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Pop Daypop

Shawn Mendes releases breakup ballad ‘It’ll Be Okay’ after split from Camila Cabello

Shawn Mendes has released a new breakup ballad titled “It’ll Be Okay” following his recent split from ex-girlfriend, singer Camila Cabello. Mendes uploaded a lyric video for the song, and it can also be streamed through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, Tidal, Deezer and Soundcloud.

Mendes and Cabello were first linked together in July 2019, and as recently as September they had performed onstage together at the Global Citizen Live concert.  The couple announced that they had gone their separate ways in November after two years of dating, and released a joint statement saying: “Hey guys, we’ve decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever. We started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends.”

Editorial credit: Cubankite / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

BTS share holiday remix of their smash hit ‘Butter’

BTS has dropped a new version of their hit single “Butter.”  The K-pop group shared on social media the release of the “Butter (Holiday Remix)” to celebrate the holidays.

The cover art for the remix reimagines the “Butter” logo for the holidays. with a heart-shaped butter pat (now snowy-white) and featuing a smiley face with a red nose.

“Butter,” released back in May, is BTS’ second English-language single off the band’s Butter single album, which dropped in July. Take a listen to the “Butter (Holiday Remix)” – here.

Editorial credit: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Nashville notes

Luke Combs has achieved several new RIAA certifications. His debut album, This One’s for You, has been certified four times Platinum while his 2019 sophomore album, ?What You See Is What You Get, ?is three times Platinum. Five of Luke’s singles have also been certified: “Beer Never Broke My Heart” (4x Platinum), “Forever After All” (3x Platinum), “Even Though I'm Leaving” (3x Platinum), “1, 2 Many” (Platinum) and “Does to Me,” featuring Eric Church (Platinum).

Gabby Barrett, Walker Hayes, Parker McCollum, Jameson Rodgers and Lainey Wilson have been named to the New Faces of Country Music call of 2022. They will perform on the New Faces of Country Music Show at 2022 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville on February 25. 

Mickey Guyton will perform on Cracker Barrel’s Sounds of the Season: Together Again holiday special. She will appears alongside Grammy-winning a cappella group, PentatonixSounds of the Season streams on Cracker Barrel’s YouTube and Facebook pages on December 15. 

Lauren Alaina is embarking on her headlining Top of the World Tour in 2022. It launches on February 24 in Silver Spring, Maryland and concludes on April 15 in Charleston, South Carolina.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

“I am so excited”: Cole Swindell announces 2022 Down to the Bar Tour

Cole Swindell is heading Down to the Bar on his 2022 tour. 

On Monday, the hitmaker unveiled dates for the Down to the Bar Tour that kicks off February 17 in Illinois and continues through April 3, when it wraps in New Hampshire. 

Along the way, Cole will make stops in his home state of Georgia, in addition to Spokane, Washington, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and more. “After a Few” singer Travis Denning and Ashley Cooke, who collaborated with Jimmie Allen on “Good Goodbye,” will open for Cole. 

“I am so excited to kick off 2022 back on the road with a headlining tour. I've been big fans of Travis Denning and Ashley Cooke for a while now so to be able to get them for this tour is exciting,” Cole says, hinting, “The fans are going to be in for a lot of surprises on this tour! It will be hard to top 2021, but getting this tour out there already has me excited for the new year.”

Cole recently dropped his new single, “Never Say Never,” a duet with Lainey Wilson. It follows his latest #1 hit, “Single Saturday Night,” that topped the charts in 2020. Cole’s also set to perform on New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash, airing on CBS on December 31 at 8 p.m. ET.  

Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Jimmie Allen books first headlining tour in 2022

Jimmie Allen is crossing yet another career threshold with his first headlining tour. 

The “Best Shot” hitmaker is set to embark on the 2022 Down Home Tour that runs from February through May. The 19-city trek kicks off on February 3 at the famed Troubadour in Los Angeles, and continues on to Las Vegas, Tulsa, The Blue Note in Columbia, Missouri, San Antonio, where he’ll perform at the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, and more. 

Jimmie says he was waiting for the right time to book his debut headlining tour and was intentional about not wanting to “rush it.”  

“I wanted to make sure I was ready, my band was ready, so we could give the audience what they deserve every night – which is greatness. And I finally feel like my band and I are at a point where greatness is something we can achieve,” he explains. “To everyone that's supported us so far on our journey, thank you. We look forward to seeing you and a bunch of our new friends on the Down Home Tour.”

Opening for the hit singer is duo Neon Union, the first act signed to Jimmie’s newly announced management and production company, JAB Entertainment. 

News of Jimmie’s headlining tour comes weeks after he scored a nomination for Best New Artist at the 2022 Grammy Awards. 

Tickets for the Down Home Tour go on sale to the public on Friday at 10 a.m. local time. Visit Jimmie’s website for a full list of dates. 

