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In his song “That Ain’t Country,” queer artist Adam Mac proudly declared to his detractors that, if they tried that in his small town, they would be met with a community that supports him unconditionally. “The people in the town where I was raised/ They love me/ And they got my back,” he defiantly proclaimed.
Yet over the past week, Mac watched as his theory was tested in real time. “I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed that I would preach this love and acceptance that my hometown has had for me, and then immediately feel a little betrayed in the moment,” Mac tells Billboard over a Zoom call. Dressed in a wide-brimmed hat and a lavender pointelle polo, the singer sighs. “This has been the most insane emotional whiplash that I have ever experienced in my life.”
Last Thursday (Sept. 21), Mac announced in an emotional video posted across his social media channels that he would be canceling his scheduled appearance as the headliner of the Logan County Tobacco and Heritage Festival’s Grand Finale concert. The reason behind the cancellation, Mac told his fans, was that there were concerns he would be “promoting homosexuality or sexuality in a family friendly environment” with his performance. “I’m really sad about it,” he said in the clip, fighting back tears. “I really, really wanted to be there.”
But just one week later, the situation has dramatically shifted for the rising country singer. In a post to her Instagram Stories on Thursday (Sept. 28), country superstar Maren Morris announced that Mac would be joining RuPaul’s Drag Race alum Shea Couleé as an opener for her exclusive, fans-only sold-out show in Chicago next week. “Like I said,” Mac says, laughing. “Emotional whiplash.”
As he reflects on the chaotic week he’s experienced, Mac briefly looks as though the information is just setting in for the first time. “It started as something so disappointing and embarrassing and sad, and very quickly turned into the most insane amount of love I have ever been flooded with in my life,” he says, giddy with excitement. “It’s led to one of the coolest things I am ever going to do.”
Mac originally hails from Russellville, Kentucky, which he describes as a town small enough that “we pretty much all know each other.” Leaving home at 22 to chase his dream as a singer-songwriter in Nashville, Mac spent years writing and self-releasing music to try and make a name in an industry that wasn’t necessarily open to the idea of an openly gay country star.
But eventually, people began to take notice. In September 2022, Mac’s music video for “Disco Cowboy” premiered on CMT, where it remained the station’s No. 1 video of their 12-Pack Countdown for four weeks. In March, Mac posted a clip to TikTok of an emotional ballad dedicated to his mother called “Boy Like Me”; the video has since been viewed over 300,000 times. In April, he was highlighted alongside Shelly Fairchild, Sonia Leigh and Angie K at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Country Proud showcase.
With a performance at CMA Fest in June, and bookings around Nashville and Los Angeles throughout the rest of the summer, 2023 officially felt like it was Mac’s year — especially with the release of his album Disco Cowboy in May. “What we created is something that feels so much like me. I felt like I finally found my home, where I don’t have to sacrifice being ‘too gay’ or loving this sound,” he says. “It just felt like the perfect marriage to be able to tell my story and do it in a way that that felt good to me.”
When the Logan County Chamber of Commerce reached out to ask Mac to headline their annual Tobacco and Heritage festival, he says it felt like a full-circle moment. “The initial process was just so warm and welcoming,” he recalls. “It felt like this big ‘welcome back home’ after a crazy year of successes.”
That’s when the shift started. Two days after the festival announced Mac as the headliner for their Grand Finale Concert and Fireworks in a since-deleted Facebook post, the singer received a call from the person who booked him for the show, a woman Mac says he’s “known my whole life.” She said that the board members at the Chamber of Commerce had some concerns.
“Some board members wanted her to call in ensure that I would not be ‘promoting homosexuality in a family friendly environment, and they wanted to make sure that I knew that this was not a Pride festival,” he recalls. “It just felt like they were telling me, ‘We know you’re gay, just please don’t be too gay. This is a family event,’ as if being gay is inherently sexual.”
The call was prompted not only by board members concerned about queerness represented on their stage — a number of townsfolk, both online and in person at the Chamber of Commerce, made it clear that they intended to protest Mac’s performance while it was happening. “I wanted it to be this homecoming — that vision did not include protesters with signs and pitchforks behind me,” he recalls. “And so I just told her, ‘I just think it’s best for us to pull out of the show.’”
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Having “never cancelled a show,” Mac felt it was only fair to explain why he wouldn’t be performing at the festival in his own video. Sporting a Maren Morris “lunatic country music person” t-shirt, the singer filmed himself explained the entire situation to his fans, and posted it across all of his social media accounts. “I just wanted people to see me and see that I was genuinely hurt to do this.”
The message stuck. Immediately, the video went viral, with fans, both from and outside of Russellville sharing their disappointment that Mac would be treated this way and offering him their support. The feedback also reached the Logan County Chamber of Commerce — Mac received a call from the Chamber after his video went live, saying that there were “10 times the [number of] people that were originally saying that they would protest the show, now saying they can’t believe that we would cancel your show.”
