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The 2024 Glastonbury Festival will feature headliners SZA, Dua Lipa and Coldplay on the Pyramid Stage atop a packed roster that will also feature country icon Shania Twain in the “legend slot.” The June 26-30 summer classic at Worthy Farm in Somerset in South West England will also feature Glasto debuts from Avril Lavigne, Cyndi Lauper and Camila Cabello and the first-ever K-pop group main stage performance from Seventeen.
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Other acts slated to perform include: Idles, Burna Boy, Little Simz, The Last Dinner Party, LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey, Janella Monae, Keane, Paloma Faith, Disclosure, The National, The Streets, Two Door Cinema Club, Bloc Party, Jungle, Jessie Ware, Justice, Danny Brown, Black Pumas, Brittany Howard, Sugarbabes, Jamie XX, Gossip, James Blake and Arlo Parks, among many others.
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This year’s festival will mark Dua Lipa’s first Pyramid Stage slot as Friday’s headliner, with the singer slated to perform a month after the release of her upcoming 11-track third studio album, Radical Optimism, which drops on May 3. Veterans Coldplay will topline Saturday night in their first Glasto since 2016, making history as the first group to headline the event five times; SZA will top the roster on Sunday night.
On X, Twain gushed about the booking, calling it “another jewel in my crown. I feel so honoured and so excited about this one! Thinking about what to wear already and tell me, what should we sing together?! Let’s make history with this ultimate dream performance!!” In an accompanying video, the “That Don’t Impress Me Much” singer said, “This is a dream come true! I have been asked about Glastonbury now for years and it’s finally coming together! I’m packing my wellies [rainboots] and my raincoat, and of course, my cowboy hat. So, I’ll see you in the beautiful Somerset countryside this summer.”
Check out the full Glastonbury 2024 lineup below.
Nate Smith had an enviable start to his career when “Whiskey on You” worked its way to No. 1 on Country Airplay in 2022.
So when his sophomore single arrived, it pretty much required the country universe to pay attention. That song – mirroring its title, “World on Fire” – blew up, outstripping the previous release’s reach by tying the record for the longest run at the top of the Country Airplay chart since that list’s 1990 inception.
“Talk about a shocker,” Smith marvels. “Ten weeks? I just can’t even believe it.”
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“World” had a brawny sound, and its successor, “Bulletproof,” operates a bit like a boxer following the previous single’s body blow with a fierce left hook. The “Bulletproof” chorus employs big, snarling guitars beneath a catchy melody, and it helps define expectations as Smith moves forward in his career.
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“We’re obviously going to evolve,” he allows, “but I think that what can’t stop is anthems. They have to be anthems. They have to be sing-alongs. They have to be something that feels visceral, emotional and has to connect to people on an emotional level.”
“Bulletproof” was kind of waiting around for Smith to find it. He co-wrote the bulk of the material on his eponymous debut album, but after his first two singles created demand for his talents, he spent most of 2023 on the road, often visiting radio stations during the afternoons, then wedging in meet and greets before his concerts. It wasn’t ideal for writing songs, so he put out the word that he was looking for outside songs. Music Row was happy to oblige.
“Bulletproof” is actually a three-year-old composition, owing its origins to an April 2021 appointment at the office of Track45 member Ben Johnson (“Truck Bed,” “Take My Name”). Johnson worked that day with Ashley Gorley (“Last Night,” “You Should Probably Leave”) and Hunter Phelps (“wait in the truck,” “Cold Beer Calling My Name”) on “starts,” assembling short foundations they could use to compose songs at a later date.
“We’ve done that forever,” Johnson says. “It’s basically just getting ready for a write, you know. You want to make sure you’re armed with ideas and vibes and melodies.”
After crafting about five starts, they tore into another and found they couldn’t stop. “We were supposed to just do a start, and we end up writing the whole song,” Johnson says. “So that was a happy accident.”
