Out June 8th: New Sugarland Album “Bigger”

Sugarland Bigger Album Release

SUGARLAND’s highly anticipated sixth studio album, titled BIGGER, will be released on June 8 and is currently available for preorder on April 13. Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush co-wrote nearly all of the songs on the album, which was co-produced by Kristian, Jennifer, and Julian Raymond. The project’s lead single, “Still The Same,” is currently climbing the Country radio charts ahead of the duo’s spring-summer STILL THE SAME 2018 TOUR. After taking a hiatus to pursue a series of high profile solo projects, BIGGER is the duo’s first new music in seven years and the first project under their new joint venture with Big Machine Records and UMG Nashville. It will be available to pre-order at digital retailers as well as the title track, “Bigger,” available to download on April 13. As fans have come to expect from Sugarland, BIGGER embodies the musical spirit of the band: it contains tracks both uptempo and upbeat as well as powerful message songs that address specific issues facing the world. “Our hopefulness and our sparkiness and our joy is one of the things I think we do uniquely well, especially in the country format,” says Jennifer of the set’s sunnier material. “We offer that in a unique way.” The bold graphics of the recently unveiled album cover conjure up images of a circus tent, representative of both that fun side and some of the more enigmatic content on the project, which was written over and influenced by the course of the past six months. “This album has a whole bunch of mystery,” says Kristian, who has been enjoying peeling back the layers of the production and the nuanced songwriting. “I’m listening to it every two days just to see what’s in it. I have entire pints of blood in that thing, but I still don’t know where it all came from, and I love that.” Their STILL THE SAME 2018 TOUR kicks off May 25 and will visit 48 cities in the U.S. and Canada, but the duo has already delighted audiences in the U.K. with their new material, earning standing ovations during their performances at the C2C: Country to Country festival in March. Since the band’s inception in 2002, Sugarland has sold nearly 10 million albums domestically, earned seven No. 1 singles to date and amassed more than 260 million on-demand streams, making Sugarland one of the most popular Country music duos of all time. Lauded by Entertainment Weekly as one of the format’s “most successful and beloved acts,” both members of the duo say their time away from writing and recording together has only made them come back stronger and, yes, BIGGER. “We have always enjoyed playing in the margins and stretching the format,” says Jennifer. “But it’s fun to have taken this time away and seen how the format has expanded and how music has evolved. Before, we were playing in the margins. Now, the margins have moved, and that’s fun to hear.” “It’s not like we stopped creating Continue reading Out June 8th: New Sugarland Album “Bigger”

Introducing: Stephanie Owens – EP Release May 18th

Stephanie Owens on Country Music News Blog

Nashville newcomer Stephanie Owens is set to make a big impact with her debut self-titled EP due out May 18th. Stephanie’s talent may be singing and songwriting, but her passion is spreading body-positivity and support for youth suffering from eating disorders. Listen to Stephanie Owens’ “Little Girl in the Mirror” and let us know what you think! “Little Girl in the Mirror” Available Now: http://smarturl.it/LittleGirlMirror Follow: Spotify | http://sptfy.com/F1E Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/stephowensmusic Facