Music

Before Blake Shelton became a country superstar and The Voice coach, he was just another aspiring singer with a dream. He took an early step toward stardom, however, on July 31, 2001, when he released his self-titled debut album. Blake Shelton features 10 songs, including the singles “Austin,” “All Over Me” and “Ol’ Red.” ”Austin” had been released in April of

Whiskey Myers seem made for the part of laser-wielding deputies in the riotous new video for “John Wayne.” The groove-driven country-rock tune appears on the Texas band’s new album Tornillo, which is out today. With its message of resilience and southern-fried disco boogie rhythm, “John Wayne” is a nice accompaniment for a battle between the

Whiskey Myers guitarist John Jeffers says his band was the first one to drop when the COVID-19 pandemic began and the last to return when the threat became more manageable. During the two years in between, there were a few … complications. The first? Simple band economics. “So you know there’s six of us on stage,

Born and raised in North Carolina, Frank lived an ordinary life. With a burning desire to find a deeper purpose in life, he enlisted in the U.S. Army shortly after graduating high school. After a traumatic deployment to Afghanistan, he picked up a camera as a way to transcend his surroundings and find beauty in

On July 30, 1983, George Jones landed at No. 1 on the charts with “I Always Get Lucky With You.” Co-written by Merle Haggard, the song appears on Jones’ 1983 LP Shine On. “I Always Get Lucky With You” is sung from the perspective of someone with so-so luck (“I keep two strikes against me /

Dierks Bentley is previewing his forthcoming tenth studio album with a hit-ready and feel-good new single, “Gold.” For this song, Bentley teamed up with hit songwriters and frequent collaborators Ashley Gorley, Luke Dick and Ross Copperman to create a life anthem that perfectly melds heart-on-sleeve lyrical candor with an infectiously jaunty melody. In the verses, the singer laments

Todd Snider celebrates playing in front of an audience again and pays tribute to dearly departed friends on his new album Live: Return of the Storyteller, a collection of tracks recorded during the singer’s first post-pandemic shows in 2021. Ahead of the live LP’s Sept. 23 release, Snider has shared the new video for a

Dan + Shay weren’t originally Dan + Shay. Sure, they were always Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, but the singers reveal that folders holding their early demos came with a different vision. The pair wanted to pay tribute to one of their favorite artists and influences: Tim McGraw. Fate — or casual common sense —

Canadian singer/songwriter sensation Olivia Lunny has released her confident new single, “VIBE CHECK,” in collaboration with internationally-renowned Bhad Bhabie, available to stream globally today via Infinity & Recordings (Universal Music Canada / Virgin Music). Building on the momentum from her 2021 self-titled debut album, “VIBE CHECK” is Olivia Lunny’s first ever collaboration on an original song. Previously partnering with world-famous artists such

When Martina McBride was a young girl (around 8 or 9 years old), she began performing with the band her father fronted, the Schiffters — a play on their last name, Schiff. Back then, no one could have predicted that a Kansas-born girl living on a dairy farm would become a massive country music superstar

“Ya ever feel like we’ve been had?” Chris Shiflett sings in his new song “Long, Long Year,” an opening lyric that calls to mind Johnny Rotten’s famous query: “Ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?” But “Long, Long Year” delivers — the mid-tempo ballad is another satisfying slice of country-rock from Shiflett, the Foo Fighters

Thirty-three years ago today (July 29, 1989) was a day of celebration for Reba McEntire: It was on that date that her single “Cathy’s Clown” soared to the top of the charts. By the time McEntire hit No. 1 with “Cathy’s Clown,” which was the debut single from her platinum-selling Sweet Sixteen album, it had already been a

Ellie Goulding recently dropped her latest single called ‘Easy Lover’, the first release since Ellie’s 2020 studio album Brightest Blue. The track, written and produced in collaboration with the legendary Greg Kurstin and Julia Michaels, sees Ellie return with one of this years biggest bangers in pop music. Featuring on the single is rapper Big Sean.

