veterans era artist, and one of three rotating categories, including non-performer, songwriter, and recording and/or touring musician. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Whitl...
Carrie Underwood Announces “Denim & Rhinestones” US Tour
Carrie Underwood has announced “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour,” a 43-date US trek in support of her forthcoming album of the same name. Joined by rising artist Jimmie Allen, Underwood kicks off the humongous tour on October 15th in Greenville, South Carolina. Throughout the fall, she’ll hit the likes of Lexington, Kentucky, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Kansas City, Missouri before wrapping up her first leg on November 19th in San Francisco. Following a holiday break, “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour” picks back up on February 2nd in Miami, Florida. The artist will hit some especially famous arenas in the tour’s second leg, including New York’s Madison Square Garden, Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and L.A.’s Crypto.com Arena. The tour concludes on March 17th in Seattle. See the full list of dat...
Carrie Underwood, Ben Platt, Flo Rida, Gabby Barrett, & More to Perform on 2022 ‘American Idol’ Finale
After the top 5 American Idol contestants performed for mentor and fourth season winner Carrie Underwood on Sunday night (May 15), the show revealed the all-star line-up for the upcoming May 22 3-hour finale. The episode, which will air live coast-to-coast on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET, will have this season’s three finalists — HunterGirl, Leah Marlene and Noah Thompson — performing for one last time in their bid to take home this year’s crown. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In addition to songs from judges Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan, next week’s season 20 finale will feature performances from Underwood, Ben Platt, Deana Carter, Earth, Wind & Fire, Flo Rida, Idol alum Gabby Barrett, James Arthur, Sara Bareilles, Melissa Ether...
