genre country
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This week’s crop of new music features songs from mainstream country hitmakers, rising artists and surging alt-country successes. This week’s songs highlight a slate of collaborations. Singer, songwriter and host of Apple Music’s “Today’s Country” Kelleigh Bannen teams with Lady A’s Charles Kelley for the song “Nothin’s On,” while MacKenzie Carpenter teams with trio Midland for “I Wish You Would.” Also, Aubry Rodriguez, daughter of country star Johnny Rodriguez, teams with Vinny Tovar on a remake of Rodriguez’s classic “Pass Me By.”
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Check out all of these and more in Billboard’s roundup of some of the top releases in country, bluegrass and Americana of the week below:
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Kelleigh Bannen and Charles Kelley, “Nothin’ On”
Bannen offers a potent reminder of her musical talent as she teams with Kelley for this moody, pop-leaning, post-breakup slow burn of two ex-lovers who can’t quite move on, despite ample temptations and efforts to do so. Their pitch-perfect harmonies and angst-filled vocals elevate the yearning and emotional tug-of-war the song’s characters are navigating, with Kelley’s ever-soulful voice pairing well with Bannen’s warm, pristine vocal. Bannen wrote “Nothin’ On” with Claire Douglas and Will Bowen, with production by Logan Wall.
Charles Wesley Godwin, “It’s The Little Things”
Godwin’s attuned songwriting and gruff-yet-honeyed voice broke through on albums including How The Mighty Fall and Family Ties. On his latest song, Godwin sings about the struggle to refrain from pining over big, make-or-break moments–or as he sings, “the big pay, the big show”–and learning to focus on the smaller moments that lean toward peace more than prideful gain, and harboring those moments with just as much appreciation. This solo write from Godwin, produced by Al Torrence, will be featured on his upcoming seven-song EP, Lonely Mountain Town, out Feb. 28 on Big Loud.
Vinny Tovar and Aubry Rodriguez, “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through)”
Aubry Rodriguez, daughter of country music star Johnny Rodriguez, teams with Vinny Tovar (“Gator Boots,” “Leaving With My Heart”) for a fiddle-drenched remake of Rodriguez’s 1972 classic “Pass Me By (If You’re Only Passing Through).” Their voices blend gloriously on this fresh yet stone-cold country rendering of the song, which highlights the enduring heritage of Latino country music. The video for the song, filmed at San Antonio venue The Lonesome Rose, also features a cameo from Johnny Rodriguez.
Mackenzie Carpenter feat. Midland, “I Wish You Would”
The collabs continue with this sensual pairing between Carpenter and Midland lead singer Mark Wystrach. The song centers around two people who find the sparks of a potential romance in a dingy, late-night dive bar. Their vocal chemistry and mutual affinity for a retro-country sound is undeniable, and this tale of an evening spent drinking, singing karaoke and hoping this dive-bar connection could turn into more serves as a perfect sonic setting. Carpenter wrote the song with Jonathan Hutcherson, Jamie Moore and Chris Tompkins, and the song is set to be featured on Carpenter’s debut album Hey Country Queen, which will be released in March.
Angel White, “Running in Place”
White crafts a powerful track centering on the intertwining of identity, family, love, broken truths, and lineage, as White sings potently and vulnerably about processing hard familial truths. At once soulful, country and introspective, this song marks one of White’s best to date, and one that highlights his rugged, engaging voice. Written by White and Dwight A. Baker, with production by Baker, this marks a powerful preview to White’s upcoming March album, Ghost of the West: The Album.
Belle Frantz, “Do Ya”
Mississippi native Frantz has made a name for herself through lending her rich, resonant voice to cover versions of ballads made popular by Reba McEntire and Loretta Lynn. Here, she offers up a new song, written by Frantz, Brandon Hood and Bart Butler, as part of the soundtrack to the hit series Landman. An uptempo, ’90s country-inflected track chockfull of pickup lines and paired with Frantz’s bold, Southern twang, it proves she can handle flirty, uptempo fare just as adeptly as she sings those classic ballads.
Noah Cyrus is showing support for her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, and his new music amid family drama.
