Month: August 2021

Brittney Kelley, wife of Florida Georgia Line band mate Brian Kelley, opened up this week to curious fans wondering if the couple ever plan to have children. 

While answering fan questions on her Instagram stories, Brittney came across a follower who asked, “Do you want kiddos one day?” 

“If it's in God's plan we do!” Brittney replied, according to People. “I've been off birth control for over 5 years and we are definitely practicing but not actively trying.'”

The couple aren't putting too much pressure on themselves to rush into parenthood, Brittney explained, adding that she won't put up with pressure from anyone else, either. 

“Not everyone is just able to get pregnant that easily! I've been getting this question since the day we got married 8 years ago, which shouldn't be the case,” she points out. “We shouldn't pressure women into answering because honestly WHO REALLY KNOWS other than God?”

Plus, Brittney says, she and Brian are enjoying their life as it is right now. “We feel at peace if kids aren't in the plan for us,” she notes. “We REALLY enjoy our life & being without kids right now! It's really freeing & fun being an adult & doing whatever you want in this chapter!” 

Speaking of fun, Brian and his FGL band mate Tyler Hubbard are currently celebrating a big milestone with their pal and musical collaborator, Chase Rice. They just marked a second week at the top of the country charts with their duet single, “Drinkin' Beer. Talkin' God. Amen.” 

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Shy Carter's new music video for “Beer With My Friends,” a collaboration with Cole Swindell and David Lee Murphy, looks like a honky-tonkin' good time, and for good reason: The singer says he and his buddies were just hanging out and having fun when they made it. 

“Shooting this video was a blast,” says Shy. “David Lee is the coolest guy ever, and Cole Swindell just kills it. Like the song says, I got to hang out with them and a whole bunch of other beautiful people all day!”

With sway-along gang vocals and fun-loving verses traded between the three country pals, the song is all about friendship — and the music video gives that friendship a visual element. 

“We even had a line dance choreographed, which fit right in with the whole vibe of the party,” Shy continues. “So go watch the video, dance and crack a cold one!” 

It's not the first time Shy has found country magic with a musical friend. In 2019, he duetted with Tim McGraw on Tim's “Way Down.”

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Back in February, Morgan Wallen's promising arc towards country superstardom came screeching to a halt after doorcam video footage emerged that showed him shouting the n-word as he said goodbye to a car full of friends at the end of a night of partying. 

In this week's installment of People's People in the 90s podcast, Darius Rucker recalls his reaction to the incident, which led to Morgan's being benched by his label and many country stations, and cost him his eligibility at multiple awards shows. Like many others, Darius says he was “shocked” by the singer's behavior.

“I know Morgan and I like Morgan,” he explained. “It's one of those things that where you know that all over the country, there's a lot of people that use that word flippantly.”

But that doesn't mitigate the seriousness of Morgan's use of the word, Rucker continues. 

“Even if they say they don't mean it in a derogatory way, you just don't use it. You don't say it,” Darius stresses.

“It's shocking how prevalent it is. Racism still lives,” the singer continues. “It lives strong in some people and it's sad. It should be getting better and it's getting worse.”

One of country music's few mainstream Black stars, Darius — who's also the frontman of rock group Hootie & the Blowfish — debuted as a solo artist in the genre in 2008.

Last month, Morgan gave his first major interview since the scandal, sitting down with Good Morning America's Michael Strahan to talk about the incident and share what he's been doing during his time away from the spotlight. 

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Back in May, Jimmie Allen and his wife, Alexis, gathered with family and friends for a gorgeous wedding celebration. But as it happens, that wasn’t their actual wedding.

In a new interview with People, the couple admits that that event was simply the first chance they had to celebrate their union with a group of people. In fact, they legally tied the knot almost a year beforehand — on June 18, 2020, which is also Jimmie's birthday. 

“We've actually been married for a year,” Alexis says, but adds that taking their marital status public made this summer especially sweet. “Actually being publicly Mr. and Mrs. has been really exciting! I thought it was going to be the same, but I feel like it's a new honeymoon stage for us. We get to wear our rings out in public.”

For his part, Jimmie says he was a little caught off guard by how much he enjoys being a married man. 

“I wanted to be a dad and do music,” the singer explains. “…The whole husband thing was not something I ever wanted to do. But Alexis changed that. Now I like it. It gives me some security — she can't just be like, I'm done.' Divorce is a lot of paperwork!”

