November 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Spencer CombsRussell Dickerson kicks things into high gear with “It’s About Time,” an uptempo and fun-loving new tune featuring none other than his country superstar buddies, Florida Georgia Line.

The singer says that when it comes to a song like this one, no one else could get the party started like the band mates of FGL.

“When we finished this song I knew there was only one feature to bring in. It’s the Florida Georgia Line energy that only they can bring. And they 100 percent took this song to a whole new level!” Russell declares.

“We knew we had to be on this song the second RD reached out and we heard it. Not only is he one of our best friends, but we’re huge fans of his music and him as a person,” the duo adds. “It was only a matter of time until we found the right song to do together, and that time has come.”

“It’s About Time” is the sixth track on Russell’s upcoming sophomore album, Southern Symphony. That project’s due out on December 4.

Though Southern Symphony hasn’t yet been released, its lead single is already heating up the charts. That song, “Love You Like I Used To,” landed at the top of the charts for the second week in a row this week. It’s Russell’s fourth consecutive number-one hit.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

November 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Sony MusicChris Young and Kane Brown are bragging on their “Famous Friends” in a new duet release — but these friends aren’t country music royalty or Hollywood stars.

Instead, the new song celebrates hometown legends, the kinds of people that everybody in a small town knows and loves. From the police officer who always lets his buddies off with a warning to the schoolteacher who wins Teacher of the Year again and again, “Famous Friends” is a celebration of everyone who makes their hometown run.

Chris and Kane have been teasing the song for over a year. Back in May of 2019, Chris hinted that his upcoming album would include a performance from Kane. Not to be outdone, Kane then posted a snippet of “Famous Friends” on Twitter, encouraging fans to “blow up” Chris on social media until he released the full song. “We all have famous friends,” Kane wrote at the time.

Speaking of “Famous Friends,” Chris and Kane have long been buddies in real life as well as in song. They toured together in 2018, and they also collaborated on a track called “Setting the Night on Fire,” which appears on the deluxe version of Kane’s self-titled studio debut.

November 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Big Loud Records/Republic RecordsWhen he announced his massive new double album, Dangerous, for release January 8, Morgan Wallen assured fans that he’d offer up a bunch of new songs leading up to release day instead of dropping all of them at once.

Now, he’s making good on that promise, sharing three brand-new tracks: “Somebody’s Problem,” “Still Goin’ Down” and “Livin’ the Dream.”

Morgan, who co-wrote all three songs, described “Livin’ the Dream” as his most personal song to date — for good reason. The lyrics tell his story of finding trouble everywhere he goes, and learning that being famous isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. 

“If I see the sunrise, it’s ‘cause I stayed up all night / Drinkin’ ‘cause I need to, damnit, what a good life,” Morgan sings in the chorus. “Judgin’ by my long hair, you might think I don’t care / Sittin’ here sippin’ and b****in’ about a spot where / People would kill to be, kill to be, kill to be / But y’all it ain’t as good as it seems / This livin’ the dream is killin’ me….”

Those lyrics reflect, at least in part, the struggles Morgan’s gone through publicly in recent months. This year, he lost his debut performance slot on SNL, was arrested for public intoxication, revealed he fathered a son and took a self-imposed break from the spotlight.

Still, he’s ending 2020 on a high note: In addition to announcing Dangerous, Morgan clinched the CMA Award for New Artist of the Year earlier this month.

November 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Warner Music NashvilleDan + Shay are keeping the holiday hits rolling today with another new festive original release, “Christmas Isn’t Christmas.”

The duo’s newest song is a poignant, piano-driven ode to spending time with family during the Christmas season, a subject that the band mates say is close to both of their hearts.

“‘Christmas Isn’t Christmas’ is very special to us,” the duo’s Shay Mooney explains. “We wrote this song with our families in mind. We are definitely reminded around the holiday season how important it is to have those people that you love around you. Christmas really isn’t Christmas if you don’t have the people that you love around you.”

Even before they dropped their newest song, Dan + Shay already gave fans a peek into how they celebrate the holiday with their own families in the music video for their previously-released “Take Me Home for Christmas.” That clip stars the group’s real-life families, including both their wives, Shay’s children and even Dan’s four dogs.

Though they’ve yet to put out a full holiday album, Dan + Shay are no strangers to the music of the season: In 2018, the duo cut a version of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

November 20, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC More than a year since Jon Pardi proposed to longtime girlfriend Summer Duncan during his concert at the Ryman Auditorium in October of 2019, he now has a date at the altar this weekend. 

Originally set to tie the knot in Montana in May before the pandemic intervened, the couple will now say their vows at a much smaller gathering.

“Gonna get married! Finally gettin’ it over with!” Jon jokes. “We’re excited for it. It looks like the weather is gonna be great and I’m excited to see some close family.”

“It’s a very small wedding, you know,” he tells ABC Audio, “from 300 down to around 50. That’s a big difference. But the show must go on, and we’re gonna get married and everybody’s gonna be safe. So, yeah, we’re looking forward to.”

If you’ve watched Jon’s Pardi Time series on YouTube, you know the two seem to have a lot of fun together. Jon says they’ve only grown closer during the strange year that’s been 2020.

“There’s a lot of fun, a lot of fun — sometimes too much fun!” Jon smiles. “But, no, we have a great relationship and especially this year, you know, it’s stood the test of time.”

“And everybody’s going through it,” he continues, “and it’s hard on a relationship with 2020, and just the stress of [things] just [being] confusing at times. And you never know what’s gonna happen. And it’s just been a whirlwind of feelings and we’ve kind of helped each other through it.”

“So [we’re] looking good for the whole staying together thing!” he adds. 

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.