Country
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Corey Kent has Willie Nelson to thank for changing the course of his life.
By age 16, Oklahoma native Kent had already spent years playing music, including five years as part of a Western Swing group, but by his mid-teens, he was pondering quitting music. When Nelson played a show in Tulsa, Kent got a ticket, and quickly engineered a plan to perform with the legendary country entertainer.
“I got a piece of cardboard out of the trash, found a Sharpie from a lady at the concession stand, and wrote, ‘It’s my dream to play a song with you,’” Kent recalls to Billboard. Kent continued holding up the sign until Nelson called him onstage — and at Kent’s request, they sang Bob Wills’ “Milk Cow Blues.”
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“From that point on, I knew I was never going to stop until I got where I wanted to go — but that [had been] the closest I ever got to throwing in the towel,” he says. “But Willie was there for me, and he probably didn’t even realize just how much that moment meant to me.”
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It was what Kent calls “another of those black bandana moments.” That symbolism is woven throughout his sophomore major label album Black Bandana, out Friday (Sept. 6) via Sony Music Nashville. The bandana — which serves as inspiration for the album’s title, title track and cover art — has long been a favored cloth of cowboys, bandits and gang members. But for Kent, his own black bandana has been a practical deterrent from rocks or dust while riding his motorcycle. Kent drove his motorcycle to meet with his managers at Triple 8 Management for the first time and walked in with a black bandana around his neck.
“We had the formalities, and they were like, ‘You need to think about keeping that. That might need to be a thing as part of your image and onstage, to help you stand out in a sea of male country artists trying to break through,’” he explains.
A songwriter at heart, Kent also recognized the image’s deeper meaning. With his co-writers Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi and Brett Tyler, Kent put the inherent rebellious spirit symbolized by a black bandana into song.
“’What’s the opposite of a black bandana? A white flag,’” Kent says. “Then it took on this whole meaning of staying the course and keeping on, even when everyone else quits. This is for when you want to wave a white flag, it encourages you to raise a black bandana.”
Kent notes that the album was originally to be called Bixby, in a nod to his Oklahoma hometown. After realizing “Black Bandana” served as the fulcrum and centerpiece for the project, the album’s other songs, such as “Rust,” “Ain’t Gonna Lie,” and “This Heart,” were written around themes of grit, tenacity, love, faithfulness, and hard-fought triumph — music for those whose lives have been seasoned by rocky times.
Those are themes Kent is well-acquainted with, having moved to Nashville to pursue music, only to land and then lose a publishing deal. He left Nashville for Texas just before the COVID-19 pandemic. With concerts paused, his family of five had to sell their house to continue paying his band members. Undeterred, Kent also worked at a pavement company, with his family living on an income he says hovered just above the poverty line for a while.
“It was a crazy tough time,” he recalls. “There were a lot of moments, a lot of exit ramps that would’ve been way easier to quit than to keep going.”
His breakthrough came in 2022, with the song “Wild as Her.” He was quickly signed by Sony Music Nashville. “Wild as Her” reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and has since been RIAA-certified platinum. He released his major label album debut Blacktop last year. But on his latest, he says he’s realized a wider, deeper scope of impact: “It’s the first record I’ve made that I had bigger motives [behind] than just writing about my own life.”
Each song, he says, points to a heartier, deep-rooted, flintier kind of love, fashioned from years of enduring together hardships and triumphs. For instance, “Never Ready” details milestone moments — finding love, raising children, facing the death of a parent — that many people face whether they feel prepared or not. “I got tired of hearing all these love songs where it was just like the honeymoon phase only,” He explains. “What about people like me, who are seven, or eight years in and have tough times but still are making it work and love their wife? Where’s that song? It’s not all glamorous.”
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He also eschewed the typical Music Row writing rooms, instead bringing a host of songwriters — including Joybeth Taylor, Austin Goodloe, Rocky Block, Brett Tyler and Lydia Vaughan — out to his residence in Texas for writing sessions. Kent is a co-writer on six of the album’s songs, including “Rust” and “So Far,” but was intentional about recording only the most standout songs, disregarding whether or not he was a co-writer on them — a defiant goal ossified through Kent’s early career days of trying to make it as a songwriter.
