ABC Country Music News

'Me and Whiskey': Lee Brice serves up sadness at a dive bar

Posted today at 2:00pm

Lee Brice seems wistful and heartbroken on the latest preview of his new record.

"Me and her were uphill/ 'Til we went down one/ So I found some Jack," he sings in a new clip on X.

"Can't wait to share this one with you on August 7th," he writes, along with footage from a music video that shows him in a dive bar drinking, and playing pool and darts. At the same time, he probably looks as sad as you've ever seen him.

"One of the things I love most about country music is that it's never been afraid to tell the messy parts of life too. 'Me and Whiskey' is one of those stories," he posted on Instagram, along with an even more extensive clip of him in the studio.

The track appears on Lee's Sunriser album, which drops Oct. 2.

K. Michelle's got 'Jesus & Whiskey' on her side for her country debut

Posted today at 12:17pm

K. Michelle's 'Jesus & Whiskey' (Real Outlawz Records, Inc. under exclusive license to This Is Hit, Inc. d/b/a BBR Music Group)

K. Michelle's full-length country debut, titled Jesus & Whiskey, will arrive Oct. 16, and the title track is out now.

It's the seventh studio album for the R&B star born in Memphis, famous for both Love and Hip-Hop and Real Housewives of Atlanta.

Produced by Sugarland's Kristian Bush — who's also had recent success with Megan Moroney — the nine-track album was co-written by K. Michelle, save for "Damn Good Friend," which counts George Birge among its creators. It also features the previously released "Jack Daniel's."

You can catch K. Michelle Sunday on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen following the RHOA finale.

Here's the complete track listing for K. Michelle's Jesus & Whiskey:
"Intro"
"Yodel"
"Blame Tennessee"
"Damn Good Friend"
"Jesus & Whiskey"
"Anything (featuring Blush)"
"Handle on It"
"Jack Daniel's"
"If It Ain't Broke"

Russell Dickerson will soon be even more 'Famous Back Home'

Posted today at 10:51am

Russell Dickerson's 'Famous Back Home' (Triple Tigers)

There'll soon be "one more face in that hallway hall of fame" at Russell Dickerson's house, Kailey Dickerson revealed Wednesday evening on her socials.

A video captured on the beach shows a visibly pregnant Kailey holding hands with Russell while their two boys play in the water, all set to the title track of his latest album, Famous Back Home.

Russell and Kailey have been married since May 2013, with Remington Edward Dickerson arriving on Sept. 10, 2020, and Radford Arthur Dickerson on Oct. 1, 2023.

Different Night, No Rodeo: Bailey Zimmerman calls off European tour

Posted today at 9:07am

Bailey Zimmerman's Different Night Same Rodeo Tour (Live Nation)

Bailey Zimmerman won't be able to take his Different Night Same Rodeo Tour across the pond as planned, he revealed Thursday on his socials.

"I wanted to let you all know personally that I unfortunately have to cancel my UK/Europe shows," he posted. "This was not an easy decision and it kills me to have to cancel because I know how excited everyone is... but right now I need to take this time to focus on important family matters. Everything is okay, it's just my family needs my attention and that's what l've gotta do."

"I will still be playing my shows in North America in August," he continued, "but after that I will be taking some more time to focus on me, my family, and new music. Once again I'm so sorry to everybody that has waited so long... I hope y'all can understand that my family has to come first."

"Thank you for having my back on this crazy ride we call life," he closed.

The "Chevy Silverado" hitmaker has four more shows in the States, starting Aug. 6 in Pennsylvania and wrapping Aug. 14 in Illinois.

From there, he was supposed to kick off the European leg of the tour Aug. 27 in the U.K. and finish Sept. 12 in Norway.

There's no word yet on the rest of Bailey's touring year. After some Sept. dates in the U.S., he's scheduled to go to Australia in October. Only three dates remain on his 2026 calendar from there, including a December stop at Planet Hollywood in Vegas.

Carly Pearce will be an 'Honest Woman' at the Opry

Posted yesterday at 1:00pm

Carly Pearce's 'Honest Woman' (BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville)

A day after the release of her fifth studio album, Carly Pearce will debut its songs on country music's most famous stage.

"I’m heading back to the Grand Ole Opry on August 29 to perform songs from Honest Woman for the very first time!" she announced on her socials Wednesday. "Might even bring along a few special guests."

That's not all, though. Those who pick up a copy of her album in The Opry Shop will gain access to an exclusive post-show performance and Q+A for themselves and a friend.

