Mission: Possible (Photo: Jeff Lynn/All Access)
Tracy Lawrence's 'Mission: Possible' Event Sets New Fundraising Record
TRACY LAWRENCE hosted his 17th annual turkey fry and concert, "MISSION: POSSIBLE," YESTERDAY (11/22) in NASHVILLE, starting with 1,200 turkeys donated and cooked at the NASHVILLE FAIRGROUNDS and ending with a sold-out concert at ...
Morgan Wallen Repeats Most Added Feat With 'Thought You Should Know'
Congratulations to BIG LOUD RECORDS' MORGAN WALLEN and his promotion team for once again landing the most added single at Country Radio this week with "Thought You Should ...
Some of the best-written songs utilize lyrics that seem to be about one thing, then reveal themselves to be something else entirely. That’s precisely the case in this new single from Tenille Arts, “Jealous Of Myself,” which employs a surprising plot twist that doesn’t become apparent until the last line of the first chorus. The song appears to be about a woman lamenting the fact that her ex has a new love. The new lady is younger, knows all of the guy’s secrets and favorite haunts, is close with his mother, popular among his hometown friends, and “gets to do all the things I thought I’d always do.” Arts, in a beautiful vocal performance, sings of the apparent rival, “I want every second that your hands are on her body / How you put her name in every prayer to God / She has it so good but she has no clue.” Then comes the big reveal: She’s singing about — and jealous of — a younger version of herself when she was still in the relationship. After that confession, the first two lines in the chorus change from, “Ain't a day that I don't wish that I could be her / The way you hold her like you never gonna leave her” to the more poignant, “She hasn't had to miss the way you need her / Have her whole world shattered when you leave her.” Written by Emily Weisband, Trevor Rosen and John Byron, and produced by Nathan Chapman, the song will impact Country radio in early January.
One of the things fans seem to love best about Russell Dickerson is his sweet love story with his wife, Kailey. Several of his past hits have had specific references to their relationship, so his latest single, “God Gave Me A Girl,” is right in that pocket. It’s a faith-based song about the role God played in connecting him with the soulmate who changed his life. The mid-tempo song from his just-released third studio album was written by Dickerson, Ashley Gorley, Chase McGill and Zach Crowell. It starts with the rising Country star describing an earlier, single life full of empty bars, broken hearts and giving his mother a reason to worry. But in the catchy chorus, he describes how his life turned around when, “God gave me a girl / Girl gave me a kiss / Kiss gave me a feelin' that I still get / Every time I look in her eyes / I don't deserve her and I don't know why / She gave me her hand / I gave her a ring / Then as soon as I could / I gave her my last name / Now I'm gonna give her forever / I knew what I wanted but He knew better.” Early prediction: This lovely tune will be the wedding anthem of 2023.
When the mood strikes, sometimes you just have to dance, and Tyler Hubbard's new single is an ode to doing just that. More specifically, it's about getting your groove on out in nature, two-stepping in a place that may not have neon signs, but it never closes. The Country-as-red-dirt lyrics reference the music of Alabama and Alan Jackson, along with Levis's, Luccheses and a Silverado. Written by Hubbard, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman and some guy named Keith Urban, the three-minute tune was the title track of Hubbard's EP, released earlier this year, and is the next single from his self-titled debut solo album, due out January 27th. In an August interview with Apple Music's "Today's Country Radio With Kelleigh Bannen," Hubbard said the four writers had a good time when they got together in Copperman's writing room and banged this one out in three hours. Hubbard recalled to host Bannen, "I said, 'Let's write something that feels good. That's really fun. That makes you want to dance.' We've been having these dance parties every night at my house after dinner with our three kids ... And so, I was sort of in that head space of 'let's just make some fun music.' So Ross and Keith started chipping away at making a track. Jon and I started chipping away at the lyrics and just putting all the puzzle pieces together ... I think, we ... had a great demo [by] that evening."
Kelsea Ballerini’s hilarious new single is an an ode to the purest of friendships, the “Thelma & Louise” variety. It’s a refreshing break from Country music’s much more common theme of romantic love, with lyrics instead assuring a partner in crime bestie that her secrets are safe. Highlighted by pure Country instrumentation, this mid-tempo track clocks in at just 2:46, all of it jam packed with amusing lyrics penned by Ballerini, Julian Bunetta and Shane McAnally. It grabs attention from the first verse with the lines, “I’ve known you since Brad and Angelina / We go back like Pontiac seats / If I got an aisle with a mess I gotta clean up / I know you'll be showin' up with bleach.” Among the song’s best laugh-out-loud couplets: “If you rob a bank, I'm your getaway Mercedes / God knows that's what friends are for,” and “Hypothetically, if you ever kill your husband / Hand on the Bible, I'd be lyin' through my teeth.” Honorable mention goes to a verse where Ballerini sings, “Our bodies are buried and they're in the same ditch / So even if I wanted to, I can't snitch / 30 to life would go quicker with you.” It’s the next single from Ballerini’s recently-released fourth album, “Subject To Change.” As she sings in the chorus, “If it all blows up and we end up on the news / If you go down, I'm going down too,” so just add it before she shows up with bleach!
From its quirky lyrics to its fresh sound, Neon Union’s debut radio single, “Bout Damn Time,” is a delight from start to finish. Clocking in under three minutes, the mid-tempo song — written by Tyler Hubbard, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps and Jordan Schmidt and produced by Dann Huff — has a catchy chorus your listeners will be singing along with after just one listen. “It's about damn time / Somebody sang a little something like this / A hippy rock star, hillbilly from the sticks / Turning up a fifth / Chug, chug, chug till we all half-lit,” the duo’s Leo Brooks and Andrew Millsaps sing with a smile. The chorus continues, “It′s about damn time / We threw a party on the radio waves / Singing what we live / Cause it's all we know to say / There ain′t been a song / For the hey y'all outlaw down home kind and / It's about damn time.” Got that? The rest of the lyrics are a crazy word salad that cite Country music staples like trucks with a six-inch lift, catfish, Redman chew, ball caps and more, all leading to the apparent point: “It′s a cold hard fact that we can't ignore / Country music ain′t Country no more.” Don’t even try to make sense of lyrics like “If you a barbed-wire hanger / A truck-tire sinker / A fire-water drinker till your thinker gets heavy.” Instead, just sit back and enjoy the ride! These super talented proteges of Jimmie Allen say of the song, “We wanted our first track to be high energy and reflective of who we are as a duo. It’s about so much more than the difference in our skin color. ‘Bout Damn Time’ is about how we want to bring a new sound to the Country music scene and bring fans together for a great time.” Damn right.
A great paring of Country stars, teamed with a well-written song that’s perfectly on-brand for Brantley Gilbert and Blake Shelton, equals a near-certain future hit. The three-minute “Heaven By Then” extolls the virtues of a country lifestyle, good manners, Country music, trucks, John Deere tractors, icons Dale Earnhardt and Hank Williams, “Jesus on FM,” and even heaven itself. As the stars sing in the chorus, they’re not ready for the afterlife just yet, but wouldn’t want to live in this one if all of the things described in the previous sentence didn’t exist. Gilbert says it’s about “feeling like the world’s kind of running off and leaving you behind.” Co-written by Gilbert, Brock Berryhill, Michael Hardy, Jake Mitchell, Randy Montana, Hunter Phelps and Taylor Phillip, it’s the lead track from Gilbert’s just-released 10-song album, “So Help Me God.” The single had a world premiere via iHeartRadio on November 10th. Gilbert says the song “came out of a conversation during a writers retreat in Texas that we do every year. A guitar ended up in HARDY’s lap, which is usually a good sign that it’s about to turn into something special. I think we all knew that as it was being written. It came to life that night.” He adds, “To have Blake Shelton and Vince Gill on the song meant so much to me. Those two brought so much to the table and gave it a voice I didn’t have. We were all in separate places when we recorded, but it was a cool way for everyone to put their spin on it. They just did what felt natural, and sonically you hear that.”
Morgan Wallen shows his softer side in his new single, “Thought You Should Know,” a deeply personal song penned as a message to his mother. Written conversationally, as if it’s a phone call with his mom, Wallen is honest, sharing with her, “Been chasin' songs and women / Making some bad decisions / God knows I'm drinkin' too much / Yeah, I know you've been worrying 'bout me / You've been losin' sleep since '93,” a reference to the year Wallen was born. But in the chorus, he assures her he’s doing fine, singing, “I thought you should know / That all those prayers you thought you wasted on me / Must've finally made their way on through.” The three and a half minute song, written by Wallen, Miranda Lambert and Nicolle Galyon includes a mix of lines the everyman can relate to (apologizing for not visiting recently, inquiring about her garden, and asking, “Is dad still doing dumb shit?”) and ones super-specific to Wallen’s superstar lifestyle (“Can you believe I'm on the radio?” and “The bus is leavin' so I gotta roll”). He released the song on Mother’s Day weekend in May, writing on social media at the time, “This one’s for you, mama. I know it didn’t always seem like those prayers were getting through. I hope this song is a testament to the fact that they did.”