Twenty years ago today, on July 27, 2002, Kenny Chesney added another No. 1 hit to the growing list of “good stuff” that was happening in his career. It was on that date that the singer soared to the top of the charts with his song “The Good Stuff” and held reign for seven straight weeks. “The

Brooklyn’s Paisley Fields teaches a sermon on the power of queer country music on “Plastic Rosary,” the second single from their forthcoming album Limp Wrist. Growing up queer and Catholic is a surefire way to produce some conflicting emotions, but doing it in Iowa is its own experience. In their latest music video, directed by RuPaul’s Drag

It is nearly impossible to feel cynical at the Newport Folk Festival. Despite the state of the world during any given year (increasingly bad), the annual festival in Newport, R.I., offers a reliable supply of life-affirming moments and incredible performances. This year saw the festival return to full-scale after last year’s COVID-restricted “Folk On” event, and

Imagine Dragons – “Younger” and “I Don’t Like Myself”: Both songs are taken from the bands new album “Mercury – Act 2″. It’s Imagine Dragons fifth studio album by Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. The album was executive produced by Rick Rubin and Alex Da Kidd. Camila Cabello – “Psychofreak (feat. WILLOW)”: “Psychofreak” is based on Cabello’s anxiety.  Cabello said that

2 “Sunday Morning Coming Down” Kristofferson wrote “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” but Ray Stevens recorded it first — one of the first times that Kristofferson heard someone else singing his material. “At the time Ray cut it, nobody had ever put that much money and effort into one of my songs,” Kristofferson tells The Boot.

Alt-country talent Michael Paul Lawson seeks solace in the bright lights of downtown in his brand new single “I Know Where I’m Going Tonight.” The engaging first track from the Austin-based artist’s upcoming album Love Songs for Loners, set for release on Oct. 7, finds Lawson opting for a familiar distraction to help ease the lingering uncertainty

Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, and Dolly Parton were among the names called when the 33rd annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards were announced on Tuesday in Nashville. Strings will compete in six categories, Tuttle in five, and Parton in two when the 2022 IBMAs are held Sept. 29 at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing

It’s been 25 years since George Strait took his romantic single “Carrying Your Love With Me” to the top of the country charts, but this classic hit is finding a whole new audience for a surprising reason. In 1997, Strait released “Carrying Your Love With Me” as the second single and title track from his seventeenth

Ne-Yo, the three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning R&B hitmaker, iconic songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, has sold a cumulative 20+ million adjusted albums worldwide. His debut single, 2005’s “So Sick,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified quadruple Platinum. Since then, the Motown Records/Compound Entertainment recording artist has racked up a collection of hits including “Sexy Love,”

Maren Morris was born and raised in Texas but she quickly found a place in Nashville as one of country music’s brightest stars. Though she’s a prolific writer whose songs have been recorded by Tim McGraw, Kelly Clarkson and more, Morris’ raw performing talent has continued to propelled her into the spotlight. Morris signed with Columbia in September

Jake Owen‘s song, “1×1,” is about a bachelor-turned-husband-and-father — and it’s all because of one person who changed his life. Suddenly, his world is filled with irreplaceable treasures. Owen showcases those treasures in the song’s music video. The video opens with the country singer seated strumming on his guitar. One beam of light washes over

Luke Combs has one of the biggest hearts in county music, he proved that once again recently, taking care of a young fan battling acute myeloid leukemia. After hearing Addison (Addi) Conely’s story, the country singer went to work making sure she had the trip of a lifetime. Combs flew the 17-year-old and her entire

Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, and producer Leah Haywood has been releasing new music under artist name Haywood over the last few months via Palm Tree/Sony Records. Her first single “Cheers to Us,” was a duet featuring Jackson Foote from pop duo Loote followed by her second single, “Backbeat” which was another banger for Leah. The hit songs

Brandi Carlile always has a few tricks up her sleeve. On the last night of this year’s Newport Folk Festival, Carlile surprised the audience by bringing out Joni Mitchell for an exceedingly rare live appearance — her first at the festival in over 50 years. Billed as “Brandi Carlile and Friends,” the Sunday evening set

Zach Bryan‘s genre-leading American Heartbreak album is powered by “Something in the Orange,” a strolling heartbreak ballad that’s forcing its way on to country music charts. While the self-penned folk song has just cracked the Billboard Country Airplay chart, it’s been perched for weeks at No. 6 or No. 7 on the Hot Country Songs chart,

Rascal Flatts‘ 2015 hit, “I Like the Sound of That,” gets retooled as a laidback reggae jam as part of the new compilation album, Country Goes Reggae. Released on Friday (July 22), Country Goes Reggae revamps a collection of country classics and newer hits, with help from producers Christian and Frank Berman (aka the Berman