State Champ Radio Country
Page: 70
Five-time Grammy winner Shania Twain has performed around the world, but she’s returning to where it all began in Nashville this week, as she hosts the upcoming second People’s Choice Country Awards, which will air Thursday night (Sept. 26) on NBC and Peacock, from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry House.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
“It’s a really full-circle experience for me,” Twain tells Billboard. “It takes me back to my own beginnings in Nashville and as a new recording artist there, and obviously the historic location is always appealing. I meet new artists, and I’m running into old friends, making new friends.”
In addition to a slate of nominees including Beyoncé, Kane Brown, Zach Bryan, Jelly Roll, Tim McGraw, Dolly Parton, Shaboozey, George Strait, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman, other anticipated moments from the show will include Miranda Lambert being honored with the 2024 country icon award, while Brown will be celebrated as the 2024 country champion award honoree.
Trending on Billboard
As much as Twain is guiding viewers through the awards ceremony, she says, “I’m here more as a fan than anything. It’s the artists that the people want to hear and see, so to me, that is everything. I’ll be smack dab in the middle of it all, so I’m super excited. I’m all access.”
Among those artists Twain herself anticipates seeing are a mix of newcomers and established artists.
“I’m excited to see Parker McCollum and I’ll be excited to catch up with Lady A — they are always fabulous to see live. I’m excited to see Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, and I’m particularly excited about seeing The War and Treaty and listening to them perform because they are such gorgeous vocalists. And Shaboozey just makes me happy whenever I watch one of his videos. It just brings me joy, so it’s just a lot of positive energy.”
Bryan leads this year’s nominees with 19 nominations, followed by Beyoncé with 17 nominations.
Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart for 10 weeks, while her album Cowboy Carter stayed at the pinnacle of the Top Country Albums chart for four weeks. In addition to being nominated at the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards for the overall people’s artist of 2024, the female artist of 2024 and the album of 2024 (Cowboy Carter), among Beyoncé’s nominations are two entries in the female song of 2024 category (“16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em”).
“The impact is undeniable,” Twain says of Cowboy Carter. “I think all successful recording artists make music for listeners, and these artists deserve an industry that in return, listens to the people’s choice, to what the people want to hear. That’s what’s happened with Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and the industry needs to respect what the listeners want, and what the listeners want is Beyoncé country. The people are hungry for more diversity in the genre. Beyoncé is part of broadening the spectrum. When I was growing up I was listening to folk country, alternative country and all kinds of country, and we’re getting back to that now again, and Beyoncé is part of that.”
In terms of her hosting duties, Twain says she’s taken inspiration from other artists who have hosted awards shows, such as Reba McEntire, who has hosted both the Country Music Association Awards and the Academy of Country Music Awards.
“Any of those big shows rely a lot on the spirit and the mood of the host, because the hosts are chosen, I think quite carefully, making sure people are relating and the host has experience. Reba is one of my favorite hosts. She’s speaking from experience and I think that commands respect and attention. She’s funny and smart, and is loved by all, and it’s a compliment to be asked to do something like [hosting an awards show]. So Reba is a good example for me.”
Of course, Twain isn’t just hosting the show — she’s also a nominee, as Shania Twain: Come On Over—The Las Vegas Residency- All The Hits!, earned her a nomination in the concert tour of 2024 category. Her residency is currently slated to run through early 2025.
Recently, Twain was also included in a trailer for the new medical drama series Doctor Odyssey. Twain says 2025 and beyond will be filled with a variety of creative pursuits.
“I’ll be very, very busy for the next few years. I’m doing more acting. I’ll be in the studio making a new album. I’m writing music for various things and there’s a musical in the works with my music, so lots of exciting things. I’ll be busy doing more of a variety of things than I’ve ever done before in my career, so that’ll keep me off the Vegas stage for a while.”
East Tennessee native Morgan Wallen had a triumphant homecoming over the weekend, when his headlining tour touched down at Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium for two shows on Friday (Sept. 20) and Sunday (Sept. 22), as the current seven-time CMA Awards nominee welcomed 156,161 fans to the venue.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
He also had several surprise guests over the two shows, welcoming Eric Church for Friday’s, while Miranda Lambert and Darius Rucker made unexpected appearances at Sunday’s show. Hardy and Ernest also joined Wallen on both shows.
