Luke Combs Debut Album ‘This One’s For You’ Makes Significant Impact on the Billboard Charts

River House Artists/Columbia Nashville’s breakthrough singer/songwriter Luke Combs firmly makes his mark on the music landscape this week with the monumental release of his debut album This One’s For You, opening at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart and No. 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart with 43,000 total activity in sales & consumption.

Released last Friday June 2, This One’s For You is the largest album debut from a new country artist in 2017. Combs alongside all-genre superstars Halsey, Kendrick Lamar, Drake and the Epic AF icon-packed lineup rounds out the Top 5 albums on Billboard Top 200 this week.

Upon learning the No. 1 news on Sunday, Combs said “I’m blown away at the response to This One’s For You. As a songwriter and artist, there is nothing more rewarding or humbling than to have your songs embraced by fans. I’m grateful for all the folks who have shown up to shows over the years, told their friends about these songs and been a part of the path to get here.”

True to form as the artist who “earned his newfound success by tirelessly delivering the goods on the road” (Rolling Stone), Combs set out for release week of This One’s For You to celebrate the long-awaited album and was met with capacity crowds at every stop. After previewing his album for fans the week before release on his sold out pop-up tour, Combs officially kicked off Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival as the first performance in the This Tent (6/8) drawing a rowdy crowd of over 4,000 fans. From Manchester, Tenn., Combs hit Carolina Country Music Fest performing for 6,000+ before returning to Nashville, Tenn. for CMA Music Fest where over 15,000 fans joined for Combs’ performances at the Radio Disney Stage, Chevy Riverfront Stage and HGTV Lodge.

Last month, Combs made Country radio history when his PLATINUM-certified debut single “Hurricane” held the No. 1 spot on both Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase charts for two consecutive weeks – making Combs the first debut country artist to earn a multi-week No. 1 since Florida Georgia Line with “Cruise.” On Monday, Combs debuted the smash on NBC’s TODAY and revealed his new single “When It Rains It Pours” which is now hitting radio airwaves.

Critical praise for the album continues as American Songwriter remarks This One’s For You “shows the North Carolina native worthy of comparison to Eric Church and Chris Stapleton” and NPR Music says Combs “[demonstrates] current pop fluency and a connection with the sturdy contributions of previous generations of country performers.”

Forecast as a 2017 “artist to watch” by Billboard, Pandora, CMT, Rolling Stone, Huffington Post and more, Combs stormed onto the Country music scene as a force to be reckoned with this year. With three self-released EPs under his belt and sold-out touring dates, Combs road to Nashville was paved show by show and fan by fan as the “road warrior” (CMT) built a rabid, groundswell through touring and independently releasing his music to fans.  

For more on Luke Combs visit, LukeCombs.com.

Russell Dickerson To Perform On ABC’s The Bachelorette June 19

Singer/Songwriter, Russell Dickerson, is a proud participant in an upcoming episode of ABC’s The Bachelorette. The episode will feature a special performance by Dickerson for the newest Bachelorette, Rachel Lindsay. This episode of The Bachelorette, currently celebrating its 13th season, is scheduled to air Monday, June 19, 2017, at 8/7c p.m., on ABC. 

Dickerson will perform his hit love song and current single, “Yours,” from his forthcoming album, that depicts a once-lost soul that found light with his significant other as he sets the romantic tone for Lindsay’s date during a private concert for the couple in Hilton Head, S.C. 

“Yours,” available now, has been deemed wedding song of the year by SiriusXM and TheKnot.com. The music video for “Yours,” that has gained millions of views and is shot and directed by his wife, features a black & white scene of Dickerson walking in the rain singing to the recipient of the song. Co-written by Dickerson himself, he will share his love story with The Bachelorette viewers via lyrics such as: The worst me is just a long-gone memory/You put a new heartbeat inside of me/You make me better than I was before/Thank God I’m yours

Rachel Lindsay, a fan favorite on Nick Viall’s season of ABC’s hit romance reality series The Bachelor, is continuing her journey to find Mr. Right and assume the rose-giving duties as The Bachelorette. The 32-year-old attorney from Dallas, Texas has gone through trials and tribulations of falling in love in the past, but now it will be her turn to “investigate” a group of wonderful men and find her soul mate. Winning in court has never been a problem, but finding that great love is a case that unfortunately remains open. Follow Rachel’s journey to find “the one” on the hit romance reality series The Bachelorette, Mondays (8:00-10:00 p.m., ET/PT) on ABC. 

