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The 2025 CMA Fest concluded Sunday night (June 8), and after four days of festing, tens of thousands of country music fans kept the energy going strong as they filled Nashville’s Nissan Stadium for one final evening. Throughout much of this year’s CMA Fest, which ran from June 5 to 8, rainclouds hovered over Nashville, […]
Day three of CMA Fest’s nighttime concert series at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium started right on time at 8 p.m. on Saturday (June 7), following a rain delay the night before. This time, there were clear, but slightly cloudy Nashville skies, with no rain in sight as another round of top artists took to the stage. […]
Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem is No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated June 14) for a third consecutive week, following its debut atop the list dated May 31. It earned 246,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending June 5 (down 14%), according to Luminate. It’s the largest third week for an album in over a year, since Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department earned 282,000 in its third frame (May 18, 2024-dated chart).
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Also in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200, new albums from SEVENTEEN and Miley Cyrus debut, while Swift’s chart-topping reputation, released in 2017, returns, zooming 78-5. The latter benefits from an outpouring of fan support following the news that Swift had acquired her Big Machine Records catalog, inclusive of reputation.
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The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new June 14, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on June 10. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of I’m the Problem’s 246,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending June 5, SEA units comprise 229,000 (down 11%, equaling 298.41 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs — it leads Top Streaming Albums for a third week), album sales comprise 15,500 (down 45% — it falls from No. 1 to No. 3 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise 1,500 (down 17%).
At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, SEVENTEEN scores their seventh top 10-charting album, as SEVENTEEN 5th Album HAPPY BURSTDAY debuts. The set launches with 48,500 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 46,000 (it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 2,500 (equaling 3.26 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. The set’s album sales were aided by its availability across 14 CD variants, all containing collectible paper ephemera, some randomized.
SZA’s chart-topping SOS falls 2-3 on the Billboard 200 with 46,000 equivalent album units earned (down 3%).
Miley Cyrus achieves her 15th top 10-charting set on the Billboard 200 as Something Beautiful bows at No. 4. It starts with 44,000 equivalent album units earned. Of that sum, album sales comprise 27,000 (it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 17,000 (equaling 22.18 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum. (Cyrus’ tally of 15 top 10s is inclusive of her albums billed to her Disney Channel character Hannah Montana.)
Something Beautiful’s first-week sales were bolstered by its availability across six vinyl variants (including one signed, sold in Cyrus’ webstore), a standard CD, a signed CD (exclusive to Cyrus’ webstore) and two deluxe CD boxed sets (sold via her webstore, each containing branded merch and a copy of the album).
The album was preceded by the Billboard Hot 100-charting song “End of the World,” which debuted and peaked at No. 52 in April. It also became a top 20 hit on the Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay and Adult Contemporary charts.
Taylor Swift’s chart-topping reputation rallies 78-5 with 42,000 equivalent album units earned (up 221%). It’s the album’s first week in the top 10 since the Aug. 4, 2018-dated chart (when it ranked at No. 9), the set’s highest rank since the Jan. 27, 2018, chart (when it was No. 5) and its best week by units earned since the Jan. 13, 2018, chart, when it tallied 48,000 (at No. 3). The album debuted at No. 1 on the Dec. 2, 2017-dated chart and spent four nonconsecutive weeks atop the list.
Of reputation’s 42,000 units earned in the latest tracking week, SEA units comprise 27,000 (up 125%, equaling 34.75 million on-demand official streams of the set’s songs; it reenters Top Streaming Albums at No. 10), album sales comprise 15,000 (up 1,184%, it reenters Top Album Sales at No. 4) and TEA units comprise less than 500 units. The album rallies up the list following fan support of the project after Swift announced that she had acquired her Big Machine-era catalog, including reputation.
Rounding out the top 10 of the Billboard 200 are five former No. 1s: Wallen’s One Thing at a Time falls 4-6 (40,000; down 3%); Kendrick Lamar’s GNX drops 3-7 (39,000; down 7%); Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet dips 6-8 (37,000; though up 1%); PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U descends 7-9 (34,000; down 4%); and Bad Bunny’s Debí Tirar Más Fotos falls 8-10 (33,000; down 7%).
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
As rain poured down outside, within downtown Nashville’s Category 10 multi-level bar it was warm and cozy — and ultimately packed to the rafters — on day two of Billboard Country Live. Billed as On the Rise, Friday’s (June 6) lineup featured seven hot newcomers who, based on their infectious sets, all have promising futures.