Church joined Wallen for a performance of “Quittin’ Time,” before Hardy and Ernest took the stage to join on “Up Down” and a mashup of “Flower Shops”/”Cowgirls.” In introducing Church, Wallen told the crowd how seeing a Church show made Wallen want to sing country music.
Trending on Billboard
“I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you, brother,” Wallen told Church.
Eric Church and Morgan Wallen perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Matthew Paskert
On Sunday evening, Lambert — who just released her new album Postcards From Texas — joined Wallen on stage for a live performance of his “Thought You Should Know,” which the two wrote with Nicolle Galyon.
Wallen said in introducing Lambert, “Me and this next artist, we got together one day and wrote a few songs, and this is the first song we ever wrote. I brought this song into the room and I needed some help from a lady’s perspective to help me write a song for my mama … we wrote a couple of other songs that day. I don’t know if they’ll ever see the light of day, but we drank a lot of vodka and wrote this song right here for my mama.”
From there, Hardy and Ernest again joined Wallen for “Up Down” and “Cowgirls,” but they also added a special song, “Talkin’ Tennessee,” just for the Neyland Stadium shows.
Three-time Grammy winner Rucker also joined Wallen as they performed the former’s RIAA Diamond-certified hit “Wagon Wheel.”
Morgan Wallen and Darius Rucker perform onstage for night two of Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium on Sept. 22, 2024 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
John Shearer/Getty Images for for Morgan Wallen’s One Night At A Time 2024
Wallen’s guests over the weekend weren’t limited to music artists — he also welcomed two-time Super Bowl champion and former University of Tennessee Knoxville quarterback Peyton Manning for the second of two weekend walkouts on Sept. 22. Manning, who wore his retired college uniform, was joined by current UTK football coach Josh Heupel, quarterback Nico Iamaleava and wide receiver Bru McCoy for an all-Vols walkout. On Sept. 20, Wallen’s walkout included 2024 National Champion Tennessee Volunteers baseball team and coach Tony Vitello.
Ahead of Wallen’s two headlining shows at Neyland Stadium, The Morgan Wallen Foundation donated $140,000 to Gibbs Youth Sports, with the donation going toward renovating Ruritan Park, which serves students from Wallen’s alma mater, Gibbs High School, as well as surrounding areas in Knox County. The donation will allow Gibbs Youth Sports to rebuild the inside of the fieldhouse to offer indoor fielding and batting options, as well as renovations including batting cage and machines, pitching lanes and a fielding area.
Heading into this year’s CMA Awards, Wallen leads all nominees and is up for seven awards, among them entertainer of the year, male vocalist of the year and song of the year (“I Had Some Help,” his collaboration with Post Malone). This year’s CMA Award will be held Nov. 20 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” earns an 11th week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, extending 2024’s longest command. The hit, which became the Virginia-born singer-songwriter’s first Hot 100 No. 1 in July, is one of just five songs to reign for 11 or more weeks this decade, and the first since another […]
This week’s crop of new music features Chase Rice honoring his late father through his new music, while Benjamin Tod teams up with reigning Americana Music Honors & Awards entertainer of the year winner Sierra Ferrell. Meanwhile, “A Lot More Free” hitmaker Max McNown, Ian Munsick, Anna Vaus and more offer new tunes.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country songs of the week below.
Trending on Billboard
Chase Rice, “You in ‘85”
Chase Rice may be known for writing and recording bro-country hits such as co-writing Florida Georgia Line’s RIAA-Diamond certified hit “Cruise,” but over his most recent projects, he’s made it clear that bro-country sound represents his past, not his present — as his new music leans toward rootsier, raw-rock driven sounds, trading party anthems for introspective lyrical themes. His newly released album Go Down Singin’ continues to evince his matured songwriting, particularly on “You in ’85,” a song that pays homage to Rice’s late father, serving as both a catalog of memories he has of his father, while also acknowledging the mannerisms they share. “You always said I was gonna look just like you/ Now this man in the mirror’s the proof,” he sings, as his voice conveys a crackling warmth of self-reflection and an easy-going comfortableness with his new sound.
