August 7, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Warner Music NashvilleTucker Beathard grapples with the loss of his younger brother, Clay, in the gut-wrenching “I Ain’t Without You.”

Clay died in December of 2019 at the age of 22, after a stabbing altercation that took place outside a bar in downtown Nashville. In the difficult days and months that followed, Tucker turned to his most powerful sources of strength: Faith, songwriting and family ties.

“To be honest, I was always terrified of having someone so close to me pass away because I knew I wouldn’t have the strength to get through it on my own,” he admits.

The singer co-wrote “I Ain’t Without You” with his dad, noted country songwriter Casey Beathard. The song sheds light on Tucker’s journey through grief, and how his faith helped him realize that he didn’t have to carry his burden by himself.

“This song was inspired by the relationship I developed with the Lord following my little brother passing away and realizing that I don’t have the strength to go through this alone, but also realizing more than ever before that I’m not alone, and I am strong enough, but I ain’t without him,” he adds.

Tucker also shared a music video to go along with the song. He shot it at the Grand Ole Opry, where he first debuted “I Ain’t Without You” early this year.

The song is featured on Tucker’s upcoming album, King, which takes its title from Clay’s middle name.

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

August 7, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

RCA RecordsWhat started as a series of mysterious, cat-centric posts on social media has become something very real, and very strange: Old Dominion dropped the “Meow Mix” version of their self-titled third album this week.

Yes, that means that the band re-recorded every single song by meowing instead of singing the words.

“Cat’s out of the bag!” the group announced, as they shared their new project. “We are re-releasing our entire album, only this time, it’s all ‘meows.’ Sometimes you gotta be silly. #ODmeowmix is out meow.”

The “Meow Mix” album features the group’s feline takes on fan-favorite tracks like “Make It Sweet,” “One Man Band,” Some People Do” and “My Heart Is a Bar.” Fan reactions’ ranged from delighted to just plain baffled.

“If this isn’t the most 2020 thing ever…” wrote one Twitter user. “It’s just the gift that keeps on meowing.”

If you can believe it, Old Dominion aren’t the first band to re-release an entire album using “meows” instead of words. Rock group Guster applied the trope to their Keep It Together album in 2003, and rap duo Run the Jewels released a revamped “Meow Mix” project of their own, Meow the Jewels, in 2015.

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

August 7, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Big Machine RecordsTim McGraw might have simple tastes when it comes to most things in life, but in the newest song to be released ahead of his Here on Earth album, the singer can’t help bragging about his “Good Taste in Women.”

“Yeah, I sleep like a baby in a Motel 6 / I like dive bar bands that can’t sing a lick / But I’ve got good taste in women,” he sings in the song’s chorus. “Lookin’ at you just lookin’ at me / Got everybody thinkin’ I’m high-class livin’ / I got good taste in women.”

The song’s message feels particularly true to Tim’s life, as he’s married to none other than country superstar Faith Hill. The pair have toured together and duetted quite a bit over the years.

“Good Taste in Women” follows a handful of poignant, message-forward tracks off Here on Earth, including “I Called Mama” and “Hallelujahville.” The full 16-track project comes out on August 21.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic is preventing Tim from celebrating his new album’s release with his fans in person, he did recently announce a virtual Here on Earth event, which will include performances of songs from the album and offer fans a peek behind the process of creating it.

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

August 7, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Courtesy of St. JudeBrad Paisley, Keith Urban, Darius Rucker and Lady A are just a few of the big-name stars who will appear during MusicGives: Together #forStJude, a virtual benefit concert benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The livestream event will feature a broad array of different performers across six stages, themed by genre. Country music will take place on the Give Back Stage, with a lineup that also includes Brett Eldredge and Randy Owen with Alabama.

Other platforms include the Hope Stage (featuring pop and R&B artists), the Faith Stage (gospel and Christian), the Amor Stage (regional Mexican and Spanish pop), the Gratitude Stage (rock and Americana), and the Kindness Stage, which is dedicated to highlighting special St. Jude moments.

In addition to an impressive lineup of musical talent, the event will also include culinary content from a few of the country’s most renowned chefs.

Richard C. Shadyac, Jr., president and CEO of St. Jude’s fundraising arm, ALSAC, explains that St. Jude’s life-saving mission of providing world-class treatment to pediatric cancer patients at no cost to their families is more important now than ever.

“Giving through events like this when the world is so disrupted enables us to continue to ensure that families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food,” Shadyac says. “Because all a family should worry about is helping their child live.”

The festival is scheduled to take place on August 13 beginning at 5PM ET. You can tune in across St. Jude’s social media platforms, and keep an extra close eye on their Twitter feed for special announcements. Limited-edition merchandise for the event is also available now.

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

August 7, 2020 • No Comments • Country Music News

Matthew BerinatoKane Brown invites rapper Nelly on a tropical beach vacation for his remixed “Cool Again,” which Kane originally released as a single back in April.

In the new version of the song, Nelly layers a breezy new verse onto the track, adding extra fun-loving flavor to a song that was already a summertime anthem.

“Cool again / I really wish that I was kickin’ back with you again / At top the penthouse, somewhere checkin’ out the view again / ‘Cause every time we do it, it’s like new again / It feels like new again,” Nelly sings in his portion of the song.

The music video amps up the summery vibes even further. The clip begins with Kane hanging out solo on a tropical island, kicking back and enjoying a drink or two as he soaks up the sun. As the song continues, Kane holds his binoculars up to the ocean to reveal Nelly pulling up on a jetski, just in time for his verse.

“Cool Again” isn’t the only out-of-genre collaboration that Kane scored this spring. His recent single “Be Like That” is a joint effort with pop and R&B star Khalid and rapper Swae Lee.

Kane is set to drop a new EP later this month.

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