Kacey Musgraves Set To Join Pop Superstar Harry Styles on 2018 World Tour

Grammy-award winning artist Kacey Musgraves announced that she will be joining global entertainer Harry Styles on tour as direct support starting next Summer.

“We are gonna light up the road next summer and I couldn’t be more excited! It will be a unique and fun blend of two ‘styles’ coming together,” said Musgraves.

Earlier today Harry Styles announced the addition of 56 new show dates in 2018 to his sold-out world tour. The new dates will be supported by directly by Musgraves in the U.S. and Canada, including stops at Madison Square Garden in New York, The Forum in Los Angeles, and Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. All tickets go on sale on Friday, June 16 via local ticket agents. Visit www.kaceymusgraves.com for more information.

Darius Rucker Notches Eighth No. 1 Single with “If I Told You”

As Darius Rucker scores yet another No. 1 at Country radio with “If I Told You,” the first single from his forthcoming fifth studio album on Capitol Records Nashville, he looks back on a banner week.

 “If I Told You” is the eighth No. 1 single for Rucker since his debut in country music in 2008 and comes just a week after another milestone moment for the three-time GRAMMY Award winner, who reached the $1.2 million mark with his yearly kickoff to CMA Fest, the “Darius and Friends” concert and golf tournament to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. Friends including Brooks & Dunn, Luke Combs, Dan + Shay, John Oates of legendary pop duo Hall & Oates were among those who helped the event reach its record-breaking achievement.

On Wednesday morning Rucker visited TODAY’s Kathie Lee and Hoda at Honky Tonk Central in Nashville, presenting two worthy recipients of new homes through his partnership with Ply Gem and Habitat for Humanity’s Home Builders Blitz and serenading the crowd with a performance of “If I Told You.”

“If I Told You” marks Rucker’s first collaboration with producer Ross Copperman. The song was written with Copperman’s co-writers Jon Nite and Shane McAnally.

“I love this time in country music,” Rucker said. “It’s so wide in range and to have this song — a ballad and one I’ve loved and related to since first hearing the worktape — is pretty incredible.”

On Wednesday evening the CMT Performance of the Year nominated star helped kick off the awards show as he joined Jason Aldean and Charles Kelley for a rendition of “Midnight Rider” in tribute to Gregg Allman, as well as reprising his role as CMT president for the second year in a skit airing at the top of the show. Acting as CMT president follows a long list of acting accolades Rucker has collected this year, including playing Johnny Bragg, lead singer of the Prisonaires on CMT’s Sun Records and a career criminal on Hawaii Five-0.

Rucker closed out 2017’s CMA Music Fest with performances dedicated to the fans that make the week so special, performing at the HGTV Lodge on Sunday morning and Nissan Stadium Sunday evening. In celebration of the imminent No. 1 status of the first offering of his fall 2017 album, Rucker welcomed Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild for a compelling duet of “If I Told You,” expressing to the crowd, “Thank you for believing in this song!” The emotional rendition had the crowd on their feet and in tears as Rucker and Fairchild crooned “I’ll love you anyway” to each other from either side of the stadium stage.

Rucker’s as-yet-untitled fifth Capitol Records Nashville album will be released later this year with Copperman at the helm. It will be yet another signature moment in the multi-platinum career of one of music’s most beloved figures. Rucker has never been busier while working on his new album with a slate of television appearances this spring and summer that show just how popular he is, including his own CMT Crossroads episode with John Mellencamp. He also appeared in Adam Sandler’s Netflix original, Sandy Wexler, and his own episode of Celebrity Undercover Boss on CBS.

For more information about new music, appearances and tour dates, please visit www.dariusrucker.com.

2017 CMA Music Festival Draws Capacity Crowds with Highest Fan Engagement In Its History

The 46th year of CMA Music Festival, the Music Event of Summer, drew sold-out crowds to the Nightly Concerts at Nissan Stadium, capacity crowds at Chevrolet Riverfront Stage and the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater, and largest fan engagement by Country Music fans in the event’s history from visitors from all 50 states and at least 18 international countries.

The excitement in downtown Nashville includes 11 stages, seven of which are free of charge to the public, and offers 167 hours of music from 350 plus artists and over 1,100 musicians.

The Cracker Barrel Country Roads stage at Ascend Amphitheater, headlined by Big & Rich, Sara Evans, Hunter Hayes, and Dan + Shay, as well as the daytime Chevrolet Riverfront Stage, hit capacity numbers repeatedly over the course of the four-day event. Halfway through Old Dominion’s CMA Fest kick-off set Thursday morning in Riverfront Park, entry was briefly halted due to the volume of excited fans pouring in. Gates re-opened after each postponement.