Benjamin Tod feat. Sierra Ferrell, “One Last Time”
As singer-songwriter Tod, the former frontman for the Lost Dog Street Band, gears up for his new solo album Shooting Star (out Oct. 18 on Thirty Tigers), he welcomes reigning Americana Music Honors & Awards winner Sierra Ferrell on this sparse piano arrangement, with gospel music-inflected background harmonies and swaths of steel guitar lending a rustic, elegant aura. “I’m a fool for the darkness and a fiend for the light/ Could you blame me one last time,” they sing, their voices blending sumptuously, while wrapping their distinct drawls around each lyric, drawing out the song’s tension and longing with every vocal inflection. On Shooting Star, Tod dabbles in country music from a span of decades, proving the deep-seated influence of Nashville-area hometown.
Anna Vaus, “Happy Trails”
Southern California native Anna Vaus has put in the work in Music City over the past several years, inking a publishing deal with Big Machine Music and penning songs recorded by Keith Urban, Carly Pearce and others (Vaus also performed with Urban at the 2024 CMT Music Awards). With “Happy Trails,” she issues the lead single from her own debut album, one steeped in the sounds of ’70s Laurel Canyon with a Nashville sense of lyrical detail.
Vaus’ own “Happy Trails” embodies much the same sentiment of the Dale Evans-written, Roy Rogers-performed 1952 classic of the same name, though here, Vaus sings a story close to her own, of wishing the best to a friend who is setting off on a jet plane to chase their dreams in Music City. She employs a classical country construction, detailing simple well-wishes such as warm coffee and flowers growing in a yard, before digging deeper on lines such as “I hope you learn to love the parts of you you hate/ And the things you cannot change ’cause therein liеs the heart.” A solid, promising start from this established songcrafter.
Max McNown, “Snowman”
McNown’s “A Lot More Free” has escalated up the viral charts, and he’s followed with the just-released EP Willfully Blind. “Snowman,” featured on the EP, captures his longing over a once-blazing romance that transformed into the chilliest of receptions whenever he sees his ex. Over polished acoustic production, he considers, “You said goodbye and I said see you round/ Cuz a boy don’t close a book/ Until he knows a story’s done.” McNown wrote “Snowman” with Paul Duncan, Cory Asbury, Paul Mabry and Michael Farren.
Ian Munsick, “Western Woman”
Wyoming-born Munsick earned an RIAA Gold-certified song with his Cody Johnson collaboration “Long Live Cowgirls,” and he reprises that theme on his new solo track, “Western Woman,” which Munsick wrote with Billy Montana and Randy Montana. In his new song, he acknowledges the appeal of the way of life from the coasts, but sings that ultimately, “My kinda darling is grounded as a fence post/ She got wild in her smile, dust on her jeans.” Mandolin playing from Charlie Worsham and fiddle work from Tim Hayes serve to further heighten the song’s Western sound.
Hunter Hayes, “In a Song (Lost & Found)”
Hunter Hayes revisits to his previously-released “In a Song,” originally featured on the Encore edition of his 2011 self-titled album. The new version retains the largely pop sonics, but showcases his matured vocal while still giving the song a youthful, refreshed patina. The song is one of three remixed and remastered renditions of his previously-released songs on his upcoming EP Lost & Found.
Luke Combs notches his 18th Billboard Country Airplay chart-topper as “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” surges three spots to No. 1 on the list dated Sept. 28. The song increased by 12% to 30.2 million audience impressions Sept. 13-19, according to Luminate.
Combs authored the single with Jessi Alexander and Jonathan Singleton, and produced it with Singleton and Chip Matthews. It’s from the soundtrack Twisters: The Album, which arrived at its No. 3 high on Top Country Albums in August.
(OK, get this: Oklahoma appears in the title of a Country Airplay No. 1 for the first time. The state was previously best represented when Vince Gill and Reba McEntire’s “Oklahoma Swing” hit No. 13 in 1990.)
