Country

08 Nov 2023

Jelly Roll Wins New Artist at 2023 CMA Awards, Urges Fans to Keep Going in Rousing Speech

Jelly Roll needs a favor — he wants fans to keep going for their dreams, regardless of their age. The country singer gave a rousing speech after winning the new artist of the year award at the 2023 CMA Awards, held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday (Nov. 8).

As his name was announced by Lady A, the artist gave wife Bunnie Xo a kiss, then hugged fellow nominee Zach Bryan before making his way up to the stage as his song “Need a Favor” — which he performed with Wynonna Judd to kick off the ceremony — played to accept the award.

“I got a thousand people to thank, but most importantly my lord and my wife — I love you so much, you changed my life, baby. Megan, Parker, Hailey I love all of you all — we’re friends,” he said, shouting out the category’s other nominees — Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, and Hailey Whitters. “And Zach Bryan, I think you’re one of the hottest things on Earth, not just country music! You deserve this just as anybody else! I love you, I’m glad we’re sitting there partying the rest of the night, baby.”

Then, Jelly Roll kicked his speech into high gear and addressed his fans with an inspirational message.

“Most importantly, there’s something poetic about a 39-year-old man winning new artist of the year. I don’t know where you’re at in your life or what you’re going through, but I want to tell you to keep going, baby. I want to tell you, ‘Success is on the other side,’” he declared passionately, his voice getting louder with each line, the live crowd cheering him along. “I want to tell you, ‘It’s going to be OK!’ I want to tell you that the windshield is bigger than the rearview mirror for a reason, because what’s in front of you is so much more important than what’s behind you!”

He concluded his speech by yelling, “Let’s party, Nashville!” raising his trophy in triumph as the arena’s audience gave him a standing ovation.

New artist of the year was just one of the five awards that Jelly Roll was nominated for. He also received nods for single of the year and music video of the year for “Need a Favor,” male vocalist of the year and musical event of the year. The country star is also a finalist in several categories at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards, including the top new artist and top rock artist categories. The BBMAs will stream on BBMAs.watch and the Billboard and BBMAs social channels on Nov. 19.

The 2023 CMA Awards were hosted once again by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning. The show aired live on ABC.

Watch Jelly Roll’s acceptance speech for new artist of the year below:


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08 Nov 2023

Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson & Zac Brown Band Throw a Jimmy Buffett Tribute Party on 2023 CMA Awards

While Jimmy Buffett is best remembered for his tropical rock hits like “Margaritaville,” he’s always held a special place in the country music world — from getting his start as a singer/songwriter in Nashville to teaming up with Alan Jackson for the CMA Award-winning 2003 duet “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere.”

So it’s fitting that the 2023 CMA Awards paid tribute to the late superstar on Wednesday night (Nov. 8), with Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Zac Brown Band and Mac McAnally — a longtime member of Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band — teaming up for a medley of his hits.

Chesney and McAnally kicked things off with “A Pirate Looks at Forty,” trading lyrics and acoustic guitar licks on the 1974 number’s first verse before beautifully harmonizing on the second verse. “Jimmy made a whole world full of friends,” McAnally sang in lieu of the lyric “just a few friends,” before Chesney wrapped up the duet by hollering “Thank you, Jimmy!”

Zac Brown Band — with their namesake frontman appropriately barefoot in shorts — and Jackson were up next, singing “adios, my friend” to Buffett before launching into his signature hit, 1977’s “Margaritaville.” The crowd got in on the party by calling out “Salt! Where’s the damn salt!” during the tequila-soaked chorus.


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Buffett died Sept. 1 at his home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, New York, from skin cancer. He was 76 years old. In addition to winning a CMA Award for vocal event of the year with Jackson for “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” he also won two ACM Awards for the duet: single of the year and vocal event of the year.