Day two followed Thursday’s (June 5) Billboard Country Live Presented by Bud Light, which highlighted six acts, including Mitchell Tenpenny, Reyna Roberts, Alexandra Kay, Drew Baldridge, Max McNown and Ashley Cooke.
CMT host Carissa Culiner emceed both evenings, keeping things lively between sets, with assistance from DJ Grant Fisher.
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Annie Bosko performs during Billboard Country Live On the Rise at Category 10 on June 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tenne.
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Annie Bosko
Bosko, whose new Stone Country Records album arrives in October, was the perfect opener to kick off the afternoon with her warm, welcoming presence and denim shorts and vest.
The California native opened with the spirited “California Cowgirl,” explaining “because I think no matter where you’re from, you’ve got a cowgirl inside,” before launching into her inspirational current single, “God Winks.” “I’ve hit low points in my life when I wanted to give up and I got a sign from God to keep going,” Bosko said, as fans held up their lighted cell phones, waving their arms in the air. She closed her short set with “(Country Girls) Who Runs the World,” an empowering twangy successor to Beyoncé’s “Run the World (Girls)” that saw her accompanying herself on harmonica.
Harper Grace performs at Billboard Country Live On the Rise at Category 10 on June 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn.
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Harper Grace
Sporting a T-shirt that read, “Country music makes you live longer,” the Curb Records artist opened with a sassy, thumping version of “Mr. Mystery” and followed up with the fiddle-laden “Take It Like a Truck,” which would fit right in on a Lainey Wilson album. Grace then went old school with a gorgeous version of the classic heartbreaker “Tennessee Waltz,” first made famous by Patti Page in 1950, before closing out with “IDK,” her current duet with Franklin Jonas, who, dressed in a dapper suit, joined her to the audience’s delight. The two roamed the stage as they sang the searching ballad about trying to find a love that has previously eluded them.
Graham Barham performs at Billboard Country Live On the Rise at Category 10 on June 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn.
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Graham Barham
Barham, backed with a full band, kicked the energy up with his blend of country, rock and trap beats on songs like the intoxicating “MIA” and the driving “Camo.” The Sony artist showed off his sense of humor as he introduced “Whiskey,” admonishing the audience to “please remember everything you see on screen isn’t necessarily true. With that being said, this is about me getting hammered.” He followed with a faithful version of Brooks & Dunn’s “Red Dirt Road,” before finishing strong with his boisterous hit, “Oil Money,” as accomplices shot fake money into the audience.
Cooper Alan performs at Billboard Country Live On the Rise at Category 10 on June 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn.
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Cooper Alan
Alan brought the party with him in a ridiculously high-energy, fun set, which started with the loping “To the Bar,” adding he used to play in the location before it became Combs’ Category 10. His cover of choice was a galloping version of Avicii/Aloe Blacc’s “Wake Me Up,” which he admitted he goofed up, but made up for it by inviting the audience to jump along with him in a unifying moment. He then launched into “the stupidest thing we’ve ever done,” his TikTok viral novelty hit, “Cold 45,” which was inspired by Afroman’s “Because I Got High.”
Alan and the audience caught their collective breaths when he turned serious, slowing it down and strapping on a guitar to play the sweet ballad “Take Forever (Hally’s Song),” which he wrote about his wife, whom he married in September 2023. But he finished by raising the roof again with “Plead the Fifth,” a hilarious ditty sung to the tune of “Auld Lang Syne,” with rapid-fire lyrics, from which he segued, appropriately enough, into John Michael Montgomery’s “Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)” and Eminem’s “Without Me.” Alan wasn’t on stage for a long time, but he was definitely there for a good time.
Timmy McKeever performs at Billboard Country Live On the Rise at Category 10 on June 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn.
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Timmy McKeever
There was cause for celebration for Big Loud artist Timmy McKeever, who had moved to Nashville exactly a year ago and showed why he’d already made great strides in that time. In a striking acoustic set with just him and his guitar, the 18-year-old deliberately slowed down the pace and showed off his sweet voice and fine writing skills with such tunes as the earnest, romantic “I’ve Known Better,” his first song to go viral on TikTok (“for the first two lines,” he joked) and the vulnerable “Bulletproof” (an original, not a cover of the recent Nate Smith hit). He then delivered a tasty cover of Megan Moroney’s “Tennessee Orange” — dubbed “Tennessee Orange (Breakup Version)” — that had not only a gender flip, but a twist, where he’s a Georgia boy in love with a girl who is now wearing Tennessee orange for her new beau, before going into a softer, less aggressive version of Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue.”
He finished with three originals that showed off his promise as a budding talent, the yearning, infectious “Cravin’ You,” the upcoming single “Hold You to It,” and “Lightning Speed,” a song about losing yourself to the music industry.
