Chase Rice Tops Charts For Second Consecutive Week with “Eyes On You”

With Gold-certified hit “Eyes On You” earning the top spot at Country radio for the second consecutive week on both the Mediabase and Billboard charts, multi-Platinum entertainer Chase Rice celebrates the result of years of hard work that have triumphantly culminated in his first No. 1 hit as an artist.

“From the moment we wrote ‘Eyes On You’ we felt how special it was, and then that was confirmed when we saw how strongly the fans reacted to it right away,” reflects Rice. “My career has certainly had its ups and downs, but we knew we were putting the work in to set ourselves up for something even bigger. To have it all pay off in this way makes me so grateful that I get to make music I’m proud of every day and makes me hungry to keep pushing for more. Thank you to every single person from the fans at our shows to the people playing our music on the radio for making this crazy dream of mine come true.”

Written by Rice alongside frequent collaborators Ashley Gorley and Chris DeStefano, the singalong chorus of “Eyes On You” tells the story of a man so enamored by a woman that the world’s most beautiful settings pale in comparison.

In addition to instantly becoming a fan-favorite at live shows and a viral sensation – streamed more than 50 million times and hitting Spotify’s U.S. Viral 50 Chart before it was even announced as a single, then landing on Rolling Stone’s “10 Best Country and Americana Songs of the Week” upon its release – “Eyes On You” has now been streamed more than 130 million times and has also earned critical praise as evidence that Rice’s unique journey and hard work thus far is paying off.

After a scorching start to his career as a songwriter on Florida Georgia Line’s Diamond-certified No. 1 crossover hit “Cruise” in 2012, Rice quickly climbed the charts on his own with both debut single “Ready Set Roll” and follow-up “Gonna Wanna Tonight” hitting the Top 5 and earning Platinum certifications.

“When you start out that hot, you sometimes miss opportunities to have deeper relationships with people. And that’s what we’ve fixed,” Rice recently shared with Taste of Country.

In the period defined by a lack of radio airplay which followed that initial wave of success, Rice focused on rebuilding from the ground up. As the Tennessean described, “he switched record labels, fought his way back to country radio relevance and [nabbed] his first No. 1 hit with ‘Eyes On You.’”

He also focused on engaging with his passionate fans at live shows, continuously growing his audience and selling out shows across the country before returning to the airwaves with new music. The resulting two-week No. 1 has shown that his strategy paid off, with Sounds Like Nashville describing “Eyes On You” as “a testament to his growth in the genre [which] shows promise of all that he has left to do.”

“‘Eyes On You,’” Billboard proclaims, “has proven his instincts were right.”

For more information and upcoming tour dates, visit www.chaserice.com. Follow on Twitter and Facebook and on Instagram.

CMR Exclusive: Timmy Dunn Releases Debut Music Video with “In A Hurry”

Singer/Songwriter Timmy Dunn has been making a solid impact on the country music scene. His songwriting skills are impressive and he is one of BMI’s songwriters and a member of the Nashville Songwriter’s Association International, two elite organizations in Music City. Dunn recently opened for country supergroup Rascal Flatts, and continues to make his way across the U.S. introducing himself and his new music to country fans.

Currently, Timmy Dunn is promoting his latest single, “In A Hurry,” and filmed his very first music video for the new song!

“With all that we have been blessed with, this was actually my first ever music video” Dunn exclusively shares with us. “Filming was such a great experience, and I can’t wait to show everyone what we have been working on.”

CountryMusicRocks is excited to exclusively premiere Timmy Dunn’s debut music video for his brand new single, “In A Hurry.” Check it out here, or watch below.

Get to know Timmy Dunn by visiting his Official Website, and following him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

King Calaway Experienced Massive Moment Opening For Garth Brooks

Emerging Nashville-based band KING CALAWAY made their stadium debut this past Friday (May 3) as they performed as the opening act for Garth Brooks at his U.S. Bank Stadium show in Minneapolis, MN. The momentous occasion became even more memorable as Garth himself introduced the band as the opening act, marking the first time the icon has done that in his extensive career.

Hyping the group to the sold out crowd, Garth praised “I don’t think I’ve ever done this in my career, but I’ve watched these next six guys rent a hall that they couldn’t afford back in Nashville and practice, every day for four days straight, just for this show tonight. These guys are brand new and if I was them I would be scared out of my wits right now, but I know they’re getting ready to play for the greatest country music fans that we have on the this planet. You guys have given me some of the best nights of my life – what I’m asking you – let’s make this the best night of their lives. Ladies and Gentlemen, King Calaway!”

