Month: February 2023

Kip Moore‘s getting romantic – sort of – on his fifth studio album, DAMN LOVE.

“I've always had a nomadic spirit, at the core of me that's what I am, and it's a beautiful life I lead – I don't take that for granted,” Kip explains. “But I still crave that companionship down deep in my DNA, and that's where Damn Love' comes from.”

“There's a reason love and relationships have been written about so much – and why they continue to get written about,” he adds. “Because at the core of us, that's what we desire the most.”

Kip produced the album with The Cadillac Three‘s Jaren Johnston and co-wrote every song, save for the album’s title track, which is out now. The 13-track collection also includes a duet with Ashley McBryde.

Here’s the complete track listing for Kip Moore’s DAMN LOVE, which comes out April 28:

“Damn Love”
“Kinda Bar”
“Neon Blue”
“The Guitar Slinger”
“Heart on Fire”
“Another Night in Knoxville”
“Silver and Gold”
“Peace & Love”
“Sometimes She Stays”
“Some Things”
“One Heartbeat” (featuring Ashley McBryde)
“Mr. Simple”
“Micky’s Bar”

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The first song from Brad Paisley‘s forthcoming album, Son of the Mountains, features a very special guest: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Brad’s releasing the track, “Same Here,” on Friday, February 24, the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The lyrics bridge the perceived divide that can exist within countries and cultures.

“However you talk, whatever you think/ From the songs that you sing to the drink that you drink/ If you miss your mama and worry ’bout your babies/ And love each other like crazy/ And want someone to share your hopes and fears/ Same here,” Brad sings.

Zelenskyy appears nearly three minutes into the song, with Paisley summoning him by singing about his friend who “seems like a million miles away” and who has “a bunch of dreams for his country he holds so dear.”

“It’s heartbreaking watching this struggle in modern time for freedom and democracy and the ability to just simply be who they want to be in peace,” Brad says. “And this song is something that I hope resonates not only with my fans and people in America, but people anywhere that feel a similar desire to be free and safe and happy. Because I really do believe that as human beings when you take away the banners that determine what country we all live in, we all want the same things.”

Proceeds from “Same Here” will go to UNITED24, a global fundraising initiative to help Ukraine that was launched by Zelenskyy.

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Justin Moore‘s sixth studio album, Stray Dog, is set to arrive May 5. 

The eight-track record includes his latest #1, “With a Woman You Love”; a duet with Riley Green on “Everybody Get Along”; his current hit with Priscilla Block, “You, Me, and Whiskey”; and the title track, “Stray Dogs,” which is available now. 

“It's really autobiographical – me personally, maybe more so me as an artist,” Justin says of the album’s title. “I've kind of been the guy who's fallen under the radar my entire career, which is totally fine with me. We go out and have X amount of hits, sell X amount of albums, and then we never get asked to be on the awards shows, which remains the case.”

Here’s the complete track listing for Justin Moore’s Stray Dog:

“Everybody Get Along” (with Riley Green)
“That Wasn’t Jack”
“With a Woman You Love”
“Better Slow”
“Stray Dogs”
“Country On It”
“You, Me, and Whiskey”
“Get Rich or Drunk Trying”

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As a judge on American Idol, it’s Luke Bryan‘s job to help mentor the contestants.

But the “Country On” hitmaker admits he’s learned just a much as anyone else during his time on the show.

“I think being in front of a TV camera so much makes you a little — I mean, it makes you more aware of a lot more things,” he explains. “It’s like a resumé builder, you know? It’s like college.”

“You know, I’ve got five years of sitting in front of a television camera, to where you learn what works, what doesn’t,” he continues. “You learn how to engage with people. You learn how to not get yourself in too big of trouble. You know, there’s a fine line of doing it right, doing it wrong.”

The five-time Entertainer of the Year says it’s also made him appreciate his own career even more than he did before.

“I learned that you’ve still got to go and work hard because there’s a lot of talent out there in the world. And you don’t ever need to take your talent for granted because so many people dream of this life,” Luke reflects.

“And to be able to watch these kids come in from these various backgrounds, and to watch their process, it’s very informative. It’s very emotional,” he adds. 

The auditions resume Sunday night at 8 p.m. ET, as the sixth season of American Idol continues on ABC. 

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