UK News, UK Chart News, Billboard Country Charts, Album
& Single Releases, US News, Music News, Press Releases, TV, Interviews, Videos, Birthdays, RIP’s
CDX
NEWS
Tucker Wetmore has some things to say about his new single,
"Brunette."
Maddie & Tae explain the title of their new album, Love &
Light. And as we celebrate Mother's Day, Tim McGraw will tell
you about his mom.
UK NEWS
On
the BBC
Radio 2 Playlist 10 May – 16 May 2025
A
List
Remember Monday - What The Hell Just Happened [A-A-A-A] * Eurovision
entry
B
List
Morgan Wallen Feat. Post
Malone - I Ain't Comin' Back [B-B-B]
Shaboozey Feat. Myles
Smith - Blink Twice [B-B]
C List
First Time Flyers - Stay [C-C]
(9 May 2025) Black Deer is coming to Tobacco Dock, London
25 - 26 October 2025
We’re beyond excited to bring the spirit of Black Deer to
the capital.
Introducing Black Deer In The City— Black Deer’s latest adventure, 25-26
October, in partnership with the iconic Tobacco Dock, Wapping (Tobacco Dock; Tobacco
Quay London,E1W 2SF).
A hybrid of their festival and Black Deer Live shows, Black
Deer In The City will offer two unforgettable days packed with everything you
love about Black Deer.
Over 50 incredible artists will take to three live stages,
including Black Deer Live, Haley’s Bar and the iconic Roadhouse (curated by
London’s Desertscene), bringing Black Deer’s signature blend of the very best
of Americana music.
The first wave of artists will be announced at the end of
May. EVENT LINK (Day
admission £90.11 (£84.00 + £6.11 fee) + Weekend Admission - Sat &
Sun £157.45 (£150.00 + £7.45 fee).
UK CHART NEWS
UK Country Radio Airplay
Chart (published May 11, 2025)
See The TOP 40 at countrymusic.co.uk
You can find the weekly UK Country
Radio Airplay Chart, published by Holler and updated every Sunday at 5pm
GMT - HERE.
Chart dated May 11, 2025
No.1 Eric Church with “Hands Of Time” 2 weeks at
#1
No.2 Ella Langley's with 'weren't
for the wind' fell 1-2
No.3 Morgan Wallen with “I’m The Problem” rose 14-3
No.4 Bailey Zimmerman feat Luke Combs with “Backup Plan”
No.5 Chappell Roan with “The Giver”
No.6 Tucker Wetmore with “3,2,1” moved 7-6
No.7 Jordan Davis “Bar None” climbed 10-7
No.8 Myles Smith feat. Lainey Wilson with “Nice To
Meet You”
No.9 Blake Shelton with “Texas” fell 2-9
No.10 Russell Dickerson with “Happen To Me”
UK Official Charts
UK Albums
9 May 2025 – 15 May 2025
Pink Floyd secured a seventh Official Number 1 album with Pink
Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII this week.
The groundbreaking 1972 film, directed by Adrian Maben
at Floyd’s Pompeii Roman Amphitheatre show a year prior, has been digitally
re-mastered from its original 35mm footage, with newly mixed audio from Steven
Wilson.
Previously, Pink Floyd have topped the UK Albums Chart
with Atom Heart Mother (1970), Wish You Were Here (1975), The Final Cut (1983),
The Division Bell (1994), Pulse (Live) (1995) and The Endless River (2014).
Pink Floyd at Pompeii – MCMLXXII also debuted atop the
Official Vinyl Albums Chart, the most popular record on wax this week.
Floyd now lift on the list of acts with the most Number
1 albums in the UK, joining the likes of George Michael and Muse.
Triggering the 21st change in leadership atop the chart
in as many weeks, Pink Floyd At Pompeii… is the second live set to top the
chart this year, 12 weeks after Taylor Swift’s Lover (Live From Paris).
UK Singles
9 May 2025 – 15 May 2025
Eclipsing Noah Kahan’s Stick Season to become the
longest-running No.1 single by a male solo American for well over 60 years, Ordinary
spent its eighth consecutive week at the summit for Alex Warren, on
consumption of 65,972 units (1,820 digital downloads, 64,152 sales-equivalent
streams).
Chappell Roan with her
country track “The Giver” fell 19-22 in her eighth frame
In his 55th chart frame Shaboozey’s A Bar Song
(Tipsy) held at No.48.
Shaboozey & Myles Smith with
“Blink Twice” fell 54-62 in their 4th frame.
Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen with “I Had Some Help” held at No.74
in their 50th frame
Dasha
with “Austin” fell 75-78 in her 60th chart frame.
Morgan Wallen ft Post Malone with “I Ain't
Comin' Back” dropped 83-92 in their 3rd frame.
