January 25, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABCMorgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album continues to dominate the Billboard 200, which is adding a little insult to injury for Luke Bryan.  As it turns out, the country superstar really hoped to wrestle one of the album’s singles away from Wallen.

Speaking to Apple Music over the weekend, HARDY, who co-wrote the track “Sand in My Boots,” revealed to Wallen that the American Idol judge “fell in love” with the song.

When speaking about how the single came to be, HARDY — born Michael Wilson Hardy — told the 27-year-old singer, “I just had that idea in my phone for forever… I just had this idea about just a summer love kind of thing and I wanted to call it ‘Sand in My Boots.'”

Wallen noted he “immediately fell in love with it” the second he heard it, which forced HARDY to divulge some pretty big news to the “Dangerous” singer.

“[Luke Bryan] fell in love with it, too,” the songwriter confessed, but attested he had no idea how the “One Margarita” crooner even got his hands on the demo.

But, as HARDY revealed, “Sand in My Boots” was already a done deal because “We wanted you to have it. We thought you could make it cool.”

“Sorry, Luke,” Wallen closed out with a laugh.

“Sand in My Boots” is currently number 8 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart while Wallen’s Dangerous album has notched its second consecutive week on top of the Billboard 200.

By Megan Stone  
Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

January 25, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Brett YoungBrett Young is taking to the runway. 

The country crooner is partnering with Spirit Airlines and Mastercard to promote the new Free Spirit Mastercard loyalty program with a first-of-its-kind performance at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.

The show will begin from inside a new Spirit aircraft before Brett takes his music to the tarmac, where he’ll be accompanied by a light show. Details about the loyalty program will be revealed throughout the one-hour set.

“It’s been amazing to team up with our friends from Spirit Airlines and Mastercard for our next virtual show — hope you’re able to tune-in to see all of the cool things they’ve been working on,” Brett says.

“Thanks to everyone who has continued to be a part of our virtual shows over the past year,” he adds. “I’m so excited to kick off 2021 with fun ways to stay connected until we can all be together again. See y’all on the runway!” 

Additionally, Spirit will donate 100,000 points to the charity of Brett’s choice, myLIFEspeaks, which works to improve quality of life in Haiti through family empowerment, educational excellence and public health.

Brett and the on-site crew will adhere to COVID-19 safety protocols throughout filming.   

Brett Young: Live from the Runway is free to view and airs on February 4 on Spirit Airlines’ YouTube channel at 8 p.m. ET.

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

January 25, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

CMTCMT has unveiled the 10 up-and-coming artists named to its Next Women of Country class of 2021 — Tenille Arts, TikTok star Priscilla Block, Brittney Spencer, Hannah Dasher, Ashland Craft, Reyna Roberts, Harper Grae, MacKenzie Porter, trio Chapel Heart, and Sacha. 

Launched in 2013, the annual program aims to elevate rising female artists in the genre. The new inductees were welcomed in by Next Women of Country alums Maren Morris, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Mickey Guyton and others this weekend on CMT Hot 20 Countdown. 

All of the artists in the 2021 class will perform during the online special CMT Presents: Next Women of Country Class of 2021, hosted by Caylee Hammack, Rissi Palmer and Lauren Alaina, Tuesday night on CMT’s YouTube and Facebook pages at 5 p.m. ET. 

“We are stronger together than we are apart as women in the music business and in the country music business, especially,” Rissi professes in the trailer for the special. 

The artists’ videos will also be played in rotation on the CMT Equal Play channel on Pluto TV that devotes its 24/7 programming to a 50/50 male and female playlist.   

Additional NWOC alumni include Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini Gabby Barrett and Ingrid Andress.

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

January 25, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

Big Loud RecordsMorgan Wallen has set yet another Dangerous precedent in country music. 

The 27-year-old singer sits in the #1 spot on the all-genre Billboard 200 album chart for the second week in a row with his double album, Dangerous, making for the first country album to accomplish this feat since Chris Stapleton‘s Traveller in 2015. 

Additionally, Morgan is the first country act in five years to have an album top the Billboard 200 during the first two weeks of its release, following in the footsteps of Luke Bryan‘s 2015 project, Kill the Lights.  

Dangerous pulled in an additional 159,000 equivalent album units last week after shattering streaming numbers following its January 8 release. Its debut week saw sales of 265,000 units. 

Morgan’s 30-song collection is the fourth album to sell more than 150,000 units for at least two weeks over the past year behind Taylor Swift, Juice WRLD and Lil Uzi Vert.

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

January 25, 2021 • No Comments • Country Music News

ABC Now that Gabby Barrett‘s breakthrough hit, “I Hope,” has become a smash on both the country and pop charts, the American Idol alum is turning her attention to her follow-up single — and it couldn’t be more different.

“‘The Good Ones’ is another very special song,” she tells ABC Audio. “It’s kind of — well, pretty much is — a 360 [degree turn] from ‘I Hope.’ ‘I Hope’ was talking about a past relationship in high school that I had went through, unfortunately.”

“And then, ‘The Good Ones’ is kind of bringing you into my present life,” she continues. “And it was, of course, written and inspired by my husband. And so you’re kind of getting to know me through my music a little bit —  past, present.”

Gabby and husband Cade Foehner met while competing on Idol in 2018, and tied the knot in October of the next year. Right now, they’re anxiously awaiting their first child, a daughter, who should arrive by the end of the month. 

The expectant mother believes the upbeat message of “The Good Ones” is something we all could use right now.

“I thought it was just a really cool song to release during the times that we’re in right now, something positive,” she reflects. “And the music video was really, really fun to shoot, really meaningful. I’m glad that I got to put a spin on that and make it not just an ordinary music video, but with a message.”

“So, hopefully it’s another good ONE!” she adds, with hopes it will become her second number one.  

Cade does make a cameo in “The Good Ones” music video, but that’s not the “meaningful” twist Gabby’s alluding too. Check out the clip on YouTube to experience it for yourself. 

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