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The Country Music Association will soon launch its inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Fellowship, which will provide a select group of BIPOC students with an immersive educational experience leading up to the 2023 CMA Fest in June.
The CMA has partnered with the University of Alabama, Nashville’s Belmont University and Knoxville’s University of Tennessee. Six students (two from each university) will be selected to take part in the fellowship, launching this spring. Students must be an incoming junior or senior majoring in public relations, advertising, journalism, business or a related field. Each student will also receive compensation for their work, as well as a stipend to cover living expenses while in Nashville.
“As we look at our industry and how we can drive country music into the future, it’s being thoughtful about who is part of it and who feels like they can be part of it,” Mia McNeal, CMA senior director, industry relations and inclusion, tells Billboard. “Working with all three of these universities has been incredible, thinking strategically and intentionally about how we can engage the student body in a way that is very direct and making a pipeline of talent.”
McNeal adds, “There has been a push for more artists of color within the country music industry, but they also need the opportunity to team with people behind the scenes who look like them.”
In April, the students will begin working remotely with the CMA’s communications team, participating in planning meetings with cross-departmental teams and various industry partners. They will then join CMA team members in Nashville in the weeks leading up to and through CMA Fest, June 9-12. Following the event, the students will take part in a six-week assignment with a country music publicity partner, offering the students additional real-world PR experience.
“They get the 360-degree view of exactly how public relations and communications is central not only to the CMA, but to the industry at large,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA vice president, industry relations and philanthropy.
“The idea for this fellowship came out of having significant conversations with several artists and a wide variety of industry professionals who really felt that publicists are part of the storytellers of our business,” Kerns adds.
The University of Alabama’s Dr. Kenon Brown, who was previously the faculty advisor for the UofA’s CMA EDU chapter for about three years, serves as the fellowship’s managing faculty member. Brown along with faculty representatives from the university partners and CMA staff will review applications.
“We felt the one thing that would help students be exposed to the industry would be to give them first-hand experience,” Brown tells Billboard. “We wanted to also give them mentors to give them a more realistic viewpoint of how the music industry works. Hopefully this helps make them more excited about not just working in music but working in country music.”
In describing the types of students they are looking for, Brown says, “We want students who recognize the opportunity they have here to become a leader in this industry and a voice for promoting diversity and inclusion in the country music industry. We want students who can look at the country music industry and see the strides that they have made and see the advantage that they have to really add a unique voice to the genre.”
The CMA is also working with the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations on the fellowship, as well as with Trell Thomas, a public relations executive and co-founder of My Publicist is Black, to match each student participant with an industry expert to serve as a mentor throughout the fellowship.
“At CMA Fest last year, we had diversity on all of our stages,” McNeal says. “Our fans are diverse and that representation matters so much. It’s hard to be something you cannot see.”
The application to apply for the fellowship is open today (Jan. 9) through Feb. 24 at cmaworld.com/fellowship.
The fellowship is one of multiple recent initiatives the CMA has launched to support leadership, education, and diversity. The CMA previously teamed with Discovery Education for a series highlighting STEAM careers within the country music industry. In 2022, the trade organization also launched a 16-week training program to support women in leadership throughout the country music industry.
“Flower Shops” hitmaker and singer-songwriter Ernest is launching his own music publishing venture, ERN’s Cadillac Music, with three songwriters.
The venture, in partnership with Big Loud Mountain Music, has signed writers Chandler Walters and Cody Lohden. Then, in conjunction with Big Loud Mountain Music and fellow singer-songwriter Mitchell Tenpenny’s publishing company High Dime, ERN’s Cadillac Music has signed Mitchell’s brother, Rafe Tenpenny.
As a songwriter, Ernest remains signed to a joint publishing deal between Universal Music Publishing Group and Big Loud Publishing. The CMA Triple Play Award winner has co-written hits for Morgan Wallen (“More Than My Hometown”), Chris Lane (“Big, Big Plans”), Kane Brown (“One Mississippi”), Florida Georgia Line (“I Love My Country”) and Diplo (“Heartless,” feat. Wallen).
Launching his own music publishing venture marks the fruition of a long-held dream. “It’s definitely been within my five-year plan, but I didn’t know it would happen so fast,” Ernest tells Billboard. The company’s name is a tip of the hat to the cover of Ernest’s second Big Loud project, Flower Shops (The Album), which features the beloved Cadillac that Ernest bought in September 2021.