It was a validating moment for Mac, especially when those fans continued to share his the message, which eventually reached country stars like Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Lindsay Ell and Brandy Clark . “You are loved. I’m sorry this happened but glad you’re sharing it here,” Morris commented on his Instagram post.
“It was all these divas who I have f–king looked up to, and who have been allies to our community, and who have been there for us when no one else was,” he says. “Not only did my community show up for me, but this music community, this country community also showed up for me.”
But the fun was not yet over. Just a few days after his video went viral, Mac received a call from a number he didn’t recognize — which he knew meant “either they want some money, or they’re about to give me a hell of a lot of money.” When he answered, a representative from CAA was on the other end, saying that his name had come up in a meeting discussing openers for Morris’ show at Joe’s on Weed Street in Chicago, and wondering if he would be interested in performing. “I literally collapsed,” Mac says, still stunned. “I’m still pinching myself.”
Between massive artists like Morris showing him support, and organizations like CMT inviting him to perform at their Equal Access showcase, Mac says he’s never felt more supported by the country music industry. But he also recognizes that country music is also currently fractured; progressive country acts — led largely by women, queer folks and people of color — are advocating for change, while more conservative stars are actively appealing to a right-wing fanbase. Morris herself has expressed her intent to essentially leave the genre after years of fighting against its general failures of inclusivity.
“That is the climate that has been created in our nation, and so it gets very clearly reflected in country music,” he says. But Mac remains hopeful that country music, as a whole, can change for the better. “It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon of hating someone or something because it’s different,” he says. “But I have seen, even just in this situation, that there is so much more love and that there is so much more to audiences than we give them credit for.”
It’s fitting, then, that Mac’s song “That Ain’t Country” also serves as an anti-gatekeeping anthem for the country industry. Lyrics like “Ain’t who you take to bed/ Ain’t in that small town draw/ Yeah it’s in what you’re saying/ Not the way you talk” make his assertion clear; bigotry and hatred don’t buy longevity, and those standing in the way of progress won’t ultimately succeed. Lucky for him, the gates are now opening wide — and Mac is ready to step through.
Hitmaking vocal group Little Big Town will host the inaugural, fan-voted People’s Choice Country Awards when it premieres on tomorrow (Sept. 28) on NBC and Peacock from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.
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“It’s going to feel like a really good party, but also a feeling of coming back home — connecting with the past and the present and all those things I think we are kind of missing and needing right now,” LBT member Phillip Sweet tells Billboard via Zoom.
“We are lucky enough to be Grand Ole Opry members, so we will be the gatekeepers of the Grand Ole Opry stage that night,” LBT member Kimberly Schlapman adds of the group’s 2014 induction into Grand Ole Opry membership. While this will mark the first People’s Choice Country Awards to be held on the Grand Ole Opry House stage, the Opry House has a venerable history of awards shows, previously serving as the home to the CMA Awards ceremony from 1974 (when Johnny Cash served as host of the show) through 2004.
Though the People’s Choice Awards began in 1975, and has regularly honored country artists in its all-genre ceremony, this marks the first time they have launched a specifically country music-centered awards show.
Little Big Town will guide a show whose slate of nominees includes Morgan Wallen (11 nominations), Luke Combs and HARDY (nine nominations each), Jelly Roll (eight nominations), Lainey Wilson (seven nominations), Zach Bryan and Kane Brown (six nominations each) and Megan Moroney (five nominations).
Blake Shelton, Kane Brown, Toby Keith, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Dan+Shay, Kelsea Ballerini, Carly Pearce and Little Big Town are among the evening’s performers. Shelton will honor Toby Keith with the Country Music Icon award, while Wynonna Judd will be honored with the Country Champion award, saluting her longtime commitment to social causes and philanthropy.
Little Big Town’s breakthrough 2005 single “Boondocks” first demonstrated the quartet’s show-stopping vocal power, as well as its enviable artistic range. Together, Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild, Schlapman, Sweet and Jimi Westbrook are capable of delivering Fleetwood Mac-inspired rock harmonies, light-hearted pop-country fare and sultry ballads such as “Girl Crush.” They’ve earned three Grammys and have been named the CMA Awards’ vocal group of the year six times. They also won a People’s Choice Award trophy for favorite country group in 2017.
The People’s Country Choice Awards’ inaugural moment comes as country music has experienced an elite year on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, with artists like Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Jason Aldean and Zach Bryan surging to the upper echelons of the chart.
“It’s a unique situation, the fact that we’re the ones that connect the dots with fans and bring all this history together with the modern age of where country music is at the top of the charts right now,” Sweet says. “To see the unbelievable level of superstars we have in our genre that are just ruling all of music and it’s a special night, we jumped at the opportunity to be a part of it. We love hosting. We always have so much fun.”
