Music

Loretta Lynn first entered the world of country music in 1960 with the release of her debut single, “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl.” Sixty-plus years later, the singer is still going strong, releasing new music and continuing to perform for her fans. Country fans have been watching the “Coal Miner’s Daughter” for the last six decades, from

Find Thomas Rhett struggling with his work/home balance during his new song, “Country Again.” The title track from his upcoming album represents the tone and theme of many of the 11 songs. Is it representative of the sound? Longtime fans of Rhett’s are familiar with this internal dialogue set to music. He writes and records songs as uniquely personal as anyone who

Morgan Wallen has posted a letter thanking his fans for their support since the release of his album Dangerous and also announcing his intention not to tour during summer 2021. Despite Wallen being removed from country radio after he was caught using a racial slur on camera, Dangerous spent 10 weeks at Number One —

Morgan Wallen says he’s been working on himself, and he’ll need to keep working on himself. He’s not going to play any live shows this summer, he says. Specifically referring to tour dates with Luke Bryan and scheduled festival dates, Wallen says he’s bowing out. “But it’s important to me personally, if you can, still go

What would “Whiskey Lullaby” have sounded like if Dierks Bentley was the one to record it instead of Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss? Or what if Blake Shelton had been the one who made “The House That Built Me” famous instead of Miranda Lambert? Neither scenario is a far-fetched idea — both almost happened! Sometimes, a

Morgan Wade is longing to know more about her love in her new “Wilder Days” music video. Throughout the clip, the couple’s present-day relationship runs in parallel with his past. In the “Wilder Days” video, Wade and her guy (played by Josh Jakub) are all gussied up for a date; he’s even got a shiny, well-maintained convertible. Wade,

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.) Gary Louris, “Almost Home” The

Billboards calling Morgan Wallen his fans’ choice as Entertainer of the Year have popped up around Nashville. The mystery of who paid for them runs deep. The Boot and Taste of Country confirmed the locations of three billboards, each with two Wallen-focused graphics in rotation, at various, highly trafficked intersections near downtown Nashville. One billboard design reads “Support that boy from

Despite a varied catalog featuring quite a few twangy odes to the past, some old souls dismiss Garth Brooks as a pop act. To shut down such limiting notions about Brooks, look no further than his debut album. The now-32-year-old Garth Brooks album — released on April 12, 1989 — honors tradition while pushing ‘80s country’s

Alex Miller has officially released the song that set him on his American Idol path. “I’m Over You So Get Over Me” is the traditional country swinger he auditioned with, and appropriately, it’s his first bow as a professional recording artist. Miller says he wrote “I’m Over You So Get Over Me” about an ex-girlfriend. The

Taylor Swift released her re-recorded Fearless (Taylor’s Version) on Friday, a 2021 update of the 2008 album. Comprising 27 tracks, the new LP features six “From the Vault” recordings, including the Keith Urban duet “That’s When.” An introspective retelling of a romance at the brink, the song opens with Swift singing the first verse and

Dogs rank up there with trains and mothers on the list of lyrical cliches in country music, so there’s no surprise that ol’ hound dogs dominate the handful of country songs about beloved family pets. Examples of dogs-focused country songs include breakthrough hits by such historic heavyweights as Hank Williams and Elvis Presley, with the

Twenty-nine years ago today (April 11, 1992) was a bittersweet day for Wynonna Judd. It was on that date that she earned her first No. 1 hit as a solo artist, with her debut single, “She Is His Only Need.” By the time “She Is His Only Need” hit the airwaves, Judd had already had plenty

Texas singer-songwriter Mike Ryan is fighting off heartbreak — with alcohol, naturally — in his new single “Can Down.” As he releases the brand-new song on Friday (April 9), he’s sharing an acoustic performance exclusively with The Boot’s readers. Ryan co-wrote “Can Down” with Brent Anderson, Smith Ahnquist and Will Weatherly. The song’s protagonist is utterly broken

Rising country-pop singer Morgan Wade performed three tracks from her debut album Reckless as part of CBS This Morning’s latest “Saturday Sessions.” The Virginia native played her standout “Wilder Days,” “Last Cigarette” and “Don’t Cry” for the performance, with Wade joined by a backing band that included Sadler Vaden, the producer of Reckless and a