“Cadillac music, that’s kind of what I’ve been joking and calling any of my demos that I’d listen to in the Cadillac,” Ernest says. “It’s gotta pass the Cadillac test.”
Two of the initial signings to ERN’s Cadillac Music have close connections to Ernest. Walters, whom Ernest discovered through TikTok, is his touring steel player, while Ernest met Tenpenny in the fifth grade. Ernest was introduced to Lohden’s music through a social media post from Barstool Sports.
“I respect him not only as a friend, but as one of the best writers in the game right now, so for him to show faith in signing me means the world,” Tenpenny says of Ernest, adding that they wrote their first song together in eighth grade. “It’s always just been two friends coming together and having fun. He’s always had a talent for coming up with words and rhymes on the spot, he’s one of the best freestylers ever.”
“Over the past year we’ve traveled all over the country together and I have gotten to know him as a brother,” Walters says of Ernest via email. “Ern picking me to be in Cadillac Music is super humbling for me. He is one of the most accomplished songwriters in Nashville and him seeing something in me means more than anything.”
“Ern is the GOAT,” Lohden says, adding Ernest is already giving him advice.
“Ern told me to stay humble and keep doing what I’m doing…Just keep working hard and the songs will just keep getting better. It’s very cool to have him on my side and I’m very grateful!”
Big Loud Publishing staffers will work with ERN’s Cadillac Music writers, though as the venture grows, staffers may be added in the future. Ernest says he doesn’t have a set number of writers that he would ultimately like his publishing venture to support, preferring that it grow organically.
“I’m not in a hurry to stack a roster. I love the writers I have now, and the Big Loud building is kind of like one big family,” Ernest says. “It’s like Motown in a way, where there’s several rooms going on at once and I can bounce between rooms and throw in ideas. Now, I’ve got my space over there and Big Loud writers are welcome to crash those rooms and we all just work together.”
He also credits his and Big Loud’s mission of “empowering young creatives to just be free, creatively. Magic will happen if you just create the environment for people to be comfortable and let their guards down.” He adds, “That’s the environment I flourish in and those are the types of writers that I gravitate to when it comes to signing.”
Ernest hopes ERN’s Cadillac Music helps aspiring songwriters get their big break in the same way songwriters The Warren Brothers (Tim McGraw’s “If You’re Reading This,” Toby Keith’s “Red Solo Cup”) did for him.
“I want to be a source for young writers who haven’t gotten a chance yet to play ball,” Ernest says. He recalls how The Warren Brothers became advocates for Ernest and Mitchell Tenpenny earlier in their careers. “That changed our lives because we were in [writing] rooms we had no business being in, but we were getting in them because the Warren Brothers vouched for us, and then we had to do the rest on our own. But getting that one person that could bridge the gap, that’s the hardest part in this town. I want to create an environment where more writers can get a break.”
Georgette Jones already has strong ties to the Showtime limited series George & Tammy: Not only is it about her parents and based on the book she wrote, but she also appears in the final episode.
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Jones makes a cameo as a backup singer in the finale airing Sunday. In an exclusive clip provided to The Hollywood Reporter, she appears on a tour bus with band members, as well as Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon in the roles of Tammy Wynette and George Jones. Together they sing “Lost Highway,” with Georgette Jones kicking off the second verse.
The 52-year-old daughter of the country music legends said as she was preparing to visit the set of the series, producers asked her if she’d want to make an appearance.
“I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. I am not an actress but I will happily pretend to be one,’” Jones tells THR. “If they want to put me somewhere — it would be so much fun to be able to do that.”
George & Tammy is based on her 2011 memoir, The Three of Us: Growing Up With Tammy and George. She said filming her scenes was fun and pleasant — but also sentimental.
“I was swept up in a very emotional state of mind during the whole thing. It was strange, knowing that I’m on a simulated bus with what’s supposed to be my parents and their band, but at the same moment, being able to see the scene play out and know what’s happening, listening to the music and listening to the words of the song, and knowing how this is ending the series — it was very, very emotional,” Jones says. “I think it hit me full swing when we finished filming it. I just broke down at the end because it was just a release of all that emotion building up for that scene.”
The six-episode show debuted in December. It chronicles Wynette and George Jones’ complicated yet stirring relationship and the hits they produced, including Wynette’s signature classic, “Stand by Your Man.”