“You look at a song like ‘Fast Car’ that Tracy Chapman wrote,” Fairchild says. “I love the original and I love Luke [Combs]’s version, and seeing such a lyrically substantive song. I love that Luke didn’t change any of the lyrics, and I think it was something his father had played for him growing up. So to watch that be at the top of the Billboard charts along with a lot of other country people right now is pretty epic.
“I also think it speaks to how people listen to music today,” Fairchild continues. “They’ll go to a Lil Baby show or a SZA show, then see Morgan Wallen, or Kane Brown, or Kelsea Ballerini. It’s the way people are streaming, listening and spending their money on shows.”
Given the precedent in country music of longtime hosting gigs held by artists including Vince Gill (who hosted the CMA Awards from 1992 to 2003), Reba McEntire (who hosted the ACM Awards 16 times), and the duo of Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley (who co-hosted the CMA Awards for 11 years), Little Big Town’s members say they would be open to a similar long-running gig — and they’ve appreciated the work done by their fellow artists who have held hosting roles.
“The longest stretch we hosted was probably a four- or five year-run of CMA Fest. It’s fun to get into a rhythm with writers and a network that wants to do fun things,” Fairchild says. “Luke [Bryan], Dolly, Reba, they’ve all been great hosts; it’s a lot to live up to.”
“I think Vince [Gill] was incredible. He had such a relaxed feeling at the CMAs for so many years,” Fairchild says. “And I thought Brad and Carrie were always so funny with their delivery as hosts.”Westbrook notes that as much fun as fans are having in the main Opry House, artists just might be having even more fun backstage: “It’s always so special seeing everyone and that’s where we have the most fun, great memories.”
Among the artists the group is looking forward to reconnecting with is Blake Shelton. “We haven’t seen him in a long time. And Wy [Wynonna],” Schlapman says.
“And Kelsea [Ballerini]’s performances lately have just been blowing my mind. It’s always exciting to see what she will come up with. And I kind of already know what she’s going to do,” Fairchild adds with a coy smile.
Sweet is excited to see Jelly Roll: “He’s such a sweet guy and I met him a few months back, and he’s having such a huge moment,” he says.
Following its hosting duties, coming up for Little Big Town is collaboration with “My Boy” hitmaker Elvie Shane, although they were scant on details. “We cut an incredible song, and hopefully fans will get to hear that soon,” Fairchild says.
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It’s almost time to lasso yourself onto your couch and tune into the very first People’s Choice Country Awards 2023. The inaugural event is set to occur on Thursday (Sept. 28) with a slew of performances by some of country music’s biggest names including Blake Shelton, Jelly Roll, Dan + Shay and more.
The show will be aired on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. ET, which you means you have a few streaming options to choose from to tune into. Our suggestion? Peacock gives you instant access to NBC’s library of programming along with a slew of exclusive offerings such as live sports.
For two hours, country stars will gather together with Little Big Town as the host for the night.
Keep reading to learn how to watch the award show as well as what to expect when the big night arrives.
How to Watch the People’s Choice Country Awards 2023
The inaugural event will air on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday (Sept. 28). Cable users can tune in wherever NBC airs — just check with your cable provider to see what channel it’s on.
If you don’t have cable, Peacock is livestreaming the event, and subscribers can watch it by logging into their account for no additional cost.
Don’t have a subscription? Peacock offers a couple plans at an affordable cost starting with the Peacock Premium plan for $5.99/month, which includes some ads, access to the full Peacock library including NBC and Bravo shows, movies and originals. Live sports and events are also included as well as over 50 channels. The Premium Plus plan is $11.99/month and includes everything in the Premium plan with no ads, local 24/7 NBC channels and the ability to download content to watch offline.
Peacock $5.99/month
Besides the award show, you’ll have access to Peacock Originals in addition to sports, NBC and Bravo shows such as Based on a True Story, Bupkis, Mrs. Davis, Poker Face, Bel-Air, Poker Face, Yellowstone, The Real Housewives: Ultimate Girls Trip, Vanderpump Rules, Queens Court, The Traitors, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Sick and more.
Looking for more ways to save? Live channel streamers may have access to promos and free trials that’ll save you money and give you access to the award show. Philo, Hulu + Live TV and Sling TV all have the NBC channel along with hundreds of other live TV offerings.
Artists Performing at the People’s Choice Country Awards
Pop some popcorn and get pumped for performances by Shelton, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Toby Keith and Wynonna Judd.
Judd is also set to be honored with the Country Champion Award for her decades-long music career and work in the community with organizations such as the Wounded Warrior Project and Habitat for Humanity.
Among other special honorees, Keith will be presented with the Country Icon Award followed by a speech from Shelton.
The pieces are falling into place for the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards, which will air Thursday, Sept. 28, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.
