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Florida Georgia Line and Backstreet Boys Unite for CMT Crossroads

Florida Georgia Line and the Backstreet Boys will perform their biggest hits together on an all-new CMT Crossroads, premiering Aug. 30 at 10 p.m. ET. The hour-long special will feature new collaborative arrangements of the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way,” “As Long As You Want Me,” Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise,” “H.O.L.Y.,” their No.... Read more »

Darius Rucker’s New Album Promises Special Guests

It’s hard to remember the last time music by Darius Rucker wasn’t part of the soundtrack of American pop culture. Including “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry” and “Only Wanna Be With You,” Hootie & the Blowfish hits dominated the radio in the mid-’90s. And since the 2008 debut of Rucker’s first country album, Learn... Read more »

Nashville: The Big Moments From Season 5 Episode 19

The recent episode was quite the emotional roller coaster. At times, it was gut wrenching, and other times, vindicating.

Ashley McBryde Sings of Brighter Days in Powerful New Single

There’s a new badass in town, and her name is Ashley McBryde. Superstars like Eric Church and Miranda Lambert can’t stop singing her praises, and one listen to her current single “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega” will show you why. With a true grit and raw vulnerability, McBryde’s songs cut to the bone, and... Read more »

Guitarist and Producer Billy Joe Walker Dead at 64

Producer, guitarist and songwriter Billy Joe Walker Jr. died Tuesday (July 25) in Kerrville, Texas. He was 64 and had long been in ill health. Walker was an early champion of singer Bryan White and produced his first three albums. He also produced Travis Tritt’s platinum-selling Down the Road I Go, as well as projects... Read more »

Kelsea Ballerini Casually Drops Drop Date

Kelsea Ballerini fans woke up to some very big news on Tuesday (July 25). Her next album has a name and a due date. The way she announced it was super casual, just like the other social media conversations she always has with her fans and followers. “November [3] my sophomore album ‘Unapologetically’ will be... Read more »

Jason Aldean on Raising a Boy

I’ve always loved how open and honest Jason Aldean is during interviews. He is very willing to talk about anything. But at last weekend’s Country Thunder concert in Wisconsin, there was one question he wouldn’t answer for Chicago’s WEBG. Aldean revealed that he and his wife Brittany already have a name picked out for their... Read more »

Geoff Mack, Composer of “I’ve Been Everywhere,” Dead at 94

Geoff Mack, composer of the tongue-twisting and widely recorded “I’ve Been Everywhere,” died Thursday (July 20) in his native Australia at the age of 94. Mack, whose real name was Albert Geoffrey McElhinney, was born Dec. 20, 1922 in a suburb of Melbourne. Although he wrote other songs, his crown jewel was “I’ve Been Everywhere.”... Read more »

Nashville Trivia: Season 5, Episode 19: You Can’t Lose Me

Let’s play Nashville trivia! Don’t miss new episodes of Nashville Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on CMT. Get all of the latest Nashville news, videos and behind-the-scenes action on the Nashville Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram and join the conversation using #NashvilleCMT.

Garth Brooks, Luke Bryan Bring the Joy

Sometimes, what goes on behind the scenes of a massive country show is almost as life-changing as the music. For Luke Bryan fan Francis Stanaway, 88, that meant a chance to have a very touching moment with her favorite country singer. Stanaway has a terminal illness, but that didn’t stop her from going to his... Read more »

The Faster Horses Camp That Built Me

Other than the occasional week at summer camp when I was little, I have never camped camped. But with all the music festivals that encourage it, I started wondering if I should give it a try. I had about a million reasons why it was a terrible idea, and why an indoorsy girl like me... Read more »

Jillian Jacqueline on the Art of Individuality

It was a hot summer afternoon the day I sat down with Jillian Jacqueline, one of the most buzzed-about artists on the scene, to discuss her new music and her inspiring journey. Dressed sharply in a red, floral print blouse and a pair of killer metallic Topshop boots, Jacqueline’s warmth and kindness entered the room... Read more »

