State Champ Radio Country
Page: 268
Luke Combs released his most recent project, Growin’ Up, in 2022, but the singer-songwriter has plenty more songs in the tank — so much so that he’s releasing a new album March 24, with a hefty 18 songs. The upcoming set will mark the reigning Country Music Association entertainer of the year’s fourth full-length studio album.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Though no track list has been released for the album, it’s a fair bet that the upcoming project will include many songs written by the prolific Combs himself. He previously told Billboard that though he’s not opposed to recording songs by outside writers (and indeed, recorded an outside song during the process of making Growin’ Up, though it did not make the final track list), “I just like that part of it so much, the writing thing. I’m sure that my albums would probably be even more successful if I cut outside songs because [there are] songwriters a lot better than I am, but I just can’t bring myself to do it.”
As is his custom, Combs has regularly been sharing snippets of new music on social media, with songs including “Tattoo on a Sunburn.”
Growin’ Up is nominated for best country album at the upcoming Grammy Awards on Feb. 5, which are slated to be held at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. He’s also nominated for best country duo/group performance, for “Outrunnin’ Your Memory” with Miranda Lambert, as well as best country song (“Doin’ This,” which he wrote with Drew Parker and Robert Williford). Growin’ Up also landed on Billboard‘s list of the best albums of 2022, as well as Billboard‘s list of the best country albums of 2022.
Tim McGraw recently paid tribute to late journalist and broadcast pioneer Barbara Walters, who died Dec. 30 at age 93. McGraw shared a throwback video from an interview that Walters did with McGraw’s wife and fellow country music artist, Faith Hill.
“Thank you Barbara for all the great work!” he captioned the clip.
“You talk about wanting to have a family and how important that was to you,” Walters said in the interview clip that McGraw shared on Tuesday (Jan. 3). “And then five years ago, as the career is growing, you go on tour with a country music star named Tim McGraw. Was it love at first sight? Did you walk out on that stage and say, ‘This is it’?”
“Well, of course I was attracted to him because he’s so amazingly beautiful,” Hill responded with a laugh. “He’s gorgeous. But he was like comfort to me. I don’t know — I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this person was the one that had to be my mate for the rest of my life.”
Later in the interview, Hill added of McGraw, “He’s my best friend, he makes me laugh. He’s the best father, he loves our children, he adores our children, and he’s sexy as hell.”
Faith also shared how McGraw proposed, telling Walters at the time: “That the moment of truth was we were doing a show together and he goes onstage and I go to the dressing room and he’s taken a sharpie pen and written on his dressing mirror, ‘Will you marry me?’ And I knew that one was for real. I wrote ‘Yes, I’m going to be your wife’ in sharpie and we still have that mirror. We kept it.”
Hill and McGraw wed on Oct. 6, 1996, in McGraw’s home state of Louisiana. They went on to welcome three daughters: Gracie (born May 1997), Maggie (born August 1998) and Audrey (born December 2001).
Hill told Walters that no matter where the couple’s careers took them, their marriage and children would remain the top priority.
“We just have to keep reminding each other that our marriage is the most important,” Hill said. “Our family is the most important thing, regardless of what happens in our careers.”
Most recently McGraw and Hill starred together in the Yellowstone prequel series, 1883, portraying married couple James and Margaret Dutton.
Revisit the clip in McGraw’s post below:
Yellowstone actor Luke Grimes is balancing roles as both singer and actor, portraying Kayce Dutton on the hit television show, while also launching his own music career by recently inking a deal with UMG Nashville, and releasing his current single, “No Horse to Ride.”
Grimes appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday (Jan. 3), telling the late-night host that he does have an album in the works. The artist shared that he begins recording in February and estimates the set will release near the end of March.
As for the ending of the show’s current story arc, Grimes says he does not know how it will end. “I think some of the cast know the end,” he says. “Some have been told, some haven’t.”
He added that he doesn’t want to know how the show ends, but also that Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan doesn’t want him to know. “I don’t think Taylor, who writes our show, wants me to know, either. I don’t know — it might affect the way you do something or play something. And it’s kind of fun to experience it this way, anyway. It’s sort of like life.”
Fallon also asked Grimes to describe his character, noting that many Yellowstone fans have likened Kayce Dutton to Michael Corleone, a character in The Godfather.
“Yeah, that’s kind of a reference throughout, but we’ll have to see. You know, I think that’s what we’re all kind of waiting to see: Can he come up and man up and do the things necessary to help the family keep the place or not? I think that’s what we’re all kind of watching to find out.”