9 May 2025 – 15 May 2025
1 NE 1 Pink Floyd ~ Pink Floyd At Pompeii
MCMLXXII ****audio release of 1972 concert film now remastered
(recorded in 1971)
2 4 37 Sabrina Carpenter ~ Short n' Sweet
3 6 32 Ed Sheeran ~ +-=÷× (Tour Collection)
4 7 338 Fleetwood Mac ~ 50 Years: Don't Stop
5 8 222 The Weeknd ~ The Highlights
9 May 2025 – 15 May 2025
1 1 13 Alex Warren ~ Ordinary
22 19 8 Chappell Roan ~ The Giver (Peak
No.2; 9 weeks - 27/03/2025 to 15/05/2025)
48 48 55 Shaboozey ~ A Bar Song (Tipsy) *** (Peak No.3 36 weeks - 25/04/2024 to
26/12/2024 + 19 weeks - 09/01/2025 to 15/05/2025)
62 54 4 Shaboozey
and Myles Smith ~ Blink Twice (Peak:
No.44, 4 weeks 24/04/2025 to 15/05/2025)
74 74 50 Post Malone ft Morgan Wallen ~ I Had Some Help *** (Peak: No.2, 31 weeks - 23/05/2024 to 19/12/2024 + 19
weeks - 09/01/2025 to 15/05/2025)
78 75 60 Dasha ~ Austin *** (Peak:
No.5, 43 weeks - 07/03/2024 to 26/12/2024 + 7 weeks -
09/01/2025 to 20/02/2025 + 10 weeks 13/03/2025 to 15/05/2025)
92 83 3 Morgan Wallen ft Post Malone ~ I Ain't Comin' Back (Peak: No.50, 3 weeks 01/05/2025 to 15/05/2025)
9 May 2025 – 15 May 2025
Willie Nelson with OH WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORLD moved 2-1 (2
weeks; #1 peak)
Julien Baker & Torres with SEND A PRAYER MY WAY fell
1-2 (3 weeks; #1 peak) tagged Alternative
Shaboozey
with WHERE I'VE BEEN ISN'T WHERE I'M
GOING held at No.3 (49 weeks; #2 peak)
Eric Church with EVANGELINE VS THE MACHINE made a debut at No.4 (1 week; #4 peak)
Alison Krauss & Union Station with ARCADIA slipped 4-5
(6 weeks; #1 peak)
Beyoncé
with COWBOY CARTER rose 7-6
(58 weeks; #1 peak)
Kassi
Valazza with FROM NEWMAN STREET made
a debut at No.7 (1 week; #7 peak)
Post
Malone with F-1 TRILLION slipped
6-8 (38 weeks; #1 peak)
Taylor
Swift with FEARLESS (Taylor’s
Version) fell 5-9 (213 weeks; #1 peak)
Tucker
Wetmore with WHAT NOT TO slipped 9-10
(2 weeks; #9 peak)
COUNTRY ALBUM RELEASES (Major)
(9 May 2025) Blake
Shelton - For Recreational Use Only (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville)(9 May 2025) Thomas
Rhett - About A Woman (From A Small Town)
BILLBOARD/ MEDIABASE Charts
Billboard
Country Charts (Chart issue week
of May 17, 2025)
Country Album Chart ** No.1 (86
non-consecutive weeks) ** ONE THING AT A TIME Morgan
Wallen
Hot Country Songs ** No.1 (44 weeks) ** “A
Bar Song (Tipsy)” Shaboozey
Country Airplay Chart **
No.1 (4 weeks) ** “I'm The Problem” Morgan Wallen
Country Digital Songs ** No.1
(1 week) ** “Backup Plan” Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs
Billboard 200 News
Bad Bunny’s DEBÍ TIRAR MÁS FOTOS returned to No. 1 on the Billboard
200 albums chart, jumping 7-1 on the May 17-dated chart,
following the set’s release on vinyl. It’s the fourth total week atop the list
for the Spanish-language project, which spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1
on the Jan. 25-Feb. 8-dated charts. In the tracking week ending May 8, Debí
Tirar Más Fotos earned 84,500 equivalent album units (up 123%) in
the United States, with more than half of the sum driven by vinyl purchases,
according to Luminate.
Morgan Wallen’s ONE
THING AT A TIME was steady at No.4 (46,000; down
less than 1%).Rounding out the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200 were Morgan Wallen’s former leader DANGEROUS: THE DOUBLE
ALBUM (rose 10-9 with 33,500 equivalent album
units; up 1%) and Shaboozey’s WHERE
I’VE BEEN, ISN’T WHERE I’M GOING (fell 8-10 with 32,000;
down 8%).
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” also added a 44th week at No. 1 on the
multimetric Hot Country Songs chart. It’s second only to Bebe Rexha
and Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant To Be,” which ruled for 50 weeks in 2017-18.