Speaking of family life, the couple is currently in the process of growing their family. Jimmie is dad to 7-year-old Aadyn, and he and Alexis are parents to 2-year-old Naomi. This summer, they announced they're expecting a third child — another girl.

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Runaway June will have some new music to share next week. On Friday, the trio announced their three-song backstory, which is due for release on August 20. 

With the exception of their 2020 holiday album, When I Think About Christmas, backstory will be the first multi-song project the trio have put out since Natalie Stovall joined Runaway June after the departure of longtime band mate Hannah Mulholland last year. However, Hannah's listed as a co-writer on one of the songs, “Down the Middle.”

Further underscoring the group's emphasis on songwriting, all three of the tracks — also including “Forgot About That” and “T-Shirt” — were co-written by band mates Jennifer Wayne and Naomi Cooke. 

backstory promises to highlight the band's bluegrass leanings, prominent vocal harmony and rootsy musical foundation. The project's release also comes at the end of an eventful time period in the band mates' personal lives: Jennifer and Naomi both recently got married. 

Runaway June is set to hit the road next week as part of Luke Bryan's Proud to Be Right Here Tour. Last year, the band re-released their latest single, “We Were Rich,” to reflect their new lineup after Natalie joined the group.

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Reba McEntire will shed new light on some of the biggest hits of her career this fall, dropping a three-part box set that spans her four-decade-plus career to date. 

Called Revived Remixed Revisited, the project divides its track list into three categories, and one selection from each disc is already out. Revived spotlights Reba's touring band, applying new and live show-inspired arrangements to classics like “Is There Life Out There,” which is available to hear now. 

Remixed gives Reba's older songs a modern twist: For example, her 2001 song “I'm a Survivor” — which recently found new life as a TikTok challenge — gets a makeover from musician and producer Lafemmebear. That song, also out now, previews the new remixed versions on the track list. 

Finally, Revisited finds Reba re-cutting stripped-back versions of some of the biggest hits of her catalogue, in collaboration with ace Nashville producer Dave Cobb. Reba will go toe-to-toe with another titan of the genre on that track list, enlisting Dolly Parton for a version of “Does He Love You.”

You'll have to wait until release day for that duet, but you can hear “Consider Me Gone” off the Revisited collection right now. 

Revived Remixed Revisited drops in full on October 8.

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Three months after the arrival of Weekends Look a Little Different These Days, Brett Young will give his newest album the acoustic treatment.

The singer has announced Weekends Look a Little Acoustic These Days, an all-acoustic, seven-song reimagining of the collection. The acoustic album arrives September 3, but you can hear the stripped-down version of Brett's current single, “Not Yet,” right now.

Weekends Look a Little Different These Days includes the chart-topping lead single “Lady,” which is Brett's sweet dedication to his wife, Taylor, and young daughter, Presley. Since he wrote and released that song, Brett has added one more lady to the picture: Last month, the Young family welcomed their second baby girl, Rowan Marie. 

Brett's also debuting his first-ever children's book, Love You, Little Lady, on August 24. From there, his weekends will start to be filled with more musical pursuits: His inaugural Caliville Weekend festival takes place in early September, and his The Weekends headlining tour launches later that month. 

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Brothers Osborne's current single, “I'm Not for Everyone,” is all about celebrating the quirks that make a person stand out from the crowd — even if some people might not accept them the way they are. 

for the song's music video, the sibling duo enlisted one of their quirkiest pals — actor-turned-social-media-star Leslie Jordan — to play the starring role of a happily off-beat guy strolling unscathed through a massive bar fight. 

Dolled up in a Nudie-style suit and at least a foot shorter than everyone else in the room, Leslie ultimately becomes the star of the show. He even charms the bar's patrons so thoroughly they quit brawling and throw their arms around each other, swaying and singing along to the last chorus of the song. 

“We got our dear friend Leslie Jordan to be the protagonist and he is absolutely killing it,” says band mate John Osborne. “He doesn't look like anyone here, and it doesn't bother him. He sticks out like a sore thumb. The song is about not being for everyone, but the core of the song is about embracing that part of you, and Leslie does it perfectly.”

By now, the two acts are old friends. Last year, the Brothers' T.J. Osborne had a guest spot on Leslie's star-studded gospel project, Company's Comin', an album that also featured the legendary likes of Dolly Parton and Chris Stapleton. 

Meanwhile, the Brothers Osborne are headed to Iowa this weekend for the next dates on their We're Not for Everyone Tour. 

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