“I had a lot of holds, but I never got into big cuts, because I wasn’t in the rooms with the writers who were co-writing with the artists,” he recalls. “I remember going, ‘That sucks for somebody like me that gave everything just to be right here in Nashville writing songs. Now I don’t get a shot, even though I wrote a great song, just because I didn’t write it with the guy that’s putting the record out.’ That frustrated me to my core.”
One of the few outside cuts was “Now or Never,” an ’80s-tinged power ballad he performs with “Road Less Traveled” hitmaker Lauren Alaina, as they sing of a couple on the precipice of a relationship-altering decision.
“I was supposed to just put the song out myself — it was already recorded — but the more I listened to it, the more I realized it could be a strong duet,” he says.
Kent was playing a radio event at Billy Bob’s Texas when he first met Alaina. “I was blown away when I heard the power in her voice — the tone, the control, it checked all the boxes,” he raves. When Kent brought up the idea of Alaina singing on the track, she agreed.
“She’s a complete pro,” Kent says. “She was every bit as good in the studio as she was live, and she gave this song a really cool dynamic that it didn’t have before.”
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Kent’s relentless underdog spirit has resonated with his fans, including the video he posted on social media on his way to this year’s ACM Awards in May.
“I was driving my old 1996 Bronco. I was just reflecting, and said something like ‘On my way to the ACM Awards with zero nominations, one badass record on the way…” and I dedicated it to anyone still putting in the work,” he recalls. “They’ve got their head down. They’re outworking everybody. I realized how many people identify with that, and those are usually the pretty soft-spoken people, those who aren’t necessarily going to jump up and down and say, ‘Look at what I’m doing.’ People resonated with that and a few weeks later, we wrote ‘Black Bandana.’”
In late September, the WME-signed Kent will take the album on the road for his headlining Black Bandana Tour, visiting 25 cities in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, including Atlanta, Boston, Dublin and London. Joining him on select dates will be openers Braxton Keith, Kaitlin Butts, Max McNown, Karley Scott Collins and Lauren Watkins.
Parallel with music, Kent recently launched his Bus Call podcast, which features Kent in conversation with a mix of music industry friends and non-industry friends he’s met along the way, including songwriter Kevin Fowler and Mac Terrence Sr., who works to bring positive influences to at-risk youth.
“I just wanted to make people aware of some really cool people in my life that I’ve met along the way,” he explains. “A lot of these people, I’ve met on the road, so that’s why we call it ‘Bus Call,’ because we bring them on the bus in whatever city we’re stopping in. Most times, it’s just me catching up with friends and having the same conversation we would regularly have, except we have a microphone in front of us.”
Black Bandana may be Kent’s second major label project, but as he prepares for its release, he again draws inspiration from Nelson, his sights set on playing the long game.
“I’ve put my work in, I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I plan to be here 20 years from now,” Kent says. “When you look at Willie Nelson, [whose] about to put out his [76th solo studio album], the second one doesn’t seem all so do or die. You owe it to yourself to take the pressure off and create something you’re passionate about. Let the chips fall where they may, and then you move on to the next one. That helped me lower the pressure on the new album and realize I’m looking at this from a 20-year perspective, not a next-year-only perspective.”
Luke Combs, Jelly Roll and Zach Bryan will headline the 2025 edition of the Stagecoach Festival, taking place April 25-27 at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California. It will mark the first time that Bryan (April 25) and Jelly Roll (April 26) have served as headliners on the Mane Stage, while Combs returns for the first time to headline since 2022.
Lana Del Rey — who is working on a country album titled Lasso, as she revealed at the Billboard x NMPA Songwriter Awards in February — will also appear at the festival. She joined Paul Cauthen at this year’s event for a duet of “Unchained Melody,” and headlined both weekends of Coachella earlier that month.
“Super pumped to be coming back to headline Stagecoach,” said Combs, in a statement. “It was one of the most memorable parts of the year when we did it in 2022, so really glad they’re having us back for round 2. We’re gonna have a blast.”
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Jelly Roll added, “Last year I got to play Stagecoach for the first time and it was incredible. And I didn’t just get to play. I got to hang out as a fan of artists I love and take my daughter to see some of the best entertainers in our format. Coming back to headline Stagecoach this year is a dream-but I’ll be attending as a fan this year as well, so get ready. See you in April.”