Billboard Hot 100 News
Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s
“Luther” ruled the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart for a 12th
total and consecutive week.
Shaboozey’s “A
Bar Song (Tipsy)” rose 5-4 on the Hot 100, following
its record-tying 19 weeks at No. 1 beginning last July, and notched a
44th week in the top five – surpassing The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights” for the
most weeks ever spent in the tier.
Billboard’s
Country Airplay Chart News
Riley Green, Corey Kent & Ella
Langley Notch New Country Airplay Top 10s
ONGOING ‘PROBLEM’: Morgan Wallen’s “I’m
the Problem” (Mercury/ Republic/Big Loud) dominated Country
Airplay for a fourth total and consecutive week (30.7 million, up 1%). The song
marked the fifth of his 17 No.1s to ring up four or more frames on top. His
longest-leading hit, “You Proof,” reigned for 10 weeks beginning in October
2022. It’s tied for the longest command in the chart’s 35-year history with
Nate Smith’s “World on Fire” (2023-24).
Riley Green’s “Worst
Way” (Nashville Harbor) hits the top 10 on Billboard’s
Country Airplay chart, hopping from No. 11 to No.
8 on the survey dated May 17.
BIG ‘HEART’: Corey Kent landed his
second Country Airplay top 10
as
“This Heart” (Combustion Masters/RCA Nashville) rose 12-9 (16.4million,
up 12%). The song, from the Bixby, Okla., native’s album Black Bandana (which
arrived last fall), follows “Wild As Her,” which hit No. 3 in May 2023.
‘WIND’ BLOWS IN: Ella Langley achieved her second Country Airplay top 10 as “Weren’t for the Wind”
(SAWGOD/Columbia/Triple Tigers) gusted 13-10 (15.5
million, up 12%). The single, from her 2024 LP Hungover, follows her
chart-topping Riley Green team-up “you look like you love me” (see above).
Billboard’s
Country Chart News
No.1 Bailey Zimmerman & Luke
Combs “Backup Plan”: The
collaboration sold 3,000 downloads in its launch week
(May 2-8), according to Luminate, and flew in atop Country
Digital Song Sales. The coronation is the fourth for Zimmerman and
10th for Combs. On Hot Country Songs, it opened at No.10, also boosted by
9.5 million official U.S. streams, awarding the artists their sixth and
23rd top 10, respectively. The duet also drew 10.6 million
impressions and starts at No. 17 on Country Airplay. They premiered the
song live when Zimmerman appeared during Combs’ headlining set at Stagecoach
Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 27. (Garth Brooks joined Combs for
“Friends in Low Places.”)
No.5 Eric Church Evangeline Vs.
the Machine: The Granite, Falls, N.C., native earned his 11th top 10, and
10th top five title, on Top Country Albums as his
eight-song set entered at No.5. Released May 2, it earned 20,000
equivalent album units in its opening week, with 13,000
in
album sales. The debut marked Church’s first since Soul started at its
No. 2 high in May 2021.
No.47 HARDY Country!: HARDY posted
his fourth appearance on Top Country Albums as his
fivesong project Country! debuted at No.47. It earned 7,000
units in its initial frame, with 2,000 in album sales. The EP follows
The Mockingbird & The Crow, which became his first No. 1 when it
debuted atop the list in February 2023.
Country Airplay
** No.1 (4 weeks) ** “I'm The Problem” Morgan Wallen 30.675 million audience (+0.182 million gain) / 8319 radio
plays (-89 / 14 weeks on the chart
** Hot
Shot Debut/ Most Increased Audience ** No.17 “Backup Plan” Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs (+10.583 million gain)
Debut No.59 “Paper Umbrellas” Tim McGraw Featuring Parker McCollum
Debut No.60 “The Giver” Chappell Roan
Hot County Songs
** No.1 (44 weeks) ** “A Bar Song
(Tipsy)” Shaboozey
** Airplay Gainer ** No.7 “I Never Lie” Zach Top
** Hot Shot Debut ** No.10 “Backup Plan” Bailey Zimmerman & Luke Combs
** Streaming Gainer/ Sales Gainer ** No.20 “Hands Of Time” Eric Church
Debut No.50 “Heart Of Stone” Jelly
Roll
Country Aircheck
MEDIABASE Chart
Congratulations to Zach Top, Katie Dean, Chris Fabiani, Tracy Gibson and the Leo33 team on taking “I Never Lie” to the top of the
chart for the label’s first No. 1. Songwriters are Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols and Top.
