Category: Go Country 105

Russell Dickerson is offering a stripped-down, acoustic perspective on three of his favorite songs from his latest album, Southern Symphony.

The singer dropped his Studio 900 Sessions this week, including a wedding version of his romantic, chart-topping ballad, “Love You Like I Used To.” The track list also includes an acoustic version of his top-20 single, “Home Sweet,” plus another one of his personal favorites, “Waiting for You.”

“The Studio 900 Sessions is an answer to the fans!” Russell explains. “Y'all have been asking for stripped-down versions and these are three of my favorite tracks from Southern Symphony.”

Just a couple of days before the project came out, he teased it on social media, garnering praise and excitement from Lady A band mate Charles Kelley. Lady A are featured on a special duet version of “Home Sweet,” which Russell released last month.

Southern Symphony, which is the singer's second album, came out in 2020. You can catch Russell on the road next year during his headlining All Yours, All Night tour, which kicks off in January. He's also the opening act on Tim McGraw's McGraw Tour 2022.

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Dolly Parton fans already know that the singer's one in a million, and now it's official: She's adding three new entries to the Guinness Book of World Records, one of which breaks a record she already held.

That record was for having more hits on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart than any other female artist. Dolly broke her own record this past October when “Does He Love You,” her duet with Reba McEntire, became her 109th song to enter the chart.

Dolly's two new record-holding titles are also for her U.S. Hot Country Songs chart success. She earned a new accolade for being on the chart for the most decades of any woman ever — seven — and having more number-one hits than any other female artist  — a whopping 25 singles.

Dolly also has a fourth Guinness World Record under her belt: In 2018, she joined the Book for having top-20 hits on the chart across six decades, more than any other artist.

The genre-transcending country superstar reflected on her newest accolades during a video interview, saying “This is the kind of stuff that makes you very humble and very grateful for everything that's happened.”

“I had no idea that I would be in Guinness World Records this many times! I am flattered and honored,” she continued. “I've had a lot of people help me get here. Thanks to all of you and all of them for helping me have all of this.”

Congratulations to country music icon @DollyParton who’s achieved three new records! pic.twitter.com/YvsXJo5SY3

– Guinness World Records (@GWR) December 16, 2021

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Fans will get to see Tim McGraw step into the role of James Dutton this weekend with the premiere of 1883, the highly-anticipated prequel series to Yellowstone that will stream on Paramount+.

But now that the season's filmed, the singer says he's not slowing down: He’s about to kick his day job into high gear.  His McGraw Tour 2022 is set to launch at the end of April, and it’s a run he's especially excited about, because the COVID-19 pandemic has kept him off the road for a couple of years.

“I love touring, and I love the routine of touring,” he explains. “I do look forward to getting back out on the road and look forward to that instant gratification, because it's a different kind of energy.”

Tim adds that he's particularly excited to watch his opening acts, including Russell Dickerson, perform every night. “I love seeing new acts and going out this side of the stage and seeing what they do,” he explains.

And as if launching 1883 and planning a tour weren't enough, Tim's got even more exciting plans in the works, he hints.

“At the same time, you know, working on this [series], I'm working on an album as well,” he reveals. “So I'm going home at night and listening to mixes, writing songs. It's a full-time schedule to get all of this done.” ?

1883 premieres December 19 on Paramount+.

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Pistol Annies band mates Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe have been wanting to make a holiday record for some time, but apparently, the third member of the trio, Miranda Lambert, was the hold-out.

Miranda simply felt that a lot of Christmas music feels cheesy and overdone, the trio explain in a new interview with People. But things changed when she heard pop star Sia's 2017 record, Everyday Is Christmas.

“It was like, Oh, fresh and originals,'” Miranda says. “That got me loving Christmas music again because it was fresh. It opened my heart.”

The rest is history: The group got to work on their new album, Hell of a Holiday, a Christmas project that blends classics with originals and is chock-full of the Annies' signature storytelling.

“We weren't going to force it. We never force it. But we got in the spirit big-time,” says Ashley.

For example, Miranda brought some Christmas cheer to the record-making process in the form of hot toddies and holiday sweaters. “We got all warm and fuzzy,” she remembers, adding that — unlike a lot of singers, who make their holiday albums earlier in the year in preparation for Christmas release dates — they wrote many of the songs during holiday seasons past.

“I think it helped that we did write a lot of the meat of the record at Christmastime when the tree was up,” Miranda notes. “It was a little easier than writing it all in July.”

Hell of a Holiday is out now.

 

 

 

 

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Walker Hayes will be ringing in the new year in style on the West Coast: He’s joined the LA party segment of of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022, which will air on ABC on December 31 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

He's the sole country act on a bill that also includes Italian rock group Måneskin, Blink 182's Travis Barker, Avril Lavigne and many more. During his time onstage, Walker will perform his viral smash hit “Fancy Like” and his new single, “AA.”

