Warner Music Nashville Showcased Talented Artists At Inaugural Luncheon During Country Radio Seminar

Warner Music Nashville debuted their luncheon showcase last week to kick off the 50th Anniversary of Country Radio Seminar. Showcasing artists across the label’s multiple rosters, it is more than safe to say that Warner Music Nashville has a team of heavy hitting talent that all make for a great hit on the country radio airwaves and concert stages.

Morgan Evans started things off with his latest single “Day Drunk.” Including a medley of pop songs within the track, Evans showcased his talents to a room full of industry professionals.

Next up – Cole Swindell! The multi-number one recording artist introduced his newest single, “Love You Too Late,” which serves as the sophomore single on his third studio album. Swindell provided a solid performance of the new track and we’re looking to hear more of it on country radio.

Devin Dawson took the stage to perform his album-titled single, “Dark Horse.” This performance really stood out as you could hear the passion and emotion he has for music. Dawson might have a “darker” edge to him with the b&w photos and what not, but his future in music will certainly be long and bright!

Chris Janson took the stage for a high-energy performance of new single, “Good Vibes.” There was no way not to have good vibes throughout Janson’s performance as he did a stellar job introducing his latest single which will no doubt make its way quickly to the top of the charts before we know it.

Cody Johnson is one of Warner Music Nashville’s newest artist to join their roster. Johnson wowed the room with his performance of “On My Way To You” and earned himself a standing ovation as well as further confirming he is on his way to an epic year ahead.

The momentum continued as Ashley McBryde took the stage and delivered an absolutely incredible performance of “Girl Goin’ Nowhere.” This girl is going everywhere and then some. There is something so special about Ashley and we are looking forward to enjoying her music throughout the coming years.

Straight off their Grammy Award win the weekend before, Dan + Shay treated us all to a fantastic performance of their new single, “All To Myself.” The duo is on fire right now and the flame is not dying down any time soon. They have worked hard to get where they are at today and deserve every single special moment that comes their way.

Closing out the performances was Blake Shelton, but not before Dierks Bentley took the stage to award him with the CRS Artist Humanitarian award. As you can see, there is nothing but love between to two!

Rather than coming out and playing what he wanted to play, he let the room decide. We were all treated to his beloved and famed song, “Austin.” Hearing it that day felt just as new as when it first came out. It is such a timeless song, delivered by a timeless artist. Next up the crowd wanted to hear “Ol Red” and Shelton does nothing but aim to please and he sure did. It was the perfect ending to a fantastic luncheon.

Warner Music Nashville will have their hands full this year with the epic talent they have lined up. Country Music fans and listeners are in for a fantastic year ahead in country music and you will not be disappointed.

**All photos by Jon Currier Photography

Reba McEntire Set To Release New Album and Host 54th ACM Awards

A cowgirl to the core, REBA MCENTIRE has never been bashful about her Country roots. The iconic entertainer proves it with STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH, her forthcoming studio album, out April 5 on Big Machine Records. Reba co-produced the 12-track project with Buddy Cannon in Nashville, which follows her dual chart-topping, GRAMMY® and GMA Dove Awards-winning SING IT NOW: SONGS OF FAITH & HOPE.
 
“The response to SING IT NOW: SONGS OF FAITH & HOPE reinforced my love for recording songs that speak to the heart. So when I started selecting songs for this album, I stuck with that same formula – go with the songs that touch my heart, and hopefully when you hear me singing it, they’ll touch yours too. That honesty once again revealed itself,” expressed Reba. “I grew up on an 8,000-acre family ranch singing at dance halls, honky-tonks and rodeos with my brother and sister. STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH takes me back to that kind of country music that I grew up with. I haven’t gotten to do that in a while, so I’m thrilled to pieces to release this new music.”

Fans can now purchase exclusive album bundles at Reba.com such as the 100-Proof Package (autographed vinyl, shot glass, bar tool set and t-shirt). 
 
