Music

Born in Flint, Mich., acclaimed singer-songwriter Miko Marks is an expert at persevering. She’s faced a range of struggles and challenges in her lifetime, from severe pollution poisoning the water in her hometown to systemic racism within the music industry. Marks channels all that she’s felt and learned from those experiences into her music, unafraid to speak up and create

Carrie Underwood’s new album Denim & Rhinestones arrives in June, and she’ll have an extensive headlining tour to celebrate it throughout this fall and winter. The “Denim & Rhinestones Tour” officially gets underway Oct. 15 in Greenville, South Carolina. With 43 dates currently scheduled, the trek will take noted hard rock fan Underwood to arenas

Nashville country rockers Teddy & The Rough Riders search for an escape amongst the troubles of modern life in their stellar new single “Livin’ in the Woods,” which The Boot is excited to exclusively premiere today. Mixing elements of swampy Southern rock, 70s psychedelia and old school honky tonk, the irresistible track firmly positions Teddy & The Rough Riders as

The winner of American Idol has officially been named! Country singer and fan-favorite Noah Thompson was crowned the Season 20 champion during Sunday night’s (May 22) three-hour star-studded grand finale, which aired live coast-to-coast on ABC. The highly anticipated announcement came mere seconds before the nail-biting episode came to a close. Thompson, who was presented with the

Keith Urban made his final appearance on The Ellen Show, which wraps for good May 26. Urban sat down with host Ellen DeGeneres to discuss his recent work and paused the interview to perform his 2016 single “Blue Ain’t Your Color” on guitar and vocals. Urban spoke with DeGeneres about learning earlier this year that

Emerging country artist Harper Grae yearns for a love that’s just out of reach on her new track ”Dying on the Vine.” The tale of intense yearning finds Grae struggling to follow her grandfather’s advice. “Granddaddy told me if you love them let them go,” she sings. “And if they come back it was meant to be.” Laden with

Fifty-two years ago today, on May 22, 1970, Merle Haggard landed at the top of the charts. It was on that date that Okie From Muskogee, the live album that Haggard released in December of 1969, hit No. 1. Okie From Muskogee features 20 tracks, including a number of Haggard’s most famous songs — “Mama Tried,”

Thirty years ago today, on May 19, 1992, Billy Ray Cyrus recorded “Some Gave All.” The song, which became the title track of Cyrus’ freshman album, was written by the singer and his first wife, Cindy Smith Cyrus. Before penning “Some Gave All,” the Cyruses spoke with a Vietnam War vet; the powerful tune includes lines such as “All

Lainey Wilson has released the first single from the follow-up to her 2021 album Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’. Titled “Heart Like a Truck” it’s a ballad as sturdy as its title and it comes with a cinematic video. “Heart Like a Truck,” written by Wilson, Trannie Anderson, and Dallas Wilson and produced by Jay Joyce,

Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line has released “5 Foot 9,” his highly anticipated debut single as a solo artist. The heartfelt song opens with gentle steel accents and an acoustic guitar accompaniment as Hubbard reflects on the simple things in life. Sonically, it’s reminiscent of a stripped-down offering from bands like Mumford & Sons

Cody Johnson is striking while the fire is hot. After his first No. 1 hit “‘Til You Can’t” was certified Platinum, the country singer has added 22 additional Cody Johnson & Friends Tour dates to his 2022 calendar. Johnson opened the year with a slate of shows alongside Easton Corbin and Ian Munsick. After selling

Patsy Cline songs are some of the most essential in the history of country music. Though she died at the tragically young age of 30, she left behind a recorded legacy that is almost unmatched in the country genre. Cline’s rich contralto voice, along with her exceptional vocal phrasing and strong song choices, have made

Tyler Hubbard has extolled the joys of country living in myriad ways as the lead singer of Florida Georgia Line, scoring hits with country-pop juggernauts like “Cruise,” “This Is How We Roll,” and “’Round Here.” For his solo debut “5 Foot 9,” Hubbard gets in touch with his softer side and thanks his maker for

Out today (May 20), Nick Dittmeier & The Sawdusters‘ “I Suppose” is a synth-peppered country stomp from their upcoming album Heavy Denim, set for release on July 15. “I Suppose” explores the feelings of being a creative type who never works up the nerve to relocate away from their hometown like many others like them do. In Dittmeier’s

