Country
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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.”
Bruce Kalmick
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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”
Post Malone has been on a musical journey through the majority of his career, cycling through releases that have spanned hip-hop, pop, rock and alternative over the past several years. And on his latest release, F-1 Trillion, he shifted focus again — this time to country, putting out an album full of top-shelf collaborators like Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton and Hank Williams, Jr., among many others. And the result has been one of the highlights of his career: accepted by the Nashville community, Post delivered an album that became his first No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in five years, and his first-ever Country Albums No. 1, racking up 250,000 equivalent album units this week.
But it wasn’t easy — the feat was the result of years of work ingratiating himself into the sometimes insular world of Nashville, with its entrenched traditions and long-held customs. But Post was willing to put in the work, making appearances at the ACM Awards, CMA Fest, the Grand Ole Opry and the Bluebird Cafe, all staples of Music City’s circuit, while his high-profile list of writers and collaborators are testament to the embrace he was able to achieve. And with the chart-topping success of F-1 Trillion, his label Mercury Records’ executive vp Alex Coslov is Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
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Here, Coslov discusses the work put in by Mercury — which has a partnership with Big Loud Records for Wallen, and also has 2024 Grammy best new artist nominee Noah Kahan on the roster — on the Post album, as well as the four albums by Post, Wallen and Kahan that are in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week. “Mercury Records is a place where we support our artists’ vision and are passionate and committed to each and every artist we work with,” Coslov says. “We’re a close core team that understands what it takes to break an artist in today’s climate, while acknowledging our strategies need to constantly change and evolve.”
This week, Post Malone’s F-1 Trillion debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 250,000 units, his third No. 1 and first in five years. What key decision(s) did you make to help make that happen?
First and foremost, we have a phenomenal team at Mercury Records under the leadership of president Tyler Arnold and GM Ben Adelson. A lot of credit needs to go to my partner in crime Tyler Arnold, who signed Post nearly 10 years ago. When we began talking about F-1 Trillion, he was already spearheading the music and set the goal in stone that we needed to make a statement with this album by bringing Post back to No. 1.
Alongside Post’s management team, we collaboratively formulated the F-1 Trillion plan. Our core strategy was built around showcasing the authenticity of Post’s entry into country music by highlighting his time in Nashville while writing and recording this album with an incredible list of collaborators both old and new. We built out a world of Post Malone’s Nashville that centered around the music through key moments curated to engage his current fan base while respectfully winning over new country music fans. Post’s performance of “America The Beautiful” at the Super Bowl was a great start, but then activations such as the writers’ round at the historic Bluebird Cafe, his Grand Ole Opry debut, the ACM Awards performance, the CMA Fest moments, the superfan underplay, etc., helped drive it all home. All of these moments were captured by our partners at Trenches, which we then used for strategic content and social moments.
Republic Corps was also instrumental, with executives like Jim Roppo, Gary Spangler and our CRO, Kevin Lipson, working alongside us. Kevin’s commerce team is the best in the business and absolutely integral to achieving the 250,000 number with their innovative strategies, physical music expertise, incredible partner relationships and relentless ideating on how to achieve our goals.
Post dropped a second, deluxe part to the album with nine additional songs, all solo, hours after the main album. What’s the strategy behind doing that? Is there a tradeoff at all with putting out so much material at once?
Post was having so much fun writing and recording this album with his core collaborators — the geniuses Louis Bell and Charlie Handsome — that he wanted to work right up until he had to stop for us to deliver the album. The collaborations were great, but the solo songs were frankly fantastic. Knowing that we had these in our back pocket, we wanted to give fans a surprise and time to fully enjoy both. It also showed that Post could carry any country song by himself.
Most notably, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Hot Country Albums chart, fittingly his first entry there for his first country album. What was most important about this pivot to country that you guys had to get right?
