Month: April 2024

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Go Country 105

No collabs on 'Born'? No problem for Kenny Chesney

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Wondering why there are no collabs on Kenny Chesney‘s latest album, Born? Well, the answer’s simple: There wasn’t an organic fit.

“Look, I love collaborations, but there's no collaborations on this record because I always felt like the collaborations had to start with the song, and I'm just not a big fan of putting people on a record just to have someone on the record,” Kenny shares in a recent press interview.

“It's just disingenuous, you know? So, there's no collaborations on this record because I didn't feel like the songs lent itself to it,” adds the country star, who’s previously dueted with Grace Potter, Uncle Kracker, David Lee Murphy, P!nk and more.

Born‘s lead single, “Take Her Home,” is currently approaching the top five of the country charts.

To see Kenny at an upcoming Sun Goes Down Tour date, visit his website.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Lainey teams with Charlie 1 Horse for new Western hats

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Lainey Wilson‘s making country and Western hats cool again, y’all.

The country superstar announced Thursday that she’s teamed up with Charlie 1 Horse for a new line of Western hats.

“Watching y’all come out to the shows in your bells and hats only cemented my decision that we needed a special line just for all the cowgirls and cowboys out there lookin’ to make a statement with their look,” Lainey shares on Instagram.

“It has been such a joy working with @charlie1horse to put together this collection of hats for y’all and they’re finally live! Can’t wait to see y’all rockin’ them on the #CountrysCoolAgain tour here soon,” she says.

You can shop the Lainey Wilson x Charlie 1 Horse hat collection now at charlie1horsehats.com.

For tickets to Lainey’s upcoming Country’s Cool Again Tour, head to laineywilson.com.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Sam Hunt didn't think “Outskirts” would hit #1

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“Outskirts” may have hit #1 this week, but did you know Sam Hunt once thought it’d never reach the peak of the country charts?

In a press interview ahead of his latest achievement, Sam shared that he was worried that he’d not get to lock in his milestone 10th chart-topper.

“It is always as special because you'll have one, and then immediately you'll think, ‘Could I have another one?'” says Sam. “When ‘Outskirts’ had a slow start, I thought, ‘Well, maybe I'll never hit 10.’ I was already coming to terms with not reaching that number.”

He continues, “I remember folks told me back in the day, ‘You really haven't solidified a career that you can tour on with longevity until you have 10 number-ones.'”

With “Outskirts” being his milestone 10th #1, Sam’s grateful to fans and country radio for their support.

“It was a slow burn there for a while but Outskirts has had wind in its sails these last few weeks. It's the #1 song at Country Radio right now. Thank you to everyone at radio for all your support and everyone who has been in my corner helping make it happen,” Sam shares on X, formerly known as Twitter. 

You can find “Outskirts” on Sam’s latest EP, Locked Up, out now.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Carly Pearce's birthday gift to fans? An earlier album release date

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Surprise! Carly Pearce is dropping her new album, hummingbird, a week earlier.

Initially set for June 14, the record will now be released on June 7. 

Carly updated fans on the change via an Instagram Live on her birthday on Wednesday. 

“For my birthday this year, I wanted to give you guys a gift instead. My album hummingbird is now coming out Friday, June 7. CMA Fest, I hope you're ready because we're going to be celebrating!” Carly shared.

Hummingbird is available for preorder and presave now. Its Chris Stapleton-assisted lead single, “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” is approaching the top 10 of the country charts.

Carly’s currently on tour with Tim McGraw on his Standing Room Only Tour. For tickets, head to carlypearce.com.

Here’s the full track list for hummingbird:

“Country Music Made Me Do It”
“Truck on Fire”
“Still Blue”
“Heels Over Head”
“We Don't Fight Anymore” featuring Chris Stapleton
“Rock Paper Scissors”
“Oklahoma”
“My Place”
“Things I Don’t Chase”
“Woman to Woman”
“Fault Line”
“Pretty Please”
“Trust Issues”
“Hummingbird”

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Reba to host + perform new music at the 2024 ACM Awards

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Reba McEntire is set to host the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards.

“I am tickled to pieces to get to host the ACM Awards for the 17th time!” says Reba, who’s returning to host the awards show for the 17th time.

“What an honor to have been part of the past, present and now the future of the Academy of Country Music with Amazon Prime Video,” she adds. “I can't wait to get to Texas and see everybody May 16th!”