For King Calaway the experience was a once in a lifetime moment that will last a lifetime. “We were all walking out of the tunnel and all of the sudden Garth said ‘I need a hot mic’ and we all kind of stood there not sure what was happening. Was he going to sing with us? And then out of nowhere he started introducing us and I think all of our jaws dropped—Jordan even started tearing up. We’ve never seen Garth do that before. We’re still in shock,” said drummer Chris Deaton
 

Eric Church Tops Pollstar’s Concert Chart With His “Double Down Tour”

With sold-out weekends of back-to-back shows the norm thus far on the critically-acclaimed Double Down Tour, multi-Platinum superstar Eric Church lands at the top of both Pollstar’s LIVE75 and Global Concert Pulse Charts this week.

According to Pollstar’s data, “Eric Church makes his stand at No. 1 [on the LIVE75 chart] with a ticket sales average of 13,987 from two-night engagements at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wis. on March 29-30, American Airlines Center in Dallas on April 12-13 and Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse (formerly Quicken Loans Arena) the following weekend.” This marks the second consecutive week Church has led the LIVE75.

On both charts, Church sits ahead of blockbuster tours by artists including Billy Joel, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Justin Timberlake, Metallica, Michael Bublé, Bob Seger, Cher and KISS, among others – all of which boast higher average ticket prices than the Double Down Tour. Church also stands as the only Country artist in the Top 15 of the Global Concert Pulse chart.

The loyal ticket-buying Church Choir fans aren’t the only ones loving the Double Down Tour concept boasting back-to-back nights in each city sans-opening act; critics have also praised Church at each stop for the success of unique approach. With newly-added fall dates, the booming success of the tour is poised to continue through the rest of the year.

“…playing three-hour sets with no opener and changing up his setlist from night to night…he’s raising the bar even further” — Rolling Stone
 
“Not only is he one of the most electric artists in all of music, but one worthy of a title such as ‘Entertainer of the Year.’” — People

“one of country’s most bankable stars… Church roamed the stage with his guitar slung across his back like some kind of country music warrior seeking someone to slay with his songs.” — Omaha World-Herald

“Church took the stage like a poker player who just filled an inside straight: oozing confidence.” — St. Louis Dispatch

 “… the two-set, three-plus-hour show at TD Garden proved that this was a smart move, showing off the depth of Church’s catalog and the breadth of his band’s ability while also letting devotees appreciate the deeper cuts.” — The Boston Globe 

 “… unusual tour that seems to be bringing out the best in him.” — Twin Cities Pioneer

“Sweating, shouting, dancing and smiling until each fan leaves the room exhausted just from following his lead…It’s a show where paying tribute to Merle Haggard in the first set and Queen in the second set feels natural.” — Forbes

“Church has the stage presence of many huge country arena acts… but the attitude and demeanor of an ’80s rock star. As for his status on the country music spectrum, Church sits rightly on his own.” — CincyMusic

Remaining Double Down Tour Dates:
May 10 & 11               Denver, Colo. || Pepsi Center
May 17 & 18               Los Angeles, Calif. || STAPLES Center
May 25                        Nashville, Tenn. || Nissan Stadium
June 28 & 29               George, Wash. || The Gorge Amphitheatre
Sept. 13 & 14              Green Bay, Wis. || Resch Center
Sept. 20 & 21              Calgary, Alberta || Scotiabank Saddledome
Sept. 28                       San Francisco, Calif. || Chase Center
Oct. 4 & 5                   Grand Rapids, Mich. || Van Andel Arena
Oct. 11 & 12               Philadelphia, Pa. || Wells Fargo Center
Oct. 25                        Little Rock, Ark. || Verizon Arena
Oct. 26                        Birmingham, Ala. || BJCC Arena
Nov. 1                         Manchester, N.H. || SNHU Arena
Nov. 2                         Hartford, Conn. || XL Center
Nov. 15 & 16              Washington, D.C. || The Anthem 
Nov. 22 & 23              Sacramento, Calif. || Golden 1 Center

For more information visit www.ericchurch.com, download the new Eric Church app and follow on Facebook and Twitter and on Instagram.

Nominees Revealed For The 2019 CMT Music Awards

CMT today announced the nominations for the “2019 CMT Music Awards,” airing LIVE on Wednesday, June 5 at 8:00pm ET / 7:00pm CT. Nashville’s biggest party returns to kick off the summer with a grand celebration recognizing the most beloved names in country music. Each winner is selected by the fans, with voting open now at vote.cmt.com.