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Blake Shelton headlining San Diego's Boots in the Park

Blake Shelton is taking country music to the California coast with a headlining set at 2022 Boots in the Park. 

The one-day event takes over Waterfront Park in San Diego on April 2, with Carly Pearce and Brett Young also performing. Additions to the lineup will be announced in the coming weeks. 

“Y'all don't miss out on San Diego's Biggest Country Party!” Blake writes on social media. 

Boots in the Park went on hiatus in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but returned in 2021 with performances by Jon Pardi, Matt Stell and more. 

Blake’s current single, “Come Back as a Country Boy,” is climbing the country charts, currently in the top 20.

Tickets for Boots in the Park go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. ET.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

“Knowing You”: Kenny Chesney tops the chart with 34th #1 hit

Kenny Chesney is carrying his nostalgic single, “Knowing You,” to the top of the charts.

The superstar has amassed his 34th #1 hit with the song as it reaches the pinnacle position on the country chart after a 37-week climb. It’s the latest single off his 2020 album, Here and Now, which debuted atop the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and all-genre Billboard 200. 

“There is such a beautiful innocence to this song. I love the idea that what was great is what matters; the idea that what you felt that was so good — that's the thing to hang on to,” Kenny says in a statement. “Wishing the other person well, hoping they're out there spreading that same joy, feeling that same love wherever they may be? To me, that's just beautiful.”

Kenny continues, “My hope, throughout the life of this single, has been for people to take this idea and embrace it, embrace that person they loved who's gone and celebrate every small thing that was part of their relationship.”

The success of “Knowing You” follows that of the album’s title track, which reached #1 last year. 

Kenny will embark on the 2022 Here and Now Tour with Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay and Old Dominion next spring, launching on April 23 in Tampa.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood & more to appear on inaugural 'Opry Live: USO Holiday Special'

Luke Combs and Carrie Underwood are performing in the Grand Ole Opry’s first USO show this holiday season. 

Created in partnership with United Service Organizations, a nonprofit that provides entertainment to service members and their families, Opry Live: USO Holiday Special will feature additional performances by Josh Turner, Lauren Alaina, Craig Morgan, himself an Army veteran, plus Jessie James Decker and duo The War & Treaty

The show will be hosted by American Idol? alum and USO Global Ambassador, Kellie Pickler. “I've never worn the uniform, but I'm a proud supporter for those who do. As a Global Ambassador for the USO, I hope to share the importance of serving those who serve us all,” Kellie says in a statement. 

Opry Live: USO Holiday Special ?will air on the Circle Network on December 18 at 9 p.m. ET and will be livestreamed on the USO and Circle All Access' Facebook, Twitter and YouTube channels.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Maren Morris gets a tour of the White House

Ahead of her performance at the National Christmas Tree Lighting event in Washington, D.C. on Sunday night, Maren Morris got a special tour of the White House. 

The superstar took to her Instagram Stories to take fans along for the ride, sharing sweeping shots of the Red Room, which that features one of many giant Christmas trees under a decadent chandelier. Maren’s back is to the camera as she stares up at a portrait of Angelica Singleton Van Buren.

The singer also shared a bit of history, writing alongside a portrait of George Washington, “Dolley Madison saved this portrait from burning in a fire from the British Invasion of the White house in 1814.” 

Several massive trees, an extravagant manger scene and a live jazz band were all sights to behold on the tour, with Maren donning a mask in the Green Room, shaking her head in awe. 

“At the Christmas party hop,” she captions the experience. 

Later, the hitmaker took to President’s Park to perform a cover of Brenda Lee‘s classic holiday hit, “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” for the annual holiday special that aired on CBS.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

Former Kansas Senator Bob Dole dies at 98

Former U.S. senator and Republican presidential and vice presidential candidate Bob Dole died on Sunday at 98 years old. The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, named after his wife, announced that Dole died in his sleep early Sunday morning. A cause of death was not immediately revealed, however, Dole announced in February that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer and would undergo treatment. The statement from the Elizabeth Dole Foundation read: ““It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep,” adding, “At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years.”

Dole served in the U.S. Army during World War II and survived serious injuries in battle in Italy. He earned two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars for valor during his service.  He served in the U.S. House as a representative from Kansas between 1961 and 1969. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 1968 and represented Kansas in the Senate for 27 years, the last 11 as the Republican leader.

In 1976, Dole was the vice presidential nominee on the Republican ticket with incumbent President Gerald Ford; they ultimately lost in the general election to Jimmy Carter and Walter Mondale. Dole then resigned from the Senate in 1996 to make a bid for President, ultimately losing to incumbent President Bill Clinton. Following his Presidential run, Dole began serving as special counsel with the law firm Alston and Bird in Washington and was appointed by then-President George W. Bush to co-head a bipartisan commission that delivered suggestions on improving the military’s health care system in 2008. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Clinton in 1997 and received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2018.

Dole is survived by his wife, former Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, and daughter Robin Dole.

Editorial credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com