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Go Country 105

Miranda Lambert's got “FOMO” about missing the Grammys, but is “grateful for what I already have”

Last month, Miranda Lambert couldn’t make it to the ACM Awards — and she won her very first Entertainer of the Year trophy.

Now, she’s missing out on an awards show once again: “I’m missing the Grammys,” the singer ruefully tells ABC Audio.

“I’m not getting to go again,” she laments, explaining that the show falls right in the middle of pre-production for her co-headlining Bandwagon Tour with Little Big Town, plus prep for her new Palomino album. “So, I’m slammed this month, with the record coming out and everything.”

Miranda is nominated in two categories at this year’s Grammys, including a Best Country Album nod for The Marfa Tapes, her collaborative album with Jon Randall and Jack Ingram. “We were on a group text this morning. I feel like I have FOMO,” she admits.

Still, Jon and Jack will be there “representing the home team” for an acoustic album that Miranda says is among the most vulnerable she’s ever released. “You know, it was a risk to put it out the way it was,” she notes, referring to the raw, unpolished style of the project.

But, all “FOMO” aside, Miranda says she’s just grateful for all the Grammy love. “I got to play on the Grammys last year, and I got to take one home, and I was just so thankful,” the singer notes. “I’m grateful for what I already have.”

The 2022 Grammy Awards will air on CBS on Sunday, April 3.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Country Daypop

Kelsea Ballerini is the new face of cosmetic brand COVERGIRL

Kelsea Ballerini has been named the ‘new face’ of the iconic cosmetic brand COVERGIRL.  Ballerini joins COVERGIRL in a multi-year partnership ,and will be the face of an upcoming spring collection for the brand.

The 28-year-old singer wrote about working with the brand in a statement: “I’ve been a fan of COVERGIRL for as long as I can remember. I’ve always had an iconic tube of COVERGIRL mascara in my makeup bag, and I even wrote in my journal at age 14 that one day I dreamed of being a COVERGIRL. Makeup is another creative outlet for me, and I’ve always said if I wasn’t doing music, I would probably be a makeup artist! I’m excited and honored to partner with COVERGIRL, and I can’t wait to share more about my favorite products from the brand.”

Kelsea also shared a video of herself on Instagram, wearing a white dress while strumming her guitar and singing the Covergirl theme song, along with the caption, “EASY, BREEZY, BEAUTIFUL Y’ALL!!! Being a @covergirl has been on my bucket list since I was a little girl. They’ve always felt approachable to me through every age, phase of life, or occasion. From playing with makeup in middle school to getting ready for some of the biggest stages I’ve been lucky enough to perform on. It’s a full circle moment and I’m so happy to officially join the CG family.”

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Country Daypop

Eric Church facing backlash after canceling stadium concert to attend NCAA basketball game

Eric Church is facing major backlash after cancelling his upcoming April 2 show at San Antonio’s AT&T Center so he can attend a basketball game. In a letter to ticket holders, which was sent out by Ticketmaster, Church admitted that calling off the gig four days before showtime was “the most selfish thing” he has done to his fans. Church is canceling the concert he was scheduled to perform in San Antonio, so he could see Duke Blue Devils take on the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NCAA Final Four for a spot in the College Basketball Championship game at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans. The game marks the first time the two teams will face each other in the Final Four.

Wrote Church: “This Saturday, my family and I are going to stand together to cheer on the Tar Heels as the team has made it to the Final Four. As a lifelong Carolina basketball fan, I’ve watched Carolina and Duke battle over the year but to have them matchup in the Final Four for the first time in history of the NCAA Tournament is any sports enthusiast’s dream. This is also the most selfish thing I’ve ever asked the Choir to do: to give up your Saturday night plans with us so that I can have this moment with my family and sports community. However, it’s that same type of passion felt by the people who fill the seats at our concerts that makes us want to be part of a crowd at a game of this significance. Woody Durham always said, ‘Go where you go and do what you do.’ [T]hanks for letting me go here and be with the Tar Heels.”