Little Big Town will host the show, which will be held at the fabled Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Brothers Osborne will present the Country Champion award to Wynonna Judd. Blake Shelton will present the Country Icon award to Toby Keith.
Little Big Town, Wynonna, Keith and Shelton are all set to perform on the show, as are Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini.
Additional presenters who will take the stage to reveal winners of the fan-voted awards include Dustin Lynch, Hunter Hayes, Jessie James Decker, Kristin Cavallari, Lady A and Mickey Guyton.
The PCCAs will be held just four days before voting opens for the 2023 Country Music Association Awards, where several of these performers are nominees. Jelly Roll has five CMA nominations; HARDY has four. Pearce and Ballerini are competing for female vocalist of the year at the CMAs. Dan + Shay is up for vocal duo of the year. Little Big Town is up for vocal group of the year. Brown is vying for musical event of the year, where he is competing with three other PCCA performers – Jelly Roll, HARDY and Pearce. Can a strong performance on one awards show boost your chances of winning on another show? Let’s just say it can’t hurt. It seems likely that a large swath of the country music community will either attend or watch the show.
Voting for the CMA Awards extends from Monday, Oct. 2, through Friday, Oct. 27
Voting for the PCCAs is now closed. Morgan Wallen is the leading nominee with 11 nods, followed by Luke Combs and HARDY, with nine each.
The People’s Choice Country Awards is produced by Den of Thieves. Jesse Ignjatovic, Evan Prager and Barb Bialkowski will executive produce, along with RAC Clark as executive producer and showrunner.
Backstage Live: People’s Choice Country Awards, a livestream featuring red-carpet arrivals, backstage chats and other behind-the-scenes coverage, will air on Peacock, PCA Twitter, NBC Twitter/Facebook/YouTube, TODAY All Day/Twitter, E! News Twitter/Facebook/YouTube/E! Online, Access Twitter/YouTube, and Circle social platforms.
These projects are touted as an example of collaboration resulting from NBCUniversal’s equity investment in Opry Entertainment Group alongside Atairos, which was finalized last year.
Here are all the performers and presenters for the inaugural People’s Choice Country Awards.
Performers
Blake Shelton
Carly Pearce
Dan + Shay
HARDY
Jelly Roll
Kane Brown
Kelsea Ballerini
Little Big Town
Toby Keith
Wynonna
Presenters
Adam Doleac
Blake Shelton
Brothers Osborne
Carly Pearce
Chris Young
Dustin Lynch
Gabby Barrett
Hunter Hayes
Jessie James Decker
Josh Ross
Kameron Marlowe
Kristin Cavallari
Lady A
Lauren Alaina
Leanne Morgan
Mickey Guyton
Nikki Garcia
Scotty McCreery
The War and Treaty
The motto of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) is “It All Begins With a Song.” But on Tuesday evening (Sept. 26), Tim McGraw told the audience of music industry denizens and country music fans gathered at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville that he wanted to briefly amend that statement.
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“It all begins with the songwriter,” McGraw said.
Since 1967, NSAI has worked in service of songwriters at all stages of their careers and across various musical genres, working to advocate for songwriters’ rights. It was those songcrafters — and those who support songwriters — who were honored on Tuesday evening, during the sixth annual Nashville Songwriter Awards.
Chief among them was songwriter-producer (and 2011 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee) Bobby Braddock, who was saluted with the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award. Braddock, of course, is a co-writer on George Jones’ signature hit, the ballad often lauded as the best country song ever made: “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” (“Stopped” was powerful enough to win the CMA Award for song of the year honor twice, in 1980 and 1981.) Braddock got his start performing as part of Marty Robbins’ road band, and earned his first hit as a songwriter with Robbins’ 1965 hit “While You’re Dancing.” Demonstrating the breadth of his influence, Braddock has earned chart-toppers in five different decades.
Braddock’s considerable gifts to country music also include Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E” and the Wynette-Jones duets “Golden Ring” and “(We’re Not) The Jet Set,” all of which were performed Tuesday evening by Jimmy Yeary (wearing a shirt Jones had owned) and Sonya Isaacs in honor of Braddock. Other songs in his sterling catalog include T.G. Sheppard’s “I Feel Like Loving You Again,” John Anderson’s “Would You Catch a Falling Star,” Bill Anderson’s “Peanuts and Diamonds,” Lacy J. Dalton’s “Hard Times” and Billy Currington’s “People are Crazy.”
Or, as Garth Brooks put it more succinctly while honoring Braddock on the Ryman stage, “Bobby Braddock is country music.”
Blake Shelton honored Braddock by performing “He Stopped Loving Her Today,” but also offered his gratitude to Braddock for being a champion for Shelton’s own career. “Bobby Braddock is the guy that found me when I was just a kid here in Nashville trying to make it,” Shelton told the audience. “He took me under his wing, literally took me around Music Row, got me a record deal, produced my first three albums. He’s literally the reason that I am standing here tonight.”
