Music

Reba McEntire has revealed that she did not have COVID-19 recently, despite her previous belief that she’d contracted the virus even after getting vaccinated. McEntire gave an interview to Nancy O’Dell via Talk Shop Live on Monday evening (Aug. 23), and during the segment, she revealed that her previous positive COVID-19 test had turned out

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 our most recent list.) Kelsey Waldon, “Fixin’ It

Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley may never have become the Pistol Annies if not for a late-night phone call. Lambert and Monroe were in the middle of a writing weekend-slash-campout in 2009 when Monroe asked Lambert if she knew Presley. Lambert didn’t, so … “The next thing you know, 2 o’clock in the morning, they’re

Kenny Chesney is in a blissed-out state of mind in his new “Beautiful World” video. The video weaves together footage from various trips to the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico and beyond, with lyrics that touch on well-worn Chesney themes. “In my favorite pair of salt-water-sun-bleached jeans / I got a cold one coming and some songs

Old Dominion just revealed that their new album will drop this fall. The country group’s fourth studio album, Time, Tequila & Therapy, will feature their current single “I Was on a Boat That Day,” plus a surprise collaboration with Gladys Knight. Fans can look for the album in stores and digital streaming providers on Oct. 8. A press release notes that every

James McMurtry wants to make one thing clear: His songs are not about him. “Oh, no, there’s none of that,” the songwriter says, scoffing at the very notion. “I don’t do autobiography. My songs are made up.” McMurtry is talking about The Horses and The Hounds, his stunning new record, and his first in six

Darius Rucker says his annual Darius & Friends concert is a great night for him: He gets to play live music with his pals, raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and do, in his own words, “nothing.” “I do nothing,” Rucker said from the Ryman Auditorium stage on Tuesday night (Aug. 17) in

The space between Chris Janson and the story he tells during “Bye Mom” will allow listeners in for years to come. There’s a maturity to this new song that’s remarkable. Co-writer Brandon Kinney’s mother died, and soon after, he and Janson sat down to write a tribute song that became something bigger. This kind of

Kacey Musgraves turned to social media on her 33rd birthday on Saturday (Aug. 21) to tease fans with new, never-before-heard music — and the lyrics appear to be inspired directly by her divorce from Ruston Kelly. Musgraves posted a series of what appear to be snippets of lyrics to a new song to her Instagram on

Tom T. Hall, the Country Music Hall of Fame member known as “The Storyteller” for his detailed narrative songs like “Harper Valley P.T.A.,” “I Love,” and “That’s How I Got to Memphis,” died Friday at his home in Franklin, Tennessee. He was 85. Hall’s son Dean confirmed his father’s death. Tom T. Hall: 10 Essential

Kenny Rogers‘ songs are timeless. The country superstar had a knack for recording strong, well-written material that stands up well over time, which helped him build a career as one of the most consistent hitmakers of his generation. From his early successes fronting the country rock group the First Edition to his later smash success

“One Mississippi” may be Kane Brown‘s new radio single, but it was a particularly life-changing song for his co-writer, Levon Gray. The Alabama native tagged Brown in an Instagram Story and wound up signed to Brown’s Verse 2 Music. It wasn’t quite that easy, of course — Brown was impressed with what he heard on the

Charlie Daniels‘ single “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” earned gold status, signifying sales in excess of 500,000 units, 42 years ago today (Aug. 21, 1979). The song was the debut single from Daniels’ Million Mile Reflections album. In addition to going gold, “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” also became Daniels’ first No. 1 hit. The

Tom T. Hall’s songwriting was as easygoing as his own demeanor. To listen to a Hall composition — whether he was the one singing it or artists like Jeannie C. Riley and Alan Jackson — was akin to hearing a story told by a friend you bumped into on the corner. While many of today’s

Kacey Musgraves‘ songs are some of the best-written in contemporary country music. The singer-songwriter was kicking around the fringes of the music business for years, releasing three independent albums and competing on Nashville Star in 2007, but she rocketed to national prominence with her major-label debut, Same Trailer Different Park, which bowed at No. 1 on the Billboard Top