“We are thrilled for the homecoming of Reba to the ACM Awards stage for the 17th time!” ACM CEO Damon Whiteside says in a press release. “There is simply no one better to continue to elevate this show in our new global streaming era with Amazon Prime Video.”

Reba also shared on Instagram that she’ll be “performing brand new music during the show.”

The 2024 ACM Awards will stream live on Prime Video May 16 at 8 p.m. ET.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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News Daypop

President Biden signs $95 billion foreign aid package for assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan

US President Joe Biden in Washington^ DC US - Mar 13^ 2023

After months of negotiations, President Biden signed into law a foreign aid package on Wednesday that includes tens of billions of dollars in assistance to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, along with a measure that could lead to a ban on TikTok in the U.S.

The White House first sought the foreign aid more than six months ago, but was met with conservative opposition to Ukraine aid. However an unexpected turn from House Speaker Mike Johnson led the House to approve legislation over the weekend. with the Senate passing the package in a bipartisan vote Tuesday evening. Biden said in remarks from the White House: “It’s a good day for America, it’s a good day for Europe and it’s a good day for world peace. It’s going to make America safer, it’s going to make the world safer and it continues America’s leadership in the world and everyone knows it.”

The aid package, worth $95 billion in total, includes $60.8 billion in aid for Ukraine; $26.4 billion to support Israel, along with humanitarian aid for Gaza; and $8.1 billion for allies in the Indo-Pacific. The legislation also features provisions to allow the sale of frozen assets of Russian oligarchs, and a measure that could eventually lead to the ban of TikTok in the United States – giving Chinese parent company ByteDance roughly nine months to sell it or else it will be banned from app stores in the United States.

The Pentagon announced a new round of military aid for Ukraine worth roughly $1 billion, with the president adding that the U.S. would begin sending weapons and military equipment to Ukraine “in the next few hours. We are going to begin sending equipment to Ukraine for air defense munitions, for artillery, for rocket systems and armored vehicles.”

Editorial credit: Consolidated News Photos / Shutterstock.com

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News Daypop

FDA assures milk supply is safe after fragments of bird flu virus are found in pasteurized dairy

Exterior view of the headquarters of US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Silver Spring^ MD^ USA 11-10-2020

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says it has discovered fragments of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) — more commonly referred to as bird flu — in some samples of dairy milk products.

An update from the FDA said they tested milk samples by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and found the presence of fragments of the virus, which is not the same as infectious virus and that findings “do not represent actual virus that may be a risk to consumers.” The FDA stated, “we have seen nothing that would change our assessment that the commercial milk supply is safe” and expect new results from multiple studies “in the next few days to weeks. Based on available information, pasteurization is likely to inactivate the virus, however the process is not expected to remove the presence of viral particles.” The agency said it is continuing to investigate the outbreak, along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state partners.

The FDA’s statement continued: “Nearly all (99%) of the commercial milk supply that is produced on dairy farms in the U.S. comes from farms that participate in the Grade ‘A’ milk program and follow the Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), which includes controls that help ensure the safety of dairy products.

Avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or bird flu, is a disease that’s caused by an avian influenza Type A virus infection, according to the CDC.  The virus has recently infected herds of dairy cows in several states, including Texas, Kansas and Michigan. Herds in New Mexico and Idaho are presumed infected.  Both the FDA and the USDA said the current commercial milk supply is safe because of the pasteurization process and the “diversion or destruction of milk from sick cows.”

Bird flu is very contagious among birds, and some of the viruses can sick or kill certain domesticated species, including chickens, ducks and turkeys. According to the CDC, the disease primarily spreads through contact with infected birds, which can infect their respiratory track and intestines. Infected birds can shed viruses in their saliva, nasal secretions and feces.

Editorial credit: grandbrothers / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Scotty McCreery recalls his dad's funny confusion over “Cab in a Solo”

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If you were confused by the “drinking cab in a solo, solo in the cab of my truck” line in Scotty McCreery‘s latest single, you’re not alone.

That typical bafflement and follow-up reaction is actually what Scotty loves about “Cab in a Solo.”

“I’ll always love the hook on ‘Cab in a Solo,’ especially just when we sent the song out to radio [and] sent the song out to fans,” Scotty tells ABC Audio. “They see the title and they’re like, ‘What the heck is this song going to be about?’ And then they listen to it and it clicks.”