On Friday (Feb. 7), the 25-year-old singer took to her Instagram Story to share a post about Billy Ray’s latest single, “Lost.”
“so proud of my Dads INCREDIBLE new single LOST with my good, old friend @samtinnesz and @tommeeprofitt,” she wrote, alongside a brief teaser of the track and a pair of red heart emojis.
Billy Ray’s “Lost,” featuring Tinnesz and Profitt, marks the 63-year-old country singer’s first new release since his rocky performance at the Liberty Ball during Donald Trump’s inauguration. His appearance on Jan. 20 was plagued by technical difficulties, leading him to perform “Achy Breaky Heart” a cappella for the crowd.
Following the controversial performance, Billy Ray’s son Trace Cyrus, older brother to Miley and Noah, shared an open letter on Instagram expressing concern for his father’s well-being.
“Me and the girls have been genuinely worried about you for years but you’ve pushed us all away,” he wrote. “Noah desperately has wanted you to be a part of her life and you haven’t even been there for her. That’s your baby girl. She deserves better. Somehow just like me she still idolizes you though.”
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On Jan. 25, Trace posted another Instagram letter, claiming Billy Ray had threatened him with legal action after the public plea for his father to “get help.”
Billy Ray, along with his ex-wife Tish, is the parent of Brandi, 37, and Trace, 35, both of whom Billy Ray adopted after marrying Tish. Together, they also share Miley, 32; Braison, 30; and Noah. He is also the father of 32-year-old Christopher, his son with ex-girlfriend Kristin Luckey.
In late January, Billy Ray announced an upcoming album, produced by Braison. The album is expected to be released sometime this summer.
“This is art imitating life, imitating art,” Billy Ray said of the album. “It starts and ends with art. Braison is very talented and ‘25 is his year. I’m glad to be a part of it. This record is gonna be special. I’m gearing up for what will be the journey of a lifetime.”
Kelsea Ballerini had to cut short a concert in Buffalo, New York, on Thursday night after falling ill.
The Patterns hitmaker was five songs into a headlining show at Buffalo’s KeyBank Center as part of her Kelsea Ballerini Live On Tour 2025 trek, when she had to leave the stage due to sickness. A member of Ballerini’s team then came onstage to inform the audience that the show was being postponed.
“This was the conversation I did not want to have tonight,” the teammember said from the stage. Shaking his head, he said, “She just can’t finish. She’s too sick, and we’ve given everything and we tried to do it and unfortunately cannot finish the show tonight. I do not know much beyond that. We are going to be looking at options and you will be receiving emails. Beyond that, there is not much I can say right now.”
Ballerini soon shared her own video on social media, explaining the situation, and thanking her fans for their understanding and patience.
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“Buffalo, I am so so sorry that I could not finish the show tonight. I am sicker than I’m trying to be, and I did not want to let anyone down tonight and I just got through the first few songs and I couldn’t do it. And I am so sorry, but I never want to give you a half-a– show,” she said, noting that they have rescheduled shows in Buffalo as well as in Pittsburgh and in Toronto.
Ballerini said, “And I will make them the best shows I’ve ever played in my whole life, and I will put out every stop for you, and I will make it so worth it. I’m going to go rest now, and get better, so I can really show up for the rest of this tour, and I hope you understand, and thank you for the grace to be human.”
Ballerini has rescheduled three shows on her tour, with the Buffalo date now set for April 11, the Pittsburgh show now set for April 12, followed by the Toronto show on April 13.
The “Cowboys Cry Too” singer’s next scheduled tour stop comes Feb. 10 in Philadelphia.
The time has finally come, Beyoncé is gearing up for what’s sure to be yet another culture-shifting tour.
After showcasing her Billboard 200-topping Cowboy Carter album through a bombastic Netflix-streamed NFL Christmas Day halftime show, Queen Bey uploaded a mysterious teaser promoting a Jan. 14 announcement date across her official social media accounts. Fan theories went wild, and, unfortunately, the devastating Los Angeles wildfires forced Beyoncé to delay her announcement.
Then came the first day of Black History Month (Feb. 1), the day Beyoncé and Netflix slyly edited the very end of her Beyoncé Bowl standalone special to include the official announcement of the Cowboy Carter Tour. The following day (Feb. 2), Queen Bey picked up three Grammys for her historic country and Western-infused LP, including her long-elusive album of the year trophy.