"I can’t wait to celebrate this new era with y’all!" Carly added.

Honest Woman features her current single, "If I Don't Leave I'm Gonna Stay" with Riley Green.

'Burn My Boat': That's how Kenny Chesney starts 'Silver Sands Marina'

Posted yesterday at 12:00pm

Kenny Chesney's 'Silver Sands Marina' (HEY NOW Records)

"Burn My Boat": That's what Kenny Chesney's ready to do when he drops the song that's the first track on Silver Sands Marina on Friday.

“This was always the first song,” he says. “No matter how many sequences... ‘Burn My Boat’ was the exact thing I wanted to say, and it’s in the chorus, recognizing ‘where I’m supposed to be’ is that sense of true arrival, knowing where you’re supposed to be. When you’re restless, and I am, there is no greater peace or freedom.

“Even more, ‘Burn My Boat’ wasn’t a song of surrender, but arrival," he continues. "It builds and builds... but what it delivers is what I think most of us are hoping to find. That line: 'Take this heart and light it/ Send it up in smoke?' It really is burning off all the things that distract us from what matters in this faster, harder, more world we deal with.”

"Burn My Boat" is only the third preview track from Kenny's 21st studio album, which is set to arrive in full on Sept. 25. His 100th chart single, top-10 hit "Carry On," was first, followed by the title track.

You can find out more about the making of the record when Kenny drops by TalkShopLive Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.

Chris Young and Trace Adkins step into the ring for Opry's Face the Fight Night

Posted yesterday at 11:00am

Face the Fight Night at the Opry (Grand Ole Opry)

Chris Young and Trace Adkins will headline Face the Fight Night at the Opry on Sept. 9, ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept. 10.

Breland, RaeLynn, veteran Scotty Hasting and the U.S. Army Chorus are among the artists who'll join the two Opry members for the performance dedicated to reducing the suicide rate among those who've served.

It's a partnership with Face the Fight, a coalition that aims to dramatically impact the numbers.

The Opry's also hosting Louder Together: Music and the Movement to End Veteran Suicide at Ole Red ahead of the show.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal, substance use or other mental health crises, please call or text 988. You will reach a trained crisis counselor for free, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org or dial the current toll-free number 800-273-8255 [TALK].

It 'Ain't a Bad Life' if you're on 'Ransom Canyon'

Posted yesterday at 10:04am

Jordan Davis & Thomas Rhett on 'Ransom Canyon' (Netfllix)

If you're a fan of country music and Ransom Canyon, there's a treat in store for you: Thomas Rhett and Jordan Davis appear in the new season of the Netflix hit.

You can catch the pair performing "Ain't a Bad Life" at a music festival in season two's seventh episode.

“Thomas Rhett and Jordan responded to the story of Quinn throwing this to save the small town," show creator April Blair says. "They were so sweet, humble, down to play, and it just fit the vibe perfectly.”

Ransom Canyon stars Josh Duhamel and Minka Kelly in a drama about a Texas ranching town.

Of course, "Ain't a Bad Life" became TR's 25th #1 back in April.

Megan Moroney, Dylan Scott, Trisha Yearwood and more to perform at 19th ACM Honors

Posted Tuesday afternoon

The 19th ACM Honors (Academy of Country Music)

Megan Moroney, Trisha Yearwood, Dierks Bentley, Dylan Scott, Gavin Adcock, Margo Price, Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Big Kenny, Mark Collie and Kaitlin Butts are all set to perform at the 19th ACM Honors, alongside hosts Carly Pearce and Parker McCollum.

Dolly Parton will be given the ACM Poet's Award celebrating her songwriting at the Wednesday, Aug. 19, event.

Ella Langley, Bill Anderson, Brett James, The Carter Family, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves and more will be honored at The Pinnacle in Nashville.

Brenda Lee will be the Academy of Country Music's special guest, while newcomer Zach John King will present the ACM Studio Recording and Industry Awards.

Challenge accepted: What Show-Me State native Chris Janson did in Missouri

Posted Tuesday afternoon

Chris Janson's 'Wild Horses' (Harpeth 60 Records/Warner Music Nashville)

Nine thousand fans turned out to see Chris Janson play Missouri's Jefferson County Fair on July 24, the biggest crowd in the gathering's 30-year history.

The Show-Me State native is from Perryville, which is about 60 miles away.

"What a wild and awesome weekend on tour!" Chris says. " I’m having a big summer and doing a record-breaking performance means the world to me. We’re all having such a great time on this tour we’ll be adding a lot more dates to the Wild Horses Untamed Tour and can’t wait to see even more energetic and happy crowds.”