In his career, Buffett scored 13 Billboard Hot 100 charting singles — including seven top 40 hits and one top 10 — as well as 40 entries on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

Ahead of Wednesday night’s show, Billboard‘s Lyndsey Havens caught up with McAnally on the red carpet, with the musician promising an emotional tribute. “Everybody taking part in it loved Jimmy and he loved everybody taking part in it – and that’s an easy call, because Jimmy loved everybody and he made everybody feel better every time he was in front of them for his whole life, all the way to the end,” McAnally said. “The thing we’re trying to convey is that he was not a fictional character. He was really the guy that you thought he was. He’s gonna be smiling down on us tonight. Because he’s gonna hear some people that loved and put their hearts right up against the microphone and gave it all we got.”

08 Nov 2023

2023 CMA Awards: Photos From the Show

Country music’s brightest gathered at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena for the 57th annual CMA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 8, to celebrate the genre in a star-studded ceremony. The show was once again hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning.

The ceremony kicked off with a raucous performance by Jelly Roll of his hit “Need a Favor.” The country star was joined by icon Wynonna Judd, who was a surprise performer. The two duetted on a stage set up to resemble a church, with a choir providing backup vocals, as the stars in the crowd — including Post Malone, Nicole Kidman, Keith Urban and Kelsea Ballerini — enjoyed the powerful set.

In one of the awards presented earlier in the show, Tracy Chapman won song of the year for “Fast Car.” Luke Combs had delivered a chart-topping cover of her track, which also won Combs single of the year; his take reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Her song of the year victory became Chapman’s first Country Music Association trophy; she is credited as the sole writer of the song.

Among the night’s performers were Morgan Wallen, Bryan, HARDY, Post Malone, Ballerini and more. Presenters included Paula Abdul, Lady A, Cynthia Erivo, Martina McBride, Darius Rucker and others.

Lainey Wilson was the top nominee with nine nods. Jelly Roll followed with five nods, Combs and HARDY with four, and Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and Derek Wells with three.

The show aired live on ABC.

08 Nov 2023

Eric Church & Morgan Wallen Join Forces to Perform ‘Man Made a Bar’ on the CMA Awards

Eric Church and Morgan Wallen — two sterling country music headliners– teamed up during Wednesday evening’s (Nov. 8) 2023 CMA Awards. Clad in his signature dark sunglasses, Church traded lines with Wallen on “Man Made a Bar,” a tribute to the hazy, smoke-filled spaces where libations flow freely and the heartbroken escape to find solace and refuge.

“God made a girl, his best work of art/ Oh, but he didn’t make no place to go when she breaks your heart…So man madе a bar,” they sang on the song written by Brett Tyler, Jordan Dozzi, Larry Fleet and Rocky Block.

The two hugged as the performance ended, with Church pointing to Wallen before they exited the stage. The two artists have had a long friendship, showing up as guests during each other’s concerts and occasionally posting photos of their golfing outings on Instagram.

“Man Made a Bar” is included on Wallen’s album One Thing at a Time, which spent 16 weeks atop the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart.

Wallen is currently nominated for entertainer of the year, an honor Church took home in 2020. One Thing at a Time is up for album of the year, while Wallen is up for male vocalist of the year. This isn’t Wallen’s only performance during the CMA Awards; he’s also set to perform later in the evening with Post Malone and HARDY.

The 57th annual CMAs aired live on ABC, and was hosted by Luke Combs and Peyton Manning. This year’s top nominees include “Heart Like a Truck” singer Lainey Wilson with nine nominations (also including entertainer of the year), and “Need a Favor” singer Jelly Roll, with five nominations.

Watch Morgan Wallen and Eric Church’s performance of “Man Made a Bar” below:


https://youtube.com/watch?v=u3jCpGsu9EU&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

08 Nov 2023

Jelly Roll Sweetly Jokes He’s Wife Bunnie XO’s ‘Accessory Piece’ on the CMA Awards Red Carpet

Jelly Roll may be one of the CMA Awards‘ big nominees on Wednesday night (Nov. 8), but all his attention was on his wife, Bunnie XO.

“My wife wore a black dress with these chains things on it, so I was like — you know how we dress ourselves on red carpets now? I say get the wife whatever she wants and then figure out how I can accent it,” the 38-year-old “Need a Favor” singer told Entertainment Tonight on the red carpet, before sweetly adding, “I’m like an accessory piece, I’m like an extra earring.”