Johnson got the “Bulletproof” title from a synth-heavy 2011 dance record by female singer La Roux. He imagined it receiving some country-style wordplay – “take shots at me, but I’m bulletproof” – and plugged the new idea into his phone. When he brought it up, Gorley and Phelps kicked into what became the opening lines of the chorus.
“This one was faster than most of the songs I would say that we’ve ever written,” Phelps says. “It was quick, because I remember instantly him going ‘I’ve tried Jack, I’ve tried Jim.’ I was like, ‘Man, we’re off to the races right now. That’s it.’”
They injected some solid drinking imagery into that chorus – particularly “heartbreak bottles up on the shelf” – and Gorley tossed in some repetition. “I remember Ashley singing the ‘shots, shots, shots,’ and we’re like, ‘Oh, yeah,” Phelps says.
It’s safe to say that by that time, it was no longer a “start,” and they were intent on taking it to the finish line. They headed back to the front, where they used the first verse to set a bar scene with the protagonist trying desperately to drink away the memory of an ex. And when they made it to the second verse, they cut that section in half, with specific purpose. They’d developed a post-chorus – an extra add-on that they planned to tack onto the end of the second chorus. Halving the second verse helped them get there quicker.
“If you have a big post-chorus,” Johnson reasons, “you don’t really want a long second verse, because you want to leave a lot of real estate for that post-chorus to come around.”
Johnson built the demo, inspired by 2000s-era rock, particularly thinking of the percussion sounds and guitar tones in Green Day’s “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” though he came up with guitar chords for the intro that feel more like Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance.” Gorley gave the demo a cursory vocal, and Phelps re-did it at a later date; then “Bulletproof” sat for a while until Smith put out the word that he needed material. Gorley assembled about 10 songs and forwarded them to Smith, who was intrigued from the second he heard the “Mary Jane” chords. The demo felt like a club-level rock performance, but Smith believed it could bear a heavier interpretation suitable for arenas.
“It had the bones there, but I was like, ‘Let’s really rock it up’ so it gets you into that later, that Nickelback, country/rock sort of thing,” Smith says.
Producer Lindsay Rimes (LOCASH, Tyler Rich) recruited drummer Evan Hutchings, bassist Tony Lucido, guitarists Sol Philcox-Littlefield and Tim Galloway, plus keyboardist Alex Wright for a tracking session at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios. They played the demo for the band, and encouraged them to rock it harder. By the time they got to the instrumental break, Philcox-Littlefield went a little farther than they had in mind, playing what Smith called a “super-rippin’ guitar solo.” Smith asked him to dial it back.
“One thing that I’ve learned from John Mayer, like listening to his music, you could sing any guitar solo that he records,” Smith says. “I think that there’s something about that. It has to be catchy, and it can’t be an afterthought.”
Smith’s vocal track was relatively easy. The biggest issue was picking the right spots to beef up further, doubling his performance in key spots to make the lead voice thicker, and adding vocal delays that made the words echo in spaces and fill the track out more. “Holy cow,” Phelps says. “They made it sound massive.”
The country hitmaker didn’t waste much time to get the song into his set list. He was playing it in concert by November 2023, and RCA Nashville decided to send it to programmers as soon as “World on Fire” slowed down.
The label released “Bulletproof” to country radio via PlayMPE on Feb. 8. It’s already hit No. 27 on Hot Country Songs in its four weeks on the chart. In the meantime, consider its heavy sound and engaging melodicism a template for Smith’s future.
“Stylistically, things will evolve in different ways and stuff, but I feel like if you have that catchy chorus, that really connects to you on emotional level, that’s so important to me,” Smith notes. “You have to be able to sing along with my songs. You have to.”
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If there had never been Sue Brewer, there may never have been the Outlaw Country movement led by Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and Johnny Cash.
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Though the artists already knew each other, in the mid-‘60s, Brewer gave them a safe haven in her Nashville living room, dubbed the Boar’s Nest, to create music and form lifelong friendships. She believed in them when naysayers in the Nashville music establishment doubted them and provided a shelter from the outside world, including, at times, their wives.
