Music

In the 1990s, CDs sold like hotcakes. As that trend turned underdogs such as Alanis Morissette and future country star Darius Rucker’s Hootie & the Blowfish into household names, Garth Brooks became more than just an established star. He rewrote the record books when it came to album sales, with seven multi-platinum albums issued between 1989

Thirty years ago today (Nov. 16, 1991), Garth Brooks earned his seventh No. 1 single with the tune “Shameless,” from his Ropin’ the Wind album. “Shameless” was written and originally recorded by Billy Joel, for his 1989 album Storm Front. Joel’s version landed in the Top 40 on the pop charts, but it was Brooks’ version that

Steve Earle & the Dukes have announced a tribute concert to his son Justin Townes Earle at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Jan. 4, on what would have been the late singer-songwriter’s 40th birthday. Titled “A Celebration of Justin Townes Earle,” the concert will feature artists like Jason Isbell, Emmylou Harris, Lucinda Williams, Old

A mid-2010s Bitter Southerner feature on John Prine offers an incredible look into, as author Jonathan Bernstein writes, “one of the wittiest, sweetest, most talented musicians alive.” Perhaps the most enlightening fact to come out of the gushing praise from Prine’s musical peers, collaborators and admirers, however, is that, just as they are fans of his,

November 16, 2021 Everything You Need To Know About ‘Adele One Night Only’ Special with Oprah and Where You Can Watch It Adele has opened up about her recent past in an intimate interview with Oprah Winfrey. In the Adele: One Night Only TV special which aired last night in the US, the British singer discussed

Forty-three years ago today (Nov. 15, 1978) was a life-altering day for Kenny Rogers: It was on that date that the singer’s multi-platinum-selling album The Gambler was released. Rogers was already one of the most successful male vocalists in country music by the time he released The Gambler, but the record catapulted him to superstar status, becoming a worldwide

The Orion Amphitheater will open in Huntsville, Alabama, next spring with an all-star lineup of artists who have strong ties to the state. The weekend-long “First Waltz” will take place May 13 through 15 and include performances by Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Brittany Howard, and Waxahatchee. The three-day series of shows will also

Josh Turner is saluting U.S. military men and women in the heartwarming video for his new holiday song, “Soldier’s Gift.” Instead of enlisting actors to bring songs to life, Turner opted to cast real-life veterans from Wounded Warrior Project. “It was important to me that we didn’t cast actors for the main [roles]. Both the

It’s always at the end of the CMA Awards ceremony. The audience full of fans and the country stars alike wait with eager anticipation to hear the name called for the evening’s highest honor: Entertainer of the Year. Since the CMA Awards’ inception in 1967, when Eddy Arnold nabbed the first-ever Entertainer of the Year trophy,

The 55th CMA Awards tried to restore a sense of normalcy to country music, following another year of the pandemic, a scandal with one of its rising stars, and a genre that is fracturing along political and cultural lines. For the most part, the CMAs succeeded: fans were back inside Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, artists mingled

Even Carrie Underwood eats too much at Christmas time. The famously fit country singer has dropped “Stretchy Pants,” a comedic pop-country song that celebrates the realities of over-indulging around the holidays. A portion of proceeds from the song will go to the Store, Brad Paisley and his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley’s not-for-profit grocery store for families

The night of the CMA Awards is one of the biggest in Nashville, when the stars align and everybody who is anybody in the country music scene is on hand to perform, present, receive an award or just enjoy the show. But it isn’t only Music City’s finest who show up: Sometimes, even the performance lineup interspersed with stars from across the

Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene” gets an overhaul for the dancefloor with a new remix. A rare officially sanctioned update of Parton’s work, “Jolene (Destructo Remix)” was released Friday. Destructo, the producer/DJ guise of Gary Richards, builds on the rhythmic elements that made “Jolene” so compelling in its original form: the funky, minor-key guitar riff, the

When Little Big Town recorded “Better Man” in 2016, they made clear that Taylor Swift didn’t write the song for them. It was a song she had written and felt would be perfect for the quartet, and she was right. The group’s version became a No. 1 hit and won a CMA Award and a

November 12, 2021 FEATURED, Music News Tate McRae Debuts Music Video For The Single ‘Feel Like S–t’ Pop superstar Tate McRae has released a new single, titled “Feel Like Shit,” accompanied by a dance heavy music video. Directed by Sam Sulam, the music video features McRae performing a contemporary routine alongside actor and dancer Mason Culter. The