Carrie Underwood marries her mutual loves of Rock and Country in her latest release, “Hate My Heart,” a Country song highlighted by rock guitars and a slightly edgier vocal delivery. She sings about a relationship that has ended, leaving the singer “free as a bird, no ties / Nothing keeping my wings from flying high.” Unfortunately, feelings for the ex won’t allow her to move on, and she takes her anger out on her broken heart, singing in the chorus, “I hate my heart right now / Underneath the covers in the dark right now / Wishing I was sitting in a bar right now / Two drinks in / Making me a last call friend / I want my feel-good back / Instead of feeling bad that I can’t get past / The fact that I can’t love nobody else.” Who hasn’t been there? Underwood wrote the three-minute, mid-tempo song with David Garcia, Michael Hardy and Hillary Lindsey, and co-produced it with Garcia. She says the song “was definitely part of my desire to have fun on this album [‘Denim & Rhinestones’]. I wanted songs that would be exciting to perform live and would fill up an arena, and that’s exactly what we’re [doing] with The Denim & Rhinestones Tour,” which kicked off on October 15th for a 43-city run. She adds “This one is definitely going to get everyone up on their feet and having a good time. It was great writing ‘Hate My Heart’ with Hillary Lindsey and David Garcia, who I love collaborating with, and also getting to work with HARDY, who brought a cool vibe and an energy to the track.” She further explains the origins of the song in a short YouTube video 
If there is such a thing as “the feel-good song of autumn,” King Calaway has just earned that title with their fun, mid-tempo new anthem, “I’m Feelin’ Good (Steve Miller Band).” If the parenthetical title has you scratching your head, the song is a tribute to the ‘70s hit-making American rock band it’s named for, including a lyric that references that band’s 1976 #1 hit, “Rock’n Me.” King Calaway, newly slimmed down to a quartet, correctly characterizes their new single as “a song you can’t help but groove and dance to," adding, “It’s one of our favorites to play live because the crowd’s energy and reaction to it is just unmatched. We had a great time laying it down in the studio and experimenting with some Steve Miller-inspired sounds.” Written by Wendell Mobley, Chris Stevens and Neil Thrasher, the song was produced by Zac Brown Band frontman Brown, who has lately been working with King Calaway. (The opening line of “I’m Feelin’ Good” may or may not be a nod to Zac Brown Band and Jimmy Buffet’s 2011 chart-topper, “Knee Deep.”) They recorded it at Brown’s Southern Ground Studio in Nashville, and are releasing it just in time for their November dates on Dustin Lynch’s “Party Mode Tour.”
The best writers take the old adage to heart, “Write what you know.” Time and again, that has proven to be the formula for songs that connect emotionally with audiences because the writer/performer is able to convey the song’s raw sentiments honestly and vulnerably. That's just what Morgan Evans did in the wake of his split from his wife of nearly five years, Kelsea Ballerini. A poignant video of the Australian singer performing “Over For You” live at the CMC Rocks QLD festival in Brisbane first surfaced in September and began to make the rounds, followed by a live recording from a Melbourne show released through Evans’ official channels. Evans said at the time that he’d written the ballad (with Madison Love, Geoff Warburton and One Love) only three weeks prior, and the Melbourne show was just the second time he’d ever played it live. Now, due to what his label is calling “popular demand,” a sped up studio version has been recorded and released for immediate airplay. It’s impossible not to find this song affecting as Evans sings, “Can I say before I go / I would have searched the whole world over for you / Took a flight through the night to be that shoulder for you / I would have let go if you wanted me to / How many times did you say you love me when it wasn’t true? / I’m just wondering, how long has it been over for you?” Later in the song he sings, “Maybe someday I’ll be OK, but right now I don’t know.” Heartbreaking.
WGH/Norfolk, Va., APD/MD Karen West is predicting that George Birge’s “Mind On You,” will be his first #1 hit. (“Remember you heard it from me first,” she says.) But the song has an interesting back story in which Birge — who wrote it with Jaron Boyer, Colt Ford and Michael Tyler 
The voices of Moore and Block blend beautifully on this steamy song about a couple finding time for romance with the help of a little brown liquor. They trade lines in the verses, and come together in the chorus, spinning the story of the couple finally making time for each other in the midst of the 9 to 5 grind of the week, and a life spent burning the candle at both ends. As Moore sings in the provocative opening lines, “It’s been a long time / Since I’ve seen that lettin’ down your hair / Double-dog-dare look in your eyes.” Moore says of the song, “You read ‘You, Me, and Whiskey,’ and you think spring break, hookup, whatever, but for me, as a guy who’s been married for 15 years with four beautiful children, it’s about making time for your romantic relationship … That’s what the song represents to me, but the best thing about Country music is that it can mean many things to many different people.” He says he picked Block as his duet partner after the two played a show together. “I thought, ’Man, she would knock this out of the park,’ and she did. I knew she would do fantastic, but she exceeded even my expectations.” Written by Jessi Alexander, Brock Berryhill and Cole Taylor, “You, Me, And Whiskey” was produced by Jeremy Stover and Scott Borchetta. In its most cleverly-written lines, Moore and Block sing, “You’re already talkin’ dirty and it’s only 10:30 / We know where it goes from here / I can’t find this me in a red wine glass / Yeah, and I can’t find it in a beer / It’s you, me, and whiskey all night long.” Cheers!