Tracy Lawrence performed his Braddock-penned 1996 hit “Time Marches On,” while Toby Keith offered a mighty-voiced rendition of his 2001 hit “I Wanna Talk About Me,” which Braddock also wrote. “This lyric to me is an epitome of country music; it’s a work of art,” Lawrence said of “Time Marches On.”
“I love country music and I feel fortunate to play a small part in country music,” Braddock said from the podium, as Lawrence, Shelton and Brooks watched. “Long live country music, God bless country music and thank you for this.”
Later in the evening, songwriter exemplar Ashley Gorley earned his seventh songwriter of the year honor, and was feted by Cole Swindell, performing his ACM single and song of the year award-winning hit, “She Had Me at Heads Carolina.” Meanwhile, Russell Dickerson performed “God Gave Me a Girl.”
Morgan Wallen was honored with the songwriter-artist of the year award, for songs including “You Proof” and “Thought You Should Know.” Though Wallen was not in attendance, one of his “Thought You Should Know” co-writers, ACM Awards triple crown winner Miranda Lambert, sent in a video discussing the day Lambert and Nicolle Galyon wrote “Thought You Should Know” with Wallen. “Morgan wanted to write a song about his mama, and he had the two perfect girls in the room that day. There was magic in the air,” Lambert said.
Two of country songwriters’ biggest supporters — the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) chairman/CEO David Israelite and country star Tim McGraw — were also celebrated. McGraw was honored with the NSAI President’s Keystone Award.
McGraw has earned 29 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits. NSAI president Steve Bogard called him “a touchstone of modern country music,” while Lori McKenna performed a tender rendition of the hit that became one of McGraw’s signature hits, “Humble and Kind,” which also earned McKenna a Grammy for best country song, and earned CMA song of the year honors. Brett Young celebrated Israelite with a rendition of the Leonard Cohen classic, “Hallelujah.”
“Thank you for trusting me with your songs and thank you for this wonderful award. It means so much to me,” McGraw said.
Israelite was honored with the NSAI Advocacy Award, honoring his work in fighting for the songwriters’ and publishers’ rights to fair compensation for their art, including his important work toward passing the Music Modernization Act in 2018. He noted the shared goals and progress of NMPA and NSAI, and the work still to do in the era of A.I. He noted a key line in Jordan Davis’s song “Buy Dirt”: “Do what you love and call it work.”
“A brilliant line,” Israelite said. “I have yet to meet a songwriter who doesn’t live their life doing that–doing what they love and calling it work, and I am so fortunate to say the same.”
The night’s biggest song honor, song of the year, went to Lainey Wilson’s “Heart Like a Truck,” written by Wilson, Dallas Wilson and Trannie Anderson. “Heart Like a Truck” is also currently nominated for both single and song of the year at the forthcoming CMA Awards.
Anderson recalled writing her first songs at age seven, and playing in bands since before she was old enough to drive. “The stars that had to align for something like this to happen is a miracle,” she said, adding, “I will forever be grateful.”
Dallas Wilson is the son of musician and songwriter Lonnie Wilson, known for writing songs including Luke Bryan’s “All My Friends Say” and Rascal Flatts’ “Love You Out Loud.” Dallas honored his father, saying, “I’ve always wanted to be just like you.” He said that it was an incredible to be recognized with the song of the year award, but even more so to be celebrated “with friends you have been writing with for years.” Dallas also noted that Lainey could not be in attendance to accept the song of the year honor, because she was playing a sold-out show at Red Rocks.
It was perhaps McGraw who summed up the evening’s aim best, when he charged songwriters to “keep changing the world with your words and melodies.”
Woven throughout the evening, 22 songwriters were saluted with the coveted “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” accolade, voted on by NSAI songwriter members to honor the work of their songwriting peers, and acknowledge songs featuring Nashville writers across the spectrum of country, Christian, mainstream Top 40, rock and other genres. Megan Moroney offered up a rendition of her own current CMA song of the year-nominated “Tennessee Orange.” Meanwhile, Renee Blair joined HARDY to perform his Lainey Wilson collaboration “Wait in the Truck,” which is up for multiple awards, including single and song of the year, at the CMAs. Others who took the stage to perform some of the night’s honored songs were Nicolle Galyon, ERNEST, Tony Lane and Emily Shackelton.