The fifth season of Yellowstone premiered in November 2022, with 12 million viewers tuning in during the premiere’s simulcast. Yellowstone season five is on a mid-season break, and returns this summer. In the meantime, another Yellowstone prequel, 1923, has launched. It follows the Dutton family during Prohibition and the Great Depression.
Zach Bryan notches his first No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart (dated Jan. 7) with “Something in the Orange.” In its 36th week on the survey, the song ascends from No. 2 with 15 million official streams (up 2%) and 4,000 downloads sold (up 11%) Dec. 23-29, according to Luminate.
“Orange” debuted on the survey dated May 7, 2022, at No. 11 and reached the top 10 in June. Being promoted to country radio by Warner Music Nashville, the song marks Bryan’s first entry on the Country Airplay chart, where it ranks at No. 31 in its 26th frame with 2.4 million in reach.
Meanwhile, Bryan’s new live album, All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks), arrives on Top Country Albums at No. 14. Released Dec. 25, it earned 12,000 equivalent album units through Dec. 29. The 24-song set, which includes “Orange,” was recorded at Bryan’s concert Nov. 3 at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo.
“Seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately,” Bryan shared on social media. “I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred bucks to be there and I’m done with it. I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show.”
“Orange” original parent album American Heartbreak debuted at No. 1 on Top Country Albums last May with 71,000 units – the biggest week tallied by a country LP in 2022. On the Jan. 7-dated list, it ranks at No. 5 (30,000 units).
Notably, Bryan wrote “Orange” solo. It’s the first Hot Country Songs No. 1 penned by a single writer since Taylor Swift’s “Love Story (Taylor’s Version),” which debuted atop the chart dated Feb. 27, 2021. Before that, Blanco Brown’s self-written “The Git Up” reigned for 12 weeks beginning in July 2019.
On Hot Country Songs, “Orange” dethrones Morgan Wallen’s “You Proof,” which dominated for 19 nonconsecutive weeks starting with its debut last May. Concurrently, “You Proof” leads Country Airplay for a record-extending 10th week.
As 2023 gets underway, Lady A member Charles Kelley has been looking back on 2022, which he called “a big year of change” in a recent Instagram post.
In August 2022, Lady A announced they were putting their Request Line Tour on hold in order to support Kelley on his sobriety journey.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“We are a band, but more importantly … we’re family,” the trio wrote via a statement at the time. “We’re proud to say that Charles has embarked on a journey to sobriety. So, right now in order to be the healthiest, strongest and most creative band we can be, Lady A will take the time with the support of our families and team of professionals to walk through this together. It’s early on this road, but we are determined to do what will best set us up for many more years together. We are grateful for your patience.”
In a new interview with Men’s Health, Kelley opened up about his previous attempts at sobriety and what has made this time different.
Kelley noted that he had been trying to stop drinking on his own since January 2022, following a vacation in Greece with his wife Cassie and several friends. This marked his third attempt at sobriety. Kelley made his first attempt more than six years ago. As with his previous sobriety attempts, Kelley has the full support of his Lady A bandmates Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood. Kelley said that this attempt at sobriety has been different, noting, “This is the first time I actually put tools in place.”
When Kelley revealed his plan to one of Lady A’s managers, Callie Cunningham Nobel, she connected with Tennessee nonprofit Porter’s Call, which helps music artists with care and resources. One day later, Kelley went into a treatment center.
Kelley also pointed out a few of the advantages he’s experienced since cutting out alcohol — namely feeling better, having more energy and being in better shape.
“It’s amazing what not drinking will do,” Kelley told the outlet. “You save yourself, I’m ashamed to say, anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000 calories a day in booze — you’re bound to lose some weight. But I look back at pictures from just three months ago. It’s my face, my midsection. I’ve found that it all goes hand in hand. When I’m not drinking, I feel better. So then I work out.”
Kelley has found different things to turn to, such as ice cream and LaCroix (Kelley told the outlet that he drinks an estimated 15 cans of LaCroix water per day).
“My wife bought me an ice cream maker, and I unapologetically every night will destroy almost a pint of ice cream. I’m just like, ‘Listen, I gotta have something,’” he said.
Kelley also released what he calls “a goodbye letter to alcohol” with the song “As Far As You Could,” which he wrote with Haywood and Jimmy Robbins.
