Month: May 2021

Justin Moore lends his voice to a new song, “Heroes,” put out as a partnership between Big Machine Label Group and veteran organization CreatiVets. The song is the latest in a campaign to release a new song on the 20th date of every month, in tribute to the 20 veterans who commit suicide every day.

Granger Smith announced this week that his clothing and lifestyle brand, Yee Yee, will sponsor NASCAR driver Brandon Jones for two NASCAR Xfinity Series races.

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Luke Combs and Mickey Guyton are two of the celebrity guests set to take the stage during American Idol's three-hour finale episode this Sunday, May 23. Ahead of the show, fans got a sneak peek at what to expect from the performances.

Per Billboard, Luke will perform his song, “Forever After All,” with country-leaning finalist Chayce Beckham. Beckham's one of three contestants vying for the title of Idol champ this year, along with Willie Spence and Grace Kinstler.

Mickey will perform her 2020 release, “Black Like Me,” alongside Idol hopeful Alyssa Wray, who was eliminated earlier this month after making it to the Top 10.

Meanwhile, the three Idol finalists will also each perform multiple times during the show. Chayce is set to perform Chris Stapleton's “Fire Away” during the “Hometown Song” segment. Grace and Willie will sing Whitney Houston's “I Have Nothing” and Sam Cooke's “A Change is Gonna Come,” respectively.

Other performances from the show's remaining contestants will include one song they've previously performed on Idol, as well as one song selected for them by judges Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

All three judges will also perform during the finale.

The three-hour American Idol finale airs on ABC on Sunday at 8PM ET.

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This week, Morgan Wallen stepped on stage for the first time since video footage of him using a racist slur emerged nearly four months ago.

The singer was a surprise guest at Kid Rock's downtown Nashville bar. He gave a full-band performance of his hit “Whiskey Glasses,” along with an acoustic rendition of another song, “Wasted on You.”

One concertgoer told The Tennesseean that the crowd gave Morgan a warm reception, saying the audience even chanted his name at one point. “Morgan really wanted to be playing his music for the people. Definitely could sense it…the overall feeling was tremendous,” they explained.

Morgan's exit from the spotlight came in early February, when TMZ obtained video of him yelling the N-word as he said goodnight to a car full of friends after a night of partying. He was swiftly removed from many radio stations, his record contract was “suspended indefinitely” and the ACM removed his eligibility for receiving nominations at its 2021 awards show.

The following week, the singer shared a five-minute video to his social media, accepting responsibility for his acts and asking fans to stop defending him.

He explained that he was accepting invitations to meet with Black leaders to “engage in some very real and honest conversations,” and also said that he had become sober.

In the months that followed, Morgan largely stayed silent. However, in spring, he slowly began to resume posting on social media. To celebrate his 28th birthday on May 13, he shared a post saying that “27 brought a lot of the best and the worst times of my life.”

 

 

 

 

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Just days after she announced her first-ever Las Vegas residency, Carrie Underwood is already doubling her show dates.

Earlier in May, the singer revealed her six-date series, REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency, a December engagement taking place at the newly-opened venue The Theatre at Resorts World Vegas.

Due to ticket demand, however, Carrie is now adding six more dates to the residency for spring 2022. The new show dates are March 23, 25, 26 and 30 as well as April 1 and 2.

When she first announced her residency, Carrie explained that its title, Reflection, is a nod to the fact that her Vegas show will span her entire career. “The show title refers to the fact that this show will reflect the amazing journey I've been on for the past 16 years, as well as a glimpse into what lies ahead,” Carrie hinted.

She's one of several megawatt headliners booked for the venue's inaugural first few months. Another country superstar, Luke Bryan, will kick off a residency of his own at The Theatre at Resorts World Vegas in February 2022.

Tickets for Carrie’s Vegas shows go on sale beginning May 24.

 

 

 

 

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Bear Rinehart, the lead singer of Christian group NEEDTOBREATHE, joined Carrie Underwood or a collaboration on her recent gospel project, My Savior. Now, Carrie's returning the favor, as she lends vocals to the band's new single, “I Wanna Remember.”

The song draws on Carrie's country chops, telling a story of how nostalgia and memories of growing up in a small town shape a person throughout their lifetime.

“I have been a huge fan of NEEDTOBREATHE forever and I was so honored when the stars aligned and Bear agreed to lend his incredible vocals to a song of mine on my recent gospel album,” Carrie explains. “Needless to say, I was thrilled when he and the band invited me to be a part of their new project.”

She adds, “I love the song and have had the best time getting to know and sing with these amazingly talented guys.”

“I Wanna Remember” will be included on the track list of NEEDTOBREATHE's forthcoming album, Into the Mystery, which will arrive on July 30.

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