On Wednesday night prior to CMA Music Festival’s official kick-off, CMA partnered with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum to host a surprise Jason Aldean concert replete with fireworks at the Chevrolet Park Stage in honor of his Asphalt Cowboy featured exhibit.

In a thrilling and emotional surprise appearance, 2016 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Randy Travis joined Michael Ray Thursday on the Chevrolet Riverfront Stage for a moving performance of his CMA Award-winning No. 1 smash “Forever & Ever, Amen.”

In another stunning surprise, reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year Garth Brooks brought the packed house at Nissan Stadium to a roar with a medley of his classics, including “Friends in Low Places” and “The Thunder Rolls,” as well as his newest single “Ask Me How I Know.” This marks Brooks’ first CMA Fest appearance in nearly 20 years.

XFINITY Fan Fair X at the expansive 350,000 square foot Music City Center launched each day with Artists of the Day that included Hunter Hayes, Martina McBride, and Jake Owen. Saturday’s Artists of the Day Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood drew an unprecedented crowd to the CMA Close Up Stage with CMA Awards Executive Producer Robert Deaton to share the behind-the-scenes process of prepping for Country Music’s Biggest Night™. The superstars then revealed they’ll be returning to host for the 10th consecutive year at this year’s “The 51st CMA Awards” live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena Wednesday, Nov. 8. The three-hour telecast begins at 8:00 PM/ET on the ABC Television Network.  

The panel was livestreamed and can be viewed on Billboard.com. Fans have flocked online to view the livestream as well as a highlights video of Brad and Carrie’s most memorable hosting moments that debuted during the discussion panel. The pair of videos has already been viewed nearly one million times across the internet and social platforms after just two days.

The Budweiser “Forever Country” Park Stage was a hit with fans of all ages as timeless Country stars such as Tracy Lawrence, Little Texas, Restless Heart, Daryl Worley, and others carried the crowd with countless hits as they enjoyed games and activities like cornhole presented by Budweiser, and rocking chairs provided by Cracker Barrel.

“This is definitely one for the record books,” said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. “This year’s Festival was marked with memorable moments and one-of-a-kind experiences. We’re happy how fans embraced not only our new stages, but also the city during an exciting historic Stanley Cup run for the Nashville Predators.”

CMA Music Fest fan engagement across the board was at an all-time high. The official free CMA Music Festival app was accessed throughout the four-day event by over 48,000 users besting the previous year by 25 percent. The average time spent per visit on the app was up over 41 percent. CMA Fan Access users were up 62 percent and CMA Fan Access engagements were up over 183 percent. The volume of social posts from Twitter and Instagram, powered by Sprinklr, were featured on the screens at six different stages, including Nissan Stadium, which saw an increase of 116 percent in social interactions.

This year, CMA implemented Budweiser FastBar at the Festival. Attendees clamored for the RFID wristband which offers easy access to purchase beverages across the downtown footprint by registering a method of payment and Driver’s License, and scanning in at various purchase points, eliminating having to present cash or a credit card every time. As a result, total beer sales increased by 126 percent.

The newly created VIP Nash Pass was also in high demand. All 1,500 $50 passes, which offered early access to the Ascend Amphitheater performances, sold out before the start of the Festival. Nash Pass also included admission to XFINITY Fan Fair X, as well as tours of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and Ryman Auditorium during the Festival.

Corporate brand and marketing partnerships are a key element to the fan experience, and support the Festival. This year, there were 84 partner activations, up 68 percent from 2016. Digital partner collaborations included Amazon Music, Billboard, Facebook, Pandora, and Vevo, and were complimented by marketing and media efforts by ABC, The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Cumulus, Escape Game, Grand Ole Opry, HGTV, iHeart, JACK FM 96.3, Jesus Calling, Mix 92.9, NASH, NASH Icon, PBR, PEOPLE, Radio Disney, RFD-TV, Sirius XM, WKRN, World Market, WSIX, and Yelp to enhance the overall Festival experience and exposure.

“The quality of digital and marketing partnerships this year, combined with the heightened fan engagement, speaks to the relevance and reach of Country Music,” said Damon Whiteside, CMA Chief Marketing Officer.

Key attendee statistics:

  • The percentage of returning attendees held steady at 48 percent. Among four-day passholders, the returning attendee level is even higher at 51 percent returning for 2017
  • Gen X and Millennials now make up the biggest base of Festival fans with equal shares of attendees from both of these coveted fan demos
  • Millennials, attendees ages 18-34, delivered a key segment for new attendees with a share of 57 percent attending for the first time compared to 52 percent across all age ranges

Preliminary attendee stats for this year’s Festival are based on attendee registration data via CMA Fest Fan Access.