Jake Worthington performs at Billboard Country Live On the Rise at Category 10 on June 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn.
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Jake Worthington
Armed with just an acoustic guitar, the 2014 The Voice contestant and Big Loud artist conjured up the ghosts of country legends like George Jones and Waylon Jennings with his twangy, authentic traditionalism and big voice.
Even breaking a guitar string early on (which he eventually was able to replace) didn’t slow down Worthington on songs like the irrepressible, upbeat “I’m the One” (the recorded version of which features Marty Stuart) and the aching “Hello S—ty Day,” which would have felt just right performed by Jones.
His 30-minute set was filled with such chestnuts, including the up-tempo, yet downtrodden “It Ain’t the Whiskey” and “Not Like I Used To,” before the Texan played “Ain’t Got You a Hold,” a western swing twirler that would have done George Strait proud. His cover of Merle Haggard’s “Half a Man” fit perfectly in his wheelhouse and was delivered with just the right amount of pathos.
Tayler Holder performs at Billboard Country Live On the Rise at Category 10 on June 6, 2025 in Nashville, Tenn.
Michael Hickey/Billboard via Getty Images
Tayler Holder
From the time he stepped on stage, Holder had the audience eating out of his hand. With more than five million Instagram followers, it felt like all the influencer-turned-country- singer’s fans were crammed into Category 10.
Holder prowled the stage as he launched in the hypnotic “Neon,” immediately hand-slapping with the front row with a bad-boy appeal that connected with the audience.
His set showed off his ease tackling various tempos and styles, including “Time in This Truck,” which conjured up a windows-down, wind-in-your-hair feel, as well as the slowed down breakup song “Someone You Knew,” followed by another breakup song he wrote about a four-year relationship that went south, “California Tennessee.” (Happy ending: There’s a new girlfriend in the picture.)
Holder, who moved to Nashville three years ago, and his band did a blazing mini-set of covers that opened and closed with a few bars of “Sweet Home Alabama” and a raucous “Freebird,” with a sweet version of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” (delivered by Holder’s gruff-voiced guitarist) in between.
Holder than ended his set — and day two of Billboard Country Live — with a new song that has already garnered more than a million stream in a few days, the mid-tempo, propulsive “Ain’t You Leaving,” and “Dyin’ Flame,” which has more than 12 million streams. Holder penned the song with Barham. “We sent it to Morgan [Wallen] and [he] politely sent it right back to me,” Holder said. “I’m glad he did.”
Eric Church looked back on his unexpected involvement in the lawsuit over Taylor Swift‘s hit single “Shake It Off” in a new interview.
Back in 2017, the superstar got hit with allegations of copyright infringement by Sean Hall and Nathan Butler, the songwriters behind 3LW’s 2001 single “Playas Gon’ Play.”
“In her deposition, when [talking about the line] ‘players gonna play, haters gonna hate,’ she says, ‘The first time I heard that phrase was in Eric Church’s song ‘The Outsiders,’” the country singer explained in a sit-down with Rolling Stone published Friday (June 6). “She was saying she never heard it on [the 3LW song], which is what they were suing her for. And two weeks later, I got served by the people that were suing her!”
According to Church, getting slapped with his own legal papers prompted him to reach out to Swift via text. “I was like, ‘Hey, thanks. Next time, let’s just skip that part?’” he said. “And she sent me a text: ‘I’m sorry. It’s the truth, though. That’s when I heard that phrase.’”
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“It’s since been settled,” Church added of his own involvement. However, the “Hands of Time” singer concluded in the interview that the whole experience still had him wondering, “‘How did this even happen?’”
Since an agreement to drop the “Shake It Off” lawsuit was reached between Swift, Hall and Butler in late 2022, Church has released his eighth studio album, 2025’s Evangeline vs. the Machine, which he’ll be promoting this fall with his upcoming Free the Machine Tour.
More recently, Church also collaborated with Morgan Wallen on I’m the Problem album cut “Number 3 and Number 7,” and in the same Rolling Stone interview, defended Bruce Springsteen after the namesake of his hit 2011 single “Springsteen” criticized President Trump and his administration during a concert.
Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem” leads Billboard’s Country Airplay chart for an eighth total and consecutive week. It holds atop the June 14-dated list with 27.1 million audience impressions (down 9% week-over-week) May 30-June 5, according to Luminate.
