Country
Faith Hill Shares Romantic Slow Dance With Tim McGraw During His Surprise ‘Family Album Release Party’
Tim McGraw is finally unveiling his Here on Earth album on Friday (Aug. 21), but a pandemic is not stopping his family from throwing him a proper celebration. Faith Hill took to Instagram on Tuesday (Aug. 18) to share that she and the couple’s daughters “surprised Tim with our first ever family album release party. Yeah, I know…..Honestly, it is the truth. We have never listened to one of our new albums with just the girls. Ever.” “An unforgettable evening for what in my humble opinion is one of the greatest albums Tim has ever recorded,” she continued. “We listened to the double vinyl records blaring from the speakers!!!!!! A night we will never forget.” The post featured the McGraws’ twinkle light-covered home, with the country power ...
Luke Bryan’s ‘Born Here Live Here Die Here’ Launches at No. 1 on Top Country Albums Chart
Plus, Mary Chapin Carpenter extends her history on Top Country Albums. Luke Bryan banks his ninth No. 1 on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums chart, and his eighth to arrive at the pinnacle, as Born Here Live Here Die Here soars in at the summit on the survey dated Aug. 22. The set earned 65,000 equivalent album units (48,000 in album sales) in the week ending Aug. 13. On the all-genre Billboard 200, it enters at No. 5, marking Bryan’s 11th top 10. Released Aug. 7, the album, co-produced by the father-and-son team of Jeff and Jody Stevens, was originally due April 24 but was pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [embedded content] Three singles, all of which topped Country Airplay, have been released from the new LP so far: “Knockin’ Boots” led for two weeks i...
Barack Obama Reveals 2020 Summer Playlist: Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Childish Gambino
Former president Barack Obama has shared his 2020 summer playlist. Similar to his past playlists, it’s a hodgepodge of modern hits and all-time classics, though this year he’s spotlighting a number of artists on the campaign trail. “Over the past few months, I’ve spent a lot of time listening to music with my family,” he announced on Twitter with an accompanying screenshot of his 53 selections. “I wanted to share some of my favorites from the summer — including songs from some of the artists at this week’s @DemConvention.” In good faith, he starred those heading to the Convention, specifically Leon Bridges (“Texas Sun”), Common (“Forever Begins”), John Legend (“Don’t Walk Away”), The Chicks (“Gaslighter”), Billie Eilish (“My Future”), Maggie Rogers (“Love You for a Long Time”), Billy Porte...
Orville Peck and Shania Twain Cut Loose In An Empty Dive Bar For ‘Legends’ Duet: Watch
Orville Peck just might be the ultimate show pony. Don’t believe it? Well, the unconventional Canadian country artist called his latest EP Show Pony. Coincidence? On Monday night, Peck showed us what he’s made of for a late-night TV performance with his compatriot Shania Twain, with an empty dive bar their location. Peck showed us some slick moves, his face hidden from view. Twain brought the class that comes with winning a swag of Grammys. And the pair had a moment with their rendition of “Legends Never Die” on The Tonight Show. Speaking to Billboard earlier this year, Peck admitted he was star-struck by working with Twain. “I’ve been the biggest Shania fan my whole life, and she was literally the last person I got to hang out with before [self-isolating],” he explained. They’...
There’s Now a Dolly Parton Mural in Nashville Honoring Her Stance on Black Lives Matter
Dolly Parton‘s viral statement on Black Lives Matter from her current Billboard cover story is now painted alongside a mural of the country legend in Nashville. Nashville-based artist Kim Radford painted a flowery picture of Parton outside of The 5 Spot, a famous music venue in East Nashville, which she started last Thursday (Aug. 13). Then she read the country singer’s cover interview with Billboard last Friday (Aug. 14) where Parton proudly proclaimed her support for Black Lives Matter with this standout quote: “And of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white a–es are the only ones that matter? No!” “The day before I finished the mural, Dolly had an amazing press release about her upcoming Christmas album and her interview with...
Song of the Week: Orville Peck and Shania Twain Play by Their Own Rules on “Legends Never Die”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify New Sounds playlist. Today’s world feels a bit like the wild, wild west, doesn’t it? The more we get used to our new normal, the less it all makes sense. Between the pandemic, the much-needed Black Lives Matter protests, the upcoming election, and social distancing, this summer has been a lot, to say the least. Luckily for us, we got a slight reprieve from the madness this week from Orville Peck via his brand-new EP, Show Pony. The six-song collection from the mysterious country singer includes our Song of the Week, “Legends Never Die”, a duet with one country legend that’s hard not to recognize: Shania Twain. “Legends Never Die” is a timeless, classic...
