XNews

Hear Brett Young’s Pop Duet, “I Do,” With Astrid S

He Teams With Norway Songwriter on New Track

Shane McAnally on Accidental Gay Anthems and His Pronoun Fears

Shane McAnally didn’t write gay anthems with the intent of writing gay anthems. They just kind of happened. That’s what the prolific country songwriter told Anthony Ramos from GLAAD — formerly known as the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation — about his involvement in Kacey Musgraves’ 2013 “Follow Your Arrow” and her 2019 “Rainbow.”... Read more »

A Playlist for Carrie Underwood on Isaiah’s Birthday

When Carrie Underwood posted on Thursday (Feb. 27) about her son Isaiah turning five, my mind immediately went here: to the 2004 Billy Dean song “Let Them Be Little.” At the time that song was on country radio, my own kids were 9, 7 and 5, so I was thinking exactly what Underwood was thinking.... Read more »

Jake Rose Honors American Farm Life in “Tractor Town”

See the new "Tractor Town" video from Jake Rose.

Black History Month: Modern Artists, Writers Make an Impact

On a Tuesday night in February, a crowd packed the 3rd & Lindsley nightclub in downtown Nashville to hear Wendy Moten sing all the songs on her new album, I’ve Got You Covered. The album presents her stylized readings of nine country standards, including “Ode to Billy Joe,” “Driving Nails in My Coffin,” “Don’t Touch... Read more »

Garth Brooks Says, “Be Proud to Be Country”

“Be proud to be country.” That’s what Garth Brooks had to say over the weekend at one of his stadium tour stops. “That’s the thing: country music is treated a lot like the distant cousin sometimes,” he explained. “But make no mistake: we have the best audience, we have the most loyal audience — and... Read more »

ACM Awards: Top Nominees Include Maren Morris, Thomas Rhett

Landing in five categories each, Maren Morris and Thomas Rhett are among the leading nominees for the 55th ACM Awards. Nominations were revealed early this morning on social media. Hosted by Keith Urban, the all-star event will air live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5 on CBS. The Academy of... Read more »

About 28 Years After Moving to Nashville, Keith Urban Gets His Turn to Host the ACMs

It’s been almost 28 years since Keith Urban officially moved from Australia to Nashville in 1992. And in that time, he has accomplished so much. Starting with his role as Guitar Player in Alan Jackson’s “Mercury Blues” video. Embedded from www.youtube.com. After that, Urban wrote and wrote and wrote, which is what he came to... Read more »

My Unhappy Hour with Jessi Alexander

What has always lifted me up when it comes Jessi Alexander’s songwriting is the way it brings me down. I think it was Lee Ann Womack who said it best: sad songs make me happy. So when Alexander and I booked a happy hour hang at Nashville’s Urban Cowboy — to talk about her new... Read more »

Maren Morris Requests Your RSVP for 2020 Tour

Maren Morris will embark on RSVP: The Tour, with newly-announced dates beginning June 5 in Boston, and concluding with an October 17 gig at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. She’s also scheduled dates in Ohio, Missouri, and Indiana. Oh baby, why don’t we just meet her in the middle? The itinerary also includes festival... Read more »