Zach
Top with “I Never Lie” (Leo33) moved 4-1 logging 9461 radio spins (+1928), 35.714 million audience
impressions (+6.07 million) with 31359 Total Points (+6540) from 158
tracking stations (159 ADDS) for the published chart dated May 12, 2025
Megan Moroney and Kenny Chesney’s “You Had To Be There Plan” Is The Most Added
Kudos to Dennis Reese and the Columbia
promotion crew on scoring
117 adds
for “You Had To Be There” by Megan
Moroney and Kenny Chesney. This is the
largest add week for the label for a release not by Luke Combs since
March 2016, when Chesney’s “Noise” scored 138 adds.
May 12, 2025 The Weeks ADDS
Artist/Title (Label) TW Historic
M. MORONEY &
K. CHESNEY/You Had To Be There (Blue Chair/Columbia) 117 117
B. ZIMMERMAN f/L.
COMBS/Backup Plan (Atlantic/Warner/WEA/Columbia) 18 150
PRESTON COOPER/Weak (Valory) 17 21
TUCKER WETMORE/3,2,1 (Back
Blocks/EMI Nashville) 17 131
CHRIS JANSON/Me & A Beer
(Warner/Harpeth 60) 16 92
SAM BARBER f/AVERY
ANNA/Indigo (Lockeland Spr./Atlantic/Magnolia) 16 93
KELSEA BALLERINI/Baggage
(Black River) 10 63
GEORGE BIRGE/It Won't Be
Long (Records Nashville) 9 143
MORGAN WALLEN f/P. MALONE/I
Ain't Coming Back (Big Loud) 9 44
NEWS
(6 May 2025) Miranda Lambert aims to "keep the outlaw movement going"
with her new record label, Big Loud Texas. The 41-year-old singer
appeared on 'American Idol's Iconic Women-themed night as a guest mentor. After
teaming up with Jon Randall to launch Big Loud Texas in 2024, Miranda used
'American Idol' to scout new talent. She told host Ryan Seacrest that she is
looking for artists to maintain creative freedom outside Nashville's mainstream
country music scene.
(6 May 2025) Leo33's Jenna Paulette has
debuted her new "Sunrise" and "Sunset" women's boots as
part of her brand partnership with Justin Boots. Shop here.
(7 May 2025) Grand Ole Opry star Jeannie Seely is
recuperating from multiple back surgeries in March, as well as two emergency
abdominal surgeries in April, followed by 11 days in intensive care and a bout
of pneumonia. In an update to fans, she says, "Rehab is pretty tough but
each day is looking brighter." Once recovered, Seely plans to
continue performing regularly on the Opry and resume her
weekly show, Sundays with Seely, on SiriusXM’s Willie’s
Roadhouse channel.
(8 May 2025) LeAnn Rimes has
been cast as a series regular in the new ABC drama 911: Nashville.
She joins a cast that includes Chris O’Donnell, Jessica
Capshaw and Kimberly Williams-Paisley for the Music
City-set show, produced in association with Ryan Murphy Television.
Rimes most recently has worked as a coach on The Voice in both
the UK and Australia.
Maren Morris talked about her first
songwriting break from Carrie Underwood and performed "Too Good"
and Billy Idol’s “Dancing With
Myself" on The Howard Stern Show.
Carrie Underwood looked back at
her Top 5 American Idol performance of “Bless The Broken Road”
on the latest episode of Idol to Icon.
(9 May 2025) Bits &
Pieces: Chris Stapleton's Traveller Whiskey is now the
official whiskey of Major League Baseball (MLB).
GOSSIP
(10 May 2025) Gretchen Wilson, known for her song "Redneck
Woman," made a return to the national spotlight by winning The Masked
Singer on May 7. In an interview, she discussed the health issues that have
affected her career in recent years. She explained to Fox News Digital that she
contracted COVID-19 early in the pandemic, which resulted in high blood
pressure, shortness of breath, and asthma. It took her about two years to find
appropriate medical care and medication to manage these conditions. Her
condition was serious enough to prevent her from performing even light
housework without experiencing dangerously high blood pressure levels.
AMERICANA NEWS
(6 May 2025) Charlie Crockett – LONESOME DRIFTER (Lone Star Rider) held at No.1 & Caamp with “Let Things Go” (Mom+Pop Music) rose 2-1 on the albums and singles Americana Radio Charts (week of May 6, 2025). Visit americanamusic.org to see the full charts and details for the current week's Albums and Singles.
BLUEGRASS
(9 May 2025) — Acclaimed bluegrass ensemble Volume Five has released their powerful new single, “Walking Among the Living” (* written by Jessie Lee Alexander, Jon Randall) the final preview before their forthcoming album drops on May 23. With heartfelt lyrics and moving instrumentation, the song serves as a reminder of hope, resilience, and the promise of new beginnings.
“This song can represent so many different things to all of us,” says Glen Harrell, the band's founding member and lead vocalist. “No matter what we have gone through in life, there’s always a better tomorrow just around the corner. We just have to learn to have more faith in what that tomorrow may hold and rediscover our opportunity for a new beginning.”
