Month: July 2021

Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton have officially tied the knot, People confirms.

The two reportedly got hitched at Blake's ranch in Oklahoma on Saturday, after they were spotted applying for a marriage license earlier in the week.

Page Six posted photos of what appears to be the wedding festivities taking place at a chapel built on the sprawling estate.

Earlier this month, Gwen shared snaps from her bridal shower on Instagram. “I got kidnapped by family to celebrate that I’m getting married!” she said in a post on her Instagram Story. She captioned another post, “Feeling loved, feeling blessed.”

Gwen and Blake got engaged last October after dating for five years. They first met on the set of The Voice, where they both served as coaches. Their relationship began in the wake of Gwen’s split from rocker husband Gavin Rossdale and Blake's very public divorce from another country superstar, Miranda Lambert.

Since announcing their relationship, the two have released a handful of high-powered duets, including a Christmas song for a holiday album of Gwen's as well as two hit country singles, “Nobody but You” and “Happy Anywhere.”

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After a long, pandemic-induced break from the road, Garth Brooks is headed back out onstage this month in a big way. He'll resume his Stadium Tour — whose stops have broken stadium ticket-sales records in multiple venues across the country — on July 10 in Las Vegas.

“We're so excited. And I've got to tell ya — the band sounds phenomenal. They really do,” Garth says. “It's like…they've just been working the whole time off. [The] crew is running. You know, everything is running like clockwork.”

Over the past several weeks, Garth has been unveiling new Stadium Tour dates that will take place throughout the summer, including stops in Kansas City, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Nashville.

Meanwhile, his shows have been selling out to the tune of five-figure audience capacities. His first sold-out show is at Vegas' Allegiant Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 65,000, according to the venue's website.

While Garth says rehearsals are going smoothly, he also jokingly gives a nod to the showbiz superstition that if things go off without a hitch leading up to a show, that means that unpredictable and unexpected things will happen during the concert itself.

“So if you come to Vegas, bring a helmet!” he adds.

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Friday marks the 30th anniversary of Trisha Yearwood's self-titled debut album, which gave us her breakout hit single, “She's in Love With the Boy.”

Looking back on the song now, Trisha credits the success of “She's in Love With the Boy” to its universal relatability.  “I think no matter what age you are, you can find yourself in She's in Love With the Boy.' It's timeless!” the singer reflects. 

Specifically, she says, the song tells a universal story about young lovers facing pushback from family members who are skeptical about their relationship. Parental caution and young love have always been at odds, but ultimately — in the song and often in life — romance wins the day.

“Whatever the relationship is, from the beginning of time, there's always been disapproval,” Trisha continues. “And there's always been somebody to go, Hey, wait a minute — remember when we were young and your parents didn't approve of you? It worked out. Just give these guys a break.' So it's a timeless message.”

To commemorate the anniversary, Trisha has released a new, acoustic version of “She's in Love With the Boy,” which will find a home on the track list of the upcoming deluxe version of her album Every Girl.

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Mickey Guyton is no stranger to facing hate on social media, but when it comes to hateful messages directed at her infant son, Grayson, the “Black Like Me” star doesn't mind naming names.

This week, Mickey shared a screenshot of a DM she received from a stranger on Instagram, calling baby Grayson “the ugliest child I've ever seen.”

“[Y]ou should take it and go back to the projects,” the message continued, in part.  “Nashville doesn't need trash like you.”

“This deserves front and center attention,” Mickey explains in her caption, sharing the username of the person who “came for my child.” She shared the same image on Twitter, as well.

Several of Mickey's fellow country stars quickly turned out in the comments section to voice their support. “The truth is these are the types of messages we see and get all the time. Good thing is you know who you are sis and your worth. These lost hearts can't take your smile,” replied Jimmie Allen.

“So despicable,” added Morgane Stapleton, who is Chris Stapleton's wife and backup singer. “Keep that pretty head of yours held high. You and your precious family are loved by so many!”

Mickey has long been vocal about her experiences with racism as a Black woman in country music. While pregnant with Grayson last fall, she also opened up about her fears regarding raising a Black son.

“I’ve seen racial injustice happen to my husband. I’ve had a ‘Karen’ falsely make claims against him and say some of the most heinous things, like the n-word. I’m growing this Black child in my belly that is going to have to face this,” Mickey told People at the time, adding of her then-unborn son, “I pray for him.”

 

 

 

 

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Earlier this week, Luke Combs shared that “Cold as You” will be his next radio single, and also told fans to keep their ears peeled for new music. Now, he's already making good on that promise, sharing live performance video of an unreleased track called “Five-Leaf Clover.”

“As promised, here's the second new song that I've been playing on tour,” Luke explained. “It's called Five-Leaf Clover.' Hope y'all like it.”

The song, which he performed accompanied by just his acoustic guitar, underscores the singer's gratitude for the overwhelming good luck he's experienced in his life.

“I know I'm a lucky man, but I ain't sure I am / Cause it ain't like anyone deserves the world in the palm of their hand,” Luke sings in the chorus. “I hit my knees, thankful as can be, but the one thing I can't get over / How'd a guy like me, who'd have been fine with three, wind up with a five-leaf clover?”

It's the latest in a long string of unreleased material Luke has teased over the past several months: Both live and on social media, he's also been sharing unreleased snippets of songs like “Joe,” “See Me Now” and “We Still Drink Beer.”

The singer is expected to announce his third album soon.  It’ll follow up his wildly successful sophomore project, What You See Is What You Get and its deluxe version, What You See Ain't Always What You Get.

 

 

 

 

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Parker McCollum is officially off the market! The “Pretty Heart” star announced on social media this week that he's engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Hallie Ray Light.

“She said yes!” Parker simply wrote in the caption of his post, along with a snapshot of the happy couple. In the photo, Hallie's holding up her hand to show off her brand-new diamond ring.

In her Instagram stories, Hallie also shared a few slides of the memorable night, including images of the newly-engaged couple celebrating with their friends and family members.

Parker's new fiancée has often been a source of musical inspiration to him; his 2020 Hollywood Gold EP features a track titled “Hallie Ray Light.” 

Earlier this month, the singer announced his debut full-length album, Gold Chain Cowboy, which is coming out July 30. After that, he'll hit the road with Dierks Bentley as one of the opening acts on the “Gone” star's 2021 Beers on me Tour.

 

 

 

 

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Midland paints a picture of the love affair that happened the night before in their new song, “Sunrise Tells the Story,” a waltz ballad that came out on Friday.

The song's lyrics describe half-drunk wine, still-spinning records, and the general feeling that a new romance recently took over the room, “like a tornado might've come crashin' through the door.”

“Sunrise Tells the Story” is one of five songs on Midland's upcoming The Last Resort EP, which is set to arrive in full July 16. The song was co-written by the band's Jess Carson along with singer-songwriter Jessi Alexander and Aaron Ratiere. Jess co-wrote all of the tracks on The Last Resort, and his band mates Mark Wystrach and Cameron Duddy also both had a hand in writing all four of the other songs on the project.

The country trio's new EP also lends its name to their upcoming The Last Resort Tour, which starts in October in Phoenix, Arizona. Hailey Whitters will join the trek as opening support.

Most recently, Midland shared their origin story with a new documentary called Midland: The Sonic Ranch, which chronicles the early days as a band and first experiences of recording together.

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30 years ago today, a country star in the making released her self-titled debut album. The project produced four singles, including the singer's first-ever number-one hit, “She's in Love with the Boy.” Can you name her? ANSWER: Trisha Yearwood.

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