genre country
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Can Kendrick Lamar still hold No. 1 this week? Tetris Kelly:This is the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 for the week dated March 8. Down to 10 is “Squabble Up.” Teddy is back in the top 10 as is Chappell Roan up to eight. “Birds of a Feather” is at seven. “APT.” is at No. […]
Ingrid Andress got her second chance at singing the national anthem at a recent Colorado Avalanche game, and this time, things went a lot better than they did seven months prior at the 2024 Home Run Derby.
In a video posted to the country star’s social media accounts Feb. 28, Andress stands on the ice and sings “The Star-Spangled Banner” a cappella, this time hitting all of the notes and getting through the whole song smoothly. When she gets to the line, “… that our flag was still there,” the fans in the arena join in, making her laugh before nailing her big finish.
After the song is over, she exits the rink and — before emotionally hugging a friend — the “More Hearts Than Mine” artist cheers, “I did it!”
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“We’re back baby,” Andress captioned the clip.
The showcase serves as a redemption for the singer-songwriter, who went viral in July over a flubbed rendition of the national anthem at the Home Run Derby in Arlington, Texas. After the pitchy, overall messy performance drew harsh criticism, Andress confessed on social media that she’d been under the influence of alcohol during the event and would be seeking treatment.
“I’m not gonna bulls–t y’all,” she wrote at the time in a post shared to her various accounts. “I was drunk last night. I’m checking myself into a facility today to get the help I need. That was not me last night. I apologize to MLB, all the fans, and this country I love so much for that rendition.”
As part of her comeback, Andress also released a new song titled “Footprints” Monday (March 3). “I think the most human thing on earth is failing,” she wrote of the song on Instagram. “It’s getting kicked off, feeling the sting of it, but getting back on the same damn horse anyway. The sister, daughter, and human I want to be is resilient. Without the mistakes in my life, I would not be the person I am today, and I sure as hell wouldn’t have the stories to pass on about my journey.”
“‘Footprints’ is a reminder to all the people I love the most, and also to myself, that I’m out here trying my best at this ‘life’ thing,” she added. “If there’s any helpful guidance anyone can take from it, it’s all worth it. Here’s to making it worse, making it right, and making it.”
Watch Andress redeem herself on the national anthem below.
Cole Swindell is going to be a dad! The “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” hitmaker and his wife, entrepreneur and former NBA dancer Courtney Little, revealed on Monday (March 3) that they are expecting their first child this year. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news On […]
Collaborations abound in this week’s Must-Hear column. Kassi Ashton and Parker McCollum team up for a sultry new ballad, Charles Wesley Godwin joins musical forces with Ernest, and Dani Rose partners with Brent Cobb. Meanwhile, Zach Top and Billy Strings offer a take on a Ricky Skaggs classic, while JD Clayton offers up music on his new project, Blue Sky Sundays.
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Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country, bluegrass and/or Americana songs of the week below.
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Kassi Ashton feat. Parker McCollum, “Sounds Like Something I’d Say”
Enveloped in a cool, sultry swagger, Ashton and McCollum sing about the hazy, morning-after regrets that follow a night of decisions intended to make one forget the loneliness that haunts them. “It sounds better in the dark than in the light of day,” Ashton sings about recalling words spoken under the influence of heartache and alcohol. They both venture into fervent, soulful territory here, to mighty impact.
Charles Wesley Godwin feat. Ernest, “Dead to Rights”
Charles Wesley Godwin teams with Ernest for this track included on Godwin’s seven-song EP, Lonely Mountain Town, which released Feb. 28 on Big Loud. Somber, acoustic-driven and steel guitar-inflected, “Dead to Rights” finds the song’s protagonist reflecting on how he once reveled in nights on the town and the single life, until finding a love worth trading it all in for. “You crashed into me, like that d–ned left hook I never got to see,” Godwin sings. He’s got a voice with all the warmth of a crackling fire, and he employs it admirably here.
Zach Top and Billy Strings, “Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown”
Bluegrass-and-beyond luminary Strings and ascendant country star Zach Top serve up a slab of classic country, taking on Ricky Skaggs’ 1983 hit “Don’t Cheat in Our Hometown.” The track is from Top’s new three-song EP, Me & Billy, which features a trio of songs previously featured as part of their Apple Music Sessions, and now available to stream everywhere. Strings, of course, has become an arena draw with his superb, genre-agnostic musicianship, while Top is has become one of the most-buzzed-about new country artists. Top also comes from a bluegrass background, formerly leading the band Modern Tradition, which won the SPBGMA Band Championship in 2017. He also issued his solo, self-titled bluegrass-leaning project in 2022, before issuing his breakthrough country project in 2024. Their musical camaraderie and mutual love for the genre is undeniable here.
