Comstock/Thinkstock On this day in 1975, this country icon released “The Pill.” Though controversial at the time for its reference to birth control, the song reached the top 5 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart and has become one of her signature hits. Can you name her? ANSWER: Loretta Lynn.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartMediaGabby Barrett may be on maternity leave, but her smash-hit debut single “I Hope” is working overtime. The song has just become the third longest-running number one single on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.
For 25 weeks now, Barrett has dominated the chart that tracks streaming, sales and airplay platforms. By notching another week at the top, “I Hope” eclipsed Florida Georgia Line‘s “Cruise” for having the third-most weeks in the number one spot.
“Cruise” topped the Hot Country Charts for 24 weeks between 2012 and 2013.
Barrett is officially halfway to defeating FGL and Bebe Rexha‘s “Meant to Be,” which stayed at number one for 50 weeks between 2017 and 2018.
But first, the American Idol finalist has to overcome Sam Smith‘s record, who has the second highest number of weeks in the top position with “Body Like a Back Road.” It dominated the chart for 34 weeks in 2017.
As for the accomplishments “I Hope” collected over the past week, the song was streamed 8.4 million times in the U.S., sold an additional 3,000 singles and reached 52 million people on the radio.
Billboard‘s Hot Country Chart has been tracking movers and shakers in the country industry since 1958.
Barrett has another single climbing up the very same chart. Her sophomore effort , “The Good Ones,” increased its foothold 31-25, reports Billboard, which is up 5 percent. It was also streamed 4.8 million times and sold 4,000 singles.
Music career aside, Barrett previously announced on Tuesday that she and husband Cade Foehner welcomed a baby girl, named Baylah May, on January 18.
On Tuesday, a federal judge in Texas temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s 100-day pause on deportations. Federal Judge Drew Tipton granted a temporary restraining order in response to a lawsuit by state Attorney General Ken Paxton, which in part cited an agreement between Texas and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that required the agency to consult the state before instituting policy changes.
Judge Tipton explicitly stated his order applies nationwide and effectively directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to resume deportations for at least 14 days as he considers a broader motion for a preliminary injunction. He wrote, “The issues implicated by that agreement are of such gravity and constitutional import that they require further development of the record and briefing prior to addressing the merits.”
Last week, Biden halted all deportations to “review and reset enforcement priorities” after the Trump administration instituted a “zero tolerance” policy for undocumented migrants. The order included exceptions for migrants who have engaged in or were suspected of terrorism or espionage or considered a threat to national security as well as allowing the ICE administrator to intervene in individual deportation cases.
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RCA NashvilleWhen Kane Brown came up with his latest hit, “Worship You,” he admits he and his co-writers weren’t necessarily on a hot streak. But once they found their inspiration, they were off and running.
“When we were writing it, we really didn’t know what to write about. I think we tried like four different songs before we wrote that song…” Kane recalls. “But I remember us writing it. It came, you know, so fluent. We actually wrote it pretty fast.”
Perhaps it’s only fitting that writing a song titled “Worship You” should be a bit of a religious experience.
“Everything that we threw out, it was literally kind of like that we were in church, you know,” Kane reflects. “Everything that we said: ‘down on my knees praying,’ ‘If you were religion, I’d worship you.'”
“It was everything. It just felt right,” he adds.
And once it was finished, Kane was obsessed.
“It’s just one of those songs that I’ve listened to — when I first wrote it, I listened to it a hundred times,” he admits. “I was just like, ‘This is the song. This is it. This is it.’ And then [producer] Dann Huff did his magic on it.”
Of course, “Worship You” was inspired by Kane’s wife Katelyn and his daughter Kingsley, who both star in the song’s music video.
You’ll find it on Kane’s Mixtape Vol. 1 EP.
By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Burke/Triolo Productions/Thinkstock Randy Travis and his wife Mary Travis are featured on The Big Interview With Dan Rather this week where they discuss his recovery following a 2013 stroke. The episode airs tomorrow night on 8 p.m. ET on AXS TV.
Lily Rose has signed a joint record deal with Big Loud Records, Back Blocks Music and Republic Records after her song “Villain” went viral on Tik Tok. The video for the single is available now.
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
On Tuesday, the Senate confirmed Antony Blinken to serve as President Joe Biden’s secretary of state, with an overwhelming 78-22 vote. Blinken served as deputy secretary of state under former President Barack Obama.
Blinken, 58, a foreign policy expert, played a key role in crafting U.S. foreign policy actions in the Middle East. He is considered by many a moderate and is expected to play a key role in rejoining the United States to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Blinken joins several others confirmed to Biden’s Cabinet in recent days, including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines.
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Margo Price has shared a new music video for “Hey Child” from her acclaimed 2020 album That’s How Rumors Get Started. In the video, the country star confronts the demons of her past.
Price has also announced her first in-person headline concert since 2019. The socially distanced show will take place this May at The Caverns Above Ground Amphitheater in Tennessee. She will next appear on Loretta Lynn’s new album, Still Woman Enough, due out March 19th.
Take a look at the video for “Hey Child” – here.
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Billboard announced Monday that the 2021 Billboard Music Awards will take place in May, airing live May 23 at 8 p.m. EST on NBC.
This year’s host, musical performers and nominees have yet to be announced. Nominees and winners are based on fan interactions with music, streaming, radio airplay, touring and social engagement, as tracked by Billboard.
The 2020 Billboard Music Awards took place in October after being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic with singer Kelly Clarkson hosting the event.
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Miley Cyrus is joining the all-star roster of artists set to perform on Super Bowl Sunday and will perform at the “TikTok Tailgate” on Feb. 7, hours before the big game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneer kicks off in Tampa.
Cyrus wrote on Instagram, “I can’t wait to put on a show for the NFL’s honored guests before the game…. Health care workers from Tampa and around the country!”
The tailgate event is set to begin 2:30 ET that day and will air on CBS and TikTok.
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ABCJason Aldean is raising a glass to his Wolf Moon Bourbon.
The “Dirt Road Anthem” singer is commemorating the one-year anniversary of the libation he co-created with Florida Georgia Line with a virtual event that includes a 30-minute, stripped down set from the singer himself, marking his first live performance in nearly a year.
In addition to the performance, fans drinking Wolf Moon during the interactive livestream may appear on-screen. A limited number of fans will also be randomly selected for a VIP experience that includes a chat session with Jason after the show.
Wolf Moon Bourbon on the Rocks streams on January 28, the same night as the first full moon of the year, on VYE at 9 p.m. ET. Tickets are free to reserve.
#Ad Celebrate the first full moon of the year with a special stripped-down interactive livestream experience on January 28!
Reserve your free ticket at https://t.co/CZc0x17IvO
— Jason Aldean (@Jason_Aldean) January 25, 2021
By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