Lady A and their team are now working through setting up tour logistics, and Kelley says he is approaching the upcoming tour similarly to how he saw some other artists approach their tours — with no alcohol allowed on buses and backstage.
“They’ve been doing this thing for 15, 20 years and are in the same spot that I’m in right now,” Kelley said. “What do you want out of this life? Do you want to wreck your family and your career? Or do you want to put some things into place to keep it successful?”
New year, new you! Shay Mooney showed off his slimmed-down physique in a new social media post on Monday (Jan. 2).
“Consistency,” the Dan + Shay crooner captioned the shirtless side-by-side on Instagram. “I changed my entire world in 6 months. No gimmicks or fads. Just consistency. If that tired guy on the left can do it so can you.”
The singer got plenty of support from his country music peers in the comments on the post as well. “Hardly even noticed you in the drop off line at school the other day! Congrats brother.. incredible,” Thomas Rhett wrote using a hands-up emoji. Carrie Underwood commented, “You should be proud!” Brian Kelly of Florida Georgia Line also added, “@shaymooney freaking gettin it dude!”
In a December interview on TODAY, Mooney shared the inspiration behind his recent fitness journey, joking that part of it stemmed from comparing himself to bandmate Dan Smyers “all the time.”
“I had this moment where I was just not feeling healthy,” he said. “It wasn’t necessarily for my appearance, but it was to feel healthy. And I’m down about 53 or 54 pounds.”
Dan + Shay recently made an appearance on the red carpet for the 2022 American Music Awards, where they dished to Billboard about their latest Christmas single, “Holiday Party,” and their habit of penning holiday tracks during the summer months. At an earlier November awards show — the 2022 CMA Awards — Brothers Osborne teased the possibility of joining forces with the duo. “Oh my god, that would be amazing!” TJ Osboerne gushed to Billboard. “I mean, obviously I’m, like, a baritone. But, like, Dan can sing the craziest stratosphere stuff … Maybe we’ll be the new Oak Ridge Boys, I dunno.”
See Mooney’s latest fit pic below.
With numerous chart-topping Country Airplay songs under his belt as an artist and songwriter, HARDY has proven his acumen at using a guitar to craft hits — but it turns out he’s also adept at wielding a guitar in a fight, too.
WWE’s Monday Night RAW on Jan. 2 was held at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and HARDY was there as a special guest, as the Music City Street Fight featured a brawl between wrestler-musician Elias and Solo Sikoa. During the fight, HARDY worked his way up from the audience and into the ring in an attempt to aid Elias, who is known for using musical instruments during his fights. HARDY grabbed an acoustic guitar from the edge of the ring and smashed the instrument across Sikoa’s back.
Anger flashed across Sikoa’s face as he turned toward HARDY. The announcers advised the singer-songwriter to exit the ring, saying, “Run as fast as your little legs will take you. Go to Memphis! Maybe try Texas. You’re not safe here.” HARDY quickly (and safely) exited the ring.
The WWE tweeted a video of the incident, sharing, “HARDY gets in on the action at #WWERaw! @HardyMusic just blasted @WWESoloSikoa with a guitar and, well…take a look!”
HARDY later said during a WWE interview, “It had to be done. Elias, I have a soft spot for musicians. My fellow musician needed some help up there and I felt the need to take it into my own hands.”
HARDY, the 2022 ACM songwriter of the year, is set to release his upcoming album, The Mockingbird and the Crow, on Jan. 20. The album will feature 17 songs traversing country and rock, and will include duets with Lainey Wilson (their current collaboration “Wait in the Truck”), as well as collaborations with Morgan Wallen and A Day to Remember’s Jeremy McKinnon.
Check out the full video of HARDY’s WWE moment above.
Morgan Wallen hits an unprecedented milestone on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Jan. 7, 2023) as “You Proof” becomes the first song to lead the list for double-digit weeks.
The song, released on Big Loud Records, rules Country Airplay for a 10th week, with 22.8 million audience impressions Dec. 23-29, according to Luminate.
A week earlier, “You Proof” surpassed two titles that dominated Country Airplay — which began in January 1990 — for eight frames each and had shared the record for the list’s longest command for nearly two decades: Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” (2003) and Lonestar’s pop crossover hit “Amazed” (1999).
“Breaking this record is simply a testament to a huge song and Morgan continuing to evolve and strengthen as a vital artist to country radio,” Big Loud vice president of promotion Stacy Blythe told Billboard when “You Proof” notched its ninth week atop Country Airplay. “It also shows the consistent work ethic of the Big Loud radio team and support from radio. There were a lot of folks who stepped up on a holiday week to help us get here and it’s not taken for granted.”
