Month: August 2020

Big Loud RecordsMorgan Wallen tells the sentimental story of a long-lost love in “7 Summers.” The new tune thinks back on a relationship that feels like only yesterday, even though it ended several years ago.

The singer says he decided to officially prelease “7 Summers” after testing the song out on social media and noticing what a strong resonance it had with fans. At first, he didn’t know if it was going to make the track list of his next album or even see the light of day.

“But when quarantine first started, I was challenged to do a demo on Instagram so I put out the first verse and chorus of ‘7 Summers’,” Morgan remembers.  “I heard a lot of good feedback from it on Instagram and it started making the rounds on TikTok — I saw how much the song was getting played and how much people were enjoying it.”

“Social media played a huge part in me releasing this song, especially so early,” he adds. “It’s a cool thing — me being on the fence about it, then being able to put it out and get people’s feedback. Seeing the response played the biggest part in this release.”

“7 Summers” follows Morgan’s current single, “More than My Hometown,” and another fan-selected release, “This Bar.”

The “Chasin’ You” hitmaker is currently at work on his sophomore album.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Comstock/ThinkstockThirteen years ago today, one of country’s biggest superstars dropped his debut album, I’ll Stay Me. It included the debut single “All My Friends Say,” which became a top-five country hit and even enjoyed some success on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Can you name the artist? ANSWER: Luke Bryan.

Robin HarperThe Chicks will represent the country contingent at the 2020 Democratic National Convention, as part of a star-studded lineup that will air over the four-day event later this month.

Other scheduled acts set to appear include Billie Eilish, Common, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Leon Bridges and many more. They’ll deliver a wide range of performances, from classic songs to original material.

This year’s convention will also feature a rendition of the national anthem from a very special ensemble: A 57-member youth choir representing all walks of life and the nation’s 57 states and territories.  The choir members will perform the patriotic standard from remote locations spanning the country.

Ever since they were ousted from country radio for speaking out against the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Chicks have been famous — and sometimes infamous — for their political activism. Their most recent album, Gaslighter, doesn’t shy away from the group’s convictions. It includes the song “March March,” the lyrics and accompanying video for which share a powerful statement about social justice and the importance of standing up for your beliefs.

DNC performances will air across four nights from August 17-20 from 9 p.m.-11p.m. ET. In addition to the musical guests, the broadcast will feature appearances from national leaders, advocates and celebrities. More details will be announced in the coming days.

You can watch the official livestream on the DNC website, where you’ll also find a full schedule and more resources.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Alex HarbaughShania Twain’s set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her breakthrough album, The Woman in Me, by putting out the Diamond Edition of the record that put her on the map on October 2. The pop/country icon made the announcement Friday morning during her appearance on Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on ABC.  

The Woman in Me showcases Shania standards like her first crossover hit, “Any Man of Mine,” plus smashes like “You Win My Love,” “No One Needs to Know,” and “(If You’re Not in It for Love) I’m Outta Here!”. Shania’s second record spent 29 weeks at the top of the country chart, and went on to become country’s best-selling album of 1995.

The Woman in Me: Diamond Edition features a newly remastered version of the album, plus sixteen previously unreleased tracks, remixes, and five live performances captured in December of last year during Shania’s latest Las Vegas residency. It also includes a commemorative 48-page booklet.

It’ll come in multiple CD and vinyl formats, which you can pre-order now.

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Matthew BerinatoAs Kane Brown‘s Mixtape Vol. 1 arrives today, it’s more than just the precursor to his full-length third album. 

With non-country guests like Swae Lee, Khalid, and John Legend, it’s his most diverse collection yet, and very likely the most accurate representation of his musical DNA. 

“When I was starting to get into the music business,” Kane recalls, “I always would tell my friends, I was like, ‘I want to be an artist that can do everything.'”

“I think rap would be the only thing that I would hold out [on doing]…” he adds. “I love music in general. Country music always has my heart. I’ll never leave country music. But it’s cool to be able to, you know, do all these things.”

In fact, Kane’s happy to take what some might consider a criticism and proudly own it. 

“When everybody’s like ‘Oh, this is pop-country,’ yeah, I’m a pop-country artist,” he declares. “And this EP’s kind of just showing everybody that.”

“It’s like, I have a song with Swae Lee and Khalid. My album’s gonna have a song with [R&B singer/songwriter] H.E.R. on it,” he teases. “There’s probably gonna be some other artists — like features — on there.”

But the Chattanooga, Tennessee native is equally proud of the countriest track on the new set.

“I like having ‘BFE’ on there,” he explains, “because it’s kind of like, ‘This is what I grew up on, the nineties sound of country music.’ But that’s why I called it the Mixtape is because it’s like all of my sounds into one.”

The set also features his current top ten hit, “Cool Again.”

It’s his first collection of new music since 2018’s chart-topping Experiment.

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockBlake Shelton’s Ole Red bar franchise is launching a “Battle of the Bands” competition series on August 19. The fan-voted weekly event will take place across all four locations, and the winner will receive a monetary prize along with bragging rights.

Lucas Hoge has unveiled the great outdoors-themed music video for his new song, “Wishin’ I Was Fishin’.”

Rising trio Temecula Road is on deck to perform the national anthem before this weekend’s UNOH 188 event. The race will take place on Saturday, August 15 at the Daytona Road Course; the band’s appearance, however, will be virtual.