“I’m a good husband,” he concluded. The longtime couple tied the knot back in 2016.

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Jelly Roll is nominated for the first time at this year’s CMAs, and has an impressive five nods — second only to top nominee Lainey Wilson, who has nine nominations. The superstar is up for some of the night’s biggest awards, including single of the year and video of the year for “Need a Favor,” and male vocalist of the year. Jelly also performed “Need a Favor” with Wynonna Judd during the ceremony and will sing The Judds’ “Love Can Build a Bridge” alongside K. Michelle.

It’s been a big year for Jelly Roll’s skyrocketing career, as he notched two No. 1 Country Airplay hits, with “Son of a Sinner” and “Need a Favor.” He was also Billboard‘s cover star for its 2023 Country Power Players issue, and subsequently performed and spoke during Billboard‘s inaugural Billboard Country Live in Concert event in Nashville earlier this year.

08 Nov 2023

Tracy Chapman Is Now a Country Music Association Award Winner

Tracy Chapman is officially a CMAs winner. The folk singer-songwriter, whose signature hit “Fast Car” came out in 1988 and reached a No. 6 peak on the Billboard Hot 100, nabbed a 2023 Country Music Association Award on Wednesday (Nov. 8) thanks to Luke Combs’ smash hit cover version, which reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 and topped the Hot Country Songs chart for four weeks.

Shortly after Combs won single of the year at the 2023 CMAs for “Fast Car,” Chapman — the sole writer of the song – won the song of the year CMA, which goes to a song’s writer(s).

Standing next to 86-year-old country legend Bill Anderson, Sara Evans – a new member of the Grand Ole Opry – read the acceptance speech that Chapman sent in: “I’m sorry I couldn’t join you all tonight. It’s truly an honor for my song to be newly recognized after 35 years of its debut. Thank you to the CMAs and a special thanks to Luke and all of the fans of ‘Fast Car.’”

Prior to Chapman’s win, Combs hailed her in his acceptance speech. “First of all, I want to thank Tracy Chapman for writing the best song of all time,” he said at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. “I just recorded it because I love this song so much, it’s meant so much to me throughout my entire life. It’s the first favorite song that I ever had, since I was four years old.”

Within a few months of Combs’ cover dropping, Chapman earned around $500,000 in publishing royalties from the song.


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08 Nov 2023

2023 CMA Awards Winners List (Updating)

The 2023 CMA Awards are going down Wednesday night (Nov. 8) at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, so now we wait and see: Who will emerge the night’s big winner?

Lainey Wilson heads into the show as the leading nominee, with nine nods. (In fact, she and her “wait in the truck” collaborator HARDY already took home two prizes for their hit duet before the show.) Next up is Jelly Roll with five nods, Luke Combs and HARDY with four, and Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, songwriter/producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen and musician/producer Derek Wells with three.

You can follow along with Billboard below to see who leaves the night’s top winner.

Entertainer of the year

Luke Combs

Chris Stapleton

Carrie Underwood

Morgan Wallen

Lainey Wilson

Single of the year

Award goes to Artist(s), Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)

“Fast Car” – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineer: Chip Matthews

“Heart Like a Truck” – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Producer: Austin Nivarel; Mix Engineer: Jeff Braun

“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley

“wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells; Mix Engineer: Joey Moi

Album of the year  

Award goes to Artist, Producer(s) and Mix Engineer(s)

Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville – Ashley McBryde; Producers: John Osborne, John Peets; Mix Engineers: Gena Johnson, John Osborne

Bell Bottom Country – Lainey Wilson; Producer: Jay Joyce; Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

Gettin’ Old – Luke Combs; Producers: Luke Combs, Chip Matthews, Jonathan Singleton; Mix Engineers: Michael H. Brauer, Jim Cooley, Chip Matthews

One Thing at a Time – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Jacob Durrett, Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi, Cameron Montgomery; Mix Engineers: Josh Ditty, Joey Moi, Eivind Nordland