STRONGER THAN THE TRUTH Tracklisting:
1. Swing All Night Long With You | Written by Sidney Cox, Jon Randall
2. Stronger Than The Truth | Written by Hannah Louise Blaylock, Autumn McEntire
3. Storm In A Shot Glass | Written by Mary Browder, Will Robinson, Leslie Satcher
4. Tammy Wynette Kind Of Pain | Written by Brandy Clark, Mark Narmore, Shelley Skidmore
5. Cactus In A Coffee Can | Written by Steve Seskin, Allen Shamblin
6. Your Heart | Written by Kellys Collins
7. The Clown | Written by Dallas Davidson, Hillary Lindsey, James Slater
8. No U In Oklahoma | Written by Reba McEntire, Ronnie Dunn, Donna McSpadden
9. The Bar’s Getting Lower | Written by Kellys Collins, Erin Enderlin, Liz Hengber, Alex Kline
10. In His Mind | Written by Reba McEntire, Liz Hengber, Tommy Lee James
11. Freedom | Written by Jay Brunswick, Tommy Cecil, Jaida Dreyer, John Pierce
12. You Never Gave Up On Me | Written by Billy Aerts, Burton Collins

The three-time GRAMMY® Award winner has even more surprises to celebrate as Sunday night’s broadcast revealed she will return to host the 54th Academy of Country Music Awards™ on April 7. Symbolically marking the 16-time ACM Award winner’s sixteen time leading the night, the live telecast will take place from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and airs on the CBS Television Network at 8:00 PM ET/delayed PT. Reba will announce the nominees during CBS This Morning on February 20.

Carly Pearce Unveils “Closer To You” Music Video

Keeping an honest conversation with her fans, Carly Pearce invited them to preview her new music video for “Closer To You” leading up the exclusive YouTube premiere. They shared a massive group chat as the hard-working talent took a pause from recording with her producer busbee for a forthcoming sophomore album on Big Machine Records.

“It’s no secret I want my fans to experience this exciting journey alongside me – from awards, tours and even my special relationship with Michael,” elaborated Carly. “As the lyrics say, ‘all I wanna do is get closer to you’ and that really rings true for me so I was happy to spend a little time chatting online before we all watched the video for the first time.”
 
Filmed in Nashville with director Mason Dixon, the moody tone captures lights-down-low moments and gentle embraces. The scenes shift as Carly lingers in an emerald frock yearning for her beloved before they are united in “a fast car, gassed up, sitting in the drive way.”

Carly maintains speed as she continues her co-headline THE WAY BACK TOUR leading up to travels across Europe and Australia next month for her first appearances at C2C and CMC; respectively. As her international trek ensues, the Kentucky native will vie for iHeartRadio Music Awards Best New Country Artist as the only female in the category when the show airs March 14 on FOX (8-10pm ET/PT tape-delayed). In May, Carly joins Jason Aldean’s RIDE ALL NIGHT TOUR following last year’s major stints alongside Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts and Thomas Rhett.

For tour dates and more, visit CarlyPearce.com and follow along at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Scotty McCreery Tops The Charts With Hit Single “This Is It”

Fresh off of his headlining Seasons Change Tour, Triple Tigers recording artist Scotty McCreery earns his second consecutive No. 1 single with the romantic love song “This Is It,” as the single reaches the top spot on both the Billboard and Mediabase/Country Aircheck Country Airplay charts.

“This Is It” is the second single from McCreery’s 2018 album, Seasons Change, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart. McCreery, who married longtime love Gabi Dugal in June 2018, wrote the song with Frank Rogers and Aaron Eshuis specifically about his heartfelt proposal. Footage from their wedding can be seen in the single’s music video which topped the “GAC Top 20 Countdown” for multiple weeks.

Their wedding was spotlighted in both People and The Knot, with the couple also featured on the current cover of Southern Bride. “This Is It” follows McCreery’s deeply reflective and acclaimed “Five More Minutes,” which reached the No. 1 spot last February just ahead of the album’s release and is nearing double-Platinum status.

“I wrote ‘This Is It’ for Gabi,” said McCreery. “It’s our song. I played it for her just an hour after I proposed. I sang it to her at our wedding. She’s who I see in my mind when I perform it on the road every night. Watching our love story become my second No. 1 hit is something Gabi and I will treasure always. I am so thankful to country radio and my fans who have stood with me from day one for making my dreams come true.”   