Brewer’s story is told in The Boar’s Nest: Sue Brewer and the Birth of Outlaw Country Music, an eight-part Audible Originals podcast, debuting Thursday (March 14).
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Brewer, a single mother who worked three jobs, played no instrument herself and never got the recognition she deserved for the outsized role she played as their confidante and muse, remaining an unsung hero. “As a woman who wasn’t looking necessarily for a romantic connection with these guys, she really just wanted to give them this safe space,” says This is Us actress Mandy Moore, who plays Brewer. “They had tons of people pulling at them from every different direction and she didn’t want anything from them. She just loved the music. She wanted to help them.”
Courtesy of Audible
The Outlaw movement, which also included artists like David Allan Coe, hit its stride in the ‘70s and ‘80s, with the music taking on a rougher edge than the overtly commercial, polished, smooth sounds coming out of Nashville. The music proved extremely popular with fans: 1976 compilation album Wanted! The Outlaws, which featured songs from Jennings, Nelson, Jessi Colter and Tompall Glaser, was the first country album to be certified platinum for sales of one million by the RIAA.
In addition to Moore, the audio drama’s voice cast includes The Bear’s Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Shel Silverstein, Brothers Osborne‘s TJ Osborne as Johnny Cash, Deadwood’s W. Earl Brown as Waylon Jennings, John Hoogenakker as Kris Kristofferson and Jake Hart as “Cowboy” Jack Clement.
Longtime producer Dub Cornett, who most recently worked on the Audible Originals audio drama The Big Lie (featuring Jon Hamm), produced and created The Boar’s Nest for Fresh Produce Media and wrote the script with highly respected Nashville journalist/historian Holly Gleason and playwright Rachel Bonds. Kimberly Senior served as director.
Moore was unaware of Brewer’s story until Cornett sent her the script but was immediately onboard to amplify Brewer’s vital role in country music history. “This is such an incredible and important story to be able to bolster this woman’s legacy,” she says. “The history has sort of been erased and that’s what’s so great about being a part of a project like this: It is almost this little time capsule capturing this woman’s story in this very, very special period of Nashville’s history in the country music scene that I feel hasn’t been told in quite this way before.”
Because there is so little archival material on Brewer and many of the artists she fostered have died, Moore had virtually no footage to base her character on. “That’s what’s so tough about playing a person like this who did exist, but there’s so little out there about her,” Moore says. “It’s not the day and age we live in now where there would be an online social media presence that would leave a footprint. Even her home is no longer there.”
Instead, Moore says she leaned heavily on Cornett, who was close friends with pioneering producer/songwriter Clement, and the scripts. “The scripts kind of spoke for themselves. The writing was imbued with so much emotion and so much of her quiet ferocity and tenacity,” she says.
It was the writers’ intent to capture her quiet, yet indominable spirit. “Sue Brewer was the glue and the rock for some of the most iconic, wild-eyed creative spirits at their most vulnerable,” Gleason says. “Before Willie, Kris, Waylon or even Johnny were superstars, they were songwriters slamming against a system that didn’t know what to do with them. She did: Give them a safe harbor late at night, remind them why they were special, press them to take their songwriting even further and dust them off and remind them they were great when they were on the verge of quitting. In a town that famously doesn’t give credit to the women who are midwives and catalysts for legends who will break the rules, Dub wanted to make sure the single mother who worked two and three jobs was celebrated for the massive contribution she made to Outlaw Country. Without her, who knows? But I don’t want to think about it.”
Moore recorded her part when she was more than nine months pregnant, and says she loved the ability to “jump in because I’m not on camera.” Compared to when she voices a character in an animated feature, such as in Disney’s 210 Rapunzel tale, Tangled and is working in complete isolation, Moore relished recording her part over Zoom with other actors or working with Brown doing their scenes together in separate studios. “It was great,” she says. “With animation, you’re never in the same place as somebody. You’re interacting with yourself or reading with a director. Getting to read with these performers you were in the scene with made all the difference.”