STAGECOACH 2025
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The festival announced its lineup as country music continues to experience a surge in popularity. “Country music is in a golden moment right now. The genre is hotter than it has ever been, and we are enjoying every moment of it,” Stacy Vee, vp of festival talent for Goldenvoice, told Billboard in an email interview. “It has been incredibly satisfying to be in a festival where so many different voices and styles of music are welcome. The world has been delivering us an abundance of phenomenal talent and the hardest part is having to choose who gets the slot.”
Two of this year’s hottest acts, Bryan and Shaboozey, have worked their way up to the Mane Stage, which is always a pleasure to see, Vee says: “Zach Bryan’s set at the Palomino Stage in 2022 was legendary and now he is headlining the Mane Stage. Shaboozey was such an exciting special guest last year and we’ll see him for a full set on Mane Stage.”
As usual, Stagecoach, which started in 2007, will feature a number of other non-country acts, including Backstreet Boys, T-Pain, Goo Goo Dolls, gospel singer Blessing Offor, Creed, Jewel, Nelly, Sammy Hagar, The Bacon Brothers and Tommy James & the Shondells (who also performed at the fest in 2017).
The Backstreet Boys have long been on Vee’s wish list. “I have literally dreamed of bringing them to the show for so long, I think it is going to hit so hard,” she says.
Among those also on the bill are Brothers Osborne, Chayce Beckham, Dylan Gossett, Flatland Cavalry, Koe Wetzel, Midland, Nico Moon, Scotty McCreery, Sturgill Simpson, Whiskey Myers and Tucker Wetmore.
Vee declined to answer a question about the continued paucity of country women available for top spots. Miranda Lambert headlined this year, Carrie Underwood in 2022, and Shania Twain in 2017. Lainey Wilson, who has not headlined the festival, last played in 2023. There are around 20 women playing among the 65 acts in 2025, including Ashley McBryde, Carly Pearce, Anne Wilson, Crystal Gayle, Dasha, Alana Springsteen, Anna Avery, Nikki Lane and The Castellows.
General admission passes start at $579, while Corral Standing Pit passes that provide access to the standing room only pit area in front of Mane Stage start at $1,899. Corral Reserved Seating, which is for a seated area behind the Corral Standing Pit and other amenities, including access to the Corral Saloon and air-conditioned bathrooms, start at $2,299. Tickets go on sale Sept. 13.
True love is where you find it. And sometimes you find it at a Deftones show in Las Vegas. In honor of her eighth wedding anniversary to Jelly Roll, Bunnie XO posted footage of the singer’s surprise onstage proposal to her during a show by the “My Own Summer (Shove It)” band that led to […]
Indie country duo Muscadine Bloodline, who just released their new album The Coastal Plain in August, revealed Wednesday (Sept. 4) that they’re suspending their planned headlining fall shows after getting the call to open for Post Malone‘s upcoming F-1 Trillion Tour.
The F-1 Trillion Tour launches this weekend, starting Sept. 8-9 with two shows in Salt Lake City, Utah, and wrapping Oct. 26-27 with two shows in Austin, Texas.
Muscadine Bloodline’s Gary Stanton and Charlie Muncaster revealed the news on their social media page, saying, “We got a curve ball of a life-changing call this morning and Post Malone just offered us to be direct support on the F-1 trillion tour. We’re talking Nissan Stadium, Fenway Park, arenas and amphitheaters across the country. In our 9 years of doing this we would have never dreamed of an opportunity like this. To tour the country with one of the biggest artists in the world for his entire tour.”
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The fall leg of the duo’s own The Coastal Plain Tour was slated to launch this weekend with shows in Iowa and Minnesota, but they noted that they’re suspending those September and October dates to join Posty’s tour.
“As difficult as it is to let some of y’all down on short notice (especially this weekend in Iowa and Minnesota)…to be asked by Post Malone to take this undeniable, once in a lifetime opportunity… it’s something we have to do and will tell our grandkids about one day.”
They noted that they will still be performing at the Redbull Jukebox in Nashville on Oct. 2 and that the November shows on the Coastal Plain Tour are still moving forward. Additionally, concertgoers who purchased tickets for the September and October leg of the Coastal Plain Tour will be contacted by their point of purchase, and the duo said they “will be making these cities a priority to return on our next tour.”
