Florida Georgia Line Delivers New “Simple” Single

Global superstar duo FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE return with a steady and sincere new single, unveiling the tender roots-infused anthem “Simple” as they head into a huge week of festival and award show appearances.

Mixing Western undertones with electro-pop energy and a beating-hearts rhythm, “Simple” leads the duo’s upcoming, hotly anticipated fourth album, as Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley carve out a spot for easy love in a complicated world. Florida Georgia Line’s “Simple” is available here.

“Excited to share the next chapter of FGL that we’ve been working so hard on,” shares Kelley. “‘Simple’ is as simple as it gets – 4 chords and a lotta heart!”

Hubbard agrees, “We are always wanting to push our sound forward and never make the same record twice. We feel like we’ve upped our game on this project as well.”

Written by Hubbard and Kelley along with Michael Hardy and Mark Holman about the euphoric comfort of finding one’s soul mate, the enlightened new single features whistling hooks and rolling banjos, plus an open-range melody produced by longtime studio collaborator Joey Moi.

With more details coming soon, FGL’s next album project will follow in the PLATINUM-certified success of the duo’s 2016 release, DIG YOUR ROOTS (BMLG Records). That game-changing album delivered three consecutive #1 hits: the 4X PLATINUM-certified “H.O.L.Y.” and PLATINUM-certified hits “May We All” (ft. Tim McGraw) and “God, Your Mama, And Me” (ft. Backstreet Boys).

Along with headlining the stadium-filling THE SMOOTH TOUR 2017 with Nelly and Backstreet Boys last summer, Hubbard and Kelley were featured as special guests on high-profile tracks by The Chainsmokers (“Last Day Alive”), Hailee Steinfeld and Alesso ft. watt (“Let Me Go”) and rising Country star Morgan Wallen (“Up Down”), plus “Meant to Be” – FGL’s 3X PLATINUM, #1 collaboration with breakout Pop star Bebe Rexha. The crossover smash remains red-hot, surpassing the 1 BILLION global streams mark and notching 26 weeks on top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

Coming up next, FGL will be prominently featured at the CMT Music Awards broadcast live from Nashville on June 6 at 8/7c. The duo is up for a field-leading four nominations – including the night’s top award, Video of the Year (for “Meant to Be”) – and will take the stage for a can’t-miss performance. Fans can vote online now here. Hubbard and Kelley will then help close out this year’s massive CMA Fest for a sold-out Nissan Stadium headline set on June 10.

For more information about Florida Georgia Line and upcoming tour dates, please visit floridageorgialine.com and reach out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Backstreet Boys Member AJ McLean Releases Solo Country Single “Back Porch Bottle Service”

AJ McLean and Billboard have partnered to premiere the first listen of his incredible new country focus track, “Back Porch Bottle Service.” Hard at work in Nashville with acclaimed songwriters like Clint Lagerberg (Keith Urban/Blake Shelton/Rascal Flatts) and Brett Tyler (Maren Morris/Chris Young/Joe Nichols), AJ has been immersing himself in the sound he loves and the genre that is allowing him to finally tell his own story, his way. Listen to “Back Porch Bottle Service” on Billboard now, available digitally everywhere now.

No stranger to the country world, 2017 saw AJ and the Backstreet Boys teaming up with multi-platinum selling Florida Georgia Line for the hit single “God, Your Mama, and Me,” off their Dig Your Roots album. The much buzzed about collaboration included a performance of the #1 single (as well as the Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody”) at the 2017 ACM Awards and a joint CMT Crossroads showcasing both of the groups biggest songs, as well as a stadium tour that saw them performing to sold out crowds across the country.

There’s the AJ McLean you think you know: the member of one of the most successful groups of all time, the multi-platinum selling Backstreet Boys. A group that has become the best selling boy band in history, having sold over 140 million records, and have earned themselves a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Then there’s the real AJ McLean, the ultimate trendsetter and a raw singer/songwriter, an artist dripping with soul and bare emotion. A legend of the 90s boyband era, AJ has always been a cultural vanguard. You’ve seen him in the front row at New York Fashion Week, you’ve seen him on stage, on the small screen and even on the big screen and now you’re going to see him at his best… 

“I’m kind of a chameleon,” he states. It’s true: AJ has his hand in everything from fashion to acting, but it’s making his solo music that really sets him apart, and “Back Porch Bottle Service” is a perfect first foray into this exciting new body of work.

 

Six Breakthrough Country Artists Set To Perform on the RAM Trucks Side Stage at the CMT Music Awards

CMT announced that country music’s hottest breakthrough artists Carly Pearce, Devin Dawson, LANCO, Lindsay Ell, Russell Dickerson and Walker Hayes will perform on the Ram Trucks Side Stage at the “2018 CMT Music Awards,” airing LIVE from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 6th at 8:00 pm ET/PT.

