Month: October 2022

Categories
Country Daypop

George Strait announces six-date Stadium Tour with Chris Stapleton and Little Big Town

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George Strait has announced a six-date stadium tour along with Chris Stapleton and country quartet Little Big Town, comprised of Karen Fairchild, Phillip Sweet, Kimberly Schlapman and Jimi Westbrook.

Strait is slated to perform at stadiums in Arizona, Wisconsin, Washington, Colorado, Tennessee and Florida. Says Strait of the tour: “When I walk through those curtains and see those smiling faces, my feet don’t touch the ground again ‘til I walk back out and get on that bus that got me there. That’s from a song I wrote called ‘I’ll Always Remember You.’ It’s a true statement. When we talked about doing these six shows next year with Chris, it was a no brainer for me. I was all in.  Stapleton added: “I love doing these shows with George about as much as I like doing anything. There’s nothing to compare it to. So many of his songs are in the ethos of what country music is. Playing these shows together is a great experience all the way around.”

Tickets to all six shows are on pre-sale Oct. 26 and start at $59. To sign up for presale access, head here.  General ticket sales begin next Friday, November 4, at 10 a.m. local time on Strait’s website.

George Strait, Chris Stapleton team for six 2023 stadium shows

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Categories
Pop Daypop

Ellie Goulding shares video “Let It Die” from upcoming album

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Ellie Goulding is revealing details of her highly anticipated fifth studio album, Higher Than Heaven, set for release on February 3, 2023. Goulding also shared the song and video for “Let It Die”, which you can view here.

Higher Than Heaven follows Goulding’s latest solo releases, “Easy Lover” and “All By Myself.” The new album will feature Greg Kurstin (Sia, Maggie Rogers, Elton John), Jessie Shatkin (Charli XCX, Years & Years), Koz (Sam Ryder, Madonna, Dua Lipa) and Andrew Wells (Halsey, Yungblud).

Goulding said the following of the new album: “There was definitely a darkness about [the past two years] that was palpable in the studio, with everyone having gone through it differently. I think for that reason, nobody wanted to sit and agonize over some relationship or some drama. So that’s how this album came together. [Higher Than Heaven is] about being passionately in love. But it’s a hyper form of love, almost like a drug-induced feeling. It feels almost artificial and there’s the potential for a crash.”

Editorial credit: Andrea Raffin / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Rihanna confirms original song ‘Lift Me Up’ to be featured in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

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After Marvel Studios seemingly confirmed that new music from Rihanna would appear in the upcoming film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the artist herself tweeted Wednesday that she will release the single “Lift Me Up” from the soundtrack on Friday, Oct. 28.   Rihanna’s tweet came with a corresponding video that shows the letter ‘R’ designed like the Black Panther uniform on a black background. A short snippet of humming plays in the background, with Rihanna’s name appearing on the left side and the name of the song on the right  (Marvel’s initial tweet had showed a clip of the movie’s title that also zeroed in on a ‘R’ and the same release date).

According to Variety, “Lift Me Up” was “written as a tribute to the life and legacy of Chadwick Boseman” by Tems, Oscar winner Ludwig Göransson, Rihanna and Ryan Coogler.  Boseman, who famously played T’Challa, died of colon cancer in 2020. The sequel film is set for release on November 11th.

The first Black Panther film was released in 2018 with Kendrick Lamar serving as the executive producer of that film’s soundtrack. The first film also featured music from Schoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, The Weeknd, and Travis Scott.

“Lift Me Up” will mark Rihanna’s first solo material in nearly seven years, aside from a guest spot on PartyNextDoor’s 2020 single ‘Believe It’.  The singer last released the album ‘Anti’ in 2006, and she’ll return to the stage to headline the Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show in February 2023.

Rihanna confirms new single ‘Lift Me Up’ arriving this week

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Categories
Go Country 105

Nashville notes: Maddie & Tae's new video, Carly Pearce's Ryman merch + more

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Maddie & Tae just released the music video for their new song, “Every Night Every Morning.”

Carly Pearce's headlining, sold-out two-night stand at Nashville's Ryman auditorium kicks off Wednesday night. To celebrate, the singer's got exclusive new merch, including a new sweatshirt design, concert posters and two different T-shirt styles.

Craig Morgan debuted his music video for “How You Make a Man” on Wednesday. The song comes off the deluxe edition of his God, Family, Country album, which is due out November 11.

Rising star Reyna Roberts, who's made a name for herself opening for Reba McEntire, has a new song out called “Pretty Little Devils.”

 

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Mickey Guyton gets a spotlight in Audible's new artist profile series 'Origins'

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Mickey Guyton will be one of several stars sharing their stories in Origins, a new eight-part audio series from Audible.

According to a report from Billboard, the series will pose the same question — “Where are you from?” — to a variety of artists to provide an intimate look into what makes them the people and musicians they are today.

A teaser for Mickey's episode says her story shares how she has triumphed over hardship and rejection.

“This series breaks down the barrier between artist and human, as we get up close and personal with these remarkable contemporary musicians and find the source of each of their creative drives,” explains Rachel Ghiazza, who is Audible's vice president and head of U.S. content.

Other artists profiled in the series include Billie Eilish, Doja Cat and King Princess. All eight installments of Origins drop on Audible on November 17.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Zac Brown Band's John Driskell Hopkins shares his ALS battle and the song he's writing for his daughters

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Back in May, founding Zac Brown Band member John Driskell Hopkins told fans he had “tough news to share”: He'd been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease, also known as ALS.

In a new CBS Mornings interview, John offers a detailed look into his daily life with ALS. He first noticed symptoms in 2019, when he realized his right hand wasn't working as quickly as it used to.