“CMA Music Festival continues to attract a loyal and engaged audience that is evolving both demographically and in breadth of interest across all types of Country Music,” said Karen Stump, CMA Senior Director of Market Research. “It’s our fan base that is key to supporting the success stories from this year’s event.”

2017 CMA Music Festival merchandise sales of items such as tees, tanks, hats, accessories, and youth items are up over 2016, and e-commerce pre-orders are up over 400 percent. Official CMA Music Festival merchandise is still available here while quantities last. Fans can also purchase the special edition event tee that was previously only available onsite at the Festival.

CMA Music Festival directly benefits music education programs across the country, as every artist at the Festival donates their time, performing for free. The result of that generosity is that Festival proceeds support in- and after-school programs touching the lives of 1 million students nationwide through the work of the CMA Foundation.

Artists Kelsea Ballerini, Brooks, Evans, Scotty McCreery, and more demonstrated their commitment to music education across the event.

Brooks popped up at the HGTV Lodge with Trisha Yearwood to announce the cable network’s donation to the CMA Foundation and meet local CMA Music Teachers of Excellence Thursday afternoon prior to his surprise Nissan Stadium performance.

On Saturday, McCreery’s fan club presented the CMA Foundation with a donation on the singer’s behalf. McCreery in turn received the limited-edition CMA ADVOCATE key from The Giving Keys. The ADVOCATE key launched exclusively inside XFINITY Fan Fair X and is available for purchase now on The Giving Keys website. A portion of all sales benefits the CMA Foundation. Other artists presented the ADVOCATE key include Little Big Town and Thomas Rhett.

Bobcat Company, the choral group from Ballerini’s alma mater (Central High School in Knoxville, Tenn.), performed the national anthem at Saturday’s Nightly Concert at Nissan Stadium. Earlier in the day, the “CMA Fest” host surprised students during their rehearsal time.

Evans and ONEHOPE Wine, which creates award-winning wine that empowers people to do more good in the world with everyday actions, joined forces to develop the ONEHOPE Sara Evans Signature Series 2014 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, which was available at the ONEHOPE booth inside XFINITY Fan Fair X. Evans debuted the wine during a pre-Fest event Wednesday. Every purchase of the limited-edition bottle will benefit the CMA Foundation.

Also in XFINITY Fan Fair X was the CMA Foundation Celebrity auction. Fans bid on memorabilia and autographed items including CMA Awards posters and program books, CMA Fest commemorative drum heads, and more, raising nearly $50,000.

Fans also got in on the action by participating in the Cracker Barrel Rock-a-Thon, which saw 644 signature Cracker Barrel rocking chairs throughout the Festival (in honor of the number of Cracker Barrel restaurants nationwide), challenging fans to reach 150,000 rocks. They rose to the occasion and in return, Cracker Barrel donated $15,000 to the Foundation. Hayes presented the check to the CMA Foundation on behalf of Cracker Barrel prior to his Saturday night set on the Cracker Barrel Country Roads Stage.

National and international media alike flocked to Music City to cover CMA Music Festival. The event drew approximately 650 domestic media representing 233 outlets, including ABC’s annual Robin Roberts CMA Awards Week Special, Billboard, BuzzFeed, E!, “Extra!,” “Good Morning America,” NBC Sports Network, The NHL Network, PEOPLE, Rolling Stone, and NPR, to name a few.

Sixty-three media representatives from 32 international outlets, such as BBC Radio 2, UK; ZDF, Germany; RTL, France; MBS, Canada; and DPA, Germany, with coverage in the following 20 countries, also descended on Nashville: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Luxembourg, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K. 

BBC Radio 2, with over 15 million listeners, will broadcast four one-hour specials in October as a lead into the 2017 CMA Awards.

The previously-announced three-hour ABC Television Network special, “CMA Fest,” co-hosted by Thomas Rhett and Ballerini, airs Wednesday, Aug. 16 at 8:00 PM/ET. The special debuted in 2004 and is helmed by Deaton.

Tickets for the 2018 CMA Music Festival, which is Thursday, June 7 through Sunday, June 10, go on pre-sale Monday, June 19. The national on-sale date is Tuesday, June 27. Order tickets online or call the CMA Box Office at 1-800-CMA-FEST (1-800-262-3378).

For CMA Fest news and information, stay connected on CMAfest.com.