Jones says playing a backup singer for her parents onscreen was something she was used to doing in real life.
“I actually spent a summer working as a backup singer for my mom when I was starting college,” she recalls. “I have all these memories of — not just working for Mom then — but growing up on the road with one or both of my parents at different times. So I was flooded with a lot of memories of being on the bus and remembering those types of events.”
Chastain’s performance in George & Tammy earned her a nomination for best actress in a limited series at the 2023 Golden Globes, which take place Tuesday. Jones says she approved of Chastain and Shannon’s portrayals of her parents.
“I think they did an incredible job. I really, really do — both with the music and with the acting,” she says.
“Jessica has really been our champion for this entire process,” Jones continues of the Oscar winner, who also serves as an executive producer on the series. “I’m so thankful that she not only signed on, but stuck with it. And there were times where different people at different times, before we got to where we were in the end, were trying to suggest things and wanted it to go in a different direction. And Jessica and [show creator] Abe [Sylvia] and [EP] Andrew [Lazar] all really pushed for an honest portrayal, not just some of the glamorous things on the road. And it meant a lot to me that she pushed for that. She wanted us to have an accurate and real story of my mom and my dad.”
This article originally appeared in THR.com.
Shania Twain‘s new single “Giddy Up!” has topped this week’s new music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Jan. 6) on Billboard, choosing Twain’s track as their favorite new music release of the past week.
“Giddy Up!” brought in 87% of the vote, beating out new music by YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Popcaan feat. Drake and more.
Twain’s party-ready new sing is the first track off of Queen of Me, her forthcoming album that’s set for a Feb. 3 release. The singer line danced into 2023 with “Giddy Up,” dropping the song and its music video on Jan. 5.
“The saying ‘Let’s Go Girls!’ is such a wonderfully uplifting sentiment now, but it’s just something I said during the recording in the studio and I guess that’s the same for ‘Giddy Up!’,” Twain said in a statement this week. “These lines come to me when I’m thinking about how to put a little ‘pep in my step.’ I want people to feel good when they hear the new album. I want to set a celebratory tone and ‘Giddy Up!’ is a way to call to the audience and say ‘let’s get ready for some fun!’”
Trailing behind the pop-country icon’s “Giddy Up!” on the fan-voted poll is YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s I Rest My Case album, with nearly 5% of the vote.
See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.
Americana artists gathered Saturday evening (Jan. 7) at Nashville’s City Winery for the fundraising concert Hello From the Hills, which supported a range of nonprofit organizations dedicated to addiction and substance abuse recovery, restorative justice work, and residential recovery/transitional living.
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Held by The Hello in There Foundation (which launched in 2021 to remember singer-songwriter John Prine and aims to support people who are marginalized or discriminated against) and Tyler Childers’ Hope in the Hills, the show featured performances from artists including Childers, Jason Isbell, Sierra Ferrell, Amythyst Kiah, and Margo Price with Jeremy Ivey.
Oh Boy Records leader Jody Whelan welcomed the crowd, while singer-songwriter Kathy Mattea served as host for the evening.
“I wanted to thank all the artists who quickly said yes to this show,” Whelan told the crowd. “The Hello in There Foundation would not exist without the fans who love John’s music and the artists community that has come and lifted us up.”
The ongoing love and admiration for the late Prine was palpable throughout the evening, as numerous artists spoke of the songsmith who melded elements of folk and country to build a enviable song catalog that includes “Illegal Smile,” “Sam Stone” and “Angel From Montgomery.”
The bill also included performances from Arlo McKinley, Kelsey Waldon and Tré Burt, artists signed to the Prine-co-founded Oh Boy Records. Waldon offered up “Season’s Ending,” the first song she wrote following Prine’s death in 2020.
Waldon then joined labelmate Burt for “Dixie Red,” and he wielded both harmonica and acoustic guitar for “Sweet Misery.” Other artists on the bill include Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle, William Matheny and Darrin Haquard.
The event was presented by Oh Boy Records and management company WhizBangBam (which represents McKinley and Childers, among other artists) benefiting the Prine Family’s The Hello in There Foundation as well as Childers’ Hope in the Hills. The Hello in There Foundation and Hope in the Hills each selected two organizations to receive $10,000 grants, with the donations benefiting the residential recovery program Healing Housing, the restorative justice program Raphah Institute, the substance abuse recovery program the Keith Dixon Foundation, and the transitional living facility Recovery Community Inc.