This was Moore’s first podcast, and she enjoyed “flexing a different muscle” knowing that her voice had to do the heavy lifting given the lack of a visual. “I’ve never done something quite like this before,” she says. “It’s so dynamic. We really have to rely on our voices to tell the stories and to draw people in. You get hyper focused on just listening to what someone’s doing.”
Moore hopes that by the podcast shining a light on Brewer, it will elevate her story and others like her. “There are lots of people like Sue Brewer out in the world that are the nucleus of supporting people to be the best version of themselves. They’re not looking to be in the limelight, but they have this incredibly intrinsic and special quality that helps draw out the best in other people,” she says. “I hope it helps us recognize that those kinds of people exist in all corners of the world, so we’re not just left posthumously acknowledging them. They deserve in the moment to be celebrated.”
Silverstein and Vince Matthews, another songwriter Brewer fostered, paid tribute to Brewer in their 1972 song, “On Susan’s Floor.” Recorded by Gordon Lightfoot and Hank Williams Jr., among other artists, the lyrics warmly recall the refuge she provided: “Like crippled ships that made it/ Through a storm and finally reached a quiet shore/ The homeless found a home on Susan’s floor.”
Brewer, who died of cancer in 1981 at the age of 48, was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1990 for the role she played encouraging songwriters.
Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Kelsea Ballerini and Megan Moroney lead the nominations for the 2024 CMT Music Awards, with three nods each. Last year, Jelly Roll was the evening’s most-awarded artist with three wins, while in 2022, Johnson earned that distinction with two wins.
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Ballerini returns as a solo host this year, to lead the awards show, which will air live from Moody Center in Austin, Texas, on Sunday, April 7, on CBS. The show will also be available to stream live and on-demand via Paramount+.
Beginning Wednesday, fans can vote for their favorites across nine categories by visiting vote.cmt.com through April 1; voting for video of the year will remain active into the live show.
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This year, CMT recognizes 14 first-time nominees — Amber Riley, Ashley Cooke, Bret Michaels, Chayce Beckham, Hozier, Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson Jr., Tyler Childers, Warren Zeiders, Zach Bryan and four women artists who were honored as part of this year’s CMT Next Women of Country class: Anne Wilson, Ella Langley, The Castellows and sister duo Tigirlily Gold.
The biggest category, video of the year, features 16 nominees to compete in the first-round voting, including first-time video of the year nominees Jelly Roll, Jordan Davis and Parmalee. Kane Brown, who won video of the year last year for “Thank God,” his collaboration with wife Katelyn Brown, is vying for back-to-back titles, this year for his video for “Nothing Compares to You” with Mickey Guyton.
Performers, presenters and additional details about the show will be announced soon.
See the complete list of 2024 CMT Music Awards nominees below:
Video of the year Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top 6 nominees from the first round of voting, will be announced on April 1. The final 3 nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on show day, April 7. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.
Ashley McBryde – “Light On In The Kitchen”
Brandy Clark feat. Brandi Carlile – “Dear Insecurity”
Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”
Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
Darius Rucker – “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
HARDY – “Truck Bed”
Jason Aldean – “Let Your Boys Be Country”
Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)”
Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares To You”
Parmalee – “Gonna Love You”
Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
Zach Bryan – “Nine Ball”
Female video of the year Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist.
Ashley McBryde – “Light On In The Kitchen”
Gabby Barrett – “Glory Days”
Kacey Musgraves – “Deeper Well”
Kelsea Ballerini – “Penthouse”
Lainey Wilson – “Watermelon Moonshine”
Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty”
Reba McEntire – “Seven Minutes In Heaven”
Male video of the year Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist.
Bailey Zimmerman – “Religiously”
Cody Johnson – “The Painter”
HARDY – “Truck Bed”
Jelly Roll – “Need A Favor”
Jordan Davis – “Next Thing You Know”
Luke Combs – “Fast Car (Official Live Video)”
Morgan Wallen – “Last Night (One Record At A Time Sessions)”
Duo/group video of the year
Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists.