Forty-six years ago today, on Nov. 11, 1975, Reba McEntire‘s career as a country music singer officially began: It was on that date that the then-20-year-old signed her first recording contract, with Mercury Records. McEntire was already singing in a group, the Singing McEntires, with her brother Pake and sister Susie at the time she

Taylor Swift released her re-recorded version of Red late last night, a 30-track behemoth that includes the superstar’s first recordings of “Babe” and “Better Man,” originally cut by Sugarland and Little Big Town, respectively. But the highlight for many country fans is Swift’s collaboration with Chris Stapleton. Together, Swift and Stapleton tackle “I Bet You

Taylor Swift asked Chris Stapleton to help her flay an ex-lover during “I Bet You Think About Me,” her new country radio offering. The pop superstar leaves nothing unsaid as she gives a five-verse middle finger to this snob. Stapleton’s parts are rather muted, joining Swift for only select chorus and pre-chorus harmonies. Much like “Betty,” Swift’s last release

November 12, 2021 FEATURED, Music News Haywood Shares Her Love For The City That Never Sleeps On ‘New York’ Pop singer Leah Haywood has shared her brand new single ‘New York’, that details her love and her time in the big apple New York City. She took to Instagram to make her announcement and explain

Country music is filled with songs proclaiming love and devotion to the United States, but for many artists, their patriotism runs even deeper. Several artists – Jamey Johnson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, among others — spent time in the United States military prior to the start of their successful music careers. For some, like Willie Nelson, their

In addition to taking home his first Entertainer of the Year prize at Wednesday night’s CMA Awards, Luke Combs also debuted a new song during the telecast. “Doin’ This,” an ode to making music regardless of any fame or riches, is out in studio form now with an accompanying video. The video acts as a

Contrary to popular belief, cowboys do cry…just ask Chancey Williams. “This is one of my favorite songs I’ve written,” Williams says of the very subject touched on in his new single, “Blame It on the Rain,” which premieres exclusively via Taste of Country. “Trent Willmon and I wrote it about how a lot of cowboys don’t

November 11, 2021 FEATURED, Music News As The Festive Season Approaches Meghan Trainor Releases ‘A Very Trainor Christmas’ [embedded content] Unwrapping a whole lot of joy, Meghan Trainor presents the much-anticipated Deluxe Edition of her holiday album, A Very Trainor Christmas [Epic Records], available as a digital exclusive now. Listen HERE.  Earlier this month she teased its arrival with the release of

The 55th annual CMA Awards will take place Wednesday, Nov. 10 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. This year’s show, hosted by Luke Bryan, returns to Bridgestone Arena after the 2020 ceremony was moved to the nearby Music City Center with no fans in attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic. Eric Church and Chris Stapleton snagged the most CMA Awards

Since 2005, the civil rights nonprofit Color of Change has been at the forefront of campaigns to educate and influence the entertainment industry and corporate America to actively create anti-racist policies and practices. In 2019, they helped pressure RCA/Sony into dropping R. Kelly, and have been working with the Recording Academy on diversity initiatives ranging

Where you see Gwen Stefani, you’ll usually find Blake Shelton, because the newlyweds — both stars in their own right — love performing together. Naturally, Shelton couldn’t resist swinging by Stefani’s last show during her Las Vegas residency to send her off in style. Stefani played the 57th run of her Just a Girl residency at the Zappos

The very first CMA Awards took place in 1967, which means this year, the Country Music Association will crown its 54th Entertainer of the Year. But which artist was the first to take home the prestigious award? That honor belongs to Eddy Arnold, a pioneer of the “Nashville Sound.” Nicknamed the “Tennessee Plowboy,” Arnold had

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Ryan Culwell longs for a fresh start in his powerful new single “Let’s Go Crazy,” premiering exclusively on The Boot. The expertly-penned track finds the Texas native examining the world through the eyes of a protective parent and worried husband, ready to risk it all to give his loved ones a simpler and more content

The CMA Awards will more or less return to its usual form for its 55th year. After a 2020 edition that was held in a different location and without an audience, the annual event will be broadcast once again from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and fans will be in the seats. Even so, some things may