Wallen co-wrote “You Proof” — a stand-alone single that in October became his seventh No. 1 on Country Airplay — with ERNEST, Ashley Gorley, Keith Smith and Charlie Handsome, the lattermost of whom also produced it with Joey Moi.
The track also logs a record-breaking 16th week in the Country Airplay chart’s top three, passing Cole Swindell’s “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” which spent four weeks at No. 1 beginning in September.
Oscar, Grammy and Emmy winner Cher visited The Kelly Clarkson Show earlier this month, but NBC saved a few clips from Cher’s chat with Kelly Clarkson for a post-holiday treat that they shared online the day after Christmas (Dec. 26).
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
In one clip, Cher is talking about her fragrance line with Scent Beauty entitled “Decades,” a four-part collection with each scent representing her take on a particular decade.
“I was shocked the ‘70s didn’t smell like marijuana,” Clarkson told Cher of her “Me” Decade-themed scent. “I was like, oh, this one will obviously smell like Willie Nelson’s bus.”
“Oh my God, I’ve been on Willie Nelson’s bus, it smells exactly like marijuana,” Cher responded. Clarkson, no stranger to the world of country music herself, concurred. “I went on Wille Nelson’s bus and I got a contact high,” the American Idol champ and daytime TV juggernaut shared.
“It was a terrible old bus,” Cher recalled. “But he was great. And just… drugs everywhere,” she added, laughing.
“When you walked out you were definitely hungry,” Clarkson quipped.
Clarkson also brought up the first time she met Cher, which was at the 41st annual Kennedy Center Honors, where Cher was feted alongside Philip Glass, Reba McEntire and Wayne Shorter. Clarkson was there to honor McEntire with a performance of the country icon’s hit version of “Fancy,” but admitted she was a bit nervous to meet Cher at the 2018 event. Using that as a jumping off point, Clarkson asked Cher is she’s ever been starstruck by a celebrity.
“Meryl Streep when I first met her,” Cher admitted. Streep was her co-star in 1983’s Silkwood, the Mike Nichols-directed film about real-life nuclear safety whistleblower Karen Silkwood who died under what numerous associates regarded as suspicious circumstances. Unlike the tragic biopic, however, Cher’s future with fellow Oscar winner Streep was far brighter: “We became friends and we’ve been friends ever since.”
Zach Bryan is making a statement. On Christmas, the singer-songwriter announced on social media that he had released a new live album titled All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks). He also told fans that he is taking a stand against high ticket prices, though he did not specifically call out Ticketmaster in his post, save for in the album title.
“Seems there is a massive issue with fair ticket prices to live shows lately. I have met kids at my shows who have paid upwards of four-hundred bucks to be there and I’m done with it,” the country star began his message. “I’ve decided to play a limited number of headline shows next year to which I’ve done all I can to make prices as cheap as possible and to prove to people tickets don’t have to cost $450 to see a good and honest show.” He added that he’ll also be playing “a few festivals which I have no control over.”
“I believe working class people should still be able to afford tickets to shows,” the “Something in the Orange” singer continued. He also encouraged fans to sign up for a new messaging service that will inform them about tour dates and concert tickets, as well as through which he’ll send merch drops and unreleased music.
“I am so tired of people saying things can’t be done about this massive issue,” he went on. “Also, to any songwriter trying to make ‘relatable music for the working class man or woman’ should pride themself on fighting for the people who listen to the words they’re singing.”
Bryan closed with some good news for fans eager to see him live in concert. “A tour announcement is coming soon and I’m sorry it has taken so long,” he shared. “Just did everything I possibly could to make tickets more affordable.”
Billboard has reached out to Ticketmaster for comment.
This isn’t the first time that the country singer has shared his thoughts about the company. In recent weeks, he has tweeted about Ticketmaster, often with the hashtag #allmyhomieshateticketmaster.
All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster — recorded at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater on Nov. 3 — is on streaming services now, and is Bryan’s third release of the year. He dropped studio album American Heartbreak in May, and the Summertime Blues EP in July. In addition to wrapping 2022 with a surprise live album release, the singer-songwriter came in at No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top New Country Artists and Top New Rock & Alternative Artists charts, and No. 2 on the all-genre Year-End Top New Artists tally.
Stream All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster (Live From Red Rocks) below:
