Month: August 2020

ABC/Mark LevineA group of healthcare workers got an unforgettable surprise last week, when Thomas Rhett offered up an exclusive virtual performance as a well-earned thanks for their work on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thomas’ gratitude was personal, he shared during the video call set.

“You guys are my heroes. I have a lot of family that works in healthcare, and y’all inspire me to wanna be a better human being,” the singer said, before launching into an acoustic performance that included his uplifting song, “Be a Light.”

Cisco and Live Nation teamed up with Thomas to make the event happen. The healthcare workers that attended work for Banner Health in Arizona and Colorado, as well as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Tennessee.

“It was really special to be able to surprise this group of healthcare workers because I’m so appreciative of their incredible work and bravery through this crazy time,” Thomas told Billboard about the event. 

“Even though I can’t thank them all in person right now, this was a really cool way to stay connected and offer up my gratitude face-to-face,” he added. “They are truly inspiring.”

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

John ShearerCassadee Pope unveiled Rise and Shine this week, an eight-track acoustic album that she hopes will offer listeners an opportunity for self-reflection.

“Rise and Shine is a record that is meant to help people navigate their feelings in this trying time,” she explains. “Personally, it’s been a reflective time for me, and a lot of what I’ve reflected upon has brought up some dark moments.”

Cassadee delves further into those “dark moments” in a new interview with People, where she reveals that she’s had to overcome abandonment issues rooted in witnessing her parents’ divorce as a child.

“Seeing my dad leave and move on to a new family really quickly was hard. I think I brought that into my life now, where I have this overbearing sense of: I need to be interesting enough and good enough and funny enough and entertaining enough for people to stick around,” she reflects.

The singer cites therapy and a healthy relationship with her boyfriend — actor and performer Sam Palladio — as two critical tools that have helped her work towards more balanced mental health.

But she’s open about the fact that she continues to struggle with self-confidence and self-worth. Cassadee believes the title track might be a source of solace to listeners, particularly during the pandemic.

“I hope ‘Rise and Shine’ is one of those songs that gives them hope and lets people know that ‘Hey, through the darkest times we can get through it,’” she notes, “and we can find meaning in those times and really use it to our advantage.”

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

Warner Music NashvilleTucker Beathard grapples with the loss of his younger brother, Clay, in the gut-wrenching “I Ain’t Without You.”

Clay died in December of 2019 at the age of 22, after a stabbing altercation that took place outside a bar in downtown Nashville. In the difficult days and months that followed, Tucker turned to his most powerful sources of strength: Faith, songwriting and family ties.

“To be honest, I was always terrified of having someone so close to me pass away because I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to get through it on my own,” he admits.

The singer co-wrote “I Ain’t Without You” with his dad, noted country songwriter Casey Beathard. The song sheds light on Tucker’s journey through grief, and how his faith helped him realize that he didn’t have to carry his burden by himself.

“This song was inspired by the relationship I developed with the Lord following my little brother passing away and realizing that I don’t have the strength to go through this alone, but also realizing more than ever before that I’m not alone, and I am strong enough, but I ain’t without him,” he adds.

Tucker also shared a music video to go along with the song. He shot it at the Grand Ole Opry, where he first debuted “I Ain’t Without You” early this year.

The song is featured on Tucker’s upcoming album, King, which takes its title from Clay’s middle name.

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

RCA RecordsWhat started as a series of mysterious, cat-centric posts on social media has become something very real, and very strange: Old Dominion dropped the “Meow Mix” version of their self-titled third album this week.

Yes, that means that the band re-recorded every single song by meowing instead of singing the words.

“Cat’s out of the bag!” the group announced, as they shared their new project. “We are re-releasing our entire album, only this time, it’s all ‘meows.’ Sometimes you gotta be silly. #ODmeowmix is out meow.”

The “Meow Mix” album features the group’s feline takes on fan-favorite tracks like “Make It Sweet,” “One Man Band,” Some People Do” and “My Heart Is a Bar.” Fan reactions’ ranged from delighted to just plain baffled.

“If this isn’t the most 2020 thing ever…” wrote one Twitter user. “It’s just the gift that keeps on meowing.”

If you can believe it, Old Dominion aren’t the first band to re-release an entire album using “meows” instead of words. Rock group Guster applied the trope to their Keep It Together album in 2003, and rap duo Run the Jewels released a revamped “Meow Mix” project of their own, Meow the Jewels, in 2015.

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

Big Machine RecordsTim McGraw might have simple tastes when it comes to most things in life, but in the newest song to be released ahead of his Here on Earth album, the singer can’t help bragging about his “Good Taste in Women.”

“Yeah, I sleep like a baby in a Motel 6 / I like dive bar bands that can’t sing a lick / But I’ve got good taste in women,” he sings in the song’s chorus. “Lookin’ at you just lookin’ at me / Got everybody thinkin’ I’m high-class livin’ / I got good taste in women.”

The song’s message feels particularly true to Tim’s life, as he’s married to none other than country superstar Faith Hill. The pair have toured together and duetted quite a bit over the years.

“Good Taste in Women” follows a handful of poignant, message-forward tracks off Here on Earth, including “I Called Mama” and “Hallelujahville.” The full 16-track project comes out on August 21.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic is preventing Tim from celebrating his new album’s release with his fans in person, he did recently announce a virtual Here on Earth event, which will include performances of songs from the album and offer fans a peek behind the process of creating it.

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

Courtesy of St. JudeBrad Paisley, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker and Lady A are just a few of the big-name stars who will appear during MusicGives: Together #forStJude, a virtual benefit concert benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The livestream event will feature a broad array of different performers across six stages, themed by genre. Country music will take place on the Give Back Stage, with a lineup that also includes Brett Eldredge and Randy Owen with Alabama.

Other platforms include the Hope Stage (featuring pop and R&B artists), the Faith Stage (gospel and Christian), the Amor Stage (regional Mexican and Spanish pop), the Gratitude Stage (rock and Americana), and the Kindness Stage, which is dedicated to highlighting special St. Jude moments.

In addition to an impressive lineup of musical talent, the event will also include culinary content from a few of the country’s most renowned chefs.

Richard C. Shadyac, Jr., president and CEO of St. Jude’s fundraising arm, ALSAC, explains that St. Jude’s life-saving mission of providing world-class treatment to pediatric cancer patients at no cost to their families is more important now than ever.

“Giving through events like this when the world is so disrupted enables us to continue to ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food,” Shadyac says. “Because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.”

The festival is scheduled to take place on August 13 beginning at 5PM ET. You can tune in across St. Jude’s social media platforms, and keep an extra close eye on their Twitter feed for special announcements. Limited-edition merchandise for the event is also available now.

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

Matthew BerinatoKane Brown invites rapper Nelly on a tropical beach vacation for his remixed “Cool Again,” which Kane originally released as a single back in April.

In the new version of the song, Nelly layers a breezy new verse onto the track, adding extra fun-loving flavor to a song that was already a summertime anthem.

“Cool again / I really wish that I was kickin’ back with you again / At top the penthouse, somewhere checkin’ out the view again / ‘Cause every time we do it, it’s like new again / It feels like new again,” Nelly sings in his portion of the song.

The music video amps up the summery vibes even further. The clip begins with Kane hanging out solo on a tropical island, kicking back and enjoying a drink or two as he soaks up the sun. As the song continues, Kane holds his binoculars up to the ocean to reveal Nelly pulling up on a jetski, just in time for his verse.

“Cool Again” isn’t the only out-of-genre collaboration that Kane scored this spring. His recent single “Be Like That” is a joint effort with pop and R&B star Khalid and rapper Swae Lee.

Kane is set to drop a new EP later this month.

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

Comstock/ThinkstockOn this date in 1989, this ‘90s country hitmaker released his debut single, “Country Club.” The song became a top-10 hit and was also the title track of his debut album. Do you know who he is? ANSWER: Travis Tritt.

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