The trek takes its name from Chris' fifth studio album, which features his new single, "Fight for a Girl."

Kenny Chesney 'Shot a Car Into Space' for Silver Sands Marina

Posted Tuesday afternoon

Eleven songs have pulled into port at Silver Sands Marina, and Kenny Chesney's ready to give you a preview.

“Some of these songs are unlike anything people have heard, or haven’t heard in a long time,” he says. “Some of them go deep, some of them will make people turn it up, a few will make them laugh… But, together, I think they’ll remind them how great it is to be alive. Even on days where you need a song like ‘Carry On,’ we’re making the best of what we’ve got.”

With its debut single already a top-10 hit, Kenny's 21st record is ready for arrival Sept. 25.

Here's the complete track listing for Silver Sands Marina, with more details to come during Kenny's July 30 appearance on TalkShopLive:
"Burn My Boat"
"Carry On"
"Talkin’ Dirt"
"Goldfish" (featuring Lily Meola)
"Silver Sands Marina"
"It Just Got Weird" (featuring Megan Moroney)
"Sad Casino"
"Shot A Car Into Space"
"Remember Me That Way"
"What We Got Going On" (featuring Colbie Caillat)
"Shot Glass"

Don't mess with 'Texas': Ella Langley marks 15 weeks at #1

Posted Tuesday morning

Ella Langley performs on the ‘The 59th Annual CMA Awards’ (Disney/Frank Micelotta)

Another day, another chart record for Ella Langley and her smash hit "Choosin' Texas," which has just notched its 15th week on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song has now surpassed Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" to claim the title of most weeks at #1 for a non-holiday song by a solo female artist.

Of course, Mariah still owns the record of the all-time longest-running #1, holiday or otherwise, with "All I Want for Christmas" — 22 weeks — but who's to say that Ella can't hang on for another eight weeks and beat her?

The 'Wagon Wheel' turns more than a billion times on Spotify

Posted Monday afternoon

Darius Rucker & Ketch Secor (Josh Pruitt/Ivywild Visuals)

Darius Rucker found out he's a member of the Spotify Billions Club just before going onstage Saturday at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

He and Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor were presented a plaque signifying that "Wagon Wheel" has passed that many streams on the service, before singing it together later in the night.

Ketch is one of the song's writers, having finished it from a lyric started by the legendary Bob Dylan.

“You never know where a song is going to take you, and I don’t think any of us could’ve imagined ‘Wagon Wheel’ would still mean this much to people all these years later,” Darius says. “To celebrate a billion streams with Ketch right before we walked out at Red Rocks made it even more special. I’m grateful to everybody who’s made this song part of their lives, and I’ll keep singing it as long as y’all let me!”

Old Crow Medicine Show released the original version of "Wagon Wheel" in 2004, before it arrived on Darius' True Believers album in 2013.

LOCASH's new EP paves the way for new radio single, 'Talkin Bout'

Posted Monday afternoon

LOCASH's 'Let the Country Music Play' (Galaxy Label Group)

LOCASH will Let the Country Music Play with their new EP of the same name that arrives Aug. 7.

The five-song set features the title track, their collab with Parmalee that takes Rupert Holmes’ “Escape (The Piña Colada Song)” and recasts it in the world of Music City.

As well as "Yes," which came out in May, it also boasts their new radio single, "Talkin Bout," plus "I Aint Goin Nowhere" and "Love Always Wins."

It's Preston Brust and Chris Lucas' follow-up to their Bet the Farm album, which features "Hometown Home," one of the top-five hits of the entire year of 2025.

After a decade, Brett Eldredge still has a 'Glow' on tour

Posted Monday afternoon

Brett Eldredge's 'Glow: 10 Year Anniversary Tour' (Q Prime)

Brett Eldredge will mark a decade since his first holiday album with an anniversary tour.

The 12-stop Glow: 10 Year Anniversary Tour kicks off Friday, Nov. 27, with three dates at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium and wrap with two shows at New York's Beacon Theatre starting Dec. 18.

"I believe in tradition and I believe it makes us who we are," Brett says. "It gives us depth and soul. We put out Glow 10 years ago, and wow has it been an incredible ride. This album was my Christmas dream, and the tour brought it to a place where I could build a timeless tradition with my fans. This year we will celebrate a decade of magic and deepen the journey for many years to come! I can’t wait!”

Brett followed that initial yuletide collection with two more, 2021's Mr. Christmas and 2024's Merry Christmas (Welcome to the Family).