While there won't be any other country acts in the LA lineup, singer-songwriter Jessie James Decker will return to her role as East Coast Powerball correspondent, announcing 2022's “Powerball First Millionaire of the Year” live from New York just after midnight.

Country music will also throw its own New Year's party this year. New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash will air from Music City on CBS, featuring Luke Bryan, Dan + Shay, Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton and many more.

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New music from Cole Swindell is on the way soon, according to a hint from the singer on social media.

It all started on Thursday morning, when one of Cole's Twitter followers posted an offer for tickets to Eric Church's Friday night show in Greenville, South Carolina. Cole — who's a big fan of the Chief — replied to say he was interested in the seats, but he had other plans.

“If I wasn't wrapping up album 4 tomorrow, I'd probably take ya up on that!” he wrote.

The singer didn't share any more details, but his musical activity in recent weeks does seem to be building to something big. Earlier this month, he revealed plans for his headlining Down to the Bar Tour, which will kick off in February 2022.

In November, Cole also sent a new single to country radio: “Never Say Never,” a duet with Lainey Wilson. It's the follow-up to his chart-topping “Single Saturday Night,” which was his 10th number-one radio hit. Lainey's no slouch at country radio herself, as she notched her first number-one, “Things a Man Oughta Know,” earlier in the year.

While Cole hasn't yet revealed any concrete details for a new single, it might be worth staying tuned into his socials. The country star has made it pretty clear that new material is on the way sooner rather than later.

If I wasn't wrapping up album 4 tomorrow, I'd probably take ya up on that! ???? https://t.co/hrqAReLDLx

– Cole Swindell (@coleswindell) December 16, 2021

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He's a singer, American Idol judge, and now, he's great-uncle Luke: Country superstar Luke Bryan is celebrating the exciting news that his niece, Jordan, is pregnant with a baby boy.

Jordan and her husband Clint shared their big news on Instagram, including video footage of a gender reveal where the couple found out they're expecting a son. Another snap in the series shows a cake with blue buttercream inside, and a gold topper reading “Oh baby.”

In the comments, Luke's wife Caroline shared her excited with a blue heart emoji, writing “I'm still emotional.” Meanwhile, his mom LeClair said, “His Great Grandma is going shopping tomorrow.”

Jordan is the oldest child of Luke's late sister, Kelly. Both Kelly and her husband, Ben, died when their three kids were young: Jordan was 20, her sister Kris was 16, and the youngest of the family, Til, was just 13.

Luke and Caroline stepped in to provide a parental role for the three kids after they lost their parents, and they've remained close to the children well into their adult lives. Back in September, Luke walked Jordan down the aisle at her wedding.

 

 

 

 

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Sure, you've seen the music video for Blake Shelton's latest single, “Come Back as a Country Boy,” but did you know that Ariana Grande originally auditioned for a part in that video?

Well, not really, but Blake's fellow The Voice coach did share a hilarious spoof on the video this week, posting footage of a lost “audition reel” of what she might've done, had she tried to be just as country as Blake.

In the clip, Ariana unsuccessfully tries to catch a beer can, rocks a cowboy hat and sings an overly-theatrical, operatic version of the song's chorus. She also tries to pose with a dog who runs away and has a tough time revving up a chainsaw, but her attempt at a Southern accent is actually pretty spot-on.

“Come Back as a Country Boy” is the lead single from the newly-released deluxe version of Blake's Body Language album.

The pair also wrapped this season of The Voice this week, along with fellow coaches Kelly Clarkson and John Legend. The finale aired Monday and Tuesday on NBC.

 

 

 

 

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Josh Turner put out his first-ever holiday album, King Size Manger, in 2021, but the singer says it's not quite a traditional Christmas record. On the contrary, he incorporated some major stylistic switch-ups.

“[I] was trying to stay away from all the jazzy chord progressions, and the string sections, and the horn sections, and the Jingle Bells' — you know, all the stuff that you are used to hearing in a Christmas record,” Josh explains.

Four songs on the 11-track collection are brand-new originals. Even the classic songs on the album are full of the singer's own personality: For example, his rendition of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” features his wife, Jennifer, and their four sons.

The whole family joined Josh onstage to perform that song during his Opry Country Christmas show earlier this month. The same night, he also sang “Joy to the World,” another track that gets a wildly creative re-working on King Size Manger.

“Everybody knows that song. But have you ever heard it as a shuffle, with twin fiddles and Rhonda Vincent singing background vocals?” Josh jokes. “I don't think so. And then it modulates twice. I mean, you feel like you're in a Texas honky-tonk.”

King Size Manger is available now. Josh is currently giving the album the live treatment with his Holiday & The Hits Tour, which runs through a December 21 show in Knoxville, Tennessee.

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