Here is the full list of “10 Songs I Wish I’d Written” honorees:
“Anti-Hero”Written by: Jack Antonoff, Taylor Swift (recorded by: Taylor Swift)
“Flower Shops”Written by: Ben Burgess, Mark Holman, Ernest Keith Smith(recorded by: ERNEST feat. Morgan Wallen)
“Give Heaven Some Hell”Written by: Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps (recorded by: HARDY)
“Heart Like a Truck” Written by: Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson (recorded by: Lainey Wilson)
“Human”Written by: Tony Lane, Travis Meadows (recorded by: Cody Johnson)
“Tennessee Orange”Written by: David Fanning, Megan Moroney, Paul Jenkins, Ben Williams(recorded by: Megan Moroney)
“Thought You Should Know”Written by: Nicolle Galyon, Miranda Lambert, Morgan Wallen (recorded by: Morgan Wallen)
“wait in the truck”Written by: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt(recorded by: HARDY feat. Lainey Wilson)
“What He Didn’t Do”Written by: Ashley Gorley, Carly Pearce, Emily Shackelton (recorded by: Carly Pearce)
“You Proof”Written by: Ashley Gorley, Charlie Handsome, Ernest Keith Smith, Morgan Wallen(recorded by: Morgan Wallen)
Maren Morris shook up the world of country music when she announced earlier this month that she would be leaving the genre, and Lady A are wishing her well as she departs.
In an interview with Billboard, the country trio shared that they heard of Morris’ decision to leave the genre, and felt that she needed to follow her instincts. “I think that, at the end of the day, you’ve got to listen to your heart,” lead singer and guitarist Charles Kelley said. “If this is what her heart is saying, then more power to her.”
Kelley also applauded the singer’s musical chops. “I mean, we love her music,” he said. “If [country] doesn’t feel like it’s where she is right now … I’m always gonna be a fan of her music wherever it’s played. If you’re making great music, you’re making great music.”
Along with the release of her latest singles “The Bridge” and “Get the Hell Out of Here,” Morris told The Los Angeles Times that she couldn’t justify staying in a genre that she felt was sociopolitically out of sync with her beliefs. “After the Trump years, people’s biases were on full display. It just revealed who people really were and that they were proud to be misogynistic and racist and homophobic and transphobic. All these things were being celebrated,” she said. “I thought I’d like to burn it to the ground and start over. But it’s burning itself down without my help.”
For Lady A, country music is less about a system of belief and more about a sound that they enjoy playing. “We just try to focus on authentic music that we love, and as country music fans, we feel like this is the genre for us,” Kelley says.
As for online debates about the political leanings of country music, Kelley said he didn’t have much interest in participating. “I try not to focus on too much of the social media world,” he said. “There is definitely a lot of debate out there, but I can tell you, at least speaking for myself, I just want to focus on the music.”
Fellow lead singer Hillary Scott added that it was important for the band to create “safe spaces for the fans to come and enjoy” their music above all else.
Check out Lady A’s latest single “Love You Back” — a song that Scott says is all about “wanting to give the fans what they want” — below:
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Darius Rucker is opening up about his career and his latest album, Carolyn’s Boy, which releases Oct. 6.
In an interview with Tetris Kelly for Billboard News, the nine-time Country Airplay chart-topping artist discussed how he decided on the title of the new project, which honors Rucker’s late mother.
“It was during the pandemic and we were writing the record, and I was having a bad day,” Rucker recalls. “I just said to myself, ‘At the end of the day, I’m just my mama’s boy,’ so I decided I was going to name it Carolyn’s Boy after that. She was such a big influence on me and she was so important in my life. It was time for me to do something special like that.”
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Rucker also recalled some of the career moments he wishes his late mother had been there to see, including when Hootie & The Blowfish won their first Grammys in 1995, for best new artist, as well as best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Let Her Cry.”
“I wish to God she could have seen me win my first Grammy,” Rucker said, adding, “We used to watch the Grammys as a family when I was a kid, and that was a moment that really hit me. … Just thinking, ‘God, I wish my mom was here to see this.’”
On Carolyn’s Boy, which marks Rucker’s first solo project in six years, Rucker co-wrote the song “Sara” with pop singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran.
“That kid is such an amazing songwriter and such a good guy,” Rucker said of Sheeran, adding, “You’ll sing a line and he’ll sing it back, and he’s singing it differently and singing different words … but it’s just better so you just go with that. I hope I get to write with Ed again; he’s awesome.”
Rucker also spoke about country music’s moment of holding the top three spots on the Billboard Hot 100 just weeks ago, saying, “Country music is taking over. For me, I think it’s great to see. To have the top three spots in the Hot 100 and all the touring everyone is doing and doing well out there, it’s great to see. Country is not rock’s little sister anymore; country’s standing up for itself and on its own. I love being a part of it. You see a lot of great things happening in country music, from those guys doing that, and then you see all these African-American artists getting record deals and stuff like that, country seems to be moving on up.”
The Grammy winner also reflected on his own experiences as a Black artist launching a career in country music.
“It’s been awesome and crazy. When I first came to Nashville, I didn’t even think I’d get a record deal,” Rucker said. “Then we did and we go on a radio tour. There were people saying they didn’t think their audience would ever accept a Black country singer. We proved them all wrong and my success turned into Kane [Brown] and all those other guys getting a shot and blowing it up. I love it, I love watching it. Chapel Hart and all these great groups that are coming out right now.”