Here, we recap five standout performances:
Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, “Cover Me Up”
Americana luminaries Isbell and Shires brought raw, emotional storytelling to their performance of “Tour of Duty,” from Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s 2011 album Here We Rest.
“At concerts, people will say, ‘This next song has been very good to me,’” Isbell said. “I think that’s really funny. That makes me laugh every time. I’m gonna tell you right now, I have been very good to this next song, because before I came along, it wasn’t a damn thing,” he said, drawing laughter and cheers from the crowd. He then introduced the intimate, vulnerable love song “Cover Me Up,” from his 2013 album Southeastern. The song, written during the early days of the couple’s relationship, also nods to Isbell’s own recovery journey. A key line, “But I sobered up and swore off that stuff/ Forever this time,” drew hearty cheers from the audience.
Sierra Ferrell Performs Two Unreleased Songs
Clad in a cowboy hat old-timey dress and with fiddle in hand, Ferrell showed off the undeniable musical prowess and onstage charm that earned her the emerging act of the year win at the Americana Music Association’s Honors & Awards in 2022.
But onstage at City Winery, she didn’t regale the crowd with songs such as her signature “In Dreams”—instead, she introduced two unreleased songs from an album she is currently working on. For the first, she wielded her fiddle for the charming “I Can Drive You Crazy,” before trading her fiddle for an acoustic guitar to deliver another unreleased song, this one a tribute to a string of broken hearts. Host Mattea praised Ferrell’s throwback look and sound, noting it feels like she “lives outside of time.”
Amythyst Kiah
Accompanied only by her electric banjo, the Grammy-nominated artist’s smoky, evocative voice silenced the crowd as Kiah brought the audience into the emotionally complex lyrics of “Firewater” (from her 2021 album Wary+Strange), followed by the classic old-time Appalachia song “Darlin’ Corey.” Kiah’s searing, full-bodied vocal proved a perfect match to convey this tale of a fearless, gun-toting, moonshine-making woman. Kiah’s two-song performance made such an impression on the crowd–and host Mattea–that Mattea welcomed Kiah back to the stage to embrace another round of applause from the audience.
Tommy Prine Honors His Late Father with “Ships in the Harbor”
Nashville native Prine, the son of John Prine, launched his two-song set with “This Far South.” But it was Prine’s potent performance of his debut single “Ships in the Harbor” that hushed the intimate crowd, as he musically acknowledged inevitable change, and sang of loss, pain and acceptance. In a full-circle moment of sorts, it was Isbell’s Southeastern album that inspired the younger Prine to begin writing music at age 17.
Tyler Childers Holds Court
Childers, whose song “All Your’n” was nominated for a Grammy in 2020, closed out the evening with an acoustic set that kept the focus on his well-crafted storytelling, and his full-throttle vocal—which drew numerous cheers and shouts from the crowd.
He also shared how learning fiddle helped him overcome his own struggles with alcohol, noting that he became passionate about learning to better his craft on the instrument. “I can tell you that you spend eight or nine months playing eight hours a day and get alright and then you can not play for about two weeks and [you’re] off. You can put a guitar away for awhile and pick it up and be okay…over the last three or four weeks, I’ve rededicated my life to the fiddle,” he noted. In 2020, Childers released the surprise album Long Violent History, an album largely made of traditional fiddle tunes. His set on Saturday evening included “Creeker,” “Matthew,” and “Lady May.”
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Shania Twain, “Giddy Up!”
Shania knows her way around an energetic, danceable song, including her latest “Giddy Up!,” from her upcoming album Queen of Me, out Feb. 3. Eschewing a high-gloss pop finish, she instead relies on pulsating acoustic guitar to offer an assertive rhythm that matches the arena-sized confidence in her lyrics, which (similar to some of her mega-hits such as “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!”) advocate for living your best life right now–or as Twain puts it, “Time to shine like I know you should.”
Elle King, “Tulsa”
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From the first rollicking guitar notes, King brings her signature intrepid swagger, delighting in exposing a cheating lover. The song’s hook centers on her ex hightailing it back to “Tulsa,” though she makes it clear that “if you spell it back-to-front,” she’s not exactly referencing a city in Oklahoma. The “Ex’s and Oh’s” singer has also scored two Billboard Country Airplay No. 1s, with Dierks Bentley (“Different For Girls”) and Miranda Lambert (“Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”). But as she gears up to release her first country album, Come Get Your Wife, on Jan. 27, songs like “Tulsa” telegraph her intentions to bring her rock-infused, bawdy-yet-vulnerable sound with her.
