Chris Lane Strikes Gold with Hit Single “Take Back Home Girl” featuring Tori Kelly

Moments after he “got the crowd going” (The Orange County Register) with his Stagecoach debut, Big Loud Records star CHRIS LANE was surprised with a GOLD plaque commemorating 500,000 sales and streams of his current single “Take Back Home Girl” featuring GRAMMY-nominated artist TORI KELLY. The infectious track has been certified GOLD in both the U.S. and Canada by the RIAA, while garnering a striking 100 MILLION combined streams and ascending into the Top 15 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart.

Marking his third consecutive GOLD single, “Take Back Home Girl” joins the ranks of Lane’s #1 debut “Fix” and Top 10 “For Her.”  Written by Hillary Lindsey, Josh Miller and David Garcia, “Take Back Home Girl” is the first look at Lane’s sophomore album due out this summer.

“I can’t think of a better way to kick off album number two than with a GOLD single. The response on ‘Take Back Home Girl’ has been the biggest of my career and I’m so excited to share this moment with my team,” says Lane. “I definitely want to shout out to Tori Kelly, she’s an amazing singer and the perfect fit for this song. Having her be part of it makes it even more special.”

Already riding a hot streak for Summer 2018, Lane has scored his first-ever Radio Disney Music Awards nomination, as “Take Back Home Girl” vies for “Play It Again! – Radio Disney Country Favorite Song.” Click HERE to vote for “Take Back Home Girl.”

Lane and Kelly recently showcased the track with a “hearts-on-fire performance” (Rolling Stone) on the April 2 episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. The single is featured on Lane’s current EP, TAKE BACK HOME, a 4-song project giving fans a taste of what’s to come.

Lane continues on his headlining TAKE BACK HOME TOUR with upcoming stops in Grand Rapids, MI (5/10), Traverse City, MI (5/11) and Flint, MI (5/12). Then, he will take the stage for summer’s hottest festivals including CMA Fest, Carolina Country Music Fest, Country LakeShake, Watershed and more. 

Kelsea Ballerini Wraps Sold Out Unapologetically Tour

Following her successful headlining debut with 2016’s sold-out THE FIRST TIME TOUR, Black River Entertainment’s KELSEA BALLERINI has reached another touring milestone with THE UNAPOLOGETICALLY TOUR. Selling out all 15 stops, the bona fide trailblazer wrapped her in-demand, worldwide trek in Santa Barbara, CA, (4/25) before performing at the famed Stagecoach festival on Friday (4/27).

From filling the pews of Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium, to traveling across the world to her now-second home of Australia to hit capacity at Sydney’s Metro Theatre, THE UNAPOLOGETICALLY TOUR pushed Ballerini’s superstardom even further with several “mountaintop moments” and notable major city stops in New York, NY, and Seattle, WA. Concluding her thematic two-month journey of loss, life, and love – as chronicled on her acclaimed sophomore album UNAPOLOGETICALLY – at Stagecoach, Ballerini was dubbed the “Strongest Stagecoach debut” by The Press-Enterprise during her first full set at the annual music festival.

“Every piece of this show has been so intentionally made with heart, and if you’ve been able to make it out to one of the stops I hope you’ve felt that love like we have,” Ballerini shared on Instagram in regards to THE UNAPOLOGETICALLY TOUR. “Thank you for listening to a new album played from top to bottom, thank you for making posters and T-shirt’s with your favorite lyrics, thank you for painting your faces in glitter and for letting yourselves go on the Unapologetically journey with me every night.”

Beginning on June 15 at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, MO, she will hit the road again as Keith Urban’s special guest on the GRAFFITI U WORLD TOUR running through November 3 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The billing is very special to Ballerini, as Urban’s hit “Stupid Boy” inspired her to start writing Country music as a teen. Penned by Ballerini alongside Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen, “I Hate Love Songs” is her current chart-rising follow-up to her history-making #1 “Legends.”

Vying for multiple titles at upcoming award shows, Ballerini is nominated for Top Country Female Artist at the 2018 Billboard Music Awards airing May 20 live from Las Vegas on NBC. After taking home two ARDY statuettes plus co-hosting the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards, she’s also up for three nods including The Bestest – Radio Disney Country Favorite Artist, Play It Again! – Radio Disney Country Favorite Song (“Legends”), and all-genre XOXO – Best Crush Song (“Legends”), this year. The sixth annual event will take place at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, CA, and air on the Disney Channel, as well as additional Disney-branded platforms, on June 23. Fan voting is now open through June 3.

For more information on KELSEA BALLERINI, visit KelseaBallerini.com and reach out to her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Kane Brown Visits with Patients at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital

Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital (LLUCH) patients were treated to a visit by Billboard’s country chart-topper Kane Brown on Monday, April 30. The 24-year-old stopped by several of the LLUCH units to meet with and encourage patients.

He started out in the LLUCH Toyota Learning Center, playing games with patients and sharing stories with some students about his struggles in school, encouraging them to keep trying no matter their situation.