(9 May 2025) Morning Glory Music is thrilled to announce the release of SOMETHING TO BE SAID, the highly anticipated fifth album from beloved bluegrass gospel group The Gospel Plowboys. With a heartfelt mix of original compositions and treasured favorites, this album continues the band’s mission of spreading the gospel through powerful harmonies and top-tier musicianship.
“The band is proud to release its fifth album entitled Something To Be Said, which features original songs written by The Gospel Plowboys and other songs previously recorded by the likes of Randy Travis and the Stanley Brothers,” says guitarist and vocalist Michael Jenkins.
MUSIC NEWS
(6 May 2025) Concord Music Publishing announced the signing of singer-songwriter
Grace Tyler in her first publishing deal. The worldwide publishing deal, effective immediately, includes Tyler’s catalog and her upcoming releases.
Originally from Frisco, Texas,
Grace Tyler attended Belmont University, honing her craft and working with
multi-platinum singer-songwriter Lee Brice as a mentor. Tyler’s debut EP Everything
I Didn’t Say, which was released in March, is a raw and honest testimonial
collection recounting all the things one holds back from saying.
Tyler’s first breakout hit was
the viral breakup single “My Mistake,” originally released on TikTok in 2021.
She followed it up with a feature on Spotify’s “Fresh Finds” and “Fresh Finds
Country” playlists, highlighting the best new music by independent and emerging
artists across genres. She was also one of eight multi-genre artists nominated
for Spotify’s 2024 “Fresh Finds Favorites” with her song “Weak Man.” In 2024,
Tyler was featured on the cover of Amazon’s “Breakthrough Country” playlist
promoting her song “Lose Me.”
(7 May 2025) ICYMI: “Country
music is not a classroom that you just leave," Maren Morris told TZR. "It’s
a family. It’s a sound. It’s a feeling. It’s an emotion. That’s not what I
meant when I was going through that transition. It was about: ‘Do I want to put
my life’s work in the hands of some of these gatekeepers of mainstream country
music?’”
AWARDS
(7 May 2025) Belmont
University graduates Trisha Yearwood and songwriter Hillary
Lindsey received honorary
doctorates at the Nashville school's spring commencement earlier this month.
The recognition honors "scholarly, creative and professional achievements
in a range of fields."
(8 May 2025) ICYMI: After
eight performances and a lot of incorrect guesses as to the identity of
“Pearl,” Gretchen Wilson emerged as the
season 13 winner of Fox's The Masked Singer Wednesday
night (5/7). Brian Kelley came in fourth place in his
"Mad Scientist Monster" identity.
Week after week, “Pearl”
stumped all four judges by effortlessly moving from Dolly Parton’s “Here You
Come Again,” to Whitney’s “Saving All My Love For You,” Gloria Estefan’s
“Conga,” Blue Oyster Cult’s “Don’t Fear The Reaper,” and The Outfield’s “Your
Love.” A beautiful version of Lesley Gore’s “You Don’t Own Me” sent her into
the Top Four. KT Tunstell’s “Black Horse and a Cherry Tree” landed her in the
Top Three, and after singing The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand By You,” she was
announced as the Season 13 winner.
(8 May 2025) Feels So Right: Alabama and Brenda
Lee will be honored at Nashville
Songwriters Association International (NSAI)'s eighth annual Nashville
Songwriter Awards Sept. 23 at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium. Alabama
will receive the Kris Kristofferson Lifetime Achievement Award and
Lee the NSAI President's Keystone Award, which recognizes
"significant contributions to the industry for the betterment of all
songwriters." Tickets go on sale July 18 at Ryman.com.
(9 May 2025) Trailblazer: "I'm sure
everybody deals with a little bit of imposter syndrome, but I won't lie to
you," said Entertainer of the Year Lainey Wilson at last
night's (5/8) 60th Academy of Country Music Awards. "But I read something not long ago that just said, 'If
something is given to you, then you need to accept it with an open heart and an
open mind.'" Wilson joins Taylor Swift (2011-2012) and Carrie Underwood
(2009-2010) as the third female artist to win EOTY back-to-back.
The winningest artist of the night was Ella Langley,
whose five trophies included New Female Artist and Single for "You Look
Like You Love Me" with Riley Green.
TOUR / LIVE EVENTS
(5 May 2025) Ingrid Andress,
Billy Gilman, Tiera Kennedy and Runaway June have
been added to the lineup for GLAAD and Ty Herndon's
10th anniversary Concert for Love & Acceptance June 2 at
Nashville's Category 10. Tickets here.