From the group of fresh talent, first-time nominees Carly Pearce, Devin Dawson, LANCO, Russell Dickerson and Walker Hayes will all be vying for the title of “Breakthrough Video of the Year.” Platinum-selling band LANCO will also be up for “Group Video of the Year” and Carly Pearce will battle it out for the coveted title of “Female Video of the Year” with her No. 1 hit “Every Little Thing.” 

They join the growing list of previously announced performers including Blake Shelton; Carrie Underwood; Chris Stapleton; Dan + Shay; Darius Rucker; featuring Charles Kelley, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan; Dierks Bentley featuring Brothers Osborne; Florida Georgia Line; Jason Aldean; Kelly Clarkson; Kelsea Ballerini; Little Big Town; Luke Bryan and Sam Hunt.

Follow @CMT on Twitter and Instagram, use hashtag #CMTawards and like the CMT Music Awards on Facebook.

Luke Bryan Announces His Tenth Annual Farm Tour

As a nod to his own family upbringing, country music superstar Luke Bryan will once again honor the American farmer this fall as his tenth annual FARM TOUR is set for September 27 to October 6. Luke will take the six-city tour from Ohio to Florida setting up stages in the fields of local farmers across those states. Over 100,000 fans have attended the tour each year since its inception in 2009. Luke will continue giving back to the farmers by awarding college scholarships to students from farming families who are attending the local college or university near the tour stops. To date, more than 50 scholarships have been granted.

Tickets for the “Bayer Presents Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2018” go on sale June 6 at 10AM local time at www.lukebryan.com/FarmTour.  Presale tickets for Luke’s Fan Club (the Nut House), Luke’s official App and Citi® cardmembers at www.CitiPrivatePass.com begin June 1 at 10AM local time.

“I can’t believe we’ve been doing this 10 years!” said Luke. “Our goal was to bring big-city production concerts into these small towns across the U.S. giving those communities the opportunity to attend shows that would never come their way.”
Sept. 27 Irwin, OH Springfork Farms
Sept. 28 Pesotum, IL Atkins Farm
Sept. 29 Boone, IA Ziel Farm
Oct. 4 Archer, FL Whitehurst Cattle Company
Oct. 5 North Augusta, SC Misty Morning Farms
Oct. 6 Ringgold, GA Doug Yates Farms

To listen to Luke’s Farm Tour playlist go HERE

Bayer will continue their #HeresToTheFarmer campaign. For every share, Bayer will donate a meal to someone in need through Feeding America®.  In years past nearly 2 million meals have been donated and $140,000 went to area food banks and local farmers in each of the tour cities.Visit HeresToTheFarmer.com to learn more.

Michael Ray Teams Up with Zappos To Launch “Wrigley Cares” Limited Edition Puma Shoe

Prior to the release of his sophomore album, Amos, on June 1, Michael Ray is surprising fans with the launch of his custom designed “Wrigley Cares Limited-Edition Puma Classic Suede” shoe. All of the proceeds from the sale of these shoes benefit Ray’s charitable initiative, Wrigley Cares: Helping Animals in Need.
 
“Zappos for Good has been such an incredible organization to work with on this project,” says Ray who launched Wrigley Cares in 2017. “Not only have they given us the opportunity and the platform to promote a cause I’m so passionate about, but to be able to design a custom sneaker to benefit Wrigley Cares was amazing. They really do look at giving from a unique standpoint that provides value to the fans and the causes they’re passionate about.”
 
Wrigley Cares was inspired by Ray’s rescue dog, Wrigley, whom he adopted at last summer’s Country Lake Shake Festival in Chicago. Ray experienced an outpouring of love from fans who began showing up to concerts with dog toys, food and treats for his new puppy.  This led to the idea of donating those toys to the local animal shelter in whatever city Ray’s Get To You Tour was stopping in. With the help of Zappos for Good, the charitable arm of Zappos, they were able to identify local shelters in need and setting up donation station at each tour stop.
 
“We love when our customers get to help us deliver WOW and this latest partnership between Michael Ray and Zappos For Good is going to do just that by caring for animals in need all over the country,” said Steven Bautista, Head of Charity at Zappos.com
 
The announcement of Ray’s shoes comes just in time for the release of his new album, Amos, named in honor of his grandfather. Ray credits Amos with helping to shape him into the man and musician he is today. The 11-track collection features Top 20 single “Get To You,” the emotional heartbreak ballad “Her World Or Mine” and the summer smash “One That Got Away.”
 
Fans will have the opportunity to continue donating to Wrigley Cares: Helping Animals in Need on select tour dates this fall. For more information, visit michaelraymusic.com.
 
Amos is available for pre-order now and available everywhere June 1.