Month: November 2023

Carly Pearce has dropped a new Say Anything Journal in her merch store. The item is priced at $25 and includes a special printed note from Carly with her autograph. Get yours now at carlypearceshop.merchmadeeasy.com.

Walker Hayes is dropping a festive remake of his #1 hit, “Fancy Like,” on Friday, November 10. The fresh rendition is titled “Fancy Like Christmas” and can be presaved now.

Kimberly Perry has released her cover of Leonard Cohen‘s “Hallelujah.” “Christmas is my very favorite time of year,” she shares. “I chose the non-traditional Hallelujah because it feels like the perfect crossroads of the Bloom spirit and the holiday spirit – reckoning with both the wins and losses of the year with grace and a resounding ‘Hallelujah!'”

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Cirque du Soleil and Universal Music Group Nashville have teamed up for a country music-themed tour.

The fresh trek will meld acrobatics with the melodies of beloved country tunes and pay tribute to the genre with delightful, breathtaking performances.

“Our collaboration with Universal Music Group Nashville presents an exciting opportunity for us to expand our creative horizons and reach new audiences, as we delve into the vibrant world of country music entertainment,” says Stéphane Lefebvre, president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil.

“We are thrilled at the idea of joining forces with Cirque du Soleil to offer a one-of-a-kind show celebrating classic and modern country music,” shares Cindy Mabe, chair and CEO of Universal Music Group Nashville. “Cirque du Soleil is a shining example of making the impossible, possible through creativity, collaboration, and emotion.”

“The opportunity to highlight our incredible catalog and bring the history of country music to life in a live theatrical setting, will allow our music to live on with a new generation of audiences and country music fans,” she adds.

The North American Tour kicks off in July at Nashville’s Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Tickets go on sale December 6. To register for presale access and additional updates and information, visit CirqueCountry.com.

Auditions for singers and musicians will take place from December 4 to December 7. For more information, visit casting.cirquedusoleil.com.

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Lainey Wilson is grateful to be the biggest winner at the 57th CMA Awards.

The “Heart Like a Truck” hitmaker walked home with five awards, including the coveted Entertainer of the Year, her first win in that category.

“The ride just keeps getting wilder,” Lainey captions an Instagram carousel shared after her celebratory night. “Country music has wrapped its arms around me in ways I could've never imagined. This is the dream y'all.”

“It all feels so divinely lead,” she adds. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you.”

During the awards show, Lainey performed her brand new single, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses.”

“This one is a nod to my family, it’s a nod to the folks who raised me and the place who raised me,” Lainey told ABC Audio of the song’s inspiration. “It’s one of those songs that talks about the kind of people that I come from, and they are tough, hardworking and give you the shirt off your back kind of people.”

“Wildflowers and Wild Horses” arrives at country radio November 13. The track is the third single off Lainey’s CMA Album of the Year-winning record, Bell Bottom Country.

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Kenny Chesney is ushering in a new music chapter with his upcoming single, “Take Her Home.”

Slated to drop November 10, Kenny says the track captures “everything life is made of in less than four minutes.”

“Every now and then, you find a song that just feels right. There's an honesty about life that you can't just churn out. Finding songs that ring true? When you hear one, you grab it – and that's a lot of how this song happened,” shares Kenny.

“We were trying to decide what to lead with, and someone sent me this demo… and I knew. No more discussion. We had the song – and a great time turning it into a record real life? There's nothing like it,” he continues.

“It's amazing how simple figuring life out can be. I look around, and I see people in every state of this song every day,” Kenny adds. “I can't wait to hear people singing this one back to us, because it's going to be one of those moments. I just know.”

Most recently, Kenny and Mac McAnally performed “A Pirate Looks at Forty” as a tribute to Jimmy Buffett at the 57th CMA Awards.

Kenny’s latest album is 2020’s Here And Now.

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Brothers Osborne walked home with their sixth Vocal Duo of the Year win at this year’s CMA Awards.

While they’re grateful for another nod, the “Nobody’s Nobody” singers weren’t certain they’d snag this victory again. 

“I did not expect us to win. I felt that way every single year, and it has always felt like it was this close to slipping away from us,” TJ tells the press backstage. “I don't know if it feels that way for other artists, but I do think what happens to all of us in our heads is mostly not reality when we're thinking about if we're cool, if we're still gonna be relevant.”

“It's something that I think of regularly and I'm like, ‘I wonder if this is the last year that we get to feel like we're on top of the world.’ And then it keeps happening,” he continues. “I think the thing I need to change is probably just wake up and realize that we're gonna be here for a while, at least I hope, and probably get a better therapist.”

For John, it’s all about living in the present and being appreciative of every achievement.

“You really try to relish these moments that happen because some people are like, ‘Oh yeah, you did it again.’ It's like, ‘No, this is our moment, this is our year,’ because at some point, it will pass, and you've got to relish it,” he says.

“There will be a time when we aren't even nominated. There will be a time when we can't even get in the damn building, and we'll look back and wished we would have relished it more,” John adds. “So, I definitely don't want to miss any of this.”

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Fresh off his CMA Awards performance with Morgan Wallen and Post Malone, HARDY has announced his upcoming Joe Diffie tribute project, HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE.

Set to arrive March 29, the collection is a collaboration between HARDY and The Diffie Estate that will pay homage to the late ’90s country icon’s legacy and catalog.

“I’m super excited about DIFFTAPE. I think it’s a one-of-a-kind project and we’re the first people to do something like this,” HARDY shares. “Especially having the original recordings and the fact that we have his family’s blessing to do it, it’s all really special.”

“Joe epitomized the ’90s country voice – he was so good about hearing and cutting hits, recording amazing songs. On a personal level, I only got to meet Joe once, but he was extremely nice to me, and this was in my first year of being an artist when I was an absolute nobody,” adds HARDY. “He was so, so kind to me and that memory I have of him is truly special to me, too.”

“The Diffie Estate is thrilled to partner with Big Loud and HARDY in preserving and revitalizing Joe Diffie’s musical legacy,” shares the estate. “With their shared excitement and passion, this collaboration promises to carry on the incredible journey of a true legend.”

Fans can preview HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE via the “Pickup Man” featuring Diffie and Post Malone, and “John Deere Green” featuring Diffie, HARDY and Wallen.

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Backstage at the 2023 CMA Awards, it was a mix of the not-so-old guard meeting the almost-new.

Lainey Wilson scored the upset of the night, winning Entertainer of the Year the first time she was nominated, in only the second year she was ever eligible. Moments later, she was already thinking about her vision for the future.

“I think that we are in a very pivotal time right now in country music,” she told reporters backstage. “I’m very proud to be a part of this generation of country music. They all look different, they all sound different, they all have different stories, they all come from different places, and I think it’s really important for that to be a thing.” 

HARDY, who started the day winning two trophies alongside Lainey for “wait in the truck,” was simply happy to be part of country’s new direction.

“There is, in fact, a new era of country music that is making a really big footprint,” he proclaimed. 

Jelly Roll, always grateful and always humble, knew he’d want to relive the day he was officially welcomed into the fold, joking he could always watch it on Hulu in 4K. 

Two-time Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs — who’d taken Lainey out on tour earlier in the year — was transported back to his beginnings by the two wins for Tracy Chapman‘s “Fast Car,” recalling how he used the song to teach himself to play guitar when he was 21. 

Meanwhile, Chris Stapleton, Brothers Osborne and Old Dominion, with 21, 7 and 6 career trophies respectively, seemed to welcome the night’s new wind with open arms, with a determination to never take their own recognition for granted. 

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