(5 May 2025) Tour Support: Russell Dickerson added
dates to his RussellMania Tour 2025, including stops in Spokane,
Seattle and Calgary. Tickets for the new dates go on sale Friday (5/9) here.
(7 May 2025) Tour Support: Gabby Barrett's 30-date Life
I'm Living Tour 2025 begins with two shows in Nashville (June 5-6) and
concludes Oct. 5 in Ocean City, MD. Full schedule and ticket info here.
Festive All: CMA Fest has added Scotty McCreery, Dylan Scott, Rodney Atkins, Deana Carter, Charles Esten and Rita Wilson to its Nissan Stadium shows, as well as Avery Anna, Sam Barber, Kashus Culpepper, Carter Faith, Tigirlily Gold, Tiera Kennedy, Kameron Marlowe, Max McNown and Tucker Wetmore on the stadium's Platform Stage. The stadium shows will also feature collaborations between Marcus King and Brooks & Dunn, Carín León with Cody Johnson, and Carly Pearce alongside Rascal Flatts. K. Michelle will deliver the national anthem June 5. Additionally, Annie Bosko joins the June 7 lineup on the Hard Rock Stage. CMA Fest is set for June 5-8 in Nashville, and will once again be filmed for a summer television special to air on ABC and Hulu. Tickets here.
(9 May 2025) Tour Support: Jackson Dean has
expanded his On The Back Of My Dreams World Tour to Australia
and New Zealand; schedule here.
(11 May 2025) Multi-Platinum
Country artist, Lee Brice, announced
Fall dates for his upcoming What You Know About That Tour. Brice
returns to the road with this high-energy, full-band show that brings the
chart-topping hits that fans love along with some new songs, including his
current single, “Cry,” which is impacting Country radio now. Fellow hitmakers
joining the tour include Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, Corey
Kent, Lewis Brice, and Grace Tyler.
Produced by Live Nation, the
15-date tour kicks off in Clearwater, FL on September 11 and wraps up on
October 25 in Raleigh, NC.
TV
(5 May 2025) ICYMI: Miranda Lambert joined American
Idol as a guest mentor and performed “Kerosene" Sunday
night (5/4).
PRESS RELEASES
(5 May 2025) Country music
superstar Blake Shelton has often said that all he ever wanted was to sing
country music, have his songs on the radio and maybe – just maybe – have a No.
1 hit. He achieved that dream with his 2001 debut
single “Austin.” This week, he does it again for the 30th time in his
career with “Texas,” the lead single from his
forthcoming album For Recreational Use Only, out Friday, May 9. The
song also enjoyed eight weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and a two-week run at No. 1
in Canada.
“It’s been a few years since I’ve had a solo No. 1 single, and I’m super fired
up about this one,” said Shelton. “I had no idea if ‘Texas’ would be a number
one song, but the first time I heard it, I knew that it was something different
and it sounded like nothing else I'd ever done before.”
Produced by Shelton’s longtime
collaborator Scott Hendricks, “Texas” was written by Johnny Clawson,
Kyle Sturrock, Josh Dorr and Lalo Guzman. The track marks the first No. 1
single for Clawson, Sturrock and Dorr, and the second for Guzman.
Shelton dropped his new
album FOR RECREATIONAL USE ONLY – a 12-track dose of
country grit, charm and heart available now via BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse
Records. Listen HERE
.“I can’t believe it’s been
four years since we released an album, and I’m excited to get the whole record
out there,” said Shelton. “I’ve always been someone who wants to collect
great songs but sometimes the hardest thing to do is to find something that
hasn’t been said or written before or a melody that we haven't heard. I’m
always on the search for that. I look back over the years, and I’m just proud
because some of those songs don’t sound like anything else. And I think we did
it again with this album.”
(7 May 2025) Newly
launched DeVille Records releases its inaugural project Cadillac
Sessions, introducing three new country voices to the world –
handpicked and schooled in founder ERNEST's classic-cool style. The
mixtape-style compilation features ERNEST,
DeVille signees Chandler Walters, Cody Lohden and Rhys
Rutherford, and special guests Snoop Dogg, Miranda Lambert and Jake
Worthington.
Listen to Cadillac Sessions here.
“We didn't hold anything back.
There is a timeless Americana feel and the old-Nashville mentality of 'write
your songs' – and those guys wrote their songs,” 2x 2025 ACM nominee ERNEST explains.
“They all love classic country the same way I do, and we're also with the times
of the modern era – we ride those waves really well, too. I'm just happy to
shed a little light on what they're able to do.”