JD Clayton, “Slow & Steady”
On his previous project Long Way From Home, Clayton focused on more pared-back folk and country vibes. But on his new album, Blue Sky Sundays, he returns to his rock influences. Here, a tale about a balmy Sunday drive gets a laid-back, Southern rock surge, thanks to the solid percussion and muscular guitar work Clayton and his band employ here. His grizzled voice lays into lyrics about soaking in a carefree day, from first sunlight to when the sun’s rays fade. “I said let’s take it slow/ You know we ain’t got no place to go,” he sings.
Blue Sky Sundays released Feb. 28 on Rounder Records.
Dani Rose and Brent Cobb, “I Ain’t Livin’”
Rose and Cobb trade harmonies gloriously on this track, which marked Rose’s fifth placement on the Paramount’s Yellowstone series. The track was written by Cobb and Jessi Alexander, and co-produced by Rose and Maks Gabriel. Together, Rose and Cobb turn in a cool, sultry rendering, declaring devotion to living life to the fullest and seeking adventure wherever they come across it. “May I ride till the wheels fall off/ But my soul’s out there in the ether,” they sing, wrapping in elements of a freewheeling, 1970s feel.
Brad Paisley announced the initial run of dates for his upcoming 2025 Truck Still Works World Tour on Monday (March 3). The first leg of the outing is slated to kick off on May 21 at the Mountain America Center in Idaho Falls, ID and bring the “No I in Beer” singer to Montana, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona, California, Ohio, New York, Virginia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida before winding down on August 8 at in Arcadia, WI at the Ashley for the Arts festival.
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The first announced dates of the Live Nation-promoted tour will feature support from Walker Hayes, as well as Avery Anna, Mae Estes and Alexandra Kay and Paisley’s first-ever stops at Morrison, CO’s historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre. The tour is named for Paisley’s current radio single “Truck Still Works,” which the singer debuted last fall on NBC’s People’s Choice Country Awards and the American Music Awards 50th anniversary special on CBS.
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A fan club presale will open on Tuesday (March 4) at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday (March 6) at 10 p.m. local time. The general on-sale will kick off on Friday (March 7) here. In addition, there will be an exclusive Verizon presale through Verizon Access for select shows beginning on Tuesday at noon local; for more details click here. Official tour sponsor Citi will give cardmembers access to a presale beginning on Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time through 10 p.m. local on Thursday here.
Check out the dates for Paisley’s Truck Still Works World Tour below.
May 21 – Idaho Falls, ID @ Mountain America Center #
May 22 – Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater #
May 24 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre *#
May 29 – Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater *+
May 30 – Airway Heights, WA @ BECU Live at Northern Quest *+
May 31 – Everett, WA @ Angel Of the Winds Arena *+
June 5 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre @ *#
June 6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre *#
June 7 – San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco Park *#
July 10 – Ft. Loramie, OH @ Country Concert festival line up
July 12 – Canandaigua, NY @ Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center ++ xx
July 17 – Richmond, VA @ Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront *=
July 18 – Bridgeport, CT @ Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater *=
July 19 – Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion *=
July 24 – Wilmington, NC @ Live Oak Bank Pavilion @ *=
July 25 – Simpsonville, SC @ CCNB Amphitheatre *=
August 1 – Savannah, GA @ Enmarket Arena *=
August 2 – St. Augustine, FL @ The St. Augustine Amphitheatre *=
August 3 – Clearwater, FL @ The Baycare Sound @ *= ++
August 8 – Arcadia, WI @ Ashley For the Arts Festival
* Walker Hayes
# Avery Anna
+ Mae Estes
= Alexandra Kay
@ No Citi & Verizon pre sale
++ non Live Nation show
xx Dylan Scott & Alexandra Kay
On March 3, 1990, The Oak Ridge Boys’ “No Matter How High” topped Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Written by Joey Scarbury — of “Theme From Greatest American Hero (Believe It or Not)” fame — and Even Stevens, and produced by Jimmy Bowen, the song was released as the second of two singles from the […]
Former American Idol finalist Colin Stough was arrested over the weekend and charged with DUI, underage consumption of alcohol and failure to exercise due care. According to AL.com, the Tennessee Highway Patrol took the 20-year-old singer into custody on Friday after he reportedly crashed his car outside of Nashville. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts […]
Country music reigned at the Ryman Auditorium on Friday night (Feb. 28), as Zach Top stepped onto the revered stage for the first of two headlining shows at country music’s historic Mother Church. The shows come as part of his Cold Beer and Country Music Tour, which sold out just hours after the trek went on sale.