The last time Beyoncé hit the road was for 2023’s Renaissance World Tour in support of her four-time Grammy-winning 2022 Renaissance LP. That trek grossed a jaw-dropping $579 million from 56 shows across North America and Europe. Beyoncé played the entirety of her edifying dance music LP, molding her larger setlist around the record’s narrative and flow. The Renaissance World Tour — which also famously began with Beyoncé serving as her own opening act with an enrapturing ballad section — later topped the domestic box office as Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé, an acclaimed documentary concert film chronicling the conception and execution of the iconic tour.
Sparkly, silver cowboy hats were all the rage for the Renaissance World Tour, so what will be the color for the Cowboy Carter Tour? Perhaps some of the golden brown hues that have been present throughout the era — from the “Texas Hold ‘Em” single cover to Beyoncé’s dress at the 2025 Grammys. A Beyoncé tour is destined to include new infectious choreography and genius mashups, but she’s never toured an album this downtempo or this outside of her home genre of R&B — so the world truly is her oyster with the Cowboy Carter Tour.
Below is our dream setlist for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour. The setlist covers Beyoncé’s discography (yes, including Destiny’s Child, The Gift, and Everything Is Love) and key musical connections to her country music foremothers. When scrolling through this setlist, envision country-fried arrangements of Queen Bey’s pre-Cowboy Carter catalog, and expect the album to be performed largely in tracklist order like Renaissance was at its tour.
We’re aware this show would probably be over three hours (let’s be real, who wouldn’t watch the world’s greatest living entertainer for that long), but considering that there are markedly fewer dates for this tour (at press time), maybe Queen Bey will keep the show going for just a little bit longer!
Act I: Welcome to the Rodeo
Paramount will pause a handful of awards shows for 2025, including the CMT Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards and more, Billboard has confirmed. Other awards shows being impacted are the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards Mexico and the MTV MIAWs (previously known as the MTV Millennial Awards).
As The Hollywood Reporter first reported, the news came as part of a memo from the office of Bruce Gillmer, Paramount Global’s president of music, music talent, programming and events, media networks/chief content officer, music, Paramount+. According to the memo, the changes come as the company seeks “to reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward.”
Gillmer’s memo added, “Our world-class events remain a key component of Paramount’s music offering as we continue to raise the bar in delivering iconic, unforgettable performances and moments that drive pop culture.”
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In 2022, the CMT Music Awards shifted from CMT to CBS; the annual event had aired on CMT since 2002. In 2023, the show relocated from Nashville to Austin. Last year’s big winners during the CMT Music Awards included Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and Dan + Shay.
At the 2024 MTV EMAs, held in November, artists including Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter emerged as top winners.
The memo follows rounds of layoffs that began last year after Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy noted plans for the company to reduce its U.S.-based workforce by approximately 15%, including at CMT. In August, Paramount also shuttered Paramount TV Studios amid the restructuring and layoffs. The shifts came after Paramount Global agreed to a merger with David Ellison‘s Skydance in July 2024.
See Gillmer’s memo to staffers below.
Team,
We want to share some news. We are pausing a few events for 2025, as we look to reimagine and optimize our events slate going forward. These include the MTV EMAs, MTV MIAWs, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in Mexico, and CMT Music Awards.
Our world-class events remain a key component of Paramount’s music offering as we continue to raise the bar in delivering iconic, unforgettable performances and moments that drive pop culture. We have the best team in the business, and we are grateful for your hard work and dedication in bringing these events to life.
Thank you,
Bruce
CCM artist Brandon Lake and country artist Jelly Roll have teamed up for a collaborative version of Lake’s hit song “Hard Fought Hallelujah,” which arrived Friday (Feb. 7).
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Lake first released the song last year, and it quickly hit No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Christian Songs chart. The Jelly Roll/Lake version infuses the song with an extra shot of soul and angst, as the two artists blend their voices around lyrics that detail how facing trials and battles can result in a strengthened resolve.