(7 May 2025) Nashville country artist Hannah Anders released new single "Means More Now" delivering the timeless feel of an early 2000s country ballad, driven by raw feeling and strong lyrical storytelling. The song reflects on how simple advice or a phone call can take on deeper meaning with time, shattering and healing our hearts all at once. When asked about her new single, Anders states, "'Means More Now’ is one of those songs that felt special from the moment it was written. As we journey through life, we gain wisdom, lose loved ones, and experience moments that shape who we are. Things that once seemed ordinary — like the advice of a friend, a simple phone call to someone you love, or a word of comfort when you needed it most — are the moments that end up meaning the most. "Means More Now" is a tribute to those small, but invaluable, gems of wisdom, love, and connection that hold us together. It's a reminder that the things we often take for granted are the things that truly matter.”
(9 May 2025) Acclaimed country
artist James Dupré returns with a heartfelt reimagining of the
1990s classic “Knee Deep In a River,” originally recorded
by Kathy Mattea. Written by Bob McDill, Dickey
Lee, and Kenneth Jones, the track showcases Dupré’s signature
vocals and a renewed emotional depth. Produced by the legendary Kyle
Lehning and Jerry Douglas, this single is available
everywhere today!
"I was captivated by 'Knee Deep In a River' the moment I heard it.
Originally recorded by Kathy Mattea in the 90s, this beautiful song serves as a
poignant reminder of the reality that we often overlook the people closest to
us.
(7 May 2025) Rising country
artist Jesse Daniel has released his new single ‘Mountain Home’
from his upcoming LP Son of the San Lorenzo out June 6,
2025 via Lightning Rod Records. A dedication to the Northern California
mountains and valleys that raised him, the track uses plucky banjo, nostalgic
fiddle and down-home harmonica to reminisce on a simple life.
Earlier this week, Daniel
announced a run of U.S. West Coast tour dates this August, which will precede
his official AmericanaFest showcase in Nashville and a number of shows in
Australia this fall. Listen to
'Mountain Home'
Daniel shares, “This song is
a reminiscing, or romanticizing, of the past. How you can go home, but you can
never truly go back to recreate the past. All we are left to do is bear the
imprint of those times in their reflection on our daily lives. To savor the
bittersweet memories and move ahead.”
(9 May 2025) Grand Ole Opry
member and powerhouse vocalist Lauren Alaina released new song “All My Exes (feat.
Chase Matthew).” Pop-tinged production propels this smirking song that
was written by Alaina alongside Ben Johnson, Whitney Phillips and Jimmy Gutch,
and produced by hitmaker Joey Moi with co-production by Jacob Durrett. Both
introspective and wildly fun, the song features the clever lyrical turn: I
ain't saying that you're right about me / I'm just sayin' all
my exes would agree.
“'All My Exes' isn't your
typical song about an ex. It's all about the typical downtown situationship
(we've all been there),” shares Alaina. “'Exes' is my twist on the
phrase, 'it's not you, it's me,' and just the ultimate, windows-down summer
song.”
(7 May 2025) Multi-Platinum and
award-winning Country superstar, Parker
McCollum, released “Big Sky”
off his highly anticipated fifth studio album, PARKER MCCOLLUM,
out on June 27th. The track, written by McCollum,
Charlie Magnone and Jarrod Morris, is a wanderer’s anthem about boundless
freedom while still looking for something to be tethered to.
LISTEN: “Big Sky”
The song follows McCollum’s two
other releases from the album – “What Kinda Man,” which is currently
impacting Country radio and climbing the charts, and “Hope That I’m Enough.”
(9 May 2025) Marcus King Band unveiled a
first taste of new music with the track ‘Honky Tonk Hell’ out now
via American Records/Republic Records. Listen/share the
song HERE.
Watch/share the lyric video HERE.
“‘Honky Tonk Hell’ is an anthem for anyone out there like myself who have
struggled with the permanence of sobriety - those who fear the thought they
will never again howl at the moon,” King says, “This song for
me serves as a reminder to take it all one day at a time.”
(9 May 2025) With one week
remaining until the release of his full-length, fourth studio album, I'm
The Problem, Morgan Wallen offered
fans one final taste of the upcoming project with the release of the
highly-anticipated song dedicated to his son, “Superman,” available now.
Listen here.
Wallen originally teased the
up-tempo ballad, which he co-wrote alongside Ryan Vojtesak, John Byron, Blake
Pendergrass and James Maddocks, on Instagram in February. The clip instantly
drew excitement from fans, with Billboard praising its
“self-aware lyrics.”
(9 May 2025) Country music
singer-songwriter Robby Johnson was
thrilled to unveil his brand-new single, “If Barstools Could Cry,”
out today! Premiered by Whiskey Riff, “If Barstools Could Cry”
paints the perfect portrait of someone who is brokenhearted over a breakup and
has never moved on. His only confidant is the barstool he turns to every night,
where he reflects on his prior decisions that led to his lonely present. With a
hard-hitting musical arrangement, Johnson’s vocals blend perfectly with every
word. To listen/stream: music.robby-johnson.com/Barstools
“I think a lot of people can
relate to the regret of letting the right one slip away—especially when you’re
too caught up in being young, reckless, and not realizing what you had until
it’s gone," shares Johnson. “If Barstools Could Cry”
really taps into that moment of reflection, when the noise fades and the weight
of what you lost finally sinks in.”