“We are praying for grace and understanding from y’all cause yall’s supported us this far and from day one we’ve always strived to make being a part of muscadine bloodline a family, it’s afforded us this huge opportunity as independent artists and proves anything is possible,” they said. “We will see y’all on the F-1 Trillion tour this fall with @postmalone.”
Post Malone’s tour is named after his recent debut country album, F-1 Trillion, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and has spent two weeks (so far) at the pinnacle of the Top Country Albums chart.
Stanton and Muncaster launched Muscadine Bloodline in 2016 and, in addition to The Coastal Plain, have issued the projects Teenage Dixie and Dispatch to 16th Ave.
Watch Muscadine Bloodline’s announcement below:
In the span of three years, Tennessee native Chase Matthew has gone from wielding wrenches and pliers to commandeering guitars, microphones, and massive stages. His song “Love You Again” currently ranks at No. 11 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart and has 154.9 million official on-demand U.S. streams, according to Luminate.
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The former ATV mechanic wrote “Love You Again” with co-writers Casey Brown (“I Am Not Okay,” “Blue Tacoma”) and Taylor Phillips (“Thinkin’ ‘Bout Me,” “World on Fire”), at Brown’s home studio near Nashville.
“I call it the Magic Room,” Matthew tells Billboard. “There’s so many great songs that came out of there. Co-writing is not something I’ve done until recently, so to have an opportunity to do that with those two legends … the song came together really fast, in like 30 minutes.”
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He further noted that much of the finalized version fans hear on the radio is what they recorded that day as a demo, including his vocals.
“Sometimes you can’t recreate those things and it’s cool to be able to say we just caught something in the moment, and it turned out to be more than good enough,” he says.
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Matthew was born in Sevierville, Tennessee and his family moved to Ashland City, just outside of Nashville, when he was three months old. Matthew grew up in a musical family — his parents were both aspiring artists at one point, playing shows in downtown Nashville bars and in Printer’s Alley, while Matthew grew up playing drums in his church’s youth band. He started writing songs at 12 and putting out cover songs at age 15. He dropped out of high school and balanced work as a mechanic with crafting music.
Early on, other Nashville-area natives and members of the music community, including Jelly Roll, Ryan Upchurch and Struggle Jennings, took notice. Matthew, who is managed by Loyd Potts and Ken Madson of Ignition Management, was encouraged to post music on TikTok. His first video, for the searing post-breakup song “County Line,” which immediately gained traction on the platform, earning nearly a million views. Matthew followed with his six-song EP County Line, issued through Upchurch’s Holler Boy Records, in partnership with ONErpm. “County Line” presently has 242.1 million official on-demand U.S. streams through Aug. 29, according to Luminate.
“I wrote that song in my bedroom on a $200 laptop that I got off of Facebook marketplace — it was probably stolen, I don’t even know,” Matthew recalls. “It’s awesome that so many OGs like Ryan Upchurch and Jelly Roll have been part of it along the way. I’m grateful for it.”
Matthew released his full-length album Born for This in 2022 on Holler Boy Records. That same year, he took his momentum to the major labels, joining Warner Music Nashville’s artist roster through a joint venture. Last year, he released the whopping 25-song Come Get Your Memory (via Warner Music Nashville/Chase Matthew Music). This year, he’s steadily continued releasing music, including the five-track EP Always Be Mine (with four of the tracks co-written by Matthew). This year, the UTA-repped Matthew also opened shows for Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan, and in 2025, will join Keith Urban’s High and Alive World Tour. He also earned his first major music award nomination, in the People’s Choice Country Awards’ new artist of 2024 category.
Billboard spoke with Matthew, our September Country Rookie of the Month, about his early musical experiences, collaborations, and his goals for what lies ahead.
What made Warner Music Nashville your label of choice?
I was doing as much as I felt like I could have been doing independently at the time and I wanted to level up. They jumped in with me and — I don’t even know if I’m allowed to say this — I kind of named my deal, and it was cool, because they believed in it and they showed me that they believed in me. I wanted to hear myself on the radio, not an independent-owned station, though that’s awesome. I wanted to turn on the radio in New York City and hear myself being played there. I met with a lot of labels … and they believed in me more than anybody else in town. They haven’t tried to change a thing about me. They’re definitely the artist label of Nashville, is what I would call it.
This year, you released the EPs We All Grow Up and Always Be Mine. Is another project in the works?