Orville Peck Unleashes New Show Pony EP: Stream
Orville Peck has finally dropped his new Show Pony EP. The effort was originally due out earlier this year, but Peck postponed the release so as not to distract from the Black Lives Matter protests. The six-track project is highlighted by a so-called “dream come true” duet with country legend Shania Twain, aptly titled “Legends Never Die”. There’s also a cover of the Bobbie Gentry classic “Fancy”, as well as early original singles “Summertime” and “No Glory in the West”. Show Pony is Peck’s second-ever project following last year’s Pony debut album, which earned the masked alt-country star widespread critical acclaim. It also comes a month after his cover of Bronski Beat’s “Smalltown Boy”, released in honor of Pride month. Editors’ Picks Stream Show Pony below via Apple Music an...
Margo Price Covers Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” on The Daily Show: Watch
Although Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” may already be the song of the summer, it’s caused some predictable controversy amongst those with more conservative tastes. Everyone from congressional candidates to Tiger King stars have taken issue with the track, which begs the question: Is this yet another example of women — particularly Black women — facing a different level of public scrutiny? Exploring that thesis on The Daily Show on Thursday night, Margo Price recontextualized “WAP” as a beautiful country song. Would it be any less “offensive”? Price’s cover came as host Trevor Noah and remote correspondent Dulce Sloan examined the media’s sexist reaction to Kamala Harris being selected as presumptive democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s running mate. While arguing that...
One dead in fresh Ivory Coast clashes over president’s re-election bid
vAt least one person was killed in clashes in Ivory Coast on Saturday in the latest violence sparked by President Alassane Ouattara’s controversial decision to run for a third term in October. The shooting death brings to four the number of people killed in the central town of Daoukro, a stronghold of former president Henri Konan Bedie, who is also a candidate in the election. Across Ivory Coast, at least six people have died and more than 100 have been injured in violence after Ouattara’s shock announcement. Tensions were high on Saturday in Daoukro, where clashes between supporters of Bedie and Ouattara began on Tuesday. The town’s main market and shops were closed and police were deployed all over. Armed with shotguns, clubs and machetes, young people from the village of Anoumabo rushed...
Lzzy Hale Shows Off Her Pipes on Cover of Dolly Parton / Whitney Houston Classic “I Will Always Love You”: Stream
Dolly Parton (CTK Management), Lzzy Hale (Jimmy Fontaine), Whitney Houston (from The Bodyguard) Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale has one of the strongest voices in hard rock, and she shows off her pipes on a newly released cover of the Dolly Parton / Whitney Houston classic “I Will Always Love You”. The song appears on Halestorm’s new six-song Reimagined EP, which also features re-worked versions five of the band’s previous singles. A couple weeks ago, Halestorm released a new version of “Break In” featuring Lzzy duetting with Amy Lee from Evanescence. Lzzy has performed “I Will Always Love You” at select Halestorm concerts in the past, but this marks the first studio recording of her cover. While Dolly Parton wrote and originally recorded the heart-wrenching ballad in the ’70s, Lzzy’s rendi...
First Country: New Music From Kane Brown, Morgan Wallen, Jon Pardi, Caylee Hammack & More
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos and albums that dropped this week. Kane Brown, Mixtape Vol. 1 Brown’s collection shows off the country star’s range, whether it’s duetting with Nelly on the breezy “Cool Again,” his gorgeous ballad with John Legend, “Last Time I Say Sorry,” expressing his utopian view on “Worldwide Beautiful,” or, of course, his current rising pop hit, “ Be Like That,” featuring Swae Lee and Khalid. The 7-track set also includes three previously unreleased songs including “Worship You,” a radiant ode to his wife. Morgan Wallen, “7 Summers” With “More Than My Hometown” still climbing the chart, Wallen releases this swoon-worthy nostalgic track co-written with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne. If “easy listening” were still a bonafide genre,...
Shania Twain Announces The Woman in Me: Diamond Edition
Shania Twain has announced a special 25th anniversary reissue of her star-making sophomore album The Woman in Me. The Diamond Edition will be available as an LP, or in two-CD or three-CD packages on October 2nd. Twain made her debut with an eponymous 1993 record. She didn’t write or co-write any of the tracks, and not coincidentally, it was something of a flop. But it did attract the interest of Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who at the time was best known for shepherding Def Leppard to their greatest commercial success on Hysteria. Together, Twain and Lange would embark on one of the great partnerships in country songwriting history, as well more than 16 years of marriage. The Woman in Me not only spawned Twain’s first number-one country hit, it produced three more songs th...
