Burke/Triolo Productions/ThinkstockBrett Eldredge recently premiered the music video for “Sunday Drive,” the title track of his latest album. It was shot in the singer’s hometown of Paris, Illinois.
Jon Pardi has unveiled a new “Western version” of his current single, “Ain’t Always the Cowboy.”
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
During a press conference on Sunday, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler urged individuals of all political persuasions to join in renouncing violence, after an escalation of protest-related violence caused one fatality. Officials are pointing to social media posts vowing revenge for a fatal shooting amid weekend street clashes between supporters of President Donald Trump and counter-demonstrators.
“For those of you saying on Twitter this morning that you plan to come to Portland to seek retribution, I’m calling on you to stay away,” said Wheeler. He also lashed out at President Trump for political rhetoric that he said “encouraged division and stoked violence,” and criticized Trump’s Twitter posts, which criticized Wheeler and urged him to request help from the federal government to restore order. “It’s an aggressive stance. It’s not collaborative,” Wheeler said of Trump’s tweets. “I’d appreciate it if the president would support us or stay the hell out of the way.”
Wheeler and Police Chief Chuck Lovell said investigators were still working to establish the sequence of events leading to the fatal shooting late Saturday in downtown Portland.
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Tanya Tucker is planning to resume touring in 2021 with more than 30 tour stops, including rescheduled dates on her headlining CMT Next Women of Country Tour. In addition, Tanya will hit the road for a number of newly announced dates, including four stops in Europe.
The original CMT Tour dates in Spring/Summer 2020 were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tickets purchased for the original tour dates will be honored for the rescheduled dates.
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Chris Stapleton announced he will release his new studio album, Starting Over, on Nov. 13. The 14-track offering will features 11 co-written by Chris, as well as three covers: John Fogerty’s “Joy Of My Life” and Guy Clark’s “Worry B Gone” and “Old Friends.”
“Starting Over” is Chris’ first solo release since “Millionaire,” which dropped in April 2018. Chris’ most recent album was 2017’s From A Room: Volume 2. Chris collaborated with Pink for 2019’s “Love Me Anyway.” He teamed with Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars for 2019’s “Blow.”
Chris also shared the album’s title track which you can listen to at the link: here.
In addition, Chris announced that his All-American Road Show tour is scheduled to resume in 2021, with stops at Chicago’s Wrigley Field, New York’s Madison Square Garden and many more.
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The 2020 Video Music Awards, hosted by Keke Palmer, kicked off the show by acknowledging “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman, who died last week after a four-year battle with colon cancer at 43. Palmer said, “we dedicate tonight’s show to a man whose spirit touched so many. He is a true hero, not just onscreen, but in everything he did. His impact lives forever.”
Amid the global coronavirus pandemic, a live audience was not featured. The show’s performances were held at locations all over New York City, with the first performance of the night from The Weeknd, who performed “Blinding Lights” at Hudson Yards in NYC. BTS sang their first all English language language single, “Dynamite,” and Miley Cyrus performed her latest track, “Midnight Sky.”
The first award of the night for best collaboration went to Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande for their hit single “Rain of Me.” Gaga was honored with the first ever Tricon Award, and also won the award for ‘Artist of the Year.’ Taylor Swift won the Best Direction VMA for her 2020 directorial debut, ‘The Man.’
For a full list of MTV VMA winners, see the link below.
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Taylor Swift’s Folklore is spending it’s fifth straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, tying Lil Baby’s My Turn for the most weeks atop the list in 2020. Folklore is also the first album to rule for five weeks in a row at No. 1 since Drake’s Scorpion back in 2018.
If Folklore logs a sixth week at No. 1, it will have the most weeks at No. 1 for any album since Drake’s Views held onto the top spot for 13 total weeks at No. 1 in 2016. Further, Folklore would be the first album with six weeks in a row at No. 1 since Views, which spent its first nine weeks at No. 1.
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David BergmanThe Country Music Association is ready to unveil its list of 2020 nominees, and it’s enlisting Luke Combs and Carly Pearce to help share the exciting news. The two rising acts will reveal this year’s nominees on ABC’s Good Morning America next Tuesday, September 1.
