For a fifth year in a row, Spotify House proved to be the go-to spot for special guests and surprises during CMA Fest weekend in Nashville.
The streaming platform’s Hot Country playlist took over Blake Shelton‘s Ole Red bar on Broadway for three days, and along with featuring a dozen scheduled performers each day, also hosted some A-list surprises. Jelly Roll made an appearance with Machine Gun Kelly and returned later for a duet with shirtless comedian Bert Kreischer, Keith Urban performed a mashup with rising star Dasha, and Post Malone debuted a song with Shelton.
Day One saw acts such as Cole Swindell, Little Big Town, Tanner Adell, and Old Dominion playing some of their biggest hits in the intimate venue. After popping up at Nissan Stadium on Thursday night, Post Malone made his way to Spotify House to close out the late night with an acoustic, country-tinged version of “Sunflower,” a cover of George Strait’s “Carrying Your Love With Me,” and a duet of “Pour Me a Drink,” a new track with Shelton.
“Let’s hear it for our new adopted son in country music,” Shelton told the crowd.
“Pour Me a Drink” is set to be the second release from Malone’s country album, out later this year. The LP’s first single, “I Had Some Help” with Morgan Wallen, arrived last month and has dominated radio and the charts.
For Day Two, Spotify House offered a revolving door of talent, including Breland, Lady A, and Mickey Guyton, who played a gorgeous rendition of Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers.” By evening, the party felt like a family affair, as several acts introduced friends for surprise duets. Corey Kent welcomed Lauren Alaina to the stage to debut a track off his upcoming album, while Keith Urban brought out Dasha for a medley of her viral “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” and Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash’s “Jackson.”
MGK closed Friday’s lineup by lacing his rocky tracks “Bloody Valentine” and “Forget Me Too” with a cover of the Chicks’ “There’s Your Trouble.” The ubiquitous Jelly Roll appeared too, for performances of his own hit “Need a Favor” and MGK’s “MY Ex’s Best Friend.” MGK also offered a cover of the Chicks’ 1998 hit “There’s Your Trouble“ while backed by a fiddle.
Shaboozey, Midland, and Ashley McBryde were highlights of Day 3, along with — yet again — Jelly Roll, who returned Saturday for a mid-afternoon cameo to sing “I Am Not OK,” a touching song about his mental health struggles. Jelly also welcomed comedian (“One of my best friends,” he said) Bert Kreischer for a shirtless, post-beer-chug rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.”
“You’ve brought me onstage with you before so I wanted to share this moment with you,” Jelly said. “I’ve wanted to do this with you forever.”
Spotify House also showcased numerous rising acts at Ole Red’s rooftop as part of their Fresh Finds playlist: HunterGirl, Waylon Wyatt, Grace Tyler, Zach Top, Alexandra Kay, and Noah Rinker all performed.