Lake takes the first verse and chorus, singing, “There’s days when a praise comes out easy/ And days when it takes all the strength I got.” Jelly Roll soon joins in, adding his point of view on the value struggle revealing the depth of truth of a personal faith: “‘Case faith isn’t proven like gold ’til it’s been through the fire.”
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Together, they sing of finding the fortitude to lift their hands higher in praise and gratitude, even when it is hard to do. Jelly Roll feels like a natural collaborator on this song, given his own track record of tunes that blend heartache, struggle and faith, such as “Son of a Sinner” and “Halfway to Hell.”
Jelly Roll previously took to social media to discuss being part of the song. “This is so hard to talk about, because I’ve been called a ‘lukewarm’, a ‘fence-rider’, I’ve been called a ‘cussing Christian’. You know, I’ve had all these people, and I know that God’s got a lot more to do with me. I know that,” he shared aon Feb. 6. “I know I got a long way to go, and I know that my heart was only to share the faith that changed my life.”
“I might wear it a little different than other people, I might say things that other Christians don’t think are right to say,” he added, “but ultimately, I have a heart for God and I have a heart for Jesus.”
Lake responded, “You are thinking so dangerously outside of the box, even with me, dude, you could have called anybody else in this town, and something a little less controversial”. Endearingly, Lake immediately explains why he chose Jelly: “Because I got his heart.”
Lake has earned four No. 1 Christian Airplay hits, including the nine-week chart-topper “That’s Who I Praise.” Last year, he picked up GMA Dove Award wins for songwriter of the year-artist, and pop/contemporary album of the year for his project Coat of Many Colors.
Meanwhile, Jelly Roll has steadily continued his collaborative ways in the past several months, including releasing collabs with Kane Brown (“Haunted”) and MGK (“Lonely Road”), while his 2024 album Beautifully Broken earned the star his first No. 1 debut on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.
Hear “Hard Fought Hallelujah” below:
Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” (American Dogwood/EMPIRE/Magnolia Music) continues its record run in the top 10 of Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, dated Feb. 15. The song adds a 32nd week in the tier, extending the longest top 10 residency since the survey began in January 1990. The track surpassed Dustin Lynch’s “Thinking ‘Bout You” (featuring […]
Following Cindy Mabe’s departure as CEO/chairman of Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN) earlier on Thursday (Feb. 6), parent company Universal Music Group has appointed Mike Harris as CEO and named noted producer and nine-time Grammy winner Dave Cobb as chief creative officer.
The move is a return to UMGN for Harris, who served as COO/executive VP there until his departure last September.
“We see an incredible opportunity to expand our presence in Nashville and build upon our industry leading track record,” said Sir Lucian Grainge, chairman/CEO of UMG, in a statement. “The worldwide success of our country artists demonstrate that the genre truly has no boundaries and I’m excited for what lies ahead creatively and commercially.”
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“I am humbled to have been asked by Sir Lucian to lead UMG Nashville at such an important and exciting time in country music,” said Harris, who had initially joined UMGN in 2016 after 15 years at EMI. “I also look forward to work closely with Dave Cobb, the amazing roster of artists and my friends at UMG Nashville.”
Cobb said, “I am incredibly excited to work with Mike Harris, I’m here to honor the past, and look to the future.”
Cobb, one of Music City’s most in-demand collaborators, has produced such albums as Chris Stapleton’s 6-times-platinum Traveller, Jason Isbell’s Southeastern and Brandi Carlile’s By The Way I Forgive You as well as recent albums for Mumford & Sons, Red Clay Strays, Zayn, Greta Van Fleet, Jamey Johnson, Little Big Town, Reba McEntire and music for Deliver Me From Nowhere, the forthcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic.
Mabe, whose reign lasted almost two years, was the successor to Mike Dungan, who retired in March 2023. Mabe became the first woman to lead a Nashville major label group. Country Airplay first broke the news.
“I want to thank Cindy Mabe for all her contributions to our Nashville company,” Grainge said. “She leaves UMG with our gratitude and respect.”
In addition to Stapleton, UMGN is home to such acts as Eric Church, Luke Bryan, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton and The War and Treaty. Among its more recent successes were upstart Tucker Wetmore, who reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart last year with “Wind Up Missin’ You,” and Ringo Starr, whose country album is the first release from the newly-relaunched Lost Highway/UMGN and debuted at No. 27 on Top Country Albums.