However for some of Church’s fans who traveled from out of state to see the show, the cancellation left them outraged. Some also questioned by Church decided to cancel the show instead of postponing it for a later date, however a spokesperson for Church said that he “could not commit to a reschedule date at this time.  The letter to fans revealed that “no action is required to obtain a refund.” Refunds will be processed to the original payment method used at the time of purchase.

Church’s next scheduled tour date is set for Friday, April 1 in Fort Worth, Texas at Dickies Arena. The Gather Again Tour will resume on April 9, 2022, in New Orleans, LA at the Smoothie King Center. In addition to the previously announced arena shows, the North Carolina native will also perform several Stadium tour dates later this year.

Editorial credit: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

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Pop Daypop

Silk Sonic, J Balvin, Carrie Underwood and more added to Grammy performance lineup

Silk Sonic, John Legend, Carrie Underwood and J Balvin with Maria Becerra have been added to the lineup of performers for the 64th annual Grammy Awards to be held Sunday, April 3.  Silk Sonic — comprised of Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak — are slated to open the ceremony.

Previously announced Grammys performers are Jon Batiste, Brothers Osborne, BTS, Brandi Carlile, Billie Eilish, H.E.R., Lil Nas X with Jack Harlow, Nas, Olivia Rodrigo and Chris Stapleton. The ceremony will also include a previously announced ‘In Memoriam’ salute to legendary Broadway composer Stephen Sondheim performed by Cynthia Erivo, Leslie Odom Jr., Ben Platt and Rachel Zegler.

Silk Sonic are nominated for four awards, including record and song of the year, for “Leave the Door Open.”  Underwood is up for two awards — best roots gospel album for My Savior and best country duo/group performance for “If I Didn’t Love You,” a collab with Jason Aldean. J Balvin is nominated in the new best música urbana album category for ‘Jose.’

Trevor Noah is set to host the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which will air live from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on CBS. The show will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Editorial credit: Ben Houdijk / Shutterstock.com

Categories
Pop Daypop

Milwaukee’s ‘Summerfest’ announces full 2022 lineup featuring Justin Bieber, Halsey and more

Milwaukee’s Summerfest has announced its star-studded lineup headed to the amphitheater stage in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Summerfest hosts the music industry’s biggest acts, emerging talent, and local favorites along with approximately 750,000 fans, for an unforgettable live music experience, according to the release. The festival features over 1,000 performances on 12 permanent stages, along with food, beverages, and activities, all in a world-class festival setting.

The festival takes place over three consecutive weekends—June 23 -25; June 30- July 2 and July 7-9.  Headliners include Justin Bieber, Halsey, Machine Gun Kelly, Lil Wayne/Wiz Khalifa/Wu-Tang Clan, Backstreet Boys, Willow, Jason Aldean, The Black Crowes, Rod Stewart, Charli XCX, Thomas Rhett, Steve Miller Band, Anthony Hamilton, The Pretty Reckless, Violent Femmes, and more.  You can view the complete lineup HERE.

A separate American Family Insurance Amphitheater ticket is required for Amphitheater shows. Head toTicketmaster.com for Amphitheater show tickets. Amphitheater shows include: Jason Aldean, Justin Bieber, Machine Gun Kelly, Halsey, Rod Stewart, Thomas Rhett and their supporting acts.

Tickets for Summerfest are on sale now; visit Summerfest.com for more information.

Justin Bieber, Halsey, Machine Gun Kelly Lead 2022 Summerfest Lineup

Editorial credit: DFree / Shutterstock.com

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Go Country 105

Nashville notes

Lyle Lovett is gearing up for the release of his first album of new music in a decade. It’s called 12th of June, but that’s not its release date — the project will actually be out on May 13. The title track is available now.

Chris Stapleton, Dolly Parton, Lady A, Little Big Town and more are featured in an upcoming concert film paying tribute to Kenny Rogers. Called Kenny Rogers: All In for the Gambler, the event was taped in Nashville in 2017.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

“I feel like a bank robber right now”: Dan + Shay share a peek behind the scenes of their “Steal My Love” video

Dan + Shay took fans behind the scenes of their elaborate, green screen-filled music video for “Steal My Love” in a recently released clip that details some of the fun stunts, dance moves and more highlights from the shoot.

The video revolves around a bank heist, with band mates Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney rocking orange jumpsuits and getting into all manner of high jinks over the course of the video.