I’ve probably got 300 songs on my phone just begging to be released. I’ve got another album that will drop next year. It’s going to be some really good songs and I’m being very selective on what’s going to end up on that project.
Will there be any collaborations on that album?
Yes, there 100% will be. I’m trying to decide what I want to do and which friends I want to reach out to and say, “Hey, man, I want you to be a part of this.” But it’s coming along.
Speaking of collaborations, you have a collaboration with Flo Rida, “Floats Your Boat,” that was just released. How did that come about?
That dude was my childhood. That’s the dude we would listen to on MP3 players that barely worked with our Dollar General earbuds while we were riding our bikes. Someone on my team told me he was looking for maybe a country collab. I recorded a vocal on the song and they loved it. I was like, “Does that mean we get to put the song out together?” And here it is.
Later today, we’re going over to the lake to shoot some content for the song to promote it. We’re going to show him how we throw a boat party, redneck style. I’ve never met the man. We’ve been DMing on Instagram a bit here and there, but I’m just excited about the final product.
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Your song “Darlin’” is gaining a lot of traction. What is the story behind that?
We wrote that song sitting in a casino, and we had a couple of days to kill out west because we didn’t want to drive back to Nashville. Me, my lighting guy and my guitar player started writing this song and brought it back to Nashville, finished it up with my producer, Alex Maxwell. It’s just become everybody’s heartbreak anthem. I’m grateful that we wrote it that day. I lost a lot of money [that day] but got a song out of it — and that might be better in the long run.
What is the first concert you remember seeing?
I grew up around live music so I was always seeing live performances, but probably my first concert was this thing in Nashville they have every year called WinterJam. They bring all these Christian music artists to Bridgestone Arena. I remember I saw BarlowGirl there. I was a big fan of them back in the day—and I mean, being a young boy who saw three pretty girls who loved Jesus, why wouldn’t you?
What was the first album you fell in love with?
Breaking Benjamin and Phobia. My brother left a CD in my dad’s Jeep and when I was younger I would go out there and tinker with the Jeep and the CD was still in it. It had “The Diary of Jane” on it and that album was great.
What podcast or book have you been into lately?
I don’t keep up with anybody really, but I love Theo Von. He’s setting the bar for that industry. One day, I hope I’ll end up running into that guy, meeting him and getting to tell him myself how much I like his stuff.
Outside of music, what are some of your goals?
I do plan on making my mark. I want to buy 100 acres and start building that family farm. Some people, some artists in town, they grew up on a farm. My family never had a farm, but I want to have that property that my grandkids and great-grandkids someday can come to. I want to establish a generational imprint. I think that’s something we should all focus a little more on, what we are going to leave behind for the next generation — and not just in our family, but in the world.
Anyone who has heard a Jelly Roll song is familiar with the themes of struggles and redemption that flow through the lyrics of tracks such as “Halfway to Hell” and “Son of a Sinner,” and his fans are well aware of the former Billboard cover star‘s own redemption story of going from an incarcerated teen […]
Artist manager Bruce Kalmick has launched independent record label Wyatt Road Records in partnership with Firebird, which will provide distribution and label services.
The new label, which is owned solely by the Austin, Texas-based Kalmick, will cater to what he calls “contemporary western rock & roll artists.” He coined the term, he explains, as he tried to “nail down what this new explosion of country music should be called to the everyday listener. I think it properly captures the country, southern rock, alternative, folk, indie, and bad-assery of this very vague genre.”
The label’s initial artists include several of his WHY & HOW management clients, including Whiskey Myers, Angel White and Southall, with plans to also sign artists not affiliated with the management company. Promotions and artist development label veteran Laura Bender will oversee daily operation of the label out of Nashville.
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The majority of artists on Wyatt Road will retain partial ownership of their masters with levers to full ownership. “The more seasoned and successful an artist is, the more we believe they should own their masters,” Kalmick tells Billboard. “A band like Whiskey Myers have always owned their masters and that won’t change with Wyatt Road. But new developing artists, like Angel White, will start their career with a more traditional arrangement, yet with more upside and an easier path to gaining full ownership.”
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Artists on the roster will also have the opportunity to profit share in streaming royalties once they have hit certain milestones, Kalmick says. “The goal is to ensure all Wyatt Road artists get at least a 50/50 partnership, but we will look towards more favorable splits for the artist. We want to push for nothing short of endless blue sky when it comes to what the artists can earn off consumption of their work.”
