Month: February 2022

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Go Country 105

“Beyond a dream”: Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde celebrate their joint ACM mentions and individual noms

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When the 2022 ACMs nominees list arrived on Thursday morning, Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde both got multiple mentions.

They're going head to head in the Female Artist of the Year category, and both artists agree it's an honor to be in the mix alongside such talented women. “There's nothing better than celebrating alongside all the powerhouse female artists in this category,” says Ashley.

For Carly, inclusion in this category is extra special, because she shares quite a bit of history with one of the 2022 ACMs co-hosts: Dolly Parton. “All those years in the shows at Dollywood, you'd imagine…but maybe never truly dream,” says Carly, who cut her teeth as a Dollywood performer. “To be nominated this year with Dolly hosting? It's beyond a dream.”

Carly and Ashley are more than just competitors: Their duet, “Never Wanted to Be That Girl,” is up for Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year, too.

“What a treat to be nominated with my friend Carly,” adds Ashley. “Thank you to the fans for listening to our stories and for sharing yours in return. These moments wouldn't exist without you.”

The 2022 ACM Awards will stream live from Las Vegas at 8 p.m. ET on March 7 on Amazon Prime Video. Along with Dolly, Jimmie Allen and Gabby Barrett are co-hosting the show.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Chris Janson enlists superstar pals and his wife + kids for his “Cold Beer Truth” video

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Fans can catch quite a few celebrity appearances in the music video for “Cold Beer Truth,” the latest new song to be released from Chris Janson.

Kid Rock is just one of the stars to make an appearance in the clip, playing the role of a buddy showing up to have a good time in a honky tonk alongside the singer and several other pals.

But it's not just country music that gets the all-star treatment: Chris tips his hat to his love of NASCAR, too. The video includes footage from the RCR Racing Museum that features Richard Childress, the famed NASCAR driver and partner of late racing legend Dale Earnhardt. Former Alabama football player John Cassimus and legendary fisherman Bill Dance also turn up in the video.

“Cold Beer Truth” is the newest song to arrive off of Chris' forthcoming studio album, All In. “This video pays tribute to all the good buddies out there in America who have made some great memories while sharing some cold beer truth,” Chris explained when he released the song and music video.

Also featured in the video are the singer's wife, Kelly, and their children, plus some other family members and loved ones.

Chris has already shared two songs off of All In: The album's title track and its lead single, “Bye Mom.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Chris Young, Walker Hayes, Miranda Lambert + Chris Stapleton lead 2022 ACM Awards nominees

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Chris Young is a frontrunner after the 2022 ACM Awards nominees were announced Thursday morning. He earned the most nominations of any artist, thanks largely to his mega-hit duet with Kane Brown, “Famous Friends.”

Chris earned seven mentions in total over four categories. He's double-nominated in three of those, due to his role as both a producer and artist on the single and its album, also titled Famous Friends. He's a bit of a dark horse at the awards show, having never won an ACM trophy in the past.

Behind Chris, the most-nominated artists are Walker Hayes, Miranda Lambert and Chris Stapleton, who are tied for second place, with five mentions apiece. Carrie Underwood, Carly Pearce and Jordan Davis also made a splash on the nominees list, coming in with four nods each.

Also scoring four nods was Morgan Wallen, who returns to the awards show pool after having been disqualified at the ACMs in 2021. His removal from consideration came after video footage emerged showing Morgan yelling a racist slur; he was also barred from all the other major awards shows that year.

But in 2022, the ACMs seem to be welcoming Morgan back. He's nominated for Male Artist of the Year, also scoring a mention in the Album of the Year category, and two nods for Song of the Year, as both an artist and songwriter on his nominated “7 Summers.”

The 2022 ACMs will stream on Amazon Prime Video on March 7 at 8 p.m. EST.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Gabby Barrett and Jimmie Allen reveal noms for the 57th ACM Awards

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Gabby Barrett and Jimmie Allen, two of the 2022 ACM Awards' three co-hosts, revealed the first nominees for the 57th ACM Awards on Twitter. This year's event takes place on March 7 at 8 p.m. ET in Las Vegas and, for the first time, will stream exclusively on Amazon Prime Video. Gabby and Jimmie will host the show alongside Dolly Parton. Here are the contenders:

New Female Artist of the Year
Tenille Arts
Priscilla Block
Lily Rose
Caitlyn Smith
Lainey Wilson

New Male Artist of the Year
Hardy
Ryan Hurd
Walker Hayes
Parker McCollum
Elvie Shane

Songwriter of the Year
Jesse Frasure
Nicolle Galyon
Ashley Gorley
Michael Hardy
Josh Osborne