“We’ve got our jumpsuits. It feels right. It feels pretty cool,” jokes Shay at the beginning of the behind-the- scenes clip. “I feel like a bank robber right now. It’s pretty awesome.”

Dan + Shay recently reemerged on social media after a two-month hiatus, saying that they were “rested, refreshed and more excited about music than ever before.” Their “Steal My Love” video is nominated for Duo/Group Video of the Year at the 2022 CMT Awards and, as they shared in Twitter post also featuring the behind-the-scenes clip, they said they were “so stoked” about the nomination.

“We wanted to give you a behind the scenes look at how we created it,” they added, also encouraging fans to vote for them at the CMT Awards.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood + more join CMT Music Awards Week's stacked programming lineup

The first-ever CMT Music Awards Week launches next month, culminating in the CMT Music Awards ceremony on April 11.

Beginning on April 9, a stacked lineup of specials will air, with a long list of country A-Listers contributing to the programming. Blake Shelton and Jimmie Allen will make appearances during the Hot 20 Countdown Live, airing April 9 at 9 a.m. ET, a three-hour special also featuring Carrie Underwood, CMT Awards host Kelsea Ballerini and more.

The following day will bring the CMT Music Awards Nomination Special, including another appearance from Carrie — who's the most-winning artist in the awards show's history — with Kane Brown and Thomas Rhett sharing some insight into their nominated videos.

The day of the awards show, Jordan Davis will perform his nominated “Buy Dirt” during the CMT Awards Red Carpet Special, beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

CMT's big week also includes previously-announced specials like CMT Crossroads: LeAnn Rimes & Friends, CMT Campfire Sessions: Little Big Town and CMT Storytellers: Brooks & Dunn.

For the first time ever, this year's CMT Awards will be broadcast on CBS.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

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Go Country 105

Maren Morris' 'Humble Quest' era has taken her “To Hell and Back,” but now she says she's “fearless”

It's been a world-rocking couple of years for Maren Morris: Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic halt her tour plans and completely change her day-to-day life, but she also became a first-time mom to baby Hayes.

“I've done things that have scared the ever-loving hell out of me, and I made it through it,” Maren tells CBS Sunday Mornings' Anthony Mason in an interview that will air in full this weekend.

Specifically, Maren is speaking about her difficult labor and delivery during Hayes' birth, and the emotional challenges that followed.

“Having my son and having a really rough labor and birth with him,” she details. “I had an emergency C-section, and both our heart rates were dropping, and it had been, like, 31 hours and he still wasn't coming.”

After Hayes finally arrived safe and sound, Maren had to face more challenges during her matrescence — that is, her transition into motherhood.

“Postpartum depression, that was another surprise,” she continues. “It's just, like, a lot of reality checks, and knowing that I wasn't in control, and I probably never was.”

But the end result of all those ups and downs have been a newfound sense of power and freedom. “I feel like I'm becoming fearless again,” Maren says. “I just don't know what there is to be afraid of after the last couple of years.”

You can catch the singer's full interview on the next episode of CBS Sunday Mornings, which airs April 3.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Categories
Go Country 105

Cole Swindell finds a true-blue country girl in 'Stereotype''s romantic title track

Cole Swindell's fourth studio album, Stereotype, isn't even out yet, but it's already produced a hit: “Never Say Never,” the singer's duet with Lainey Wilson, is top-five and rising at country radio.

Now, the singer's sharing another new Stereotype song, and this time, it's the title track. Romantic and vividly descriptive, “Stereotype” turns the idea of cliche on its head, describing a love interest who's a classic country girl — but there's nothing hackneyed or stereotypical about it.

“Just when you think you got her figured out / That's when you learn you don't know nothing bout…” Cole sings.

“Saying, Don't be a girl, boy, let's take another shot' / Then slippin' out, makin' out in the parking lot / Down home angel with a whole nother side / She's the oh no, there she goes turning up my stereo type,” he continues in the chorus.

When he teased the song on Twitter, Cole shared a picture of his very own “stereo type”: His girlfriend Courtney Little, who is a former NBA dancer.

Stereotype arrives in full on April 8.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.