Brown then visited some of the LLUCH units, taking photos with excited fans, playing games with patients and sharing parts of his story.

Image Provided By Loma Linda University / Loma Linda-PR
Image Provided By Loma Linda University / Loma Linda-PR
Image Provided By Loma Linda University / Loma Linda-PR
Image Provided By Loma Linda University / Loma Linda-PR

LLUCH patient Jennifer Nguyen, 5, from Moreno Valley, was just one child who was excited to meet and talk with Brown. When Brown came into the room, Nguyen insisted on getting up out of bed, and couldn’t stop smiling as Brown talked with her about what made her happy. They ended the visit with a hug.

Brown’s visit was made possible by Inland Empire-based country radio station K-FROG 95.1 FM, which has a long-standing relationship with the hospital.

LLUCH Foundation representative, Tiffany Hoekstra, said she was grateful to K-FROG and Brown for making the day for patients and their families.

Kenny Chesney Announces New Album, Songs for the Saints, Set For Release July 27

In every artist’s career, certain albums stand out as a significant piece of their soul. For Kenny Chesney, Songs for the Saints is that album. Co-produced with Buddy Cannon, the 12 tracks mark a deep dive into “the places that save you.”

“So much has happened since I went off the road in 2016,” Chesney explains. “And all of it, in one way or another, has ended up on this record. It’s special to me because of what it says – to me, and for me – about life, the world around us, how fragile it all can be and about somehow still finding the best parts of you, and moving towards them.”

Due July 27, Songs for the Saints marks the 8-time Entertainer of the Year’s first album on Blue Chair/Warner Bros. Nashville. In many ways, this new home for his work mirrors the things that inspired this album.

“Leaving a place where I’d spent my whole career was both scary and exciting,” Chesney concedes. “There’s that rush of not knowing anything about how this company works, and digging in. But there’s also a special thrill of being around people who truly understand what you’re doing and who are excited to be part of this music. It’s inspiring in all new ways when you have people match your own passion for the music.”

Recorded over the last several months, Chesney had a notion about what his record was going to be long before it galvanized into Songs for the Saints. “I was at a turning point in my life on so many levels, and then Hurricane Irma hit the Virgin Islands.”

“But this album isn’t about St. John, so much as it’s about what happened to St. John and all those islands you didn’t see on the news,” continues the man called “The People’s Superstar” by The Los Angeles Times. “To just see the devastation and what that does to people is one thing, but then there’s this courage and resilience people find…”

“This is not a literal record,” he cautions, “but it is an album about the refuges we all have, how temporary life is and the way we navigate to better places, dig in and face the destruction. And sometimes, we learn to own our wild hearts in the process.”

Beyond the euphoric “Get Along,” the banjo and people-positive message tempo track hovering outside the Top 10, Chesney wrote or co-write five tracks. As with any release from the East Tennessee songwriter/superstar, there are songwriters getting their first cuts, surprise collaborations, an obscure jewel and the emotional fabric that makes the No Shoes Nation a place rich with heart, tenacity and the will to embrace life on its terms.

“I feel like I know what this album’s supposed to be, and I know how much it means to me,” he says. “I wanted to get it just right, before we set a release date… and I think we’ve got it. I’m just glad we’ll have it out in time for me to play some of these songs this summer before the Trip Around the Sun Tour is over.”

Michael Ray Shares Poignant New Music Video for Hit Single “Get To You”

Country star Michael Ray recently announced his forthcoming sophomore album, Amos, named after his late-grandfather. Ray grew up watching his grandfather play in the family band and attributes his passion for music to him sharing that he wouldn’t be the man or musician he is today without Amos’ influence.

From the new album, Ray brings fans the emotional music video for his current Top-20 single, “Get To You.” Taste of Country calls it a “uniquely tender and honest” ballad while Rolling Stone applauds its “impassioned chorus” and praises Ray for his impressive vocal range.

“‘Get To You’ is such a special song not only because it’s the first single off of Amos, but also because I feel that it’s something everyone can relate to on some level. I feel like we’ve all been on at least one side of this storyline (‘Why do you run away from love, what the hell are you so scared of/I’m trying, I’m trying to get to you’). In my case, I’ve been on both sides,” Ray reflects. “I want fans to hear this song and be reminded that we’re all human–we all go through these emotions. It’s part of growing, and this song serves to remind fans they’re not alone.”

Fans who pre-order Amos will receive both “Get To You” and “Fan Girl,” which Rolling Stone describes as a “pop-heavy heap of electronics, guitars, R&B grooves and synthesizers.” The song is the second of five tracks that will be available to those who pre-order the new album. The video for “Fan Girl,” a musical tribute to Ray’s fans and those who support live much, premiered on April 23 with Rolling Stone.

Amos promises to be Ray’s most personal album to date with 11 tracks that take listeners on a sonic journey filled with highs and lows, from the nostalgic “Summer Water” about growing up on the water in Florida to the heartbreaking ballad “Her World Or Mine.”

For more information, visit MichaelRayMusic.com.