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Concurrently, “Just in Case,” the Sneedville, Tenn., native’s latest single being worked to country radio, gives Wallen his 20th Country Airplay top 10 — 17 of which have hit No. 1. It rises 11-10 with a 10% advance to 17.7 million in reach. (Plus, Wallen’s “I Ain’t Coming Back,” featuring Post Malone, ranks at its No. 32 high, up 9% to 2.9 million.)
“I’m the Problem” is the third Country Airplay No. 1 and title track from Wallen’s new album, which launched atop the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums (dated May 31) with 2025’s largest week by equivalent album units: 493,000 in the United States.
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Since the Country Airplay chart launched in January 1990, “I’m the Problem” is just the sixth hit to dominate for eight or more weeks — and Wallen owns three of them, as his latest joins “You Proof” (10 weeks at No. 1 beginning in October 2022) and “Last Night” (eight weeks, 2023).
The other three such supremacies are Nate Smith’s “World on Fire” (10 weeks, 2023-24), Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’ Clock Somewhere” (eight, 2003), and Lonestar’s “Amazed” (eight, 1999).
Meanwhile, Wallen ties Luke Combs for the most Country Airplay top 10s dating to the former’s first week in the tier — on the May 12, 2018, chart, “Up Down,” featuring Florida Georgia Line, reached the region on its way to No. 1. (Combs boasts 22 total top 10s, having notched his first two in 2017.)
CMA Fest 2025 kicked off on Thursday night (June 5) with more than 300 performers bringing their best performances across seven daytime stages and three nighttime stages in downtown Nashville. As the sun began to set, festival attendees — who had already spent hours immersed in music earlier in the day — made their way […]
Jelly Roll is a man who wears his big heart on his sleeve. The country superstar took time out on Thursday night (June 5) to thank tour mate Post Malone for taking him out on this summer’s Big Ass stadium tour. Following the pair’s Wednesday night show at New York’s Citi Field, Jelly posted a […]
Morgan Wallen’s I’m The Problem continues its reign atop the ARIA Albums Chart, holding steady at No. 1 for a third consecutive week.
With this run, the album becomes the longest-running No. 1 by a country artist in Australia in nearly a decade, since Lee Kernaghan’s Spirit of the Anzacs spent four weeks at the summit in 2015. The all-time country record remains Shania Twain’s Come On Over, which dominated for 20 non-consecutive weeks in 1999.
Wallen is also making waves on the ARIA Singles Chart, landing at No. 14 this week with “What I Want,” featuring Tate McRae.
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Speaking of McRae, the Canadian pop star debuts at No. 5 with “Just Keep Watching,” her contribution to the Brad Pitt-led F1 soundtrack. The track, co-written by Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, becomes her 11th top 20 hit on the ARIA chart. Her highest-charting single to date, “Greedy,” peaked at No. 2 in 2023.
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Meanwhile, Taylor Swift’s Reputation rockets from No. 34 to No. 2 this week following the news that she has secured the master rights to her first six albums. Four of those — Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Red (Taylor’s Version), Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and 1989 (Taylor’s Version) — have been re-recorded and released. The exceptions are Reputation and her 2006 self-titled debut. In recent interviews, Swift has confirmed that she has completed “less than a quarter” of Reputation (Taylor’s Version). The original album previously spent two weeks at No. 1 in 2017.
Miley Cyrus also enters the albums chart this week, with Something Beautiful debuting at No. 4. It’s her ninth studio album and eighth to chart inside the top 20 in Australia. Three of her albums have gone all the way to No. 1 — Breakout (2008), Bangerz (2013), and Endless Summer Vacation (2023). As Hannah Montana, she also charted three top 20 albums.
On the Aussie front, beloved indie rockers Cloud Control re-enter the ARIA Albums Chart at No. 19 with their 2010 debut Bliss Release, following their surprise reunion after a seven-year hiatus. The album originally peaked at No. 20 and earned the band critical acclaim and a devoted local following. Their highest-charting release remains Dream Cave, which reached No. 9 in 2013.
Finally, Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” holds at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart for an 11th straight week. The streak ties it with seven other long-running chart-toppers in Australian history, including Wings’ “Mull of Kintyre,” Bryan Adams’ “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You,” Spice Girls’ “Wannabe,” Drake’s “God’s Plan,” The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” 24kGoldn and Iann Dior’s “Mood,” and Glass Animals’ “Heat Waves.”
Music Corporation of America (MCA) has promoted Rob Femia to chief operating officer, adding COO to his duties as executive vp of business and legal affairs. The label group’s imprints include EMI Records Nashville, Lucille Records, Mercury Nashville and MCA Nashville, representing artists including Eric Church, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Chris Stapleton, Dierks Bentley, Alan […]
