Music

Hailey Whitters teams up with one of her childhood idols, Trisha Yearwood, on her new song “How Far Can It Go?” Whitters opens the summery song, reminiscent of Yearwood’s signature hit “She’s in Love With the Boy,” before the country icon takes over on the second verse. Their voices join together on the chorus as

Kenny Chesney is grieving the loss of a friend of 15 years. A helicopter pilot named Maria Rodriguez was among those killed in a crash on the Virgin Islands, the singer says. The crash on St. Thomas took multiple lives, including that of Rodriguez, a woman the country singer called a dear friend. “I have

Priscilla Presley has downsized considerably with the purchase of her new California condo, but she sure hasn’t given up any luxuries. The actress, businesswoman and former wife of Elvis Presley has sold her lavish mansion and moved to a splendid condo, and pictures show that she won’t lack any of the top-notch amenities she’s been

Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists. (Check out last week’s best songs.) Tiera featuring Breland, “Miles” Singer-songwriter

Lanco‘s latest release, “Near Mrs.,” is a rock-inflected look back at the love interests who were almost — but not quite — the one. Though those relationships ultimately ended in heartbreak, it’s not a sad song. On the contrary, the narrator offers gratitude for the lessons learned from each one, and traces how each “Near Mrs.”

After a largely virtual season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, American Idol judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan are back in the studio for the TV singing competitions 19th season. They’ll be practicing social distancing as they audition hopefuls in only three California cities, rather than making their usual national rounds,but as Perry dramatically put it during Sunday

Can you imagine turning down some of country music’s most well-known names for a spot in a singing competition? That’s exactly what the crew of American Idol did — more than once, too. Awkward! The popular TV show might be known for turning out superstars including Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Scotty McCreery, but those involved with American Idol also said

Singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd is joined by his wife, country star Maren Morris, on the smoldering new duet “Chasing After You,” released on Friday. It is Hurd’s first release since putting out the EOM EP, which featured his single “Every Other Memory,” in 2020. Penned by Brinley Addington and Jerry Flowers, “Chasing After You” chronicles the

Blake Shelton is keeping it all in the (soon-to-be) family with his newest music video. The clip for the country singer’s hard-times love song “Minimum Wage” was directed by Todd Stefani, who just so happens to be the youngest brother of fellow artist Gwen Stefani, Shelton’s fiancée. The video’s sure to have Shelton fans missing in-person

Thirty-six years ago today (Feb. 14, 1985) was a Valentine’s Day to remember for Randy Travis: It was on that date that the singer inked his record deal with Warner Bros. Records, only two weeks after recording what became his first single, “On the Other Hand.” Travis had already been rejected by every label in

Fifty-four years ago today, on Feb. 13, 1967, Dolly Parton‘s debut album, appropriately titled, Hello, I’m Dolly, was released. The then-21-year-old Parton wrote or co-wrote 10 of the 12 songs on the record, including two of its singles: “I Wasted My Tears,” which failed to chart, and “Something Fishy,” which landed in the Top 20. Curly Putman

First, there were the drafts of tweets that went unsent. Then there were the profanity-laced text messages to trusted friends. Finally, there were nerve-calming cooking videos on YouTube. Making some sense of the sadness and confusion I felt in the wake of the Morgan Wallen video took time. The disappointing revelation that country’s hottest new

Kameron Marlowe follows in the musical footsteps of fellow North Carolina native Luke Combs with his debut single, “Sober as a Drunk.” The song’s traditional country leanings, clever wordplay and barrel-chested baritone vocals all hearken back to Combs’ early hits — but Marlowe is rapidly proving his determination to leave his mark on country music, on his

Nineteen years ago today (Feb. 13, 2002) was a sad day in country music: It was on that date that Waylon Jennings died, from complications from diabetes. He was 64 years old. Jennings was born near Littlefield, Texas, and inherited his love of music from his mother. When he was eight years old, he began playing the guitar,

Kathy Mattea and her songwriter husband Jon Vezner owe their first meeting to a dead car battery. “Kathy lived upstairs at Wrensong, the publisher I used to write at,” Vezner tells The Boot. “I’d see her in the hallway from time to time. One morning I overheard her battery was dead, so I jumped her —