Sturgill Simpson and Willie Nelson unite for a duet on Simpson’s new album, The Ballad of Dood and Juanita. “Juanita” is a charming love song from the perspective of Dood, a “larger-than-life” figure, inspired by Simpson’s grandfather, who must embark on a quest to rescue his wife, Juanita, after she’s kidnapped by a bandit named Seamus McClure. “Juanita, when

Maggie Rose‘s new album, Have a Seat, is a musical outstretching of arms. “I think it’s a very measured way of saying, ‘This is where I am; this is who I am. I occupy this seat like only I can, just the way that you can only occupy your space that way,'” Rose muses of the title

The Cadillac Three have canceled the remainder of their concerts for August after lap-steel player Kelby Ray tested positive for Covid-19. The Nashville trio known for their blend of Southern rock, hard rock and country funk announced the cancellations, Ray’s diagnosis, and a new proof-of-vaccination policy for a pair of Ryman Auditorium homecoming concerts in

Husband and wife Dillon Hodges and Heidi Feek are, together, Firekid. The duo blends bluegrass with indie rock and electronic music to create their newest project, and The Boot’s readers are getting to hear their first single from the release, “Backwoods,” first. As the title of “Backwoods” suggests, Firekid take plenty of inspiration from the outdoors.

Ray Wylie Hubbard has often said of “Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother,” his “politically incorrect” tongue-in-cheek fan-favorite song from 1973, that “it probably never should’ve been written, let alone recorded … but the way I look at it, careers have been built on less.” Now, nearly five decades later, country music that can poke

The Dryes have always wanted to write a song about Dolly Parton. The Nashville-based husband-and-wife country duo of Katelyn and Derek Drye adore the country legend’s drive and sass, her music and her confidence, her reputation and her strength. “She has what she has because she works hard and she’s real and she’s not afraid to

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have pulled out of the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion after the festival held in the Tennessee-Virginia border city of Bristol said it would not be requiring proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test for entry. Isbell announced last week that he will only play venues and festivals

Cody Jinks was a big fan of Sturgill Simpson before touring with him in the summer of 2015. His wife was an even bigger fan. This led to an awkward moment that the Texan was more than happy to keep awkward. This episode of Radio Texas Live Legends focuses on Jinks and his music up until fall 2015.

Katie Callahan finds joy in working with the earth, and her new song “In a Garden” expresses just how much her time in the soil and among her plants means to and does for her. It’s premiering exclusively on The Boot; press play below to listen. Callahan wrote “In a Garden” shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic

Kelly Clarkson opens up about the origins of her success, her musical influences and more on a new installment of comedian Kevin Hart’s talk show, Hart to Heart, which airs on NBC’s Peacock. Of course, it’s impossible for Clarkson to talk about her musical beginnings without mentioning American Idol. In September 2002, she was the show’s

With Jimmy Kimmel off for the summer, Maren Morris guest-hosted his namesake Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday night, ably stepping into the late-night comedian’s shoes — and even bantering with the show’s de facto sidekick and parking-lot attendant Guillermo. Morris delivered a monologue that touched on everything from her time in Los Angeles and her

When 17-year-old Hailey James went to Country Fest with her family in late June, she had no intention of ending up onstage with Dustin Lynch. In an interview, James noted that her parents go to the event every year and have seats toward the front of the grounds. This year, she decided to go with

Rapper Nelly enlisted two of country’s fastest-rising newcomers — Blanco Brown and Breland — to join him for his new single, “High Horse.” With an uptempo, danceable beat that delivers a massive dopamine hit, the song borrows just as much from funk and club music as it does from country twang. That’s a perfect fit for Brown and

Jason Aldean told his concert crowd in New York that the coolest thing was looking out and not seeing one person wearing a mask. “I’ve had just about enough of this s–t,” he told them on Aug. 7. The concert took place one day after Live Nation announced it would allow artists the choice to implement

August 15, 2021 FEATURED, Music News Western Australian Pop Superstar Leah Haywood Returns With The Honest New Track “Bleeder” I’ve been a massive fan and follower of Leah Haywood from her early successful days as an Australian pop artist in the early 2000’s, to even as recent when she embarked on a journey to America