This vibey, mid-tempo track infused with Jon Pardi’s effortless brand of cool will have listeners’ toes tapping to the beat on the first listen, and they’ll be singing along by the second. The song describes a flirty relationship just on the brink of turning serious, and the lyrics suggest it wouldn’t take much to get it there. The couple’s chemistry is on point (“All it takes is a downtown bar / All it takes is some neon stars / A little you, a little me, in the same vicinity and it’s on”). In the catchy chorus, Pardi sings, “Is it your heart or mine / Is it whiskey or wine / Is it somethin’ in the night / Makin’ us wanna cross that line / Girl, we're playin’ with fire / Love ain’t too far behind / It’s just a matter of time ‘til it finds / Your heart or mine.” And by the end of the two minute and 41-second song, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that they’re falling hard for each other (“We swear it ain’t love, love, love, but you’re there when the sun comes up”). You’ll be rooting for this couple to take their dalliance to the next level. Written by Bart Butler, Justin Ebach and John Pierce, “Your Heart Or Mine” is the next single from Pardi’s recently released fourth album, “Mr. Saturday Night.” It quickly follows previous #1 hit “Last Night Lonely,” which topped the Mediabase Country chart in late August.
When sharing information not likely to be received well, it’s common to couch the message with the words “for what it’s worth.” In this well-written new single from the eminently likeable and multi-talented BRELAND, he uses that phrase repeatedly while vulnerably addressing an ex love. His song’s narrator cops to his bad habits, including immaturity and insecurity, and tells the ex, “I took advantage for granted having my hand in yours.” But he also tells her he’s sharpened up, and is hoping for another chance. As he sings in the chorus, “For what it's worth / I hope that you're happy now and that you found what you didn't in me / For what it's worth / I’d trade everything I have for what I had, I know that talk is cheap / But for what it's worth / I done did some growing up, I ain't out there getting drunk / I can be what you deserve / ‘Cause now I see your heart, your mind, your every curve / And your love for what it's worth.” The regret-filled, mid-tempo breakup song, which spans just under three minutes, was written by BRELAND, Rocky Block, Jacob Durrett and Greylan James. It follows the artist’s #1 as a featured act on Dierks Bentley’s “Beers On Me,” which netted the collaborators a Musical Event of the Year nomination in November’s CMA Awards. BRELAND fans will get to hear “For What It’s Worth” live when the Amazon Music Breakthrough Artist performs it on his fall headlining “Hear For It Tour,” which kicks off on November 16th. And he’s not forgetting his international fans either. After playing Australia’s CMC Rocks Qld festival in September, BRELAND joined Russell Dickerson’s U.K. tour in October, and will embark on his own headlining "Here For It Tour" in mid-November, all in support of his recently released debut album, “Cross Country.” Listen to the whole project, and get to know this talented up-and-comer, 
There’s almost an eerie vibe to Zach Bryan’s “Something In The Orange,” which immediately differentiates it from other current radio songs. That unearthly tone is set up in the song’s 31-second instrumental intro, a rarity on radio songs these days, and in opening line lyrics about things that “eat at your bones and drive your young mind crazy.” The prolific Oklahoma singer-songwriter captures attention with lyrics you have to lean in to follow on the first listen. He uses orange as a descriptor for a sunrise, and at the end of a song about missing someone and not wanting her to leave him, he sings, “The orange touches all things around / The grass, trees and dew, how I just hate you.” Before that, however, he vacillates between a more hopeful tone (“Take me back to us dancing, this wood used to creak,” and “Something in the orange tells me we're not done”) and despair (“Something in the orange tells me you're never coming home”). The 24 year-old recent active duty U.S. Navy sailor is off to a fast start with his music career, releasing the 34-song “American Heartbreak” album in May (his third album overall and first for Warner Records), then following it up with the nine-song “Summertime Blues” EP in July, all in the midst of a headlining tour. Take notice of this guy. Upon release, “American Heartbreak” became the second-highest streaming Country album debut in history, breaking the 2022 record for single album streams in a 24-hour period and pushing the artist well beyond a billion streams globally.
Cody Johnson & The Rockin' CJB Live