Brothers Osborne – “Nobody’s Nobody”
Dan + Shay – “Save Me The Trouble”
Old Dominion – “Memory Lane”
Parmalee – “Girl In Mine”
The War And Treaty – “Have You A Heart”
Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”
Collaborative video of the year Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists.
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton – “We Don’t Fight Anymore”
Ella Langley feat. Koe Wetzel – “That’s Why We Fight”
Jon Pardi, Luke Bryan – “Cowboys And Plowboys”
Justin Moore & Priscilla Block – “You, Me And Whiskey”
Lukas Nelson + Promise of The Real feat. Lainey Wilson – “More Than Friends”
Mickey Guyton feat. Kane Brown – “Nothing Compares To You”
Old Dominion & Megan Moroney – “Can’t Break Up Now”
Breakthrough female video of the year, presented by Walt Disney WorldBest video from a female artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
Anne Wilson – “Rain In The Rearview”
Ashley Cooke – “your place”
Brittney Spencer – “Bigger Than The Song”
Tigirlily Gold – “Shoot Tequila”
Breakthrough male video of the year, presented by Walt Disney WorldBest video from a male artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist.
Chayce Beckham – “23”
Tyler Childers – “In Your Love”
Warren Zeiders – “Pretty Little Poison”
Zach Bryan – “Oklahoma Smokeshow”
CMT performance of the yearMusical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).
Amber Riley – “R.E.S.P.E.C.T.” (from CMT Smashing Glass)
Bret Michaels & Chris Janson – “Nothing But a Good Time” (from CMT Crossroads)
Carrie Underwood – “Hate My Heart” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
Cody Johnson – “Human” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
Dierks Bentley – “Drunk On A Plane” (from CMT Storytellers)
Dustin Lynch feat. MacKenzie Porter – “Thinking ‘Bout You” (from CMT Campfire Sessions)
Hozier & Maren Morris – “Take Me To Church” (from CMT Crossroads)
Jelly Roll – “Need a Favor” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
Kelsea Ballerini – “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too)” (from 2023 CMT Music Awards)
The War And Treaty – “On My Own” (from CMT Smashing Glass)
CMT digital-first performance of the year
Musical performance from a production, series or livestream created for CMT digital / social channels; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo).
Chase Rice – “Goodnight Nancy” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
Dylan Scott – “Don’t Close Your Eyes (Keith Whitley Cover)” (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
Megan Moroney – “I’m Not Pretty” (from CMT Digital Campfire Sessions)
Nate Smith – “Whiskey On You” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
Stephen Wilson Jr. – “Year to Be Young 1994” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
Scotty McCreery – “It Matters To Her” (from CMT Stages)
The Castellows – “I Know It Will Never End” (from CMT Studio Sessions)
Beyoncé got her fans feeling the country spirit on Tuesday (March 12) when she revealed that her upcoming country album will be titled Cowboy Carter. The superstar’s Parkwood Entertainment company announced the news via social media, two weeks before the album is slated to arrive on March 29. The post also showed an image of […]
Fran Boyd, former executive director of the Academy of Country Music, died March 9 at 84.
Boyd played a key role in shaping and advancing the ACM from its early years in California in the late 1960s, through the start of the millennium.
Boyd joined the ACM as an executive secretary in 1968, as the organization’s first paid employee. She rose through the ranks over the years; in 1995, following the passing of her husband Bill, who himself led the Academy, Fran was named executive director. Boyd oversaw year-round operations and also served as talent producer for the ACM Awards, and oversaw nearly every aspect of the annual awards presentation.
The ACM Awards’ signature “hat” trophy was created the same year Boyd joined the ACM. Among the winners that year were Glen Campbell, Lynn Anderson and Bobbie Gentry.