(9 May 2025) MULTI–PLATINUM
Country star Thomas Rhett is kicking off a summer of music by adding three
fresh tracks to his acclaimed seventh album and “best work yet” (Country
Living) About A Woman. Steeped in the same awestruck magic–but with
even more fleet-footed feel-good energy–the master entertainer matches charisma
and craftsmanship in equal measure. On the slow-grooving summertime strut
“Small Town Girls” featuring tourmate Tucker Wetmore, the plucky roots-R&B
sway of “I’m That Guy,” and the thumping beats of the steel-and-synth disco
daydream, “Dance With You,”
Fans can listen to all three
songs as part of About A Woman (From A Small Town) HERE and can expect
more new music to be released in the coming months.
(9 May 2025) Award-winning singer-songwriter Trey Calloway released his latest single, “She Misses Being Mrs.” in honor of all fallen soldiers and their families ahead of Memorial Day.
To purchase/stream: treycalloway.lnk.to/shemissesbeingmrs
Calloway has honed his craft as
a full-fledged singer-songwriter who captures the raw essence of heartbreak
through tragedy. With this song, he not only tells the story of loss but also
pays tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and the loved ones
they left behind. “She Misses Being Mrs.” is a moving reminder of the grief
carried by so many, and a heartfelt acknowledgment of their enduring love and
strength.
WATCH
(8 May 2025) Country music
hitmaker Clay Walker released his brand new music video, “Cowboys
in Heaven,” today, his first new music video in several years. The video,
filmed on Walker’s own Texas ranch, is a powerful tribute to love, loss, and
the enduring spirit of the American cowboy. Watch here: https://youtu.be/yzUsQPoelrg
BIRTHDAYS
Birthdays in the week ahead:
May 12: the late Bob
Montgomery (May 12, 1937; December 4, 2014), Billy Swan (1942), the
late Stu Page (May 12, 1954; died 28 April 2013 (aged 58), Kix Brooks
(1955), Clare Bowen (TV show Nashville, 1989)
May 13: Ilse DeLange
(1977), the late Lari White (May 13, 1965; Jan 23, 2018 (aged 52)), Darius
Rucker (1966), William Michael Morgan (1993), Morgan Wallen
(1993)
May 14: Dustin Lynch
(1985), Twinnie (UK; 1987)
May 15: the late Eddy Arnold
(May 15, 1918; died May 8, 2008 (aged 89)), K T Oslin (1941)
May 16: Brooke McClymont
(McClymonts) (1981)
May 17: the late Jesse
Winchester (May 17, 1940; died April 11, 2014 (aged 69)), Kree Harrison
(1990)
May 18: George Strait
(1952), Joe Bonsall (Oak Ridge Boys) - (1948), David Nail (1979),
Troy Cassar-Daley (1969)
RIP
(9 May 2025) Johnny
Rodriguez, country star, dies at 73
Johnny Rodriguez, a country singer who had six No. 1 hits in the 1970s and '80s, including "You'll Always Come Back to Hurting Me," died May 9, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas at the age of 73.
Born outside of San Antonio,
Rodriguez arrived in Nashville at the age of 21 and became a member of Tom T.
Hall's band. Within a year, he had signed with Mercury and in 1973 started a
run of 36 top 40 singles, including three No. 1s. That year, Rodriguez was
named the ACM's Most Promising Male Vocalist. He was the first Mexican-American
country music star, was inducted in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame in
2007 and awarded the Institute of Hispanic Culture Pioneer Award in 2010.
After some rocky times as a young man that saw him
spending time in jail, Juan Raoul Davis "Johnny" Rodriguez made a
name for himself on the local country scene in Texas and Tennessee on the
strength of his voice. When he signed to Mercury Records in the 1970s, a string
of hits followed. He hit No. 1 in 1973 with "You Always Come Back to
Hurting Me" and "Ridin' My Thumb to Mexico." His debut album
also hit the top of the country charts, and in 1975 he upped the ante by releasing
three No. hits: "I Just Can't Get Her Out of My Mind," "Just Get
Up and Close the Door," and "Love Put a Song in My Heart." He
remained a consistent top 20 artist through the 1980s, but his later career was
hampered by drug addiction and a 1998 incident in which he shot and killed a
friend he thought was a burglar. His final album was 2012's "Live From
Texas." Rodriguez is in the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame and in 2010 received the Institute
of Hispanic Culture Pioneer Award for being the first major Hispanic country
singer. 