Carrie Underwood digs deep into her love for the stylistic elements of traditional country on her new song, “She Don’t Know.” The Underwood, David Garcia and Hilary Lindsey-penned track will delight longtime fans who have adored Underwood’s earlier, more country-leaning offerings. “She Don’t Know” is delivered in the first person as Underwood assumes the identity

As she indicated during the public memorial service for her mother Naomi Judd last weekend, Wynonna Judd plans to move forward with the duo’s originally scheduled tour dates in 2022. She’ll have some assistance: Martina McBride, Faith Hill, and Trisha Yearwood will join the tour when it kicks off Sept. 30 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Every week, The Boot highlights recent favorites from country, Americana and everything in between. In each list, music fans will find picks from our contributing team that we think you’ll love. Keep reading to check out the latest installment of The Boot’s Weekly Picks. Valerie June “Fade Into You” Valerie June brings a little twang

On May 19, 1979, the Bellamy Brothers earned their first country No. 1 hit with the song “If I Said You Have a Beautiful Body Would You Hold It Against Me.” Written by David Bellamy, the song is a rather brazen lyrical come-on, set to easygoing country-rock music that shows off the brothers’ familial harmonies

The Country Music Hall of Fame has announced a new group of inductees for 2022. Rock & roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis will be inducted in the Veteran category, neotraditionalist Keith Whitley will join the Hall in the Modern category, and former RCA Records executive will become a member in the Nonperforming category. Brooks &

Fifty-five years ago today, on May 17, 1967, Glen Campbell had a career-changing day, although he likely wasn’t aware of it at the time. It was on that date that the singer recorded “Gentle on My Mind,” which was the title track of his August 1967 album. “Gentle on My Mind” was written by John

Nearly 50 years since the release of their iconic Will The Circle Be Unbroken album, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band are looking back on not only their legacy, but that of another iconic, history-making singer-songwriter with their latest project. The reconfigured Dirt Band honor the life and musical catalog of Bob Dylan with their latest effort Dirt

Sean “Diddy” Combs AKA LOVE announces his official return to music and first single as a lead solo artist with his debut performance of “Gotta Move On” featuring Bryson Tiller. The single available now for pre-order. Diddy’s role as Host, Executive Producer and Performer at the Billboard Music Awards sets the stage of what’s to

Happy 70th birthday to George Strait! The singer was born on this day (May 18) in 1952. Strait was born in the small town of Poteet, Texas, just south of San Antonio, to parents John and Doris. His father was a math teacher and also owned a 2,000-acre ranch, where Strait and his siblings —

As he gazed upon the thousands gathered for the grand opening of the Orion Amphitheater in Huntsville, Alabama, last Friday, singer-songwriter John Paul White articulated the moment with his song “The Good Old Days.” “There’s something going down in this simple place I grew up in,” sang White, who was born not far down Highway

Country duo Brothers Osborne quickly made a name for themselves in the country music scene following the release of their debut album Pawn Shop in 2015. Before the massive success of their first full-length record, the Deale, Md. natives first landed on the charts with their 2014 debut single “Let’s Go There,” which was followed by the high energy “Rum.” It was with

Sometimes silence can be deafening — especially when someone you love is no longer there to fill those pauses. But those quiet moments can also bring moments of reflection that are key to the healing process. In his new track “Peace and Quiet,” which The Boot is exclusively premiering today, Drew Kennedy chooses to embrace that hushed,

Nominations for the 21st Americana Honors and Awards were announced during a special event at the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville on Monday. The annual celebration of roots music will return to the Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 14. Brandi Carlile, Allison Russell, and Yola all picked up three nominations this time around,

Tim McGraw was one of the biggest stars on Curb Records, the label where he first made his career. But things turned sour between the label and the star, ending up in court in 2011. On May 13, 2011 — 11 years ago today — Curb sued the superstar for breach of contract, claiming that McGraw

Three-time GRAMMY® Award-winning R&B hitmaker, iconic songwriter, actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist NE-YO returns with a new single and music video entitled “Don’t Love Me” via Motown Records. Listen to “Don’t Love Me” HERE and watch the music video HERE. On the track, acoustic guitar threads around a skittering throwback-style beat. Meanwhile, his instantly recognizable vocals take hold, fluttering from intimate verses into a

Fifty-three years ago today, on May 16, 1969, Merle Haggard recorded one of the biggest hits of his career. It was on that date the the singer recorded “Workin’ Man Blues,” from his 1969 album A Portrait of Merle Haggard. “Workin’ Man Blues,” which became a No. 1 hit, was written by Haggard as a tribute to