Kalmick, whose management roster also includes Chase Rice, Danielle Bradbery and Echosmith, says he formed the label because he feels “the current label system is broken, where shareholders matter more than the artists and the music they put out into the world,” he says. “This conflict of interests has effectively removed the essential work needed to truly develop artists and cultivate new acts. With a pioneering approach and forward thinking partnership with Firebird, we are able to put the artists first every step of the way.”
WHY & HOW was already in business with Firebird. In 2022, Firebird acquired a stake in Coran Capshaw’s Red Light Management. Then in May 2023, WHY & HOW partnered with Red Light, with all 20 WHY&HOW staff members in marketing, creative and brand endorsements joining Red Light Management’s operations.
“Deciding to partner with Firebird was an easy decision because we both share the same ideology that artists should regain their independence, and this creates a stronger tie to streaming success and their bank accounts,” Kalmick says. “It’s our belief that extra revenues will be used to further build their career on the road. The cost to break a band all over the world is higher than ever, so we are finding ways to put the earnings back in their accounts and push them to break in new territories like New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and beyond.”
“Firebird Music is excited to expand our relationship with Bruce Kalmick by partnering on Wyatt Road Records,” Kenny Weagly, Firebird vp and head of artist & label service, said in a statement. “This allows us a greater opportunity to apply our complimentary artist-first mentality, global distribution, recorded music muscle, and wide array of internal resources via Firebird Label Services.”
The first release from Wyatt Road Records, White’s Ghost of the West: Volume 1, is out now.
Blake Shelton and his longtime label home of two decades, Warner Music Nashville, have parted ways. Beginning with his 2001 debut, five-week No. 1 Country Airplay single “Austin,” Oklahoma native Shelton has gone on to notch 28 No. 1 Country Airplay hits, including “All About Tonight,” “Honey Bee” and “Some Beach.” He’s won 10 CMA […]
Rory Feek is responding to accusations from his older daughters about their concern over the well-being of their younger sister.
On Saturday (Aug. 31), the 59-year-old country star wrote a lengthy blog post, titled “love, dad,” in which he responded to accusations from his daughters Heidi, 37, and Hopie, 35, that their younger sister, Indiana, 10, is living in unsafe conditions with him and his new wife.
“I will do my best to try to respond to a few of the things that are being said, with hopes that something in what I write might be helpful,” Rory began his 3,500-word post.
In late August, Heidi and Hopie shared on Instagram that they were threatening to take legal action against Rory regarding their little sister Indiana “Indy” Boone, who has Down syndrome.
“We are pursuing legal action because we no longer believe Indiana is safe under our father’s care, and her well-being remains our top priority,” reads Heidi’s Aug. 23 post on Instagram.
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Billboard had not been able to locate a filed lawsuit at press time.
Following Rory’s marriage to Indiana’s teacher Rebecca on July 14 in Greycliff, Mont., Heidi shared posts on Instagram indicating that the 10-year-old had been left with unfamiliar family members while their father and his new wife were on their honeymoon in the Treasure State, Taste of Country reports.
Rory’s first wife, Joey, died at 40 in 2016 after a battle with cervical cancer. The duo performed under the name Joey + Rory. She was first diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014, and he revealed the following year that they had decided to end treatment.
In another Instagram post on Aug. 29, Heidi reportedly expressed concerns that Indiana was being “left in the care of a group” identified as Montana branch of the Homestead Heritage, which calls itself an “agrarian- and craft-based intentional Christian community.” A Texas Observer report in 2012 alleged abuse within the Waco area-based group, including the sexual assault of children, which the Homestead Heritage has denied.
In his blog post on Saturday, Rory wrote that while on his honeymoon in Greycliff, Indiana was left with two families that both had children close to his daughter’s age, and that she “had a ball” during the experience.
“I am not a perfect father, but I’m also not an idiot,” the singer wrote.
He also noted that Homestead Heritage is not a cult. “Those folks are just living in a way that other people don’t like or understand, and it’s a whole lot easier to call something a cult and dismiss it than it is to look deeper into and actually find out what it is they are doing and why they’re doing it,” the musician wrote.
Rory admitted, however, that every community, church and family has its fair share of “bad apples,” but that “we should be a culture of redeeming people, not of canceling them.”