Chase Rice, “I Hate Cowboys”
Rice’s latest release finds him detailing the easygoing, nonchalant coolness of smooth-talking, two-stepping cowboys–and their relative ease at stealing hearts. But instead of piling on to country music’s longstanding adulation for guys in boots, jeans and cowboy hats, this track centers on the scarred hearts that get left in the dust when a smooth-talking cowboy comes along and entices someone’s lover away. The track is from his upcoming album, I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell, out Feb. 10.
Old Dominion, “Memory Lane”
The group delves into nostalgia on their new release, which finds the protagonist musing that though his romantic entanglement is officially over, he would be satisfied to stay centered on memories of the couple’s high-mark moments. The song, written by the group’s Matt Ramsey, Brad Tursi and Trevor Rosen, alongside Jessie Jo Dillon, continues the lineage of mellow, pop-inflected songs, such as “Written in the Sand” and “One Man Band,” the band has become known for.
Tyler Hubbard, “Me for Me”
Hubbard’s solo career keeps building with songs like “Dancin’ in the Country,” “5 Foot 9” and his new release, “Me For Me.” Here, he puts forth an earnest song of gratefulness that he’s found a lover who appreciates him just the way he is, accepts his shortcomings and celebrates his strengths. Hubbard penned the track with Thomas Rhett and Russell Dickerson. The same trio previously released the stunning ballad “Death Row.”
Muscadine Bloodline, “Teenage Dixie”
Blistering harmonica, driving percussion and searing guitars elevate this jam band ode to short-lived teenage romance between ambitious girls and a small-town boys. “She was on a mission on her ticket out/ And I was stuck living in the state champ days,” they sing, in this well-crafted track that vibrates with energy as they relive their glory days. The song is the title track to a new album set for Feb. 24.
Jackson Dean, “Fearless (The Echo)”
Dean is one of a handful of newcomer male country acts breaking through at country radio in a big way, with Dean reaching No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with his song “Don’t Come Lookin’.” His latest, “Fearless,” he makes the most of his mighty, full-bodied voice and rock-infused style, with lyrics that espouse both bravado and vulnerability, as he repeatedly notes his eagerness to “jump off the ledges, burn all the bridges, walk on the edges,” in complete control–but when it comes to the one he loves, he knows he’s not the one holding the keys. A powerful followup track that has the potential to eclipse the success of his debut release.
What’s old is officially new again. Case in point: After going through a box of old things, Carrie Underwood‘s sons have discovered the art of Tae Bo — a martial arts style of fitness that became popular during the 1990s — and they can’t seem to get enough, especially the country singer’s son Jake.
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Underwood took to Instagram on Friday (Jan. 6) to share a candid video of Jake watching a Tae Bo class and performing the moves in perfect unison with the television, sometimes with a little help from his toddler hands to help lift up his legs. “Jake starting off the day right!” the country singer wrote over the video.
The “Denim & Rhinestones” singer gave some additional context in the video’s caption: “The boys found one of my old Tae Bo DVDs in a box of things and Jake thought he’d have himself a little morning workout! I may soon have myself a gym buddy!” she wrote, adding a crying laughing emoji as well as several arm muscle emojis.
Fellow country music star Jimmie Allen chimed in, commenting “He’s getting after it.” Allen added that Jake’s newfound Tae Bo skills are “more exercising than I’ve done in the last 3 years.” Zach Swon of the Swon Brothers also found the video amusing, writing, “Haven’t heard the words Tae Bo in a minute ….. or DVD,” along with a nerdy emoji.
Watch Underwood’s son Jake take on Tae Bo in the video below.
Jelly Roll (aka Jason DeFord) achieves his first No. 1 on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart (dated Jan. 14) with his first entry, “Son of a Sinner.”
