January 5, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCKelsea Ballerini is welcoming 2021 with a “healthy” mindset.

“My word of 2021 is ‘healthy’,” tweeted the singer. “I want to nurture and focus on my physical, mental, and emotional health that all took a bit of a backseat last year (anyone else?).”  She shares the sentiment alongside a photo of herself staring off into a blue sky. 

The “Peter Pan” singer elaborates that going into the year with a defining word is motivational, and keeps life in perspective.

“Having a word for the year helps me stay focused and keeps my intentions set while I try to live a full life, stay creative, and be productive,” she says. 

Kelsea’s single “Hole in the Bottle” is climbing the country charts and currently sits in the top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. 

my word of 2021 is ‘healthy’. I want to nurture and focus on my physical, mental, and emotional health that all took a bit of a backseat last year (anyone else?). pic.twitter.com/MgudHX4tjt

— Kelsea Ballerini (@KelseaBallerini) January 5, 2021

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 5, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCIngrid Andress hit the floor — literally — when she found out about her Grammy nominations.

During a virtual visit to The Late Late Show with James Corden Monday night, the chart-topping singer shared that she was alone in her apartment watering her plants when she learned the news of her three Grammy nods, and promptly went into freak-out mode.  

“I basically fell to the ground like a crazy person. I’m surprised I didn’t have one of those ‘help, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up’ monitors because that was me for sure,” Ingrid quipped. “I could not get off the ground after I found out. It was pretty shocking to me.” 

In addition to being nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Album for “More Hearts Than Mine” and Lady Like, respectively, Ingrid is also up for the coveted all-genre Best New Artist.

The Grammy Awards air on January 31 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 5, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Big Machine Label Group Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard pledge unity and faith in their upcoming song, “Undivided.”  

Over the past few days, Tim has been teasing on Instagram that he and the Florida Georgia Linemember have a collaboration in the works, with their new song, “Undivided,” set for release on January 13.

Described in a statement as an “upbeat and heartfelt collaboration,” the track was born out of Tyler’s experience quarantining on his tour bus after testing positive for COVID-19, leading to two weeks of isolation and reflection. 

Co-written by Tyler and Chris Loocke, “Undivided’s” lyrics cut through divisiveness to call for unity, professing that the power to bring about change lies in our hands.

“I think it’s time to come together/You and I can make a change/Maybe we can make a difference/Make the world a better place,” the pair sing.  

“I loved the positivity of this song and that it called me to check myself and to remember that love is bigger. It’s why I knew this song had to be my next single with Tyler as soon as he sent it to me,” Tim says. 

“I knew immediately when I finished it, I had to text it to Tim. He has a way of communicating with the world that is unique in music,” Tyler adds. “For him to want to perform with me was an amazing feeling. The song is about coming together, and that’s exactly what we did.”

“Undivided” will be featured on the deluxe edition of Tim’s Here on Earth album, scheduled for release in the spring.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 5, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCCrew Nation, which works to provide aid and funding to road crew members affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, has launched the One for the Roadies (Part 2) auction in partnership with Yeti that sees artists from across genres customizing and autographing the new Roadie 24 Cooler for fans to bid on. 

Scotty McCreery is among the artists.  He worked with his wife Gabi to paint a picture of their dog Moose overlooking the ocean on the side of the cooler, which is filled with Scotty merchandise. 

Cam‘s personalized cooler honors her latest album, The Otherside, with sketch drawings of a redwood tree. She filled the cooler with swag including two autographed vinyl albums, T-shirts and more. 

Little Big Town opted for a galactic approach for their cooler, signed by Phillip Sweet, which boasts an image of the moon and a shooting star, while Midland‘s pool-themed cooler displays multi-colored billiard balls.  

Tanya Tucker, Martina McBride, Wynonna, Brandi Carlile and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes are also participating in the auction, which ends January 12 at 11 a.m. ET.    

All of the proceeds go to the Crew Nation Global Relief Fund for Live Music Crews.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 5, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Big Loud Records/Republic RecordsMorgan Wallen is taking matters into his own hands after Walmart made his new album available ahead of its scheduled release. 

After some fans posted on Twitter that they’d managed to get their hands on physical copies of Morgan’s Dangerous: The Double Album at Walmart days ahead of its Friday release, the singer turned to Instagram to set the record straight. 

“Hey y’all, it’s been brought to my attention that some of my music, well my album, has leaked at some Walmarts around the country. I don’t know how that’s possible, but it has, also that some of y’all are posting and trying to spread the new music, which I’m super thankful for. I’m glad you’re eager to do that,” Morgan shares in a video.

“But man I’ve been working on this album for three years. I’ll be damned if I’m going to let Walmart do the leaking like that,” Morgan adds, encouraging fans to keep up to date with him on social media and to purchase the album through Target instead, as he’s given the retailer two additional bonus tracks.

“I’m going to start doing the leaking of the songs myself,” he vows. 

On TikTok, Morgan has since released a series of the album’s 30 tracks, including the title track, “Warning,” and “Rednecks, Red Letters, Red Dirt.”

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.