Our main priority for this project has always been, how do we be as respectful to country culture and Nashville as possible? From the first meeting with Post’s management team, we agreed how important it was to all of us, Post included, that he ingratiate himself as much as possible into the Nashville community. Post is a prolific songwriter and country music historian, so Nashville embracing him meant a lot to him. In many ways, Nashville has become a new home for Post, so these moments are certainly not over just because the album is out.
Post’s recent albums spanned hip-hop, rock, alternative and pop. What’s different about the country genre, and how did you guys have to move differently for this release? And what have you learned from your partnership with Big Loud that may have helped?
Seth England and Big Loud have been incredible partners and advisors to us throughout this process as well. It goes without saying that their executive vp of promotions, Stacy Blythe, and her team have absolutely smashed it with historic stats at country radio with “I Had Some Help” and “Pour Me A Drink” (currently Top 10) and “Guy For That” climbing the Country Airplay chart currently.
Between this Post Malone album and albums by Morgan Wallen and Noah Kahan, Mercury artists have four of the top 10 albums on the Billboard 200 this week. How have you guys been able to achieve that in such a relatively small amount of time?
Mercury Records is a place where we support our artists’ vision and are passionate and committed to each and every artist we work with. We’re a close core team that understands what it takes to break an artist in today’s climate, while acknowledging our strategies need to constantly change and evolve. We’re invested in building long term trust and relationships with our artists for the duration of their career.
The Wallen and Kahan albums in particular have stuck around the top echelon of the charts for an extended period now, something that is happening more and more lately. Why do you think big albums have such staying power these days, and how do you keep fueling their continued success?
Morgan builds unparalleled bodies of work that combine his powerful voice, his unique sense of melody with some of the best written songs of the modern era and the brilliant production of Big Loud partner/producer Joey Moi. The seemingly endless stream of singles from both Dangerous: The Double Album and One Thing At A Time are proof of Morgan’s musical prowess — he hears things no one else does. Major credit of course to our partners on Morgan, Seth England and his team at Big Loud, who lead on his campaigns and have been instrumental in the historic success of the last five years.
With Noah, he has truly built a world around his Stick Season album and fans relate and feel seen by his lyrics. The personal connection fans feel to him is beyond special and like nothing I’ve ever seen. The Stick Season (Forever) collaborations only added to the fan excitement by highlighting Noah as an artist’s artist. The outpouring of support from his peers led to even more discovery, engagement and critical acclaim.
Post Malone’s “Pour Me a Drink” featuring Blake Shelton hops three spots to No. 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Sept. 7). It increased by 18% to 18.6 million audience impressions Aug. 23-29, according to Luminate.
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Post Malone adds his second Country Airplay top 10, after “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen, led for four weeks beginning in June. Both singles are from his first country LP, F-1 Trillion, which soared in at No. 1 on the Aug. 31-dated Top Country Albums chart and the all-genre Billboard 200 with 250,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States. It scored the second-biggest week for a country title this year, after Beyoncé’s maiden release in the genre, Cowboy Carter, arrived with 407,000 in April.
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Shelton banks his 36th Country Airplay top 10 and his first since “Minimum Wage” hit No. 9 in June 2021. He ties fellow Oklahoman Reba McEntire for the ninth-most top 10s; Kenny Chesney and George Strait lead all acts with 61 each dating to the chart’s 1990 start, followed by Tim McGraw with 60.
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Post Malone boasts two concurrent Country Airplay top 10s, as “I Had Some Help” holds at No. 2 (28.1 million in audience). Plus, newest F-1 Trillion single “Guy for That,” featuring Luke Combs, ranks at No. 41 (2.6 million).
Shaboozey Cracks Open Six-Pack
Shaboozey rules Country Airplay for a sixth total and consecutive week with “A Bar Song (Tipsy).” The track, which drew 28.8 in reach among chart reporters (down 3%), is only the second country career-establishing No. 1 to reign for as many as six weeks (counting acts’ first Country Airplay entries as a lead artist or their initial songs promoted to country radio); Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” logged six weeks on top in early 2006.
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” added a seventh week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated Aug. 31, claiming outright 2024’s longest reign, surpassing the six nonconsecutive weeks on top for Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help.” Shaboozey’s hit has likewise logged the sole longest command this year on the multimetric Hot Country Songs chart, its 11 weeks at No. 1 having bested Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em,” which ruled for 10 weeks in February-April.
All charts dated Sept. 7 will update on Billboard.com Wednesday, Sept. 4 (a day later than usual due to the Labor Day holiday Sept. 2).
Kelsea Ballerini is asking fans for prayers and good thoughts for her dog Dibs, revealing that her beloved pooch has been diagnosed with cancer.
Ballerini wrote on her Instagram Stories on Wednesday (Aug. 28), “The last few days we have discovered that dibby has inoperable cancer in his heart. He’s not in pain and luckily it hasn’t spread further.”
The singer-songwriter adopted the dog in 2015, following the breakthrough success of her debut single “Love Me Like You Mean It.” Her cherished dog shares a name with her hit song “Dibs,” which became a No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hit in 2016.
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In her post, Ballerini also said that the dog will soon begin taking “‘big’ meds” to ensure he will “have as many comfortable and happy days (weeks, months) left s possible.”
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Ballerini had words of praise for the dog’s veterinarians, and added, “My mom is here (he stans grandma), and [Ballerini’s boyfriend] Chase is the greatest dog dad in the world. He is getting extra cuddles and kibbles from his little family.”
Ballerini, who will release her new album, Patterns, on Oct. 25, also told fans, “I feel pretty disingenuous promoting this album and tracklist reveal (which I am so, so proud of) without updating you on my sweet dibs health.” She added, “It’s a complex and emotional time. He’s been my baby and my steady for the last 9 years and very much alongside this whole journey with us all. I know so many of you care about him and are sending him prayers and love, and from my whole heart … thank you. He’s wagging his tail right now no doubt saying thank you too.”
Ballerini had previously shared days ago that Dibs was going through some hard times, with the musician sharing on Instagram that the dog had “made it through the night and is stable enough to run the tests we need to figure out our next steps.” In that same IG story, Ballerini said, “Thank you for all of the prayers and good energy. I made sure to tell him so many people love him and are thinking of him when I got to visit last night.”
During a recent stop in Salt Lake City for his Beautifully Broken tour, Nashville native Jelly Roll (real name (real name Jason DeFord) turned an ordinary lemonade stand visit into an unforgettable experience for three young vendors.
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Instead of just purchasing a drink from the trio, the country star handed over nearly $700. Wendy Gardunio, the mother of one of the children, shared the experience on Facebook.
“My kid and her cousins wanted to do a lemonade stand. And they had a famous singer come and buy some lemonade. Who would have thought that we would run into Jelly Roll in West Valley? And for him to be so generous with giving them almost $700,” Gardunio wrote alongside photographs of the “Need a Favor” singer.
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This isn’t an isolated event—Jelly Roll frequently supports the communities he visits during his tours.
The rocker announced on Friday (Aug. 23) that Beautifully Broken, the follow-up to his hit album Whitsitt Chapel, is coming Oct. 11. All revenue from pre-sales through his website will go to several charities, including Wounded Warriors Project, Folds of Honor, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and Shatterproof.
Though a tracklist has not been revealed, according to the press release, his latest song, “I Am Not OK” (which he debuted on The Howard Stern Show) as well as “Liar,” “Winning Streak” and “Get By” — which serves as the 2024 college football season’s anthem — will all be included on the upcoming album, which is named after his headlining tour kicking off Aug. 27.
Jelly Roll released Whitsitt Chapel in June 2023. The album peaked at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard 200, reached No. 2 on Top Country Albums and took the No. 1 spot on Top Rock Albums.
The star also nabbed 2024 Grammy nominations Best New Artist and Best Country duo/Group Performance for “Save Me,” his collaboration with Lainey Wilson, which peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100.