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During her tenure, Boyd saw the organization open its first office in Hollywood, and rebrand its name from the Academy of Country and Western Music to the Academy of Country Music in the 1970s. During her time at the ACM, the organization also moved the awards show to major California venues including Disneyland, Universal Amphitheatre and Knott’s Berry Farm.
Boyd retired from the ACM in 2002, after more than three decades of service. She said at the time, “I continue to be proud of all the Academy of Country Music has accomplished in my time. It has given me great joy to see so many young country artists rise from newcomers to having great careers. The Academy has helped music fans acknowledge country music as the enduring genre it deserves to be.”
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“Her tireless work and years of dedication to this organization, the country music industry and its artists cannot be overstated, and her legacy with the Academy will forever live on,” Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, said in a statement.
“Fran Boyd played an essential part in the Academy’s history, stretching way back to the earliest days in the 1960s and steering the ship through decades of change, innovation, and growth, all while fostering an incredible passion for country music,” added Gayle Holcomb, ACM Board Sergeant-At-Arms and longtime board member. “Fran will always be remembered as a champion for our industry, its artists, and this organization. On behalf of the ACM Officers and Board of Directors, I send our gratitude, prayers, and condolences to the Boyd family.”
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Alive Hospice Nashville or the Alzheimer’s Association in Boyd’s honor.
Eric Church‘s upcoming bar, Chief’s, is set to officially open its doors on Nashville’s Lower Broadway soon, with the musician celebrating the venue’s April 5 grand opening by launching a 19-concert residency at the venue.
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The shows, dubbed Eric Church: To Beat the Devil, will launch at the bar’s two-story live music venue, dubbed The Neon Steeple, the day Chief’s opens.
The country artist said that fans can expect the unexpected with these residency shows. “These shows at Chief’s will be one of a kind, only for Chief’s and with some songs that will only ever be performed during these shows,” he teased in a statement. “It’s the most unique show I’ll probably ever do, and I’m excited to enjoy this chapter of what Chief’s will be.”
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Rendering of The Neon Steeple at Chief’s, set to open at 200 Broadway in Nashville, Tenn.
Courtesy of Chief’s / AJ Capital
Church created his six-story downtown establishment Chief’s with Ben Weprin of AJ Capital Partners. The 19,350-square-foot building will also house a studio for live broadcasting (including Church’s Outsiders Radio SiriusXM channel), and will highlight the work of James Beard Award-winning pitmaster Rodney Scott, featuring Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ overlooking downtown with its “Hell of a Q” rooftop offering.
Tickets to Church’s residency will be first offered to premium members of the musician’s Church Choir fan club through a sign-up system beginning Tuesday, March 12. Tickets are non-transferable and will be available for pickup at the venue box office the evening of the show immediately prior to entering the venue. Name changes on orders will not be permitted. All seats are reserved seating, with pricing ranging from $99 to $499, with no additional ticketing fees. A portion of each ticket sold will benefit Church’s nonprofit, Chief Cares. The sign-up will close March 17 at 11:59 p.m. CT, followed by the beginning of the Church Choir pre-sale, which begins March 20 at 10 a.m. CT. The public onsale, if tickets remain, begins March 22 at 10 a.m. CT.
The residency will run through June, wrapping with three shows on June 7-9, which is the same timeframe that this year’s CMA Fest will take place in downtown Nashville, from June 6-9.
Exterior rendering of Chief’s, set to open at 200 Broadway in Nashville, Tenn.