In 1984, Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias teamed up for a duet that bridged country music with Latin balladry: “To All the Girls I’ve Loved Before,” recorded for Iglesias’ album 1100 Bel Air Place became a hit on the country, Spanish, and all-genre charts, and a milestone in Nelson’s long list of collaborations. For the

As the COVID-19 pandemic began shutting down North America in March of 2020, Canadian country artist Leanne Pearson found her plans, both personal and professional, crumbling: She not only had to put her tour dates on hold and cancel her wedding plans, but also was separated from her fiance, Jordan Riley, for four months due to

Sixteen years ago today (Feb. 12, 2005), Rascal Flatts scored their third No. 1 hit with “Bless the Broken Road.” The song, from their album Feels Like Today, also became the trio’s first platinum-selling tune. “Bless the Broken Road” was written by Marcus Hummon, Bobby Boyd and Jeff Hanna in 1994. The song was previously recorded

From Shania Twain to Luke Combs, a number of country artists have sung songs about flying solo — and loving it. So, instead of moping around, mourning your lack of a soulmate, seize the day and strut your beautiful, single stuff. Put your solo dancing shoes on and embrace the joys of being unattached! There’s

Chris Stapleton performed the country waltz “When I’m With You” on Wednesday night’s episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The song, a solo composition by Stapleton, appears on the singer’s latest album, Starting Over. Joined by his wife and singing partner Morgane in a darkened rehearsal space, Stapleton plays the song backed by

Olivia Ellen Lloyd‘s “Sorrow” presents its subject in a lighthearted way, but it’s rooted in serious matters. The song is premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen. Influenced by Lloyd’s own struggle with depression, “Sorrow” puts into words how the emotion can, so quickly, overwhelm you out of nowhere: It “comes along when

Morgan Wallen has broken his silence eight days after a video surfaced that shows him using the N-word. He says that moment came at the end of a 72-hour bender, and in a video message to fans posted on Wednesday night (Feb. 10), Wallen apologizes and gives an update what he’s been doing to change; he also asks those who’ve

Restless Road — the rising country trio of Zach Beeken, Garrett Nichols and Colton Pack — are celebrating their signing to Kane Brown’s 1021 Entertainment with a brand-new single. “Took One Look at Her Momma” celebrates the women we love, and perhaps more importantly, the people who made them that way. The protagonist of Restless Road’s

Nashville singer-songwriter Joy Oladokun made her late-night television debut on Tuesday with a sparse, haunting version of her piano-driven pop ballad “Breathe Again.” “Follow me down where the water runs deep,” Oladokun sings, switching from full-throated pop belting to a folky whisper from one line to the next. “I’ll let you drown in the worst

Jameson Rodgers and Luke Combs know how to let the good times roll. The country singers deliver the party right to your backyard in their fun new video for their new collaboration, “Cold Beer Calling My Name.” The clip premiered via YouTube on Tuesday night (Feb. 9), starring the two country singers as beer truck

Dwight Yoakam is suing Warner Music over the rights to some of his older, best-known recordings. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Yoakam filed suit against the music giant in federal court in California on Monday (Feb. 8), claiming that the label has refused to confirm his right to reclaim the copyrights to some of his

It’s been a decade since country music audiences first met Shy Carter. At 25, he helped write Sugarland‘s Top 5 hit “Stuck Like Glue,” a song that’s remarkable for Jennifer Nettles‘ rap break. Later he’d partner with Billy Currington to write “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” and add a rap break on the hitmaker’s

A few nights ago, Tanya Tucker was listening to Apple Music at her Texas ranch. She heard songs by her favorite singers including Nina Simone, Gordon Lightfoot, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson — and then she heard herself. The song was “Mustang Ridge,” from her 2019 album While I’m Livin’, produced by Brandi Carlile and Shooter

The Brother Brothers take an honest look at one of life’s hardest emotions in their new song “Sorrow.” Despite being plodding and melancholy, the track is full of gorgeous harmonies from identical twins Adam and David Moss. Written by the Mosses, “Sorrow” — which is premiering exclusively on The Boot — speaks specifically about a lost relationship,

Thomas Rhett has made a habit of teasing unreleased songs on social media, and his current single, “What’s Your Country Song,” will likely be included on an unannounced album on the horizon. In a new video posted to Instagram, Rhett reveals that he has “some new music coming pretty soon,” adding that he’s continued to work