March 22, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Big MachineThomas Rhett lays claim to his seventeenth career number one this week, as “What’s Your Country Song” tops the radio airplay chart in a relatively short amount of time.

Released in November, the lead single from TR’s upcoming fifth album made it to number one in four months, when it can often take a year for a song to top the chart.

So it certainly seems an appropriate time for the ACM Entertainer of the Year to answer the question he’s been asking — and he turns to the CMA Entertainer of the Year for the answer.

“I think if I had to pick my country song, it would probably be something by Eric Church,” TR explains, “’cause I think going through middle school and high school, he was my idol in country music.”

Narrowing it down further, Thomas Rhett picks a track from Eric’s 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me.

“I just remember listening to ‘These Boots’ over and over and over and over again,” TR recalls. “I just loved how simple it was, how stripped-down it was, and the story that it told.” 

“‘Cause I think we all have been in those places where, whether we’re wearing boots or tennis shoes or whatever it is, you’re like, ‘Dang, these things have seen a lot of life and a lot of crazy memories, a lot of sad memories, a lot of the good ones,'” he continues. “So, I think “These Boots” would be my country song.”

Country Again: Side A, the first part of a double album by Thomas Rhett, comes out April 30. And if you’re as big a fan of the Chief as TR is, you’ll be interested to know that Eric starts releasing his three-part Heart & Soul project on April 16.

By Stephen Hubbard
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 19, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCChris Stapleton lends his voice to the Ram Trucks brand for their new “I’m a Ram” ad campaign, which soundtracks two new ad spots with two separate story lines.

Titled “Neighbor” and “Provider,” the two clips follow different people in different community roles, each using their Ram tracks to make something special happen. Both will reportedly debut this weekend during the NCAA March madness telecast.

In a behind-the-scenes clip, Chris explains how he landed on the idea of recording “I’m a Ram,” which was originally written and recorded by Al Green and came out in 1971. 

“One of my managers, Zach Peters, brought this song to us when we first started doing things with Ram, and said, ‘You know, it’d be really cool if you guys could do a version of this. Maybe it could turn into something,’” the singer recalls. 

“We played it, hopefully, with the most respect and reverence. We sure had a fun time doing it,” adds Chris. “It’s a great song. It makes you feel good. It makes you feel like you wanna get in a truck and drive down the road.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 19, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LABack before Gabby Barrett became a bona fide country superstar with her chart-topping hit “I Hope,” she was an American Idol alumna: She came in third on the show in 2018, the first year it was on ABC.

This Sunday, Gabby’s headed back to her old stomping grounds as Idol’s Hollywood Week kicks off. What advice does she have for new contestants? Think strategically and keep some things close to the vest…for now.

“If you can play the piano and play different instruments and sing different genres and that kind of thing, I would just not show all of that right away,” Gabby tells ABC Audio. “I think it’s cool to just reveal the deck as time goes on, you just don’t slap your deck down! And so that’s kind of what I did with the show. And it worked out, thankfully for me.”

Gabby also notes that in addition to not “playing your cards all out,” “Song choice is really important. Go with what you think you sound best singing.”

When she’s not offering tips to the new generation of potential American Idol stars, Gabby’s hitting new songwriting milestones: she’s at the top of Billboard Country Songwriter’s chart for the first time ever this week, tied with her “I Hope” and “The Good Ones” co-writer Zach Kale.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 19, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAGarth Brooks recently let fans in on the news that he’s planning the next installment of his Anthology muti-media series for release later this year.

Anthology Part II will follow Part I and Part III, which document Garth’s early years in country music and his presence live on tour, respectively. Now, the singer says, the next chapter will delve into one of the eras that he’s best known for: The late ‘90s.

“Anthology 2 I can already tell you has been my favorite so far,” Garth reveals.

The newest installment will chronicle studio albums like his ‘97 release, Sevens, 2001’s Scarecrow, and Double Live: Garth’s first-ever live album, which came out in ‘98 and was RIAA-certified 21x Platinum, becoming the best-selling live album of all time.

The singer adds that he’s enjoying compiling this project “simply because it’s the back half of the ‘90s, and you’re in these records — Sevens is one that I love,” he recounts. “You’re in Scarecrow, which was really deep and dark…which I love — that cloud. But one of the main factors in there is Double Live.”

Garth also revealed this week that he’s been writing with Ashley McBryde, and that he’s planning to resurrect his cult favorite Chris Gaines character, re-releasing the 1999 The Life of Chris Gaines on multiple platforms, including digital and vinyl.

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

March 19, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Connor DwyerDustin Lynch puts a new spin on his heady, nostalgic “Thinking ‘Bout You” as he sends the song to radio, this time as a duet with newcomer MacKenzie Porter.

Fans first got to know “Thinking ‘Bout You” as an album cut on Dustin’s fourth project, Tullahoma, which he released in January of 2020. At the time, the song was a duet with Lauren Alaina. Now, Dustin reimagines the song with a new duet partner, whom he chose after hearing her voice without knowing who she was.

“My team and I reached out to our country music community for submissions from up-and-coming female artists. Not wanting to be swayed by any other factors, we got a folder of numbered MP3s and just listened,” the singer explains.

“It all pointed to MacKenzie,” he remembers of that experience. “I fell in love with her tone — it was effortless and honest. Her voice is something that can’t be taught; it’s clear she was born with that talent. She was brilliant at bringing her uniqueness to this song, but also keeping it familiar for fans of the original.”

To go along with their nostalgic new single, Dustin and MacKenzie also shared a cinematic music video that adds a visual element to the story line of  “Thinking ‘Bout You.”

By Carena Liptak
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.