Continuing the “CMT Music Awards” tradition of embracing blended-genre collaborations among all musical formats, this year’s nominations feature a wide range of talent, from rising stars to music legends, spanning the worlds of pop, soul and R&B.

Superstars Brothers Osborne, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert and Zac Brown Band will compete for the most accolades of the evening, each with 3 nominations. Other artists with more than one nomination include Brandi Carlile, Carrie Underwood, Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean, Julia Michaels, Kacey Musgraves, Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sugarland, and Taylor Swift.

With first-time nominations, R&B legends Boyz II Men and soul singer Leon Bridges will compete for Performance of the Year. Other artists with first-time nominations this year include “Empress of Soul” Gladys Knight and pop sensation Shawn Mendes, along with Ashley McBryde, Brandi Carlile, Jimmie Allen, Jordan Davis, Julia Michaels, Mitchell Tenpenny, Morgan Wallen, Runaway June and Tenille Towns.

This year, 14 acts are in the running for the highly coveted “Video of the Year” award, including Carrie Underwood, who reigns as the most awarded artist in CMT Music Awards history with 18 wins. The top five “Video of the Year” nominees will be announced the morning of the show, and fans will be able to vote all day and throughout the show on Twitter to determine the winner.

Fan voting begins today at vote.cmt.com and continues until 11:59pm ET on Tuesday, June 4. 

The nominees for the 2019 CMT MUSIC AWARDS are:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Carrie Underwood– “Cry Pretty”
Chris Janson– “Drunk Girl”
Cole Swindell– “Break Up in the End”
Dan + Shay– “Speechless”
Dierks Bentley feat. Brothers Osborne– “Burning Man”
Eric Church– “Desperate Man”
Florida Georgia Line– “Simple”
Kacey Musgraves– “Rainbow”
Kane Brown– “Good as You”
Keith Urban feat. Julia Michaels– “Coming Home”
Kelsea Ballerini– “Miss Me More”
Luke Combs– “She Got the Best of Me”
Maren Morris– “GIRL”
Zac Brown Band –“Someone I Used To Know”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Cole Swindell– “Break Up in the End”
Eric Church– “Desperate Man”
Jason Aldean feat. Miranda Lambert –“Drowns The Whiskey”
Kane Brown– “Lose It”
Kenny Chesney– “Get Along”
Luke Bryan– “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”
Thomas Rhett– “Life Changes”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Brandi Carlile– “The Joke”
Carly Pearce– “Closer To You”
Carrie Underwood– “Love Wins”
Kacey Musgraves– “Space Cowboy”
Kelsea Ballerini– “Miss Me More”
Maren Morris– “GIRL”
Miranda Lambert– “Keeper of the Flame”

DUO VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Brothers Osborne– “I Don’t Remember Me (Before You)”
Dan + Shay– “Speechless”
Florida Georgia Line– “Simple”
LOCASH – “Feels Like A Party”
Maddie & Tae– “Friends Don’t”
Sugarland feat. Taylor Swift– “Babe”

GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Eli Young Band– “Love Ain’t”
LANCO– “Born to Love You”
Little Big Town– “Summer Fever”
Midland – “Burn Out”
Old Dominion– “Hotel Key”
Zac Brown Band– “Someone I Used To Know”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Ashley McBryde– “Girl Goin’ Nowhere (At Marathon Music Works)”
Jimmie Allen– “Best Shot”
Jordan Davis– “Take It From Me”
Mitchell Tenpenny– “Drunk Me”
Morgan Wallen– “Whiskey Glasses”
Runaway June– “Buy My Own Drinks”
Tenille Townes– “Somebody’s Daughter”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Brantley Gilbert and Lindsay Ell– “What Happens In A Small Town”
Darius Rucker feat. Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Charles Kelley – “Straight To Hell”
Dierks Bentley feat. Brothers Osborne– “Burning Man”
Jason Aldean feat. Miranda Lambert– “Drowns The Whiskey”
Keith Urban feat. Julia Michaels– “Coming Home”
Sugarland feat. Taylor Swift– “Babe”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Boyz II Men and Brett Young – “Motownphilly (From CMT Crossroads)”
Luke Combs and Leon Bridges – “Beautiful Crazy (From CMT Crossroads)”
Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile – “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman (From 2018 CMT Artists of the Year)”
Brett Eldredge and Meghan Trainor – “Let You Be Right (From CMT Crossroads)”
Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman and Gladys Knight – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and “Help Me Make It Through the Night” (From 2018 CMT Artists of the Year)
Zac Brown Band and Shawn Mendes – “Keep Me In Mind (From CMT Crossroads)”