The singer/songwriter wrapped up his headlining, 14-city Seasons Change Tour with special guests Jimmie Allen and Heather Morgan on January 26 in Westbury, NY. The tour saw multiple sold-out performances from Raleigh, NC to Boston, MA and beyond. “CMT Hot 20 Countdown” recently broadcast an episode filmed almost entirely at the Atlanta date on his tour.

Achieving one of the strongest first weeks for a country music album in the last year, Seasons Change moved over 40,000 albums in the first week alone. For the first time, McCreery is featured as a songwriter on all the album’s tracks. With themes such as losing loved ones, moving out on his own, falling in love and coming of age, Seasons Change is a reflective and honest narrative of the artist’s experience navigating life in his early twenties. The album was produced by Frank Rogers, Aaron Eshuis and Derek Wells.

Although McCreery has said that 2018 has been his favorite year so far, 2019 is off to a monumental start for the artist. Though the Seasons Change Tour has wrapped, fans can still catch McCreery on the road all year. Visit www.ScottyMcCreery.com for tour dates.

Brooks & Dunn Return With Forthcoming Release of “REBOOT” Collaboration Album

The best-selling duo of all time, Brooks & Dunn, announced Nashville’s best kept secret today with the news that their forthcoming collaboration project REBOOT will be available April 5 (Arista Nashville/Sony Music Nashville). Brooks & Dunn hit the studio for the first time together since 2007 joined by an eclectic cast of country’s hottest rising talent and producer Dann Huff to remake 12 timeless Brooks & Dunn hits.

Kane Brown, Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, LANCO, Ashley McBryde, Brothers Osborne, Luke Combs, Midland, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Tyler Booth and Kacey Musgraves call the shots on the all-new arrangements of face-to-face collaborations with Brooks & Dunn.

What emerged from a year of top-secret sessions ranges from edgy-rock intensity to heartbroken EDM, and from retro honky-tonk fun to the exposed nerves of a reflective acoustic ballad. Offering the first taste of what to expect from the forthcoming release, the revered duo’s takes on “Brand New Man” with Luke Combs and “Believe” with Kane Brown are available HERE.

“This whole experience has been humbling to say the least. What a cool rush to hear somebody do one of your tunes in a unique way, and it still holds up,” said Ronnie Dunn. “That’s the greatest compliment you can get as an artist. People used to ask us all the time about the legacy we wanted to leave, and it’s honestly just that – you hope the music stands up over time. This is the first opportunity we’ve had to run it up a new flagpole…and it really flies.” 

“They’re making their own music,” Kix Brooks adds about the REBOOT guest list. “But just like we did, they still remember and respect the music they grew up with. It makes you feel good that these acts were inspired by us in some small way.” 

It was a chance meeting between Luke Combs and the duo’s long-time manager that sparked the whole project, when he had explained what the duo meant for his own music. “Brand New Man” offers a brawny, almost gleeful rendition that is a revelation, baptized with a splash of high-energy nostalgia.

In similar fashion, Kane Brown took a faithful approach to the spiritually-charged “Believe.” With its breathtaking emotional beauty, Brown tapped into something so genuine it must be heard to be truly comprehended.

“Brooks & Dunn’s music absolutely had a tremendous impact on me,” said Combs. “To me, they invented that foot stomping, driving sound. And it’s so cool that this has turned into such an awesome album, with artists that actually grew up listening to Brooks & Dunn. Their music was so influential to us that having the chance to come in and bounce ideas off the guys and sing with them in the studio was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“I’ve never really sung in the studio with someone else, especially not with someone whose voice is as good as Ronnie’s,” said Kane Brown. “For him to be looking at me on the other side of the glass, and both of us singing, it was just awesome. It felt like we just got comfortable around each other, so we were really able to kill it.”

To go into the studio with Brooks & Dunn for the making of “Brand New Man” with Luke Combs click HERE and for “Believe” with Kane Brown click HERE.

For more information, visit www.brooks-dunn.com.