Sam Hunt dropped his sophomore album, Southside, on April 3. The 12-song set, which features his recent No. 1 hit, “Kinfolks,” and new single, “Hard to Forget,” follows Sam’s 2014 debut album, Montevallo, which spawned No. 1 hits “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party” and more. During the 1,985 days between the…
Unlike Jeff Bridges’ character The Dude in The Big Lebowski, Morgan Wallen loves the Eagles, man. Morgan has been turning heads with music, mullet and easygoing manner since bursting on the scene two years ago. The 26-year-old native of Sneedville, Tenn. (population 1,346) scored back-to-back No. 1 singles with “Up Down” (June 2018) and “Whiskey…
Country music legend Kenny Rogers, 81, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on March 20. In 2013, Kenny stopped by American Country Countdown to chat with host Kix Brooks about a number of topics, including early influences, friendship with Dolly Parton, having a “perfect” life, induction into the Country Music Hall of…
In January, Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney of Dan + Shay scored their seventh No. 1 single as “10,000 Hours,” which features Justin Bieber, ascended to the top spot on both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart. The tune has also spend 20 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs…
After teaming with Justin Bieber to record their current Top 5 single, “10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay—and wives Abby and Hannah—were guests at Justin and Hailey Baldwin’s star-studded wedding in September. In a sit-down interview with Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, the duo revealed that the extravagant celebration was definitely a “good time,” but…
Since releasing his self-titled debut album in 1993—and his 14 subsequent studio albums—Tim McGraw has built himself into one of the most successful country stars in history. From “Don’t Take the Girl” and “Real Good Man” to “Live Like You Were Dying” and “Humble and Kind,” Tim’s 29 No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country…
Chris Lane’s new single, “I Don’t Know About You,” has been climbing the charts since it was released in October 2018. Currently, the tune is No. 2 on both the Mediabase chart and Billboard Country Airplay chart, where it looks to make a push for No. 1 next week. As Chris told Kix Brooks of…
There are a number of metrics used to measure a song’s success: chart performance, sales, streaming and more. While those figures are convenient when it comes to defining an artist’s career success, Keith Urban uses his own benchmark. As Keith told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, the measure of a song’s success is the…
Garth Brooks and Blake Shelton have a Top 20 hit on their hands with their new duet, “Dive Bar,” which is currently No. 19 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after 13 weeks. Penned by Garth, Mitch Rossell and Bryan Kennedy, “Dive Bar” will be featured on Garth’s upcoming album, FUN. If you were wondering how…
No one in country music in on a tear quite like Maren Morris. Well, maybe Luke Combs, but this article is about Maren. In addition to scoring her third No. 1 single with “Girl” this week, Maren has been making the rounds as part of supergroup The Highwomen (Brandi Carlile, Amanda Shires, Natalie Hemby). The…
Chase McDaniel believes that listening to music in real-time can have a significant impact on listeners, rather than letting an algorithm choose what they hear. The new country artist recalls three life-changing moments he’s had while hearing songs on country radio, and McDaniel hopes his first radio single, “Burned Down Heaven,” has a similar effect…
Lainey Wilson will make her feature film debut in the Universal adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, Reminders of Him. The Grammy-winning country superstar will join a star-studded cast that includes Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers, Rudy Pankow, and Lauren Graham, with the film set to be directed by Vanessa Caswill. This won’t be Wilson’s first…
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kacey Musgraves clarified her previous comments on her marijuana use, revealing that she still smokes, though not to the extent she did when she was younger. “I never said I don’t ever partake,” says the 36-year-old singer. “I just don’t wake up and hit a gravity bong…
Reba McEntire has been one of the top female country stars since the ’80s, but she realizes she wouldn’t be anywhere without the support of her dedicated fans. In the new Variety cover feature on McEntire as part of their Power Of Women Nashville issue, the 70-year-old country music icon says she owes everything to…
In a new interview with Variety for their Power of Women Nashville issue, Sheryl Crow reflected on the evolving landscape of women in music, while celebrating the rise of young and talented female musicians. “The caliber of writing is just so good with Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, and Phoebe Bridgers, and these women are not…