Elsewhere in his blog post, Rory explained that Indiana is no longer allowed to visit Heidi and Hopie in Alabama, but that she is allowed to speak to her older siblings on the phone.
“Every couple of months, I used to let Indiana spend a night or two with her big sisters in Alabama, but about a year ago, I stopped allowing that,” he wrote. “Mostly because they refused to respect my wishes when she was there.”
Rory goes on to explain that he is a conservative Christian and his daughters believe something “completely different,” and that they were exposing Indiana to movies and music that he didn’t approve of.
“Indiana is my daughter, and I know what Joey would want, and I am standing firmly on not compromising the values and principles that are important to me to raise Indy with,” the artist wrote. “I tell her that hopefully soon, we’ll all be back together, and she’ll get to talk to and see them again. I do look forward to that day almost as much as Indy does.”
On Saturday, Heidi responded to her father’s blog post on Instagram, writing that she and Hopie had been trying to reach him for months but he had not responded to their offline attempts. She also shared a screenshot of unanswered text messages and audio of a phone conversation where they allegedly begged him to attend family therapy.
It’s been an exceptionally strong period for country music, with many albums and songs having tremendous critical and commercial success as the genre has transcended borders both stylistically and geographically. Additionally, artists from outside the world of country music jumped in with confidence, providing some of the best and most substantial music of the year.
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Grammy nominations for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards will be announced on Nov. 8, with the ceremony taking place Feb. 2, 2025 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. As Grammy eligibility draws to a close today (the eligibility period is Sept. 16, 2023-Aug. 30, 2024), here are Billboard’s best bets for the contenders in best country album and best country song.
Best Country Album
Grammy voters often pull from a wide range of albums and artists here, considering records that fall into Americana and country-adjacent music styles and, therefore, make this category harder to predict than for the country-only awards shows. Other than Chris Stapleton’s Higher, which is a guaranteed nominee, and Lainey Wilson’s Whirlwind, the other three slots could just as easily go to the albums mentioned in Within Reach — but that only speaks to the strength of this Grammy season’s contenders.
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Beyoncé, Cowboy Carter
Grammy voters tend to be less insular than CMA Awards voters, so look for Bey to land her first nomination in this category. The album is not only a cultural touchstone, and “Texas Hold ‘Em” went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, but voters want to support Beyoncé and show Nashville and the country community have changed after her less-than-welcoming reception at the 2016 CMA Awards.
Kacey Musgraves, Deeper Well
Musgraves’ 2021 album, star-crossed, became her first album to not be nominated for best country album when the country committee took it out of contention. Will she return to the category this year, or is Musgraves now considered a pop or Americana artist? Deeper Well is a largely mid-tempo, gentle exploration by this cosmic cowgirl of many of life’s bigger questions that Nashville should be proud to embrace.
Post Malone, F-1 Trillion
Post Malone came to Nashville and conquered the town like few outsiders before him. He put in the work, spending months writing with top songwriters and playing local spots as he crafted a duets-heavy album that reflects where country music is at the moment, but also, especially in the solo songs, pays homage to its rich, deep history. Add in the overwhelming success of “I Had Some Help,” his collaboration with Morgan Wallen, and you have a contender that is going to draw votes from both the country and pop communities.
Chris Stapleton, Higher
Higher is a sure bet in this category, as Stapleton has been nominated for every album he has released and taken home the trophy three times. Like his previous four studio albums, Higher debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, and first single “White Horse” rode to No. 2 on Country Airplay. His unmistakably gruff, bluesy voice tackles affairs of the heart in an intimate way that few other contemporary artists can muster.
Lainey Wilson, Whirlwind
Wilson’s last album, Bell Bottom Country, is the reigning champ in this category, and with Whirlwind, which came out a week before eligibility period closed, Wilson has released a set that will not only be fresh on voters’ minds but is her most confident one to date. From the fun-loving rush of first single, “Hang Tight Honey” to the heart-tugging “Whiskey Colored Crowd” and sassy kiss-off of “Ring Finger,” Wilson’s broad appeal may prove irresistible to voters.
