Country
Why Dolly Parton Admires Taylor Swift & More in Billboard’s ‘5 Minute Interview’
Christmas came early on Wednesday (Aug. 12), when Dolly Parton announced that her fans will be enjoying A Holly Dolly Christmas with her first holiday album in 30 years. The collection, out Oct. 2, features a number of collaborations, including Willie Nelson, Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, goddaughter Miley Cyrus and, surprisingly, The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon on “All I Want for Christmas Is You.” “I thought, ‘Now, what other songs are really hot?’” Parton said of her Fallon duet during Billboard’s “5 Minute Interview.” “And I thought, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’ the Mariah [Carey] song, and Jimmy Fallon, a couple years ago I was on his show around Christmas, and he asked me to sing that and I didn’...
Colbie Caillat Leaves Her Band Gone West: ‘This Was Not an Easy Decision’
Colbie Caillat is officially leaving her band Gone West only after two years. The country-pop singer announced the news on Instagram Wednesday (Aug. 12), which comes just four months after she and ex-fiancé/Gone West bandmate Justin Young ended their 10-year relationship. Married couple Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy make up the remaining two members of the country quartet. “After a lot of thought during this time, Justin and I have decided to leave Gone West. Creative partnerships, especially with friends, are both rewarding and challenging at times, and though this was not an easy decision, we know ending the band was the right one,” Caillat began writing in the posted note. “Justin and I are best friends, and will continue to make music together forever.” {“nid...
Billie Eilish, Selena Gomez & More Set for iHeartMedia’s ‘Why I’m Voting’ Campaign: Exclusive
What’s your reason for voting? On Monday (Aug. 10), iHeartMedia announced the official launch of its 2020 voter awareness initiative, “Why I’m Voting,” exclusively on Billboard. The non-partisan campaign will see artists from Billie Eilish and Selena Gomez to John Legend and Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds sharing the personal reasons voting matters to them in the upcoming 2020 election. Other famous faces taking part in the campaign include Dan + Shay, Finneas, Saweetie, Michelle Williams, DJ Khaled, Diplo and dozens more. Additionally, iHeartMedia listeners will also have the opportunity to record and submit their own 20-second audio or video message about why they’re voting here. The campaign is set to run from now through Election Day on Nov. 3. R...
Snoop Dogg Crashed Chika’s Live Stream and Now She’s Going to Write a Country Song for Him
Rising rap star Chika added an unexpected, but unbelievably welcome, guest on to a recent Insagram Live: Snoop Dogg. And she’s still reeling in the afterglow of the pure moment that was their virtual meeting. “What the f—, Snoop in here?” she said once she noticed he was viewing her stream. “What’s up? What you doing? Now I feel like I have to do something entertaining. I’ve just been sitting here talking shit, being dumb. But I can smoke in your honor. You want me to roll up? I can do that and play some music.” She asked Snoop why he didn’t just join her live and added him, and the quarantine-era conversation was soon flowing. {“nid”:”9431037″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Firs...
Kane Brown Surprises Virginia Subway Employees by Dropping In for Some Lunch
Kane Brown took a stop on his drive on Interstate 81/64 in Virginia on Thursday (Aug. 6) for some lunch. As expected, the Subway employees at White’s Travel Center were shocked to see the country superstar walk through the door. The travel center shared a photo from the exciting moment on Facebook, in which Brown is seen in a mask, throwing up the “hang loose” sign while posing with the sandwich shop’s employee, Angie.”He was super-cool as he posed with Angie for a selfie!!” the photo caption read. {“nid”:”9416342″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Kane Brown Calls on Khalid & Swae Lee for 'Be Like That': Listen”,”relative_path”:”\/articles\/columns\/country\/941...
Makin’ Tracks: Danielle Bradbery Displays New Artistic Maturity In ‘Never Have I Ever’
When LeAnn Rimes came to national attention at age 13, she embarked on a wildly successful streak, selling millions of albums loaded with songs featuring adult viewpoints, even though she was too young to vote. Rimes arguably found her adult voice at age 22 with This Woman, an album produced by Dann Huff (Keith Urban, Brantley Gilbert) that lobbed three singles into country radio’s top five, a level she has not attained since. With “Never Have I Ever,” Danielle Bradbery looks to flip the script on that precedent. She similarly entered the national spotlight as a teen, winning NBC’s The Voice at age 16 in 2013. Her run over the next few years was nothing like Rimes’ — Bradbery’s debut single, “The Heart of Dixie” (No. 12, Country Airplay), is ...