Each year, April 10 is recognized as National Siblings Day. The holiday was created by a woman named Claudia Evart, who lost her siblings, Lisette and Alan, early in life in two different incidents. Though it’s not an official holiday — it’s not a federally recognized holiday, like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day — it’s a good

Chances are good that 26 years ago today (April 10, 1995), George Strait had no idea how significant his plans for the day would become. It was on that date that Strait recorded “Check Yes or No” and “I Know She Still Loves Me,” both for his 1995 compilation album Strait Out of the Box. Strait

Tim McGraw‘s new song “God Moves the Pen” celebrates the power of words — specifically, the ones that declare our love for each other. The midtempo track announces the country star’s Here on Earth Ultimate Edition, due out on April 16. A steady drumbeat and twangy guitar back McGraw throughout the simple “God Moves the Pen.”

Jennifer Nettles’ voice, outsized and dramatic, has always been suited for the stage. In 2015, she starred in Chicago on Broadway as Roxie Hart. Now the eclectic vocalist — and one-half of the country duo Sugarland — will release an album full of her versions of Broadway songs. Always Like New arrives June 25th on Concord

Ricky Skaggs finally has his high school diploma, five decades after he left school early to launch his career. In June of 2020, Skaggs was awarded an honorary diploma from his alma mater, Lawrence County High School in Louisa, Ky., during the school’s virtual graduation ceremony, according to a press announcement on Friday (April 9). Skaggs

Tracy Lawrence missed the energy. He missed the camaraderie. Heck, the country music legend just missed his friends before he stepped back onto a real stage earlier this year, for his first full-band show in months. It’s going to be a while longer before he can play to all his friends in bars, honky-tonks and arenas

Dillon Carmichael exhibits both personality and poise with his new single “Hot Beer,” staying faithful to some of traditional country’s most beloved tropes while also making way for his own individuality and sense of humor as a performer. It’s a light-hearted zinger of a breakup song, as Carmichael reflects on all the things he’d rather

Morgan Wade has released the official music video for “Wilder Days,” the lead single from her debut solo album Reckless. The clip sees Wade covering up her tattoos with a buttoned-up alter ego, accompanying her boyfriend (played by Josh Jakub) on an awkward date to Nashville cocktail bar Rosemary. Following the narrative of the song,

Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires are part of a special new space in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium. The singer-songwriter couple recently helped establish a room for fans with sensory sensitivities at the football stadium. The Tennessee Titans, Nashville’s NFL team, unveiled the Isbell-Shires KultureCity Sensory Room at their home stadium on Tuesday (April 6). Isbell and Shires helped

Fancy Hagood‘s debut album, Southern Curiosity, is due out on Friday (April 9), but the singer-songwriter has already lived multiple musical lives to get to this point in his career. Hagood, whose given name is Jake, is an Arkansas native who grew up singing in church and taught himself to play piano as a teenager. But as

A list of Luke Combs‘ best songs would be a list of lists, including “Forever After All,” his latest single. The love ballad finds him contrasting things that are long-lasting, but finite (a good truck, guitar strings, young love) with his love for the woman in his life. It’s easy to take for granted Combs’ sincerity

Zac Brown will assemble his full Zac Brown Band for the group’s first livestream concert. Set for Saturday, May 8th, the eclectic country music band will perform at Southern Ground Studio in Nashville and touch on songs from throughout their career. A press release says fans can expect the group’s “greatest hits from the past

Dolly Parton is mourning the death of someone who played a key role in helping her launch her career in music. The country legend turned to Facebook on Wednesday (April 7) to reveal the death of her uncle, Bill Owens, writing, “I wouldn’t be here if he hadn’t been there.” “I knew my heart would

In country music, the cowboy archetype has long produced great songwriting. That’s partly because the idea of the cowboy is more complex than you might think. Some cowboys are rugged and a little dangerous, which adds mystery and intrigue to their portrayal. Others are stoic and strong, which means they’re dependable, but not necessarily the

Timmy Brown is ready to give a relationship another try in his new song “Nothing to See Here;” unfortunately for him, his ex has already moved on. Press play below to hear the track, co-written by none other than country star Chris Young and premiering exclusively on The Boot. Young co-wrote “Nothing to See Here” with Joshua Gleave and Johnny