Rolling Up the Welcome Mat – Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Kelsea Ballerini, Alysa Vanderheym; Mix Engineers: Dan Grech-Marguerat, Alysa Vanderheym

Song of the year 

Award goes to Songwriter(s)

“Fast Car”; Songwriter: Tracy Chapman

“Heart Like a Truck”; Songwriters: Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Lainey Wilson

“Next Thing You Know”; Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Greylan James, Chase McGill, Josh Osborne

“Tennessee Orange”; Songwriters: David Fanning, Paul Jenkins, Megan Moroney, Ben Williams

“wait in the truck”; Songwriters: Renee Blair, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps, Jordan Schmidt

Female vocalist of the year 

Kelsea Ballerini

Miranda Lambert

Ashley McBryde

Carly Pearce

Lainey Wilson

Male vocalist of the year

Luke Combs

Jelly Roll

Cody Johnson

Chris Stapleton

Morgan Wallen

Vocal group of the year

Lady A

Little Big Town

Midland

Old Dominion

Zac Brown Band

Vocal duo of the year  

Brooks & Dunn

Brothers Osborne

Dan + Shay

Maddie & Tae

The War And Treaty

Musical event of the year 

Award goes to Artists and Producer(s) 

“Save Me” – Jelly Roll (with Lainey Wilson); Producers: Zach Crowell, David Ray Stevens

“She Had Me at Heads Carolina (Remix)” – Cole Swindell & Jo Dee Messina; Producer: Zach Crowell

“Thank God” – Kane Brown (with Katelyn Brown); Producer: Dann Huff

WINNER: “wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Producers: HARDY, Joey Moi, Jordan Schmidt, Derek Wells

“We Don’t Fight Anymore” – Carly Pearce (featuring Chris Stapleton); Producers: Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Carly Pearce

Musician of the year

Jenee Fleenor

Paul Franklin

Rob McNelley

Derek Wells

Charlie Worsham

Music video of the year 

Award goes to Artist(s) and Director(s)

“Light on in the Kitchen” – Ashley McBryde; Director: Reid Long

“Memory Lane” – Old Dominion; Directors: Mason Allen, Nicki Fletcher

“Need a Favor” – Jelly Roll; Director: Patrick Tohill

“Next Thing You Know” – Jordan Davis; Director: Running Bear

WINNER: “wait in the truck” – HARDY (feat. Lainey Wilson); Director: Justin Clough

New artist of the year

Zach Bryan

Jelly Roll

Parker McCollum

Megan Moroney

Hailey Whitters

2023 CMA Broadcast Awards

Finalists for broadcast personality of the year (by market size):

Weekly National

“American Country Countdown” (Kix Brooks) – Cumulus/Westwood One

WINNER: “Country Countdown USA” (Lon Helton) – Compass Media Networks

“Honky Tonkin’ with Tracy Lawrence” (Tracy Lawrence and Patrick Thomas) – Silverfish Media

“On The Horizon with Buzz Brainard” (Buzz Brainard) – SiriusXM

“Y’all Access with Kelly Sutton” (Kelly Sutton) – Firefly Media/Silverfish Media

Daily National

WINNER: “Angie Ward” – iHeartMedia

“The Big D and Bubba Show” (Derek “Big D” Haskins, Sean “Bubba” Powell, Patrick Thomas, and Carsen Humphreville) – Silverfish Media

“Katie & Company” (Katie Neal) – Audacy

“Nights with Elaina” (Elaina Smith) – Westwood One

“The Sam Alex Show” (Sam Alex) – Sam Alex Productions, LLC

Major Market

“Chris Carr & Company” (Chris Carr, Kia Becht, and Sam Sansevere) – KEEY, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

“Frito & Katy” (Tucker “Frito” Young and Katy Dempsey) – KCYY, San Antonio, Texas

WINNER: “Hawkeye in the Morning with Hawkeye and Michelle” (“Hawkeye” Mark Louis Rybczyk and Michelle Rodriguez) – KSCS, Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

“Josh, Rachael & Grunwald” (Josh Holleman, Rachael Hunter, and Steve Grunwald) – WYCD, Detroit, Mich.