Washington native Top’s brand of tunes — steeped in the influence of ‘80s and ‘90s country music, along with bluegrass — has swiftly pushed him to the forefront of a new generation of neo-traditional artists who are seeing their careers ascend.
Opening the show was Texas native and George Jones acolyte Jake Worthington, who told the crowd, “You’re getting a whole bunch of country music tonight.”
Worthington and Top made good on that promise, proving themselves as worthy musical torchbearers for fans starved for sounds inspired by ‘80s and ‘90s country.
Throughout the evening, both musicians offered a heady blend of their own music, mixed with a plethora of covers of hits from Jones, Keith Whitley, Merle Haggard, George Strait, Randy Travis and Sammy Kershaw.
Worthington launched into his set with a charismatic onstage persona and deep twang on “Night Time Is My Time,” then previewed a song that will feature Marty Stuart called “I’m The One.” His ace band included Gordon Mote on piano.
He also offered up a solo version of his Miranda Lambert collaboration, “Hello Shitty Day,” before nodding to the influence of Country Music Hall of Famer George Jones by offering up spot-on renditions of Jones classics “The Grand Tour” and getting the audience grooving to the rollicking “White Lightnin’.” He finished with his own “The State You Left Me In,” eliciting cheers from the audience.
“This song got me a lot of opportunities,” Worthington said.
A neon-lit jukebox was situated at the side of the stage, playing snippets of country classics as Top took the stage to fervent cheers from the audience. The crowd was instantly on its feet — and stayed on its feet for the rest of the show.
Top, who was highlighted in Billboard’s “Future of Country Music” spotlight earlier this year, spent his two-hour set blending top-shelf vocals, ace guitar picking, energetic performances and a devotion to old-school country music to prove why he’s leading today’s crop of future country superstars.
He kicked off his set with his Country Airplay top 15 hit “Sounds Like the Radio,” from his debut country project Cold Beer and Country Music, before nodding to his bluegrass roots with “I Don’t Mind,” from his 2022 self-titled bluegrass project.
Top had a laid-back, easygoing camaraderie with the crowd, cracking jokes between songs and regaling them with songs from Cold Beer and Country Music.
“I’m thankful that y’all have come out to make us feel welcome. We appreciate it. I’ll need one of these for the next song,” he quipped, opening up a beer before launching into “Beer for Breakfast.” He followed with “Dirt Turns to Gold” and a particularly well-received rendition of “Lonely for Long,” followed by “There’s the Sun.”
Like Worthington, he peppered his set with perfectly selected cover songs, highlighting his love for country’s deep canon of hits, including Strait’s “Love Bug,” Haggard’s “Ramblin’ Fever” and Travis’ “If I Didn’t Have You.” In his signature starched shirt and cowboy hat, grinning beneath his signature mustache, Top also slyly nodded to those Burt Reynolds and Tom Selleck comparisons in a cover of Kershaw’s “Cadillac Style.”
Top has earned the praise of many of his country contemporaries and has amassed 6 million monthly followers on Spotify alone. His Cold Beer and Country Music Tour is set to headline the 7,000-capacity Appalachian Wireless Arena in Kentucky in May. He’s also been on the road opening shows for Alan Jackson and will open shows for Dierks Bentley this year.
Judging from the fan reactions at country music’s Mother Church, which served as home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974, it seems like country music is in good hands and that Top is on a direct trajectory to headlining his own slate of arena shows in the very near future — and being the tip of the spear of a crop of new artists bringing classic country music back into prominence.
Here, we look at five top moments from Top’s Ryman show:
Top Closes Out His Show With a Hit and a Mission
Currently, Jelly Roll and Brandon Lake — two of the biggest draws in their respective genres of country and Contemporary Christian music, respectively — are gaining traction with a new collaborative version of Lake’s hit “Hard Fought Hallelujah.” The collab is in the top five on Spotify’s Viral 50 – USA chart, and the two […]
The Billboard Family Hits of the Week compiles what’s new and worth your family’s time in music, movies, TV, books, games and more. Forget the mind-numbing scrolling and searching “what to watch for family movie night” … again. The best in family entertainment each week is all in one place, in this handy guide. Isn’t it satisfying to […]