Rucker also spoke of transitioning from creating rock music to country music, saying, “It was different because the genres are so different, but country music, especially the artists, are just so welcoming. Rock ‘n’ roll and pop, a lot of times … a lot of people, they make it a competition. It seems like, for me, in country music, everybody thinks there’s room for all of us, if you’re good.”
Next year, Rucker will take his music overseas, with a slate of tour dates in the U.K. and Ireland.
Watch his full interview above.
It’s not something talked about much outside of creative circles, but there are few more obvious — or more effective — production techniques in modern music than the down chorus.
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After establishing the singalong part of a song with a couple of refrains, dropping the instrumental energy the third time around allows the listener to keep singing while the track prepares for the big finale. It happens in songs like Dan + Shay’s “Speechless,” Michael Ray’s “Whiskey and Rain” and Lainey Wilson’s “Heart Like a Truck.”
But Jelly Roll takes the down chorus to another level in “Save Me.” There is no third chorus, so there’s no real opportunity to drop the supporting instrumentation. But for a singer to call himself a “lost cause” and announce that he’s “damaged beyond repair,” well, it’s tough to get more “down” in a chorus than that.
“Early on in my songwriting I chose connection and honesty,” Jelly Roll says. “I didn’t feel that it had to be songs that only seemed like everything was fine, especially when the songs that helped me, or that I saw help my mom the most, were songs that you felt someone was speaking to you from an honest space about something you were going through. That’s where you find connection.”
Jelly Roll really needed connection when “Save Me” came into existence. It was June 2020, when the pandemic had shut down the nation for three months. With tours canceled and plenty of unstructured free time, he desperately wanted to make some music, and he booked Nashville’s Sound Emporium for two weeks to hammer out what would become the Self Medicated album. Deep into the process, songwriter-producer David Ray (“Son of a Sinner”) picked out some basic chords to unwind a bit during downtime.
“I remember sitting in the corner, and I was just kind of noodling on the guitar,” he says. “They were looking at their phones and just kind of taking a break, and I started noodling on that song, and I just reached out, ‘Somebody save me from myself.’ And Jelly was like, ‘What is that?’ ”
That “save me” starting point became the opening line, and they chased the song down in linear fashion, each line leading to the next. Jelly Roll was admittedly immersed in vices, and “Save Me” turned into a painful confession.
“I was in the thick of it — I knew the lifestyle I was living at that moment wasn’t one that could be sustained,” he says. “I needed to make changes in my life, and it was my personal cry for help. Thankfully now I can say I’ve made a lot of positive changes, but I’m still a work in progress.”
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The song unfolded initially with drawn-out phrases that established his ailing spirit, then changed textures when the drinking and smoking arrived atop insistent triplets in a mantra-like prechorus. The chorus breaks into a melodic lift, even as Jelly Roll unveils his “lost cause” admission. They crafted four lines of brokenness, but still needed four more. Instead of taking that second half of the chorus to another place, they repeated the four lines again.
Ray instinctively questioned that. “I do remember bringing that up,” Ray says. “He just felt so passionate about what those four lines said, he wanted it to be a repeat. He just wanted to drive that home.”
“Sometimes,” Jelly Roll explains, “people will hear you but not understand the gravity of what you are saying until you say it again.”
They inserted a simple, wordless melody at the close of that chorus to break from the heaviness, then moved forward again. The second verse opened with an empty sky and concluded with the singer washing away his pain, presumably with booze. And in case the listener didn’t fully understand the first time around, he repeated the mantra-like pre-chorus again, then repeated the “down” chorus. No silver lining.
They recorded it right away, with Ray playing a spacious guitar part as Jelly Roll delivered the difficult, emotional truth. His singing wasn’t perfect — some of the vocal was pitchy, and he didn’t always use full diaphragmatic support — but, like a George Jones performance, Jelly Roll’s imperfections accurately conveyed the depth of his feelings.
“I don’t know how to go beyond the compliment of Billboard saying it’s a George Jones vocal,” Jelly Roll says with a laugh. “Do we get to make that a quote? Is that on the record?”
A couple of days later, Jelly Roll did a live studio version of the song for YouTube with Stu Stapleton playing a piano part that would appear on the final version. Originally, the song had a different title until just before he released it as “Save Me.” The airy production — with Jelly Roll, Ray and Robin Raynelle singing the wordless section — would be certified platinum by the RIAA.
Once he signed with Broken Bow, Jelly Roll envisioned an alternate country rendition, and Wilson was an obvious duet partner. He called on a longtime friend, producer Zach Crowell (Sam Hunt, Dustin Lynch), to guide it, and once Jelly Roll’s team mentioned the slow-build arrangement that he’d been using on “Save Me” in concert, Crowell had a direction that made sense and alleviated some fears.