“For a lot of people, it took two or three listens for it to click and they’re like, ‘Oh,'” he shares.

Listeners and fans weren’t the only ones Scotty confused. His father also had trouble interpreting the meaning of “Cab in a Solo” at the onset.

“Even my dad was like, “So, ‘Cab in a Solo,’ it’s like cab, just like wine, right?'” And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ He’s like, ‘And solo’s just like a cup, right?’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah?’ He was like, ‘Solo, drinking by yourself in the cab, oh,'” Scotty recounts.

“It’s like, he pieced it together just [by] talking about it. It’s like, “Yeah dad, you’re right,'” shares the country star. 

“Cab in a Solo” is now #2 and approaching the peak of the country charts. You can find it on Scotty’s forthcoming fifth album, Rise & Fall, arriving May 10.

Copyright © 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Country Daypop

Cody Johnson releases video for “The Painter (Katie’s Version)” inspired by fan

Brandi Johnson^ Cody Johnson at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 7^ 2019 in Las Vegas^ NV

Cody Johnson has released a special music video for his No. 1 single, “The Painter,” featuring a painting by a young woman with special needs named Katie McCormick, whose mother, Teresa, connected with their local radio station after being especially moved by the song’s lyrics. “The Painter” was the first single off Johnson’s 12-track studio album Leather which was released last fall, and details his relationship with his wife, Brandi.

After Katie’s story made its way to Warner Music Nashville (Cody’s label) he began to develop the video in collaboration with an AI artist.  A post on Johnson’s socials read:  “Hey y’all, check out The Painter (Katie’s Version) that brings to life a painting by Katie McCormick, a young woman with special needs. Her mother, Teresa, connected with their local radio station one morning after being especially moved by the song’s lyrics. Because of Katie’s intractable epilepsy and many surgeries throughout her life, she has right sided weakness and a learning delay disability. However, she discovered a love of painting as a therapeutic outlet through a connection with her incredible and dedicated art teacher, Debby Francis. Katie’s story made its way to Cody’s label, Warner Music Nashville, who developed the video in collaboration with an AI artist. The result is a beautiful burst of color and movement, serving as an answer to the question – “how can we take Katie inside one of her own paintings? ** While this song is written about a man’s love for his wife and how she colors his world, it allows everyone who hears it to drift away in thought to that person who adds beauty and color to their own life. Be that a child, a parent, spouse, or friend,” Teresa shared. “This is what country music is all about. – Team CoJo”

Says Katie’s mom, Teresa: “While this song is written about a man’s love for his wife and how she colors his world, it allows everyone who hears it to drift away in thought to that person who adds beauty and color to their own life. Be that a child, a parent, spouse, or friend. This is what country music is all about.”

Take a look at the video for “The Painter (Katie’s Version)” – here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson joins Chris Janson in the video for ‘Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get’

Chris Janson at the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 7^ 2019 in Las Vegas^ NV

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is featured in the music video for good buddy Chris Janson’s latest single “Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get”.  Janson shares: We had a great time making this video. Tons of genuine real fun. From Tennessee to Texas, we made it happen. Can’t thank DJ enough for starring in it and for being a great friend to me.” 

Per Billboard, the video isn a ‘fun escapade as the two ride around a field and lounge in the back of a 1970 brown Ford Explorer in the clip, laughing and enjoying each other’s company.’

Johnson and Janson met in 2022 in California, when Janson was with his son. They spotted Johnson in a parking lot while they were both waiting for their cars, and Janson says: “If it weren’t for my kid going, ‘Oh my gosh, The Rock is right in front of us! Daddy, please ask for a picture,’ this would have never maybe happened. I’m a pretty shy guy. I’ve never once, I’m proud to say, asked for a photo, because I understand the extent of what it constitutes when you are in the public eye. But God works in mysterious ways.”

Johnson adds: “’we bonded so quickly in a parking lot waiting for our cars to pull around – talking about ‘The Blues Man,’ talking about the Opry…what really moved me was Chris’ humility, his love for not only country music, which I love as well but his desire to work hard and take care of his family. He does it with such a grace and style – again, his humility, gratitude and always bringing some fun to the mix made us fast friends and I’m happy to be a part of his video.”

Check out the video for ‘Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get’ – here.

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com