“Scotty Kay” (Scotty Kay) – WUSN, Chicago, Ill.

Large Market

“The Big Dave Show” (“Big Dave” Chandler, Ashley Heiert, and Jason “Stattman” Statt) – WUBE, Cincinnati, Ohio

“The Morning Drive with Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews” (Mike Kellar and Jenny Matthews) – KBEQ, Kansas City, Mo.

“Scott and Shannen” (Scott Dolphin and “Shannen O” Oesterreich) – WMIL, Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

“Tim & Chelsea In The Morning” (Tim Leary and Chelsea Taylor) – WIRK, West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.

WINNER: “The Wayne D Show” (“Wayne D” Danielson and Tay Hamilton) – WSIX, Nashville, Tenn.

Medium Market

“Cait & Bradley Morning Show” (Cait Fisher and Matt Bradley) – KWEN, Tulsa, Okla.

“Clay & Company” (Clay Moden, Rob Banks, and Kadie Daye) – WYRK, Buffalo-Niagara Falls, N.Y.

“Ellis and Bradley Show” (Bill Ellis and Beth Bradley) – WSSL, Greenville-Spartanburg, S.C.

WINNER: “Mo & StyckMan” (Melissa “Mo” Wagner and Greg “StyckMan” Owens) – WUSY, Chattanooga, Tenn.

“Steve & Gina In The Morning” (Steve Lundy and Gina Melton) – KXKT, Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

Small Market

“The B100 Morning Show with Brittney Baily” (Brittney Baily) – WBYT, South Bend, Ind.

“The Eddie Foxx Show” (Eddie Foxx and Amanda Foxx) – WKSF, Asheville, N.C.

“Officer Don & DeAnn” (“Officer Don” Evans and DeAnn Stephens) – WBUL, Lexington-Fayette, Ky.

“Steve & Tiffany in the Morning” (Steve Waters and Tiffany Kay) – WFLS, Fredericksburg, Va.

WINNER: “Steve, Ben and Nikki” (Steve Stroud, Ben Walker, and Nikki Thomas) – WXBQ, Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.

Finalists for radio station of the year (by market size): 

Major Market

KCYY – San Antonio, Texas

WINNER: KEEY – Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minn.

KKBQ – Houston, Texas

KSCS – Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

WXTU – Philadelphia, Pa.

Large Market

WIRK – West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.

WKDF – Nashville, Tenn.

WMIL – Milwaukee-Racine, Wis.

WINNER: WUBE – Cincinnati, Ohio

WWKA – Orlando, Fla.

Medium Market

WINNER: KUZZ – Bakersfield, Calif.

KXKT – Omaha-Council Bluffs, Neb.-Iowa

WGGY – Wilkes Barre-Scranton, Pa.

WPCV – Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.

WQMX – Akron, Ohio

Small Market

KCLR – Columbia, Mo.

WBYT – South Bend, Ind.

WKML – Fayetteville, N.C.

WINNER: WXBQ – Johnson City-Kingsport-Bristol, Tenn.-Va.

WYCT – Pensacola, Fla.

08 Nov 2023

2023 CMA Awards: Photos From the Red Carpet

Here’s the best photos from the 2023 CMA Awards red carpet.

HARDY, Post Malone and Morgan Wallen

HARDY, Post Malone and Morgan Wallen attend the 57th Annual CMA Awards at Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 8, 2023 in Nashville.

Jason Kempin/Getty Images

The 2023 CMA Awards took over Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Wednesday night (Nov. 8), and some of the biggest artists in country music walked the red carpet in some jaw-dropping looks.

Lainey Wilson is the top nominee this year with nine nods. Wilson is the first artist in 13 years to land two nominations for single of the year in the same year. Wilson is nominated for “Heart Like a Truck” and as a featured artist on HARDY’s “Wait in the Truck.”

Jelly Roll has five nominations this year, including new artist of the year and male artist of the year. Luke Combs and HARDY have four nominations each, followed by Jordan Davis, Ashley McBryde, producer/mix engineer Joey Moi, songwriter-producer Jordan Schmidt, Chris Stapleton, Morgan Wallen, and musician/producer Derek Wells with three nominations each.