In the tracking week ending Jan. 5, the song, released on Bailee & Buddy/BMG/Stoney Creek, increased by 18% to 26.4 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
“There is no greater reward for a singer and songwriter in Nashville, Tenn., than to have the No. 1 song on country radio,” Jelly Roll, 38, says. “Now imagine that happening to a guy that grew up in this town … a guy that at every turn for the first 25 years of his life made the wrong decision. Imagine everyone telling that guy he had no chance at country radio. If you can imagine that, then you can understand why I’m so filled with gratitude as tears stream down my face while I type this … I currently have the No. 1 song on country radio. Thank you to Jon Loba [president BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville], BMG and every single person that helped make this dream come true.”
Jelly Roll, who grew up in the Nashville suburb of Antioch, co-authored “Sinner” with Ernest K. Smith and David Ray Stevens. It’s from his 2021 album Ballads of the Broken.
While “Sinner” is Jelly Roll’s launch Country Airplay appearance, he’s had success in other genres. Last May, “Dead Man Walking” led Mainstream Rock Airplay for a week. His highest charting set on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, No Filter, with Lil Wyte, reached No. 33 in 2013.
As “Sinner” reaches the Country Airplay pinnacle, it dethrones Morgan Wallen’s “You Proof,” which rang up a record 10 nonconsecutive frames at No. 1. “Proof” declines 1-2 on the Jan. 14 dated list (25.6 million, up 12%).
Also, before “Sinner,” the last rookie entry to lead Country Airplay was Bailey Zimmerman’s “Fall in Love” (Dec. 7).
Austin City Limits will celebrate singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow with the special installment Austin City Limits 8th Annual Hall of Fame Honors Sheryl Crow, airing on Saturday (Jan. 7).
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The special features Jason Isbell performing a special rendition of “Run, Baby, Run,” the opening song from Crow’s 1993 debut album Tuesday Night Music Club. Isbell and Crow previously collaborated on Yola’s single “Hold On” in 2020, with Crow contributing piano and Isbell playing guitar.
Among the others feting the nine-time Grammy winner are a host of Americana and country luminaries, including Brandi Carlile, Brittney Spencer and Jess Wolfe (from Lucius). Carlile will perform “If It Makes You Happy” (from Crow’s 1996 eponymous project), while Spencer will offer a rendition of “My Favorite Mistake” (from 1998’s The Globe Sessions). Crow will also perform, joining Wolfe for “Strong Enough” and Carlile for “Everyday is a Winding Road,” before an all-star finale performance of “I Shall Believe.”
The hour-long broadcast will open with highlights from Crow’s 1997 debut performance on Austin City Limits. Carlile will induct Crow into the ACL Hall of Fame with a speech highlighting Crow’s career, artistry and humanity.
Another special companion Hall of Fame hour will honor fellow Austin City Limits Hall of Fame inductee Joe Ely and will close out ACL season 48 on Feb. 25. Austin City Limits, recorded live at ACL’s home studio in Austin, Texas, is the longest-running music television show in history.
The episode will begin at 8 p.m. ET on CBS, and will be available to stream online beginning Jan. 8 at 10 a.m. ET at pbs.org/austincitylimits.
Watch an exclusive performance clip from Isbell honoring Crow in the video above.
New year, new Diplo — or a new version of a past version of Diplo…or something.
On Friday (Jan. 6), the producer further teased his already announced collaboration with Kodak Black and Koe Wetzel, “Wasted.” An extension of Diplo’s country project, Thomas Wesley (his given name), the teaser features an urgently strummed guitar over images from the forthcoming music video.
The clip shows Diplo driving a speedboat at breakneck speeds with Black riding shotgun and Wetzel in the back. “Met up with some friends in Florida,” the producer captioned the video, a shout out to his home state.
Other decidedly Floridian imagery in the clip includes bottles of beer, jorts, watersports, bonfires and Diplo in a lawn chair strumming an acoustic guitar stamped with image of the American flag. Diplo previously shared behind the scenes footage from the boat that included another preview of “Wasted” at the tail end of 2022.
The track marks Diplo’s first collaboration with Black and the Texas-born outlaw country artist Wetzel. “Wasted” also marks a return to country for Diplo, who released his debut album in the genre, Diplo Presents Thomas Wesley, Chapter 1: Snake Oil, in 2020.
The lead single from the album, the Morgan Wallen-assisted collaboration “Heartless,” spent 39 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No. 29. The album, which also included collaborations with Leon Bridges, Noah Cyrus, Cam, Zac Brown, Julia Michaels and more, spent 25 weeks on the Billboard 200, and peaked at No. 50.
Watch the clip from “Wasted” below.