Presales for the tour are underway now, before tickets become available to the public on Friday.

'Don't We' set records? 7 'Problem' songs make history

Posted Monday morning

Morgan Wallen's 'I'm the Problem' (Big Loud)

The records keep coming from Morgan Wallen, as "Don't We" becomes his 21st #1 on Billboard Country Airplay.

Equally impressive is that it's his seventh chart-topper from his most recent record, 2025's I'm the Problem. That makes him the only artist in the chart's history to have done it with a single album.

Luke Combs' What You See Is What You Get also boasts seven number ones between 2019 and 2021, but they're spread across both the original and deluxe editions.

"Don't We" follows Morgan's "20 Cigarettes,” “I Got Better,” “Just in Case,” "I'm the Problem," “Love Somebody” and “Lies Lies Lies.”

He also posted six number ones from his previous album, 2023's One Thing at a Time.

Still one more thing: Morgan's also at #2 with Ella Langley and "I Can't Love You Anymore."

'Ring, Ring,' it's Reba on the line

Posted Monday morning

Reba McEntire's fourth music capsule is telephone-themed, anchored by the new song "Ring Ring," which was co-written by American Idol favorite Kellie Pickler.

The EP also includes two #5 hits, 1993's "It's Your Call" and 1994's "Why Haven't I Heard from You." Two album cuts complete the collection: "Long Distance Lover" from 1980's Feel the Fire and "She's Callin' It Love" from 1996's What If It's You.

Ring Ring follows April's One Night in Tulsa, May's Hurt Like That and June's Ain't Gonna Keep It Waitin', all featuring a brand-new recording as the title track.

The celebration of Reba's 50-year recording career continues on Aug. 3 with the new playlist The Reinvention of Reba.

Dan + Shay's reasons are 'Her, the Kids and Jesus'

Posted about a week ago

Dan + Shay's The Young Tour (Live Nation)

You can now hear the full studio version of "Her, the Kids and Jesus," after Dan + Shay debuted it back in December during a pop-up at Nashville's La La Land Cafe.

"Thank y’all for loving on this song since the first time we played it acoustic," Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney said on their socials, sharing various stages of the song's development, including that performance.

"Her, the Kids and Jesus" is the fourth release from the duo's sixth studio album, following their top-20 hit, "Say So," "Marry You Again" and the title track, "Young." The full album arrives Aug. 21.

The duo's set to play ABC's GMA Summer Concert Series July 31. They'll launch their 26-date The Young Tour Sept. 11 in Noblesville, Indiana, with Tyler Hubbard and Josh Ross joining them.

Only The Family will be able to tell the extent of Brothers Osborne's 'SELLOUT'

Posted about a week ago

Brothers Osborne's "R.I.P" (SELLOUT EDIT) (MCA)

Brothers Osborne are starting their new musical era by say "R.I.P." to selling out.

“R.I.P. is us getting back to our musical roots,” John Osborne says. “This new music is a rearview glimpse into where we came from while still driving forward into the new and unknown.”

The siblings previously revealed that their new music takes inspiration from their hometown of Deale, Maryland.

“We’re not just getting back to where we were born and raised," TJ Osborne adds, "but to the roots of where we started musically. A time when music wasn’t dictated by anything other than what our hearts and souls wanted to say."

You can find "R.I.P (SELLOUT EDIT)," which was co-written by TJ, on streaming, while you need to be a member of Brothers' The Family fan club to hear the full version.

Little Big Town 'Could Have It All' with 'It's a Dying Art'

Posted about a week ago

Little Big Town's 'It's a Dying Art' (MCA)

Little Big Town's keeping a Dying Art alive, with their latest preview of their upcoming 12th studio album.

"We Could Have It All" was written by Ashley Monroe and LBT's Jimi Westbrook and Karen Fairchild, who also co-produced the project.

"Hope is never gone/ Honey just hold on/ When this world feels crazy/ I'll always fight for you/ Yeah it's worth seeing through/ The nights don't last long baby/ The sun will come up again/ So why stop trying when/ We could have it all," the foursome sings on the new track.

It follows "Hey There Sunshine," "Over and Over" and "Sucker for a Sad Song," ahead of the Aug. 28 release of It's a Dying Art.

Karen, Jimi, Kimberly Schlapman and Phillip Sweet are set to perform Sept. 1 on NBC's Today show, before they kick off their For the Art of It Tour Sept. 24 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

They're also booked to do a three-night Christmas residency at the Ryman in December.

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