The ceremony — which will again be hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning — will feature several special performance moments, including Morgan Wallen joining forces with Post Malone and HARDY to offer up several classic country songs. Kenny Chesney, Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band and Coral Reefer Band member Mac McAnally will honor the late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett.

See below for photos from the 2023 CMA Awards red carpet.

08 Nov 2023

Maren Morris Opens Up About Friendship With Taylor Swift: ‘She’s Setting a High Bar’

Maren Morris is one of a lucky few who gets to call her hero a friend. While on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tuesday (Nov. 7), the vocalist opened up about her relationship with Taylor Swift five months after she and the “Anti-Hero” pop star performed their Fearless (Taylor’s Version) collaboration “You All Over Me” together at the Eras Tour.

“We’re the same age, but looking up to her since I was a teenager, and watching her navigate her country music to pop career so gracefully, and the way she treats her fans is so kind and generous,” Morris gushed. “She’s setting a high bar.”

The 33-year-old singer-songwriter also recalled meeting Swift in 2018 on the Reputation Tour. “She was kind enough to ask me to come out and sing my song ‘The Middle’ with her,” Morris shared. “She’s just been so supportive of me and my career over the years.”

Following somewhat in Swift’s footsteps, Morris recently announced that she’s planning to leave country music behind. Her genre hop, however, isn’t just about changing up her sound. As she explained to Fallon, “There were just some facets of [country] that I didn’t really jive with anymore.”

In October, Morris revealed she will no longer submit her music for country awards consideration and transferred from her label in Nashville to the New York-based Columbia Records. “I really cannot participate in the really toxic arms of this institution anymore,” she shared in an October interview on the New York Times’ Popcast, noting her disappointment with the country industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and social issues such as the Black Lives Matter movement.

“I couldn’t do this circus anymore of feeling like I have to absorb and explain people’s bad behaviors and laugh it off,” she added. “I just couldn’t do that after 2020. … I’ve changed.”

As part of her departure, Morris released two-track EP The Bridge in September, produced by Swift’s own frequent collaborator, Jack Antonoff. The Grammy winner performed one of the project’s songs, “The Tree,” alongside guests Mickey Guyton and Brittney Spencer for Fallon’s audience on The Tonight Show.

Watch Morris’ Jimmy Fallon interview and performance below:


https://youtube.com/watch?v=N-Zh6CoL4Zw&version=3&rel=1&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&fs=1&hl=en-US&autohide=2&wmode=transparent

08 Nov 2023

Chart Rewind: In 2008, Carrie Underwood Had Another ‘Dream’ Come True

On Nov. 8, 2008, Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream” began a two-week reign on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.

The song — written by Hillary Lindsey, Steve McEwan and Gordie Sampson — was released from Underwood’s sophomore album Carnival Ride, which arrived at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, her second of a record-setting nine straight career-opening leaders through 2021. The set also became her first of four No. 1s on the all-genre Billboard 200.

“Dream” became Underwood’s seventh of 14 Hot Country Songs chart-toppers, among 30 top 10s. On Country Airplay, she has rolled up 16 leaders, the most among women.

Born in Muskogee, Okla., Underwood came to prominence following her win on the fourth season of American Idol in 2005. Her coronation track “Inside Your Heaven” blasted in atop the Billboard Hot 100 that July, while “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” her first proper country single, dominated Hot Country Songs for six frames starting in January 2006. She most recently ruled Hot Country Songs with “Something in the Water” for seven weeks in 2014-15.

On Aug. 26, Underwood wrapped the last of three stadium shows with Guns N’ Roses at Nashville’s GEODIS Park. After her opening set, she returned to the stage, joining the band on a couple of their classics, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City.”

Underwood’s latest single, “Out of That Truck,” which she co-penned, ranks at No. 38 on the Nov. 11-dated Country Airplay chart. She is nominated for the coveted entertainer of the year trophy at the 57th Annual Country Music Association Awards, airing Wednesday (Nov. 8) on ABC.