“The song was already a hit for Jelly Roll and already kind of changed his life,” Crowell says. “I was very nervous to go in and touch it.”
Guitarist Sol Philcox-Littlefield developed subtle, ethereal sounds to provide some appropriate texture, while drummer Grady Saxman waited until the second chorus to fully engage, dragging on that second prechorus in a way that underscores the despondency in Jelly Roll’s lyric. “It’s intentional, because, no offense, the original guitar part is dragging right there,” Crowell says, noting that was a fortunate imperfection. “We didn’t want to replace David Ray’s stuff because it would turn amazing and perfect.”
Crowell and Jelly Roll were both in the booth when Wilson came in to Sound Emporium to record her vocal. The enthusiasm was palpable, even if that mood is a bit counterintuitive for a heavy song. “I did a few takes and after each one, Jelly stood up behind the glass, all hype, talking about how much he loved it and pumping me up before the next take,” she remembers. “He has this way about him where he can encourage vulnerability and feeling just through his genuine excitement and the way he lifts you up.”
Their version was released to digital service providers on May 11, ahead of the Whitsitt Chapel album, and it generated an immediate response. They performed it together on NBC’s Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular, and country radio began playing it before the promotion department started working it, bringing it to a different audience than the rap- and rock-based following that originally took it platinum.
“Jelly has done a beautiful job of not only shedding light on his journey but giving fans a safe space within his music,” Wilson says. “Being able to reach beyond genres is a true testament to how many folks this song speaks to.”
Stoney Creek released it to terrestrial broadcasters through PlayMPE on Aug. 22, and it ranks at No. 26 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and No. 7 on Hot Country Songs. On Sept. 7, it earned a Country Music Association Award nomination for musical event of the year. Jelly Roll’s “down chorus” has had a profound effect. Not only has the audience responded to its honesty, he used it as motivation to address the issues it laid bare.
“Seeing how the song impacted the lives of so many people almost immediately, it helped me find the strength to make the lifestyle changes I needed to make,” he says. “‘Save Me’ truly changed my life in more ways than one.”
The Country Music Association has announced changes to its CMA Touring Awards, which recognize behind-the-scenes members of the country music touring community.
New this year, the 2023 CMA Touring Awards will add five categories to its current 15 categories. CMA members will soon be able to vote for crew, backline technician, stage manager, support services company and unsung hero of the year.
In addition, the balloting process for the 2023 CMA Touring Awards has been updated. A nomination round will take place between Friday, Oct. 6 and Thursday, Oct. 19, allowing eligible CMA professional voting members the opportunity to nominate individuals/companies in all 20 categories while providing a brief explanation for their nomination.
A CMA Touring Awards nominations task force will then review the top 20 nominated individuals/companies in each category and determine the finalists.
A final round of voting between Wednesday, Dec. 13, and Thursday, Dec. 28, will allow eligible CMA professional voting members to cast their vote among the top five to eight finalists in each category.
The 2023 CMA Touring Awards ceremony is expected to be held in Nashville in early 2024.
The CMA Touring Awards, originally called the SRO (Standing Room Only) Awards, were created by the CMA board of directors in 1990. The first awards were presented at a black-tie gala during CMA’s Entertainment Expo, also known as the Talent Buyers Entertainment Marketplace. The SRO Awards were renamed the CMA Touring Awards in 2016.
Here are details on the five new CMA Touring Award categories:
Crew of the Year
This award honors the entire crew of a country music tour that executed a multi-city run of shows during the eligibility period. The award recognizes the crew that has consistently demonstrated outstanding professionalism, skills, teamwork, hospitality, innovation and excellence in all aspects of their work. This award is not necessarily for the team supporting the biggest or top-selling tour of the year, but for the crew that has clearly demonstrated the most heart and spirit on the road, making the biggest overall contribution to elevating country music.
Backline Technician of the Year
This award goes to a backline technician who has demonstrated technical proficiency in ensuring exceptional musician and/or artist support on a country tour during the eligibility period.
Stage Manager of the Year
This award goes to a stage manager who has been instrumental in organizing and executing a country tour during the eligibility period.
Support Services Company of the Year
This award goes to a support services company that has maintained high professional standards and delivered creative and innovative ideas through their services provided to a country tour during the eligibility period. This may include video, lighting, merchandise, security, sound equipment leasing, transportation, catering, staging and other touring support services companies.
Unsung Hero of the Year
This award goes to a touring professional who has made invaluable contributions behind the scenes and served as a vital part of a country tour during the eligibility period. The recipient of this award has gone above and beyond their assigned duties and has worked tirelessly to elevate the overall experience for everyone on the tour. Individuals who are eligible to be nominated in the other CMA Touring Award categories are not eligible to be nominated for this award category.
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