Cindy Mabe, Universal Music Group Nashville’s chair/CEO, has left the company, Billboard has confirmed.
Mabe, whose reign lasted almost two years, was the successor to Mike Dungan, who retired in March 2023. Mabe became the first woman to lead a Nashville major label group. Country Aircheck first broke the news.
Mabe, who was 2019 Billboard’s Country Power Player executive of the year, had come out of the gate with ambitious plans that greatly broadened the scope of UMG Nashville’s remit, including an alliance with Cirque du Soleil, signing a number of acts that she introduced during a “Revival” that were left-of-center of mainstream country, launching a TV/film production company and, last month, reviving Lost Highway Records with T Bone Burnett.
The label is home to such acts as Chris Stapleton, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Mickey Guyton, Little Big Town and The War and Treaty. Among its more recent successes were upstart Tucker Wetmore, who reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart last year with “Wind Up Missin’ You,” and Ringo Starr, whose country album is the first release from Lost Highway/UMGN and debuted at No. 27 on Top Country Albums.
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In a January interview with Billboard about restarting Lost Highway, Mabe stressed focusing on artistry and lamented the loss of art in music as analytics have played a bigger role. “T Bone and I keep talking about the reason that we’re going to win is we’re going to put quality art back into the marketplace,” Mabe said. “It’s just missing. I’m not saying that there’s not some quality art out there, but it’s not always the goal. You don’t get artist development just by spinning the wheel and seeing how many ‘likes’ are out there. You actually have to make people feel something.”
Upon Mabe’s ascension from UMG Nashville president, she quickly made staffing changes, including the departures of the head of promotion, Royce Risser, and two heads of A&R, Brian Wright and Stephanie Wright, while bringing in Chelsea Blythe as executive vp of A&R. Blythe had been best known for her work with hip-hop artists at Def Jam, Columbia and Interscope. More recently, executive vp/COO Mike Harris left UMG Nashville in September.
UMG Nashville and UMG representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Nearly 35 years after making his way to Nashville from a small town in East Tennessee, then steadily ascending to become one of music’s most reliable stadium headliners and amassing 17 No. 1 Billboard Top Country Albums chart leaders (and nine all-genre Billboard 200 chart-leading albums)–Kenny Chesney is shining a light on the places, people and communities that have shaped his life.
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Chesney will release his first book, Heart Life Music, on Nov. 4, 2025 via William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Chesney crafted the book with his longtime friend and collaborator, award-winning journalist/author Holly Gleason, and according to a release, the book aims to capture the essence of “the superstar’s journey from small town East Tennessee dreamer to commanding the largest stages across the nation will capture the sparks of creativity, venture to places long gone, make unexpected music in Jamaica, the Kremlin, New England and Cabo San Lucas, drift across the waters of the Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, encounter and collaborate with heroes, engage with a coterie of singular folks, friends and inspirations, and always find the joy of being unabashedly alive.”
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In a statement, Chesney said, “This is not my memoir, but something far better. It is almost a love letter to people who shaped and inspired me, the fans who’ve been there from tiny bars, radio stations who believed when nobody else did, a team who just kept coming back, legends who gave me wisdom and opportunities and all the friends who’ve been there along the way. To me, that’s where the music came from – and this is the story of how it turned into the soundtrack for the way No Shoes Nation lives their lives, too.”
Chesney, who is a four-time entertainer of the year winner at both the CMA and ACM Awards, also noted in a statement, “I always said I’d never write a book. Too many things happened almost to be believed, let alone lived, but I realized with the world moving in such fast forward motion, too much of what made Nashville, the music business and our lives great would be lost to the churn of the next click. To have been in a room as a kid writing with Dean Dillon, have Sean Payton call an NFL press conference to announce he’s drafting me to the Saints, be in Tuff Gong Studios with Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett and Alvin ‘Seeco’ Patterson or on a private plane with George Jones after opening for him defies logic. So, for everyone in No Shoes Nation, I realized: you deserved to share the magic.”