Both Luke and Carly know a little something about being honored on country’s biggest night: Luke has picked up three trophies at the awards show over the past couple of years, and Carly scored her first CMA nod in 2019.
They’ll read a portion of the nominees list in the 8:30-9AM half hour, while standing on the Grand Ole Opry stage. Following the broadcast, Gabby Barrett and Ingrid Andress will reveal more categories of nominees during a livestream on the CMA’s social channels.
Country music is entering a complicated season, as many events and shows have been pushed to the end of the year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and some big country announcements that would normally be spaced throughout the year are happening in rapid succession.
The ACM Awards show, for example, typically takes place in April, but due to the pandemic it was adapted into a virtual event broadcasting from Nashville this fall. Now, it’s taking place on September 16, just a couple of weeks after the CMA announces this year’s nominees.
Very few details about this year’s CMA Awards show have been announced thus far. We don’t yet know who’s hosting, although Carrie Underwood, who’s been the show’s host for the past 12 years, announced early in 2020 that she’s stepping down this year.
The 54th annual CMA Awards are scheduled to take place in Nashville on November 11.
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Big Loud RecordsYou can’t always judge a book by his cover — but you can certainly judge a country boy by his set of wheels. That’s the premise behind Hardy’s new song, “Truck,” an ode to all the things you can glean about someone by just looking at their vehicle.
The singer wrote the song with Hunter Phelps and Ben Johnson, and he says that from the start, they wanted to write a classic country ode to trucks, but with an extra twist.
“We wanted to do it differently than it’s been done before and write the song about the character of the truck, things that you can know just by looking,” Hardy explains.
“In the wintertime, if you live in a rural area and you’re riding around roads, you’re eventually going to see a buck in the back of somebody’s truck, and you know that guy’s a deer hunter and he is jacked that he just got a buck — you automatically know a little bit about that guy,” he goes on to say.
“Truck” comes off of Hardy’s forthcoming debut album, A Rock, which is due out this September.
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Courtesy of Tanya TuckerEarlier this summer, Tanya Tucker shared the sad news that she would be postponing her headlining CMT Next Women of Country: Bring My Flowers Now Tour as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, she promised fans that she would “throw one heck of a party,” once it was safe to do so, and in 2021, Tanya’s prepared to make good on that promise. The singer just announced next year’s extensive slate of dates, some of which feature Brandi Carlile.
Despite a few venue changes, date swaps and additions, Tanya will plan to hit nearly all of the original planned stops. The tour kicks off next July and will run through November. Visit her website to check specific dates and details.
In addition to Tanya’s headlining performance, the CMT Next Women of Country tour originally featured a talented roster of opening support including Brandy Clark, Hailey Whitters, Aubrie Sellers, Erin Enderlin and more. It’s unclear if those artists will join Tanya on the road in 2021, and which shows will include which artists.
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Jeremy Cowart/Shauna Dodds & Sarah Dodds/Backstage Design StudioGranger Smith boils life down to its essentials on “Country Things,” the just-released title track of a new double album he’s got in the works. The first half of that project, Country Things Vol. 1, will be out on September 25.
In the eight-song first chapter, Granger offers a look into his family life today. It’s been a difficult time period for Granger and his wife, Amber: Just a little over a year ago, they lost their 2-year-old son, River, in a tragic accidental drowning.
Since then, Granger, Amber and their two other children have had to navigate the grieving process and re-learn their family dynamic. Of course, Granger says, music has been a huge part of that experience, and the songs on this album will focus on the ways in which this difficult time has shed new light on the importance of gratitude.
“This collection focuses on the things that money and politics and status can’t buy,” he explains. “The things that you can center on and I want to live my life for. The things you want to raise your kids with and find joy in. The country things.”
On a lighter note, Country Things Vol. 1 will also feature a guest appearance from Granger’s colorful, oddball alter-ego, Earl Dribbles Jr.
In addition to the title track, Granger is previewing his album with another new track, “Hate You Like I Love You.” The project also features the previously-shared “That’s Why I Love Dirt Roads.”
By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
