Country
CMA Fest 2022 Day 2 Best Moments: Wynonna Judd Joins Carly Pearce, Kane Brown Packs in Hits & More
It was truly a “girls night out” during the second night of performances at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium for the 2022 CMA Fest on Friday (June 10). From Deana Carter, Wynonna Judd, Kelsea Ballerini, Lainey Wilson, Maddie & Tae, Lily Rose, Gabby Barrett and Carly Pearce, the evening was filled with performances from female artists, each singing their respective truths — the stories of their love, heartbreaks, ambitions, life-affirming moments, and everything in between. Of course, the night also featured some stellar performances from the guys, as Cole Swindell performed his new release “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” (a nod to Jo Dee Messina‘s 1996 hit “Heads Carolina, Tails California”), while Thomas Rhett and Kane Brown each turned in hit-filled sets. Explore See latest videos, charts a...
Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake Reunite for ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ at L.A. Concert
Chris Stapleton and Justin Timberlake have reunited onstage! Stapleton welcomed surprise guest Timberlake for a duet of the country music star’s Traveller album song “Tennessee Whiskey” during his concert at the Kia Forum near Los Angeles on Friday night (June 10). “I guarantee that most of you probably know me because of this man I’m about to bring onstage,” the long-bearded singer told the crowd when introducing JT. “He’s one of the greatest musical artists that has ever lived.” Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news From there, the Memphis-born pop superstar excitedly walked onstage and took a few bows before the two musicians performed a stirring duet of “Tennessee Whiskey,” which appeared on the country singer’s 2015 debut album, Traveller. Stapl...
Carrie Underwood’s ‘Denim & Rhinestones’ Is Here: Stream It Now
After releasing her first holiday album, My Gift, in 2020 and her first gospel album, My Savior, last year, Carrie Underwood returns with her latest country album, Denim & Rhinestones, on Friday (June 10). The dozen-song album starts with the flirty, fun title track, and continues with “Velvet Heartbreak,” the album’s first release, “Ghost Story,” “Hate My Heart,” “Burn,” the summer-ready “Crazy Angels” and more. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news In April, Underwood’s performance on the CMT Music Awards of “Ghost Story” saw Underwood taking her live show to new heights — literally — as she performed some aerial acrobatics with silks during the performance. During her headlining set at Stagecoach in May, she donned a custom denim and r...
Trisha Yearwood to Receive Artist Career Achievement Award From Country Radio Broadcasters
Grammy and Emmy-award winning performer Trisha Yearwood will receive the artist career achievement award from the Country Radio Broadcasters on June 30 at the 2022 Country Radio Hall of Fame Induction ceremony in Nashville. “Trisha’s career achievements are among the ultimate imaginable: Country icon, TV star, bestselling author, philanthropist. Undeniably a legend. Let’s celebrate her together on this extraordinary night,” said CRB/Country Radio Seminar president Kurt Johnson in a statement. A musical tribute will be part of the celebration. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The CRB artist career achievement award is presented to an individual artist or act who, through their creativity, vision, performance, or leadership, has significan...
Hit Songwriter Nicolle Galyon to Release Debut Album, ‘firstborn’: Exclusive
Hit songwriter Nicolle Galyon has penned chart-topping songs including Miranda Lambert’s “Automatic” and Dan+Shay’s Grammy-winning hit “Tequila,” as well as Keith Urban’s “Female.” In addition to Grammy and CMA Awards nominations, Galyon has earned a CMA Triple Play award and was named BMI’s 2019 songwriter of the year. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Now, she’s gearing up for a project that has been 20 years in the making — the release of her own debut album, firstborn, set to release July 22, Billboard can reveal. “It was me making something that was purely me,” Galyon tells Billboard. “I felt like, especially having this company I started to help other females to tell their stories, but I’ve never fully told my own. “This is me writi...
CMA Festival Bans Confederate Flag Imagery “of Any Kind”
No “Southern pride” or sedition here. The CMA Festival has announced that Confederate flags will officially be banned from the annual event, which is scheduled to take place in Nashville next week. The new rule is noted by event organizers on the festival’s official website, with “Confederate flag imagery of any kind” listed among other objects prohibited on festival grounds including bikes, drones, fireworks, and drug paraphernalia. The news was first reported by Variety. “This year’s CMA Fest is our first major fan-facing event in nearly three years,” the Country Music Association said in a statement. “We have always had policies in place that protect the safety of our fans and ban discrimination, but we felt it was important to further refine our language to explicitly outline what will...
Jeff Tweedy Covers Angel Olsen’s “Big Time”: Stream
Jeff Tweedy has offered up his take on Angel Olsen‘s “Big Time.” The Wilco frontman released the cover on his Substack, Starship Casual, writing, “Here’s a song I learned from Angel Olsen’s new record that came out TODAY! Normally I put songs behind the paywall, but this album is brand-new and lovely, and I want everyone with ears to hear it” alongside a number of pictures of himself, Olsen, and her band. “And I’m losing, I’m losing, I’ve left it behind/ Guess I had to be losing to get here on time/ And I’m living, I’m loving, I’ve loved long before/ And I’m loving you big time, I’m loving you more,” he crooned on the song’s country-tinged chorus over simple acoustic guitar. Upon hearing the cover, Olsen had nothing but good things to say, tweeting, “Jeff!!! Covering ‘Big Time’! I owe you ...
CMA Fest Bans Confederate Flag Imagery at Country Music Fest
The CMA Fest is prohibiting any Confederate flag imagery at its four-day festival, following similar bans at other country music festivals. In a statement provided to The Tennessean, the Country Music Association said the decision to enact the policy this year was based on the personal safety of fans and to prevent discrimination. “This year’s CMA Fest is our first major fan-facing event in nearly three years. We have always had policies in place that protect the safety of our fans and ban discrimination, but we felt it was important to further refine our language to explicitly outline what will and will not be tolerated,” the statement said. After a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual festival that began in 1972 returns to Nashville, Tennessee, star...
Juneteenth Celebration 2022 to Feature The Roots, Killer Mike, Mickey Guyton, and More
Juneteenth 2022 marks the liberation of Black Americans from slavery 157 years ago. In celebration, The Roots, Killer Mike, Mickey Guyton, and more will take the stage at the Hollywood Bowl on Sunday, June 19th for a special concert that will be broadcast live on CNN. Other artists on the roster for the evening include Earth Wind & Fire, Robert Glasper, Jhené Aiko, Anthony Hamilton, Billy Porter, Lucky Daye, Mary Mary, and Michelle Williams. Additionally, the show will feature the 68-piece symphony Re-Collective Orchestra. Conducted by Thomas Wilkins and Derek Hodge, the group will be the first all-Black orchestra to ever play the Hollywood Bowl in the venue’s 100-year history. See the full lineup poster below. “This is the most important event we’ve ever produced at Live Nation U...
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...