Courtesy of Chief’s / AJ Capital
See the full list of dates for “Eric Church: To Beat the Devil” below:
Friday, April 5
Wednesday, April 17
Thursday, April 18
Monday, April 29
Tuesday, April 30
Wednesday, May 1
Tuesday, May 7
Wednesday, May 8
Friday, May 10
Saturday, May 11
Tuesday, May 14
Wednesday, May 15
Friday, May 17
Tuesday, May 21
Wednesday, May 22
Thursday, June 6
Friday, June 7
Saturday, June 8
Sunday, June 9
Getting through the Blind Auditions on season 25 of The Voice is enough of a boost. But on Monday night (March 11), New Orleans native and mega-Swiftie Zoe Levert got double-gifted when she got a last-minute chair turn from coach John Legend. Levert, 20, scored a slot on Team Legend with her confident take on […]
Dolly Parton may be the reigning queen of country, but one royal definitely can recognize someone else’s regal game. In the wake of Beyoncé dropping two country songs and making some Billboard chart history along the way, Parton said she wouldn’t be surprised if some of her rhinestone-studded magic dust ended up on Bey’s upcoming Act II album.
“Well, I think she has! I think she’s recorded ‘Jolene’ and I think it’s probably gonna be on her country album, which I’m very excited about that,” Parton told Knox News about whispers that Beyoncé collaborated with Parton or at least covered one of the country icon’s most beloved songs on her upcoming eighth studio album, due out on March 29.
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“I love her!” Parton, 78, said about Beyoncé, 42. “She’s a beautiful girl and a great singer.” At press time a spokesperson for Beyoncé had not responded to Billboard‘s request for comment on Parton’s claim. Though it’s unknown if the 1973 Parton classic broadside against a woman with designs on her man — which peaked for Parton at No. 60 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1974 — will appear on Bey’s follow-up to 2022’s Renaissance, after her initial excitement, Dolly hedged her bets later in the interview.
The outlet said Parton subsequently added that she’d “heard” and “thinks,” or maybe “hopes” that Beyoncé had taken on the song that has been memorably covered by everyone from Dolly’s goddaughter, Miley Cyrus, to the White Stripes, Olivia Newton-John, Lil Nas X, Pentatonix and many more. At the very least, Parton said she’s always wanted Beyoncé to cover “Jolene” and that the two had been in contact in the past.
“We’ve kind of sent messages back and forth through the years. And she and her mother were like fans, and I was always touched that they were fans, and I always thought she was great,” Parton said.
Though the track list for Act II has not yet been revealed, the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit “Texas Hold ‘Em” was one of two country-flecked songs that Beyoncé released on Feb. 11, along with “16 Carriages”; both songs were announced in a Verizon commercial that aired during Super Bowl LVIII Feb. 11.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” has notched three weeks at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, which earlier became Bey’s historic first No. 1 on the ranking; prior to its ascendance, no Black woman, or female known to be biracial, had previously led the list.
This week’s collection of new country music features two songs about the sacrifices made in the name of musical ambitions: Koe Wetzel’s “Damn Near Normal” and Sawyer Brown’s “Desperado Troubadours.” Meanwhile, Mickey Guyton turns in a towering vocal performance on a female empowerment anthem and Country Music Hall of Famer Dolly Parton reunites with CCM artist Zach Williams for another shot of soul-dipped inspiration.
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Also, newcomer indie group Ole 60 continues their promising career start with a bluesy, rock-fueled murder ballad, while bluegrass family trio Indigo Roots Band takes on a Bob Dylan classic. Read about (and listen to) all of these below.
Koe Wetzel, “Damn Near Normal”
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Texan Wetzel, known for his spin of outlaw country, grunge-rock and blues, follows up his 2022 album Hell Paso with this nod to road-weary musicians navigating the challenges of being a touring musician — weeks away from home, odd hours — through a mixture of alcohol, weed and various pills. His voice here is raw and jagged, giving song a definitively lived-in feel, while the churning percussion intimates the relentless cycle of the the road. “High highs, rock bottom blows, been six feet deeper than most,” Wetzel deadpans, excavating feelings of frustration and loneliness. Wetzel is known for music that’s unvarnished and unfiltered — sonically and lyrically — and his latest continues living up to that promise.
Mickey Guyton, “Woman”
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One of country music’s most powerful female vocalists, Guyton shines on this pop-bending track, one that honors women’s strength, adaptability, resourcefulness, courage and vulnerability. Appropriately released on International Women’s Day (March 8), the song features gospel-flavored background vocals and lithe, bright production that make the song sleek, inspirational and right in this versatile vocalist’s wheelhouse.