Last Weekend’s Greatest Hits

All is well in the country world, as evidenced by the fun all the stars had over the weekend and the posts they shared. Carrie Underwood filmed her husband on the lake to the tune of Alan Jackson‘s “Chattahoochee,” Lady Antebellum made the absolute finest Sam Hunt parody video, Dierks Bentley crowd surfed, again, Thomas... Read more »

A Journey Through Sara Evans’ Words

Rooms of razors, love lights shining, soul cleansing, walls of lies, bottomless pits and fiery hells … . They all exist in the musical realm of Sara Evans’ new album, Words. And she made every word count for her eighth studio release. A fiery hell is what awaits a cheating man in the opener “Long... Read more »

Scotty McCreery Cited for Misdemeanor After Loaded Gun Found at North Carolina Airport

Authorities in North Carolina have cited Scotty McCreery for a misdemeanor violation for attempting to carry a loaded gun through a passenger checkpoint at the Raleigh-Durham International Airport. The incident occurred July 13 and was first reported Friday (July 21) by The News & Observer newspaper in Raleigh, North Carolina. The 23-year-old singer told police... Read more »

Sam Hunt Talks OutKast, Married Life and New Music on 15 in a 30 Tour

A newly-married Sam Hunt is having one hot summer on his 15 in a 30 Tour and “Body Like a Back Road” holding at No. 1 on Billboard‘s hot country chart for an impressive 24 weeks. Hunt invited CMT Hot 20 Countdown to hang out in West Palm Beach, Florida, for an all-new episode airing... Read more »

Devin Dawson’s Bubbly “All on Me” Takes a Brooding Turn in New Video

Devin Dawson burst onto the scene with his effervescent debut single “All on Me,” an ode to leaning on your love and letting them shoulder the burden when times get hard. So when it came time to create a music video for the rising single, Dawson decided to let his creativity run wild … and... Read more »

#NashvilleCMT Recap (Spoiler Alert)

You always want to believe that karma will eventually come for the mean girls. But after Thursday night’s (July 20) episode of Nashville, it’s almost like the nice girls just cannot get a break. Like Maddie. All she was trying to do was perform at the Wildhorse Saloon to promote her new music. But after... Read more »

Lee Brice: Great Songs Won’t Leave You

It seems like every country star has a song that is a special, special song. If he/she is lucky, there are a couple of those in the repertoire. But for Lee Brice, that’s what he strives for with every song he records. “I want the songs that will be remembered 10 years from now, not... Read more »

What AJ’s Good Time Bar Is All About

At AJ’s Good Time Bar, it’s all about the obvious, and that’s havin’ a good time. Nashville’s new artist-owned honky-tonk offers four floors of fun on Lower Broadway for those who are 21 and older. The entire place is decked out in memorabilia from Jackson’s personal collection. Floor one, the former home of The Wheel,... Read more »

Steve Earle Talks Nashville in the ’70s and So You Wanna Be an Outlaw

When it comes down to writing songs, no subject is off limits to Steve Earle. He is just as comfortable writing about prison as he is writing about love, hardship, rambling and death. “Writing prose and other stuff, you get into areas that you don’t get into in songwriting,” Earle said over the phone during... Read more »

RaeLynn Calls on Her Friends in “Lonely Call” Video

Listen to RaeLynn, ladies. When that ex phones you late night just because he’s lonely, let it ring. And after it goes to voicemail, immediately call your girls to come over and cheer you up. In her stylish new video for “Lonely Call,” RaeLynn further establishes herself as a source of encouragement and empowerment. She... Read more »

How Jake Owen’s Daughter Describes Him

Jake Owen’s daughter Pearl is almost 5. So she’s old enough to enjoy FaceTime her dad but young enough to do it from her fort filled with glow-in-the-dark stickers. When Owen was in Chicago for the Windy City Smokeout on Friday (July 14), he told me all about how fast Pearl is growing up, how... Read more »

Keith Urban Crossing Fingers for Killer Duet Partner

I can always tell exactly what’s on Keith Urban’s mind by checking out his socials. He’s very transparent like that. So this week, I know that he is all about music. His … and potentially yours. Because first he posted a photo of a sound board and offered a simple caption. Back in studio !!!!!... Read more »