Within Reach: Zach Bryan, The Great American Bar Scene; Luke Combs, Fathers & Sons; Cody Johnson, Leather; Megan Moroney, Am I Okay; Willie Nelson, The Border
Best Country Song
Given the range of artists, from country newcomers to established pop stars, who have released country and country-adjacent music over the past year, it seems likely that the best country song nominations (which honors songwriters) will span from multi-week chart leaders to more boutique fan favorites. And given country’s surging global appeal, the writers on these songs have credits spanning the genres of country, pop, hip-hop, R&B and more.
Nominees for best country song must have been released on a recording for the first time, or achieved prominence for the first time, during the current eligibility year. There are traditionally five nominees in this category, but in three of the past six years there have been six (due to ties), so we’re showing six possibilities.
“The Architect” (Kacey Musgraves)
Songwriters: Kacey Musgraves, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
From Musgraves’ Deeper Well album comes this exquisitely-crafted song that questions whether there is a higher power guiding life events, or if situations are simply the results of a series of random chances. Musgraves wrote the song with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. Musgraves has won twice in this category, with “Merry Go ‘Round” (also written by Musgraves, McAnally and Osborne) and “Space Cowboy” (written by Musgraves McAnally and Luke Laird).
“Dirt Cheap” (Cody Johnson)
Songwriter: Josh Phillips
Johnson is no stranger to this category, and certainly knows how to pick an award-worthy song. One of Johnson’s previously-recorded songs, “’Til You Can’t,” won in this category in 2023. His song “Dirt Cheap,” which is in the top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, is a solo write by songwriter Josh Phillips. Similar to “’Til You Can’t,” the song is built on vivid imagery and a heartfelt sentiment.
“Halfway to Hell” (Jelly Roll)
Songwriters: Jason DeFord (Jelly Roll), Jesse Frasure, Matt Jenkins, Jessie Jo Dillon
Released in January, this track continues Jelly’s penchant for rock-propelled songs detailing the duality of life, giving a voice to the masses who ride the line between wholesome living and various vices, particularly on lines such as “I’m a dive bar Sunday sermon/ Holy water with my bourbon.” “Halfway to Hell” serves as the third single from Jelly Roll’s Whitsitt Chapel and topped the Country Airplay chart this year.
“I Had Some Help” (Post Malone and Morgan Wallen)
Songwriters: Ernest Keith Smith, Louis Bell, Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Austin Post, Chandler Paul Walters, Hoskins, Ryan Vojtesak
Post Malone has notched 10 Grammy nominations but could notch his first country category nominations leading up to 2025’s ceremony, thanks to this Wallen collab. “I Had Some Help” has spent six nonconsecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, and seven weeks atop the Hot Country Songs chart. While, in recent years, the best country song category has often tilted toward songs that haven’t been multi-week chart-toppers, last year’s nominations included another Wallen-recorded song, “Last Night,” which spent 16 weeks atop the all-genre Hot 100.
“Texas Hold ‘Em” (Beyoncé)
Songwriters: Beyoncé, Brian Bates, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bulow, Nate Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq
Beyoncé stands alone as the artist who has earned the most Grammys, with 32 trophies — but the upcoming Grammy Awards ceremony could very well see the musical iconoclast extend her wins into country categories, including best country song, thanks to “Texas Hold ‘Em.” Beyoncé has previously earned Grammys for songwriting in the R&B field (for “Say My Name,” “Crazy in Love,” “Drunk in Love,” “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” and “Cuff It”) and in the rap field (for “Savage”). Earlier this year, Beyoncé became the first solo Black woman to top Hot Country Songs, with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which ruled the chart for 10 weeks from February through April.
“Tucson Too Late” (Jordan Davis)
Songwriters: Jordan Davis, Jacob Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins
“Tucson Too Late,” the fourth single from Davis’ Bluebird Days, topped the Country Airplay chart in May, becoming Davis’ fifth leader on that chart. The song was penned by two sets of brothers — Davis and his brother Jacob, as well as brothers Josh and Matt Jenkins. This songwriter group is the same one behind Davis’ CMA song of the year winner “Buy Dirt.” Though “Tucson Too Late” ventures into a more mid-tempo groove than some of his previous balladry, the earnest storytelling here has connected with listeners.
Within Reach: Zach Bryan, “Pink Skies”; Ashley Cooke, “Your Place”; Megan Moroney, “No Caller ID”; Shaboozey, “A Bar Song (Tipsy)”; Scotty McCreery, “Cab in a Solo”; Chris Stapleton, “Think I’m in Love With You”