August 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Sony Music NashvilleKane Brown is racking up the numbers with his new EP, Mixtape Vol. 1.

The platinum-selling singer’s latest project has debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart, marking the highest-selling country EP debut so far this year, with 22,000 units.

On the streaming front, it’s bested only by Sam Hunt‘s sophomore album, Southside, which achieved 36.8 million on-demand streams in its first week following its April release. 

Additionally, Kane’s other two albums — 2018’s sophomore album Experiment and his 2016 self-titled debut — also appear on the Top Country Albums chart, joining the ranks of Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton, Florida Georgia Line and Kacey Musgraves to have three albums simultaneously in the top 20 since 2017, when Billboard began accounting for total consumption that includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums and streaming equivalent albums. 

Mixtape‘s lead single, “Cool Again,” is currently in the top 10 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. 

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

August 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Cody VillalobosJustin Moore has a reason to raise a glass.

The singer has scored his ninth number-one single with “Why We Drink.” It’s the second chart-topper off his latest album, Late Nights and Long Necks, following “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home.”

Justin co-wrote the song with “Dust on the Bottle” singer David Lee Murphy, along with Casey Beathard and Jeremy Stover. He also served as its producer. 

Justin’s mom, Charlene Moore, who inspired the song, also makes an appearance in the music video. 

Other #1 hits for Justin include “Small Town USA,” “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” and “Til My Last Day.” 

The hitmaker is slated to release his Live at the Ryman album on September 25.  Recorded during his headlining 2018 show at the venue, it features duets with the likes of David Lee, Chris Janson and bluegrass star Ricky Skaggs.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

August 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC/Image Group LAMorgan Wallen has created a mini-Hallmark movie in the video for his new single, “More Than My Hometown.”

Released today, the clip tells the classic tale of a small-town couple as one goes off to follow her dreams in the city while her lover remains in the only life he’s ever known.

The story begins at the woman’s going away party on the family’s countryside property, with the couple bidding each other farewell. Morgan stars in the role of the playful older brother of the young woman, and confidant to the broken-hearted man she left behind, who spends much of the video caught up in the memories they shared.

The lyrics help guide the story along as Morgan sings, “I love you more than the feeling when the bass hits a hook/When the guy gets the girl at the end of the book/But that ain’t you and me so I guess I’ll see you around/’Cause I can’t love you more than my hometown.”

The video ends as headlights flash on the door of the mechanic’s shop where the young man works, leaving viewers with a cliffhanger.   

“More Than My Hometown” is the lead single off Morgan’s upcoming sophomore album. It’s currently in the top 25 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. 

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

August 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Jason Kempin/Getty Images for CMTWhile touring the world with Carrie Underwood on her Cry Pretty Tour 360 last year, opening act Maddie & Tae picked up some valuable lessons from their superstar mentor. 

Maddie Marlow reveals that she’s gained confidence over the past few years that’s allowed her to challenge herself as vocalist, a tip she picked up from Carrie. 

“I think we’re just always pushing ourselves. It’s just the whole thing of not getting complacent. That’s something we learned from Carrie,” Maddie explains to People. “She’s always learning something new, writing something new, trying something new, and she really inspired us to do that.”

The two also say that the “Before He Cheats” hitmaker taught them how to captivate audiences in a live show setting. 

“We really learned how to entertain a crowd, how to put a full-blown show together,” Maddie continues. “We learned moments of connection between the two of us that got the crowd excited.”

The duo is still reeling from the success of their number-one single, “Die from a Broken Heart,” which, after its more than 50-week treck to the top of the Billboard Country Airplay chart, made them the first female duo to have multiple number ones on that tally.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

August 24, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for The Recording AcademyGarth Brooks has an innovative idea for his post-pandemic live shows. 

In a recent Facebook video, Garth revealed he has big plans for when it’s safe to return to hosting his stadium shows, which involves adding a virtual component for fans who aren’t in the stands.

The singer says that he hopes to develop a model where people who aren’t able to attend the show in person can buy a ticket and get in on the fun via livestream, which is available only to people living in that specific area code.

“What we want to do is we want you to actually be able to watch the show in the city you’re in. When they drop the green flag, [we’ll] play the stadium. But if you want, you can also buy a ticket to watch it virtually, but you have to be in that city,” Garth explained. 

“You could have a stadium show where you’re having fun, playing, and the people who either didn’t get tickets or just didn’t want to fight the traffic or whatever can stay home,” he adds. 

Garth tested a similar model in June with his pre-recorded concert that aired at 300 drive-in theaters across North America.

By Cillea Houghton
Copyright © 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.