Gabby Barrett Brings Out Husband Cade Foehner For Billboard Live At-Home Performance
Gabby Barrett brought out her husband Cade Foehner for an intimate Billboard Live At-Home performance Wednesday (Aug. 5) to raise money for MusiCares. Foehner played an instrumental part during the couple’s set, when he sang alongside Barrett while playing the acoustic guitar, but he also played his part as her muse for her radio sensation “The Good Ones.” “This song was written about this man beside me,” the 20-year-old country star said. “I was just thinking back to when him and I were dating during American Idol at the time. And some of my family members would just ask me, be like, ‘Oh, how’s your boyfriend doing?’ and I’d be like, ‘Oh, he’s good. He’s a good one, he’s a keeper.’… Not every s...
Brett Kissel Hosts Pop-Up ‘Boat-In Concert’ In Canada
Country singer Brett Kissel performed Canada’s first “boat-in” concert Sunday (Aug. 2) on Lake Windermere in British Columbia, attracting 3,000 fans for the pop-up performance. Fans watched from canoes, kayaks, motor boats an inner tubes as the Canadian country singer from Flat Lake, Alberta open his dock side set with his 2017 hit single “We Were That Song.” Kissel continues to raise money for charities and rally Canadian communities through his special concerts during the COVID-19 pandemic, performing for 10,000 fans at a series of drive-in concerts in Edmonton and more than 6,000 fans in Saskatchewan. Kissel performed a 90-minute set from a private dock, running through his catalog of songs including debut American single and No. 1 Canadian country hit R...
Luke Combs Marries Nicole Hocking: ‘Best Day of My Life’
Congratulations are in order for Luke Combs and Nicole Hocking, who got married in Florida on Saturday (Aug. 1). Despite a threat from tropical storm Isaias, the happy couple was married at their home in southern Florida during an intimate ceremony with family and friends, according to People. “Yesterday was the best day of my life. I got to marry my best friend. I love you @nicohocking, here’s to forever,” Combs wrote on Instagram alongside a series of joyous photos on the beach with his new wife. {“nid”:”9417454″,”type”:”post”,”title”:”Luke Combs Just Made Top Country Albums Chart History”,”relative_path”:”\/articles\/business\/chart-beat\/9417454\/luke-combs-top-country-albums-chart-his...
First Country: New Music From Dan + Shay, Eric Church, Rascal Flatts, Lauren Alaina and More
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos and albums that dropped this week. Hear the latest from Dan + Shay, Rascal Flatts and more below. Dan + Shay, “I Should Probably Go To Bed” This gorgeous pop piano ballad, co-written by the CMA Awards’ reigning vocal duo, elevates the pair to new heights and should find success across several formats. Arranged and produced by Dan Smyers, the opening solo piano quickly swells to include strings and towards the end builds to a lovely crescendo before sliding back to solo piano. Shay Mooney’s boundless range still surprises as he hits notes that will probably haunt him when he has to sing the song live for decades to come. The harmonies and layered backing vocals recall the Beach Boys, Beatles and ELO. The first single from ...
Charley Crockett Shares the Origins of New Single “Fool Somebody Else”: Stream
Our new music feature Origins finds bands giving listeners a bit of an inside scoop on their latest single. Today, Charley Crockett wants you to “Fool Somebody Else”. When a songwriter sings of woe and heartbreak, we want to believe them. We want, in some part, to believe that this person has really gone through the wringer of life, and what we’re hearing is all that adversity spilling out. It’s not that we’d ever wish such hardships on a person, only that if they’ve experienced it, we can feel it in their songs. Well, there’s no doubt that you can feel it in the songs on Charley Crockett’s new album, Welcome to Hard Times. The country musician has been through homelessness, felony stints, family addiction, and the struggle of being an independent artist. Even with all that behin...
The Chicks Reminisce on Performing With Beyoncé at 2016 CMAs: ‘She’s Just Always Calm’
The Chicks chatted with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe Tuesday (July 28) about the protest anthems they hand-picked for their “At Home With” Apple Music playlist, which kicks off with Beyoncé‘s “Black Parade.” The country-pop trio, consisting of Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer, described Beyoncé as being on another level of celebrity when they performed her country highlight “Daddy Lessons” from her Lemonade album alongside her at the 2016 Country Music Awards. “Where do you start? I mean, I have never been around that level, I don’t even want to say celebrity, but just, I mean she’s on another…” Maines said of the pop superstar during the interview. “The first co...