“And I remember sitting on the bus and talking to the guys and saying, Something's wrong with my hand,'” he says.

ZBB has been by John's side since the beginning — they stood alongside him in his video message announcing the news, and mounted a sold-out benefit show at the Ryman earlier this fall to raise awareness and funds for ALS research. And the musician's wife and three daughters have been equally invested in his ALS journey since his diagnosis.

His wife, Jennifer, gives him daily treatments, and John says he worries about his disease getting to the point where it could “ruin her adult life,” tearfully adding, “I don't wanna burden this one.”

As for their daughters? John says he's currently recording his voice speaking a variety of words so that he can still communicate with them in his own voice, even if the disease claims his ability to talk.

He's also at work on three songs related to his ALS, including one called “I Love You Forever,” directed to his wife “and to the babies,” he explains.

“I haven't finished it,” John continues. “Can't finish it.”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Wynonna Judd + star guests to recreate The Judds' 1991 Farewell Tour in an upcoming CMT special

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Wynonna Judd is spearheading an exciting new CMT concert event celebrating the music of The Judds.

Together with some of the star acts who are sharing the stage with her for The Judds' Final Tour — Ashley McBryde, Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Little Big Town and Martina McBride — Wynonna will mount an event that tributes one of The Judds' most memorable live moments.

Called The Judds: Love is Alive — The Final Concert, the event will recreate The Judds' 1991 Farewell Tour. It will take place next month at Middle Tennessee State University's Murphy Center, the same spot where Wynonna and her late mother, Naomi Judd, performed the final show on their Judds Farewell Tour back in 91.

“Stepping onstage at the Murphy Center for the first time since Dec. 4th 1991 will be so surreal for me,” Wynonna notes. “It was an emotional night over 30 years ago, and will be an emotional night, for different reasons, now.”

Naomi died by suicide in late April at the age of 76. At the time, The Judds had already announced their 2022 tour; Wynonna has since reconfigured the tour as an all-star girl's night featuring some of the biggest female acts in country music.

Wynonna recently announced that that tour will carry on into 2023. The newly-announced CMT special is just one more way that fans and artists alike will be able to celebrate the music of The Judds and remember Naomi's life and legacy.

The made-for-TV event will take place Nov. 3. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting NAMI Tennessee, which provides mental health resources for those in need.

It's also scheduled to air as a televised special on CMT in March 2023.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Blake Shelton saves country duo on 'The Voice' after technical issues give their performance a hit

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Turns out, Blake Shelton's just a big ol' softie.

On this week's Battle Rounds episode of The Voice, husband-and-wife duo The Dryes faced off against another Team Blake contestant, Bryce Leatherwood. Their performance of Brooks & Dunn's “Red Dirt Road” hit a snag thanks to technical difficulties, but the duo rallied, and by the end, all four coaches were impressed by The Dryes’ ability to keep calm during a tough situation.

In fact, if it were up to Blake, they would have been able to try their performance again. “I wish we could have a do-over,” the country star joked. “I've been texting with the legal department. Apparently that's a no-go.”

Ultimately, Bryce won the battle, but The Dryes aren't done with their time on The Voice just yet. Instead of sending them home, Blake used his “save” to keep the contestants from being eliminated.

“I just feel like that overall performance, it kinda got derailed from the beginning, and that's why we have a save,'” Blake said in a video message on Twitter after the show. “To give somebody a second chance. And I felt like they deserved it.”

Season 22 of The Voice is currently underway. Blake, who's been a coach on every single season of the show since its inception, recently announced that next season — season 23 — will be his last.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
News Daypop

Top Trump aide Hope Hicks interviews with January 6 select committee

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Hope Hicks, who served as a top adviser to former President Donald Trump, is interviewing with the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. Hicks previously had an “informal interview” with the committee, according to two separate sources, and was called back for a formal interview.

Hicks previously refused to answer questions about working for the president when she testified before lawmakers behind closed doors in 2019. The Jan. 6 committee declined to provide a comment or any additional details, and Hicks did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hicks served in multiple senior roles during Trump’s presidency, and was one of his closest confidantes in his White House. She left the White House six days after the Jan. 6 insurrection, on Jan. 12, after serving as a counselor to the president. She had previously served as White House communications director as well as director of strategic communications. Prior to her stints at the White House, Hicks worked for Trump’s presidential campaign, the Trump Organization and Ivanka Trump’s fashion brand.

The committee has sought to prove throughout its investigation and public hearings that various individuals surrounding Trump did not believe the election was stolen or in the former President’s election lies and told him so.

Editorial credit: Thomas Hengge / Shutterstock.com

Categories
News Daypop

5.1 magnitude earthquake strikes near San Jose, California

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According to the United States Geological Survey, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday at 11:42 a.m. The quake was centered 9 miles east of Seven Trees and 12 miles east of San Jose, and was quickly followed by a 3.1 magnitude aftershock. The USGS called the quake the largest to strike since the 6.0 Napa quake in 2014 which damaged hundreds of buildings.

The quake was felt as far away as Salinas, Point Reyes and Stockton, with residents posting videos to social media of the shaking. At of press time there are no reports of any damage or injury from Tuesday’s quake. Public works employees are evaluating infrastructure for any possible damage. All trains for BART, Caltrain and VTA were stopped temporarily right after the quake as a precaution. They have since resumed operations.

Seismologists are warning residents there remains the chance of aftershocks, with the U.S. Geological Survey who predicted 10 to 15 aftershocks greater than 3.0 over the next week. The California Geological Survey tweeted Tuesday: “Additional shaking from aftershocks can be expected. We are continuing to monitor this region.”

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