Video of the Year
“Drunk (And I Don't Wanna Go Home)” — Elle King and Miranda Lambert
“Famous Friends” — Chris Young and Kane Brown
“I Bet You Think About Me (Taylor's Version)” — Taylor Swift feat. Chris Stapleton
“If I Didn't Love You” — Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
“Never Wanted to Be That Girl” — Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

Music Event of the Year
“Buy Dirt” — Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan
“Famous Friends” — Chris Young and Kane Brown
“Half of My Hometown” — Kelsea Ballerini feat. Kenny Chesney
“If I Didn't Love You” — Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
“Never Wanted to Be That Girl” — Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

Group of the Year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
The Cadillac Three

Duo of the Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
LOCASH
Maddie & Tae

Female Artist of the Year
Gabby Barrett
Carly Pearce
Maren Morris
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde

Male Artist of the Year
Jimmie Allen
Morgan Wallen
Chris Stapleton
Thomas Rhett
Luke Combs

Single of the Year
“Buy Dirt” — Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan
“Famous Friends” — Chris Young and Kane Brown
“Fancy Like” — Walker Hayes
“If I Didn't Love You” — Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood
“You Should Probably Leave” — Chris Stapleton

Song of the Year
“7 Summers” — Morgan Wallen
“Buy Dirt” — Jordan Davis feat. Luke Bryan
“Fancy Like” — Walker Hayes
“Knowing You” — Kenny Chesney
“Things a Man Oughta Know” — Lainey Wilson

Album of the Year
29: Written in Stone — Carly Pearce
Country Again: Side A — Thomas Rhett
Dangerous: The Double Album — Morgan Wallen
Famous Friends — Chris Young
The Marfa Tapes — Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Jack Ingram

Entertainer of the Year
Luke Combs
Eric Church
Miranda Lambert
Chris Stapleton
Carrie Underwood

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
News Daypop

N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochul lifts the state’s COVID-19 ‘vaccine-or-mask’ rule

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On Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul lifted the state’s “vaccine-or-mask” requirement for indoor businesses, citing “major improvement” in COVID-19 numbers.  Gov. Hochul said in a briefing that the rule — which mandates that workers either be vaccinated against the coronavirus or wear a mask at all times while on the job — will be dropped effective Thursday, January 10th.

Gov. Hochul said that since the peak of the Omicron surge on Jan. 7 when 90,000 state residents tested positive in a single day, “we’ve witnessed a 93% drop in cases and are now below where we were [before the surge]. That is what we were watching for, that is what we were waiting for, and it’s finally happening.”  Hochul instituted the mask-or-vaccine rule on Dec. 10 amid a surge in cases driven by the Omicron coronavirus variant.  The rule faced widespread criticism from the state’s businesses and political opponents, who asserted it was confusing.  Despite that, Hochul extended the mandate twice, and as she announced its lifting she defended her stance, saying: “we saw how quickly Omicron was spreading, studying what was happening around the globe and saying this was coming our way — we know this is coming to New York and we need to be prepared for that. It was a strong action to take at the time — we heard a lot about it. But I again stand behind that as a way to not have to shut down businesses when this variant ended up spreading like wildfire.”  When the mask-or-vaccine rule was implemented on December 10th, New York’s seven-day average of new cases stood at 51 per 100,000 residents, peaking at 382 per 100,000 a month later.  It has now dropped to 35 per 100,000, according to state health officials.

However, New York schools are still under a mask mandate until at least Feb. 21.  On Tuesday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said his mandate for schools will end in March, and Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said he recommends ending the statewide mask mandate in schools effective February 28.

Editorial credit: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

Second guilty plea made in alleged kidnapping plot of Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer

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On Wednesday, a second man charged in the plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer pleaded guilty and agreed to testify for the prosecution at the federal trial of four other defendants.

27-year-old Kaleb Franks of Waterford, Michigan admitted in U.S. District in Grand Rapids that he and other members of the ‘Wolverine Watchmen’ — a Michigan-based self-styled “militia” group — hatched the plot to abduct Whitmer at her summer home in 2020 because they were upset by the state’s COVID-19 restrictions. The plot, which allegedly included plans to use semiautomatic assault-type weapons and to bomb a bridge near Whitmer’s vacation home, was foiled by undercover law enforcement officers who infiltrated the group.

Franks admitted in court that the kidnapping plan originated solely with him and the others charged in the conspiracy.  25-year-old Ty Garbin, the other man charged in the case, pleaded guilty last year to firearms charges and conspiracy charges of providing material support for terrorists. Garbin was sentenced in August to 75 months in prison. Garbin is also expected to testify for the prosecution in the upcoming federal trial for Adam Fox, 40, Barry Croft Jr., 45, Daniel Harris, 24, and Brandon Caserta, 33.  In addition, eight other men face charges in state court stemming from the kidnap plot. Attorneys for those suspects filed a motion to dismiss the charges, arguing they were entrapped; the judge, however, rejected that motion.

Editorial credit: yui / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

'Welcome to the Block Party': Priscilla Block is “sassy,” “trashy” and so much more on her full-length debut

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Priscilla Block drops her debut album, Welcome to the Block Party, on Friday, and as the title suggests, it's an artistic mission statement designed to introduce fans to all sides of who she is.

“It's me as a whole,” Priscilla details. “What is the Block Party? It's sassy. It's trashy. It's sad sometimes. You know, it's got kind of all the vibes.”

Fans have heard some aspects of her Block Party already. The lead single, “Just About Over You,” was a top-ten hit, and its follow-up, “My Bar,” is currently climbing the country charts.

As she readies the release of the full-length album, Priscilla says that putting together different elements and moods was a conscious choice as she was recording songs for the project.

“I'm like, I want to be able to show every side of myself in 12 songs,'” she continues. “And I think that we really landed that. You've got my heartbreak songs, but you've also got me singing about thick thighs. And I'm really proud of this collection.”

It's the musical version of a literal block party. And just like the rowdier songs on the album, Priscilla says that her parties can get a little crazy.

“We would have kegs of Busch Light. We would have country music playing all night,” she says, recounting her parties back in her hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. “Gosh, I'd probably order in some Jet's Pizza. All the things! It would get wild.”

Welcome to the Block Party is out February 11.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley celebrate opening of Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit; confirm they are “taking a break” to pursue solo projects

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Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley are celebrating the opening of their Country Music Hall of Fame exhibit, Florida Georgia Line: Mix It Up Strong. 

The showcase features memorabilia that shares the story about FGL’s rapid rise to fame; and contains artifacts such as Hubbard’s saxophone he played growing up, Kelley’s old-fashion baseball cap he wore in high school, Garth Brooks Takamine guitar that was used to co-write “Cruise,” and helmets they sported in the 2016 music video for “May We All.”

FGL is set to perform at a dozen upcoming festivals to honor their decade-long career. Following speculation on whether the duo is breaking up, the pair officially put the rumors to rest and set the record straight.  Said Hubbard:“I think ‘taking a break’ is the proper term, as opposed to breaking up.”  Added Kelley:“We’re not going our separate ways. We’re taking a break from recording our music. We’re being artists. We love creating. And so a couple years back, we started writing without each other and trying different writers, and now we’re both doing that with our music.”

Florida Georgia Line fans can visit their County Music Hall of Fame exhibit through January 1, 2023.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Olivia Rodrigo to be named Billboard’s ‘Woman Of The Year’

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Olivia Rodrigo is being named Billboard’s 2022 “Woman of the Year.” The honor will take place live at the Billboard Women in Music Awards on March 2 at the YouTube Theater at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California.

Hannah Karp, Billboard’s Editorial Director, in a statement: “Olivia’s trajectory to superstardom is the stuff of pop music legend. Her talents as a storyteller and songwriter have made Olivia one of the most authentic and exciting new artists to explode onto the scene in years. Connecting with audiences across generations through emotionally charged songs about heartbreak, jealousy and growing up, she’s achieved absolutely incredible chart success for a debut artist. We are thrilled to celebrate her unique voice and the enormous impact she’s had on fans around the globe in such a short time.”

This year’s Billboard Women in Music Awards show will be hosted by Ciara — the 2009 ‘Woman of the Year.’ The annual celebration recognized music’s rising and A-list stars, creators, producers and executives for their contributions to the music industry and community.

Tickets are available for the Women in Music Awards here. To ensure the safety of all attendees and staff, Billboard will comply with all applicable COVID-19 federal, state and local laws for the 2022 Women in Music Awards.  For more information head to Billboard’s Women In Music website.

Editorial credit: Tinsletown / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Billie Eilish and Beyoncé among the nominees for Best Original Song at 2022 Oscars

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Billie Eilish and Beyoncé have both earned their first Oscar nominations for the 2022 Academy Awards, set to take place on March 27.

Beyoncé and Eilish are among the five artists to be listed in the Best Original Score category, alongside Diane Warren (Four Good Days), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Encanto) and Van Morrison (Belfast). Eilish is nominated for her Bond theme tune No Time To Die, while Beyoncé is up for ‘Be Alive’, her contribution to the soundtrack of King Richard.

‘Be Alive’ marked Beyoncé ‘s first piece of new material since her 2020 visual album, ‘Black Is King’. The track was also nominated for Best Original Song at the Golden Globes this year, as well as at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards in 2021.

‘No Time To Die’ has already won trophies at the Golden Globes 2022 and Grammys 2021, and has been nominated for the Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, Satellite Awards and more.

Editorial credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock.com