Ole 60, “Brother Joe”
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This Kentucky six-man band, which has only four tracks available on Spotify, is one of the latest indie country-rock acts to rise swiftly from obscurity to earning a viral hit — with “Smoke & a Light,” from their 2023 EP Three Twenty Four, earning more than three million streams on Spotify. They follow with this grungy, blues-dipped tale, written by the group’s Jacob Young and featuring his burly vocal. Nearly five minutes in length, the song details the devastating aftermath that follows when a small-town pastor’s family is murdered. The group, recently signed with UTA, offers solid musicianship, a willingness to experiment with sounds from psychedelic-tinged rock to more stripped-down fare, and a penchant for detailed storytelling, on both their EP and “Brother Joe.” A promising start for this talented group.
Avery Anna, “Make It Look Easy”
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On her latest, Anna goes from her signature “sad girl” country to rage-fueled rock, and proves she can make both look easy in her own right. She notices all the little details that signal her lover is plotting his exit — clothes missing from the closet, the distant look in his eyes. “Your truck’s in the driveway/ Your mind’s on the highway,” she sings. The ragged edge in her voice tops thrashing drums and a sonic thicket of electric guitars that mirror the lyric’s emotional angst. Anna wrote the song with Ben Williams, David Fanning and Andy Sheridan.
Zach Williams with Dolly Parton, “Lookin’ For You”
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Country Music Hall of Famer Parton and Southern rock-infused CCM vocalist Williams have already proven their blend of passionate vocals is superb, previously earning a Grammy-winning hit when they teamed up for their 2020 collab “There Was Jesus.” They reunite on this stately piano ballad, his soulful, gruff voice matching the power of her smooth, angelic soprano note for note. “Lookin’ for You” was written by Williams, Tony Wood and Jonathan Smith (Williams and Smith were also writers on “There Was Jesus”).
Sawyer Brown, “Desperado Troubadours”
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The title track from the group’s new album (which released March 8) is scaled-back, acoustic-driven tale of guitar-slingers, singers and dreamers and the sacrifices made in the name of chasing musical ambition. Sawyer Brown, having been making music for the past four decades and notching three Billboard Hot Country Songs No. 1s along the way, this group knows more about this sentiment of the rigors, lofty highs and monotonous lows of life on the road than most — as well as the risks and rewards of choosing the life of a musician. “We’ll pass up a sure thing just to gamble on a song,” they sing, later adding, “We’re cowboys and hippies and gypsies at our core.”
Austin Williams, “Can’t Right Now”
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In late 2023, Williams’ broke through the social media noise to earn a viral hit with “Wanna Be Saved,” and followed it with songs including “’90s Rap Mashup,” a tribute to rap titans including Dr. Dre, Master P and more. His latest leans back into the style of foreboding, hip-hop-meshed country that has proliferated over the past couple of years. Williams’ voice is strong and taut on “Can’t Right Now” as he sings of betrayal from a relationship that has suddenly and sharply splintered, leaving him feeling the sting. He continually repeats the title phrase, the frustration and hurt in his voice growing with each iteration, and letting the track’s storm build around him as he falls just short of his resolve to forgive.
Indigo Roots Band, “Maggie’s Farm”
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This sibling trio, which includes Bethany, Victoria and Daniel Kelley, hail from Southern Georgia. Here, after having performed the song live for a few years, they offer up a bluegrass-revved rendition of Bob Dylan’s 1965 classic tale of working-class defiance. Bethany commandeers some air-slicing fiddle work, with Victoria helming the mandolin and offering a spitfire, slightly dusky lead vocal, supported by Daniel’s solid bass playing, and joined by Seth Taylor (guitar), Ron Ickes (banjo) and Rob Ickes (resonator guitar). The group’s sound is tightly-plaited and fresh, with a dash of polished, commercial country.