Trending on Billboard
Combs crowns Country Airplay after Riley Green’s “Different ‘Round Here,” on which he’s featured, hit No. 2 and his own “Where the Wild Things Are” reached No. 3, both in February. Combs last led with his version of Tracy Chapman’s 1988 pop hit “Fast Car,” for five frames starting in July 2023.
The Asheville, N.C., native rattled off a career-opening-record 14 consecutive Country Airplay No. 1s. His 18 leaders dating to his first, “Hurricane,” in May 2017, mark the most among all artists in that span; Thomas Rhett and Morgan Wallen follow with 14 each. Combs also boasts the most weeks at No. 1 – 52, or a full year – in that stretch, ahead of Wallen’s 43.
Jelly Roll’s Sixth Top 10
Also on Country Airplay, and speaking of opening runs at the format, Jelly Roll adds his sixth total and consecutive top 10 as “I Am Not Okay” pushes 11-10 (20.2 million, up 19%).
A week earlier, Dustin Lynch’s “Chevrolet,” featuring Jelly Roll, became the latter’s fifth Country Airplay No. 1, dating to his first, “Son of a Sinner” in January 2023, the chart’s longest active streak of leaders. (Jelly Roll broke through on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, where he logged five entries in 2011-16.)
Kenny Chesney is giving back. The country icon donated more than $1 million to various causes across the state of Massachusetts before he took the stage at Gillette Stadium in August, according to local news outlet Mass Live. Per the publication, he contributed to the Boston Medical Center, Foxborough Police Department and Foxborough Fire Department, as well as nonprofits […]
Country-rock trio The Cadillac Three, known for their top 40 Billboard Country Airplay song “The South,” has canceled the remainder of their tour dates for 2024 as lead singer Jaren Johnston seeks treatment for mental health.
After initially canceling a number of shows earlier in the week, on Friday, Sept. 20, The Cadillac Three members Johnston, Kelby Ray and Neil Mason updated fans, writing on their official X page. “Friends, we want to be honest with you. Jaren has entered treatment for his mental health and well-being,” the statement read. “The last few years have been challenging on a number of levels. The right thing to do right now is to make space to focus on family, health and longevity.”
They added of their upcoming shows, “With this news, our remaining 2024 shows will be canceled,” and advised fans to contact their point of purchase for refunds for the concerts they had scheduled through the remainder of the year. “We love our fans and the community we’ve built together. Canceling concerts is not something we take lightly. We have no doubt we will ride down the road again. Until then, we appreciate your respect and support for Jaren and his family.”
Trending on Billboard
In addition to fronting The Cadillac Three, Johnston is known as a prolific songwriter, having contributed writing to hits by Tim McGraw (“Meanwhile Back at Mama’s”), Keith Urban (“You Gonna Fly” and Urban’s Eric Church collaboration “Raise ‘Em Up”), Tyler Hubbard (“5 Foot 9”) and Jake Owen (“Days of Gold,” “American Country Love Song”). Most recently, Johnston contributed the song “B—h on the Sauce (Just Drunk”) on Miranda Lambert’s new album Postcards From Texas.
Among the shows the band had slated for the remainder of the year were appearances at the upcoming Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival in Franklin, Tenn., as well as shows at Grizzly Rose in Denver and the iconic Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, Texas.
In addition to making music with their own self-described “country fuzz” sound, members of the group are also business leaders, with Johnston and Mason having launched their War Buddha label in conjunction with Warner Records last year. The label’s first signee was Rhett Madison.
Rory Feek’s conflict with his eldest daughters doesn’t seem to be any closer to being resolved. According to the country singer, neither 37-year-old Heidi nor 35-year-old Hopie will agree to meet him without a licensed professional present amid their legal dispute over the care of 10-year-old Indiana, leading to an “impasse” in their proceedings.
While discussing the matter in a recent blog post titled “Canceled,” Rory wrote that the “only thing [he’s] guilty of is being part of a family that isn’t perfect.”
“I drove down to Florence, AL where they live about a week and a half ago and knocked on Heidi’s door with two bouquets of peace lilly flowers, and hopes that we might be able to sit down and talk,” he continued. “But, even though their cars were in the driveway and they were inside, no one answered … On the drive back I received a text from Heidi that said, ‘We are only willing to talk with you with a licensed therapist or attorney or both.’”
Trending on Billboard
“That is where the impasse comes in,” Rory went on. “They believe that it’s the job of a someone with a doctorate, legal, or masters degree to repair what is broken in our family. And I believe that it’s our job.”
The post comes after his adult daughters Heidi and Hopie — whom Rory welcomed during his first marriage to Tamara Gilmer — wrote on Instagram that they would be “pursuing legal action because we no longer believe Indiana is safe” under their father’s care. It came just weeks after the singer married Indiana’s teacher, Rebecca, in July.
In their open letter, Heidi and Hopie accused Rory of leaving Indiana — whom the musician shares with late wife and Joey + Rory bandmate Joey Feek — in the care of unfamiliar family members while he and his new wife left to go on their honeymoon. Heidi also reportedly expressed concerns that her little sister was being cared for by a group identified as the Montana branch of the Homestead Heritage, which calls itself an “agrarian- and craft-based intentional Christian community” and was previously hit with accusations of sexual abuse of children in 2012, which the group denied.
In a previous blog post, Rory denied that the group was unsafe or a “cult,” but affirmed Heidi and Hopie’s claims that he’d cut off contact between them and Indiana. His reasoning stemmed from his eldest daughters carrying “completely different” beliefs from his conservative values, and he claimed that they were exposing his youngest daughter to movies and music that he didn’t approve of.
Of Rory’s claim that he was ignored upon his visit to their house, Heidi told People she wasn’t home when he arrived, but Hopie, who was at the residence, started having a panic attack when he showed up unannounced. She added that Hopie called her and their lawyer for about four minutes, but by the time the call ended, Rory had already left.
“Regardless of the intention, it came off as intimidating,” she told the publication. “We’ve set really clear boundaries. We have such a hard time communicating with him and feeling heard that we really don’t feel like it’s possible without a third party.”
Jelly Roll and Kane Brown are set to lead Nashville in ringing in 2025, when they headline the concert special New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, which will return to Music City’s Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The concert will air […]
After backlash to a spicy tweet about Ye and Taylor Swift, Zach Bryan has deactivated his X account.
On Wednesday (Sept. 18), the country star shared a hot take that might have proven to be too hot for social media. “eagles > chiefs,” his message started, followed by, “Kanye > Taylor.” He concluded: “who’s with me” — and the answer to that question appears to have driven him off the site formerly known as Twitter.
Swifties quickly came to Taylor’s defense, given Bryan’s message was a twofold offense against both Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. “He knew not to mess with the Swifties,” one commenter wrote on a Pop Crave post about the tweet, with another writing: “got all brave just to wimp out and deactivate.”
According to Bryan’s Instagram (which is still active), he’s been on a Kanye kick lately. The first four of his current Instagram Stories, as of press time, feature four older songs by Ye (formerly Kanye West): “Good Life,” featuring T-Pain, from 2007’s Graduation and “I Thought About Killing You,” “All Mine” and “Ghost Town,” featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR, from 2018’s Ye.
Trending on Billboard
The Eagles and Chiefs football rivalry has heated up over the past few years, with Travis Kelce facing off against his now-retired brother Jason Kelce and the Philly squad in the 2023 Super Bowl, with Kansas City emerging victorious.
But the much more heated rivalry has been between Swift and Ye, whose story began when West interrupted Taylor’s 2009 VMAs acceptance speech to declare Beyoncé should have won instead. They reconciled after that and even formed an unlikely friendship, before Ye put some questionable lyrics about Swift in his “Famous” song and his then-wife Kim Kardashian released a recording of a private phone call between the two musicians that set their rocky relationship ablaze.
The pair have made references to their famous feud as recently as last month, with Ye rapping about Swift’s relationship with Kelce on his Vultures 2 album and Swift restyling a Tortured Poets Department song’s title to capitalize YE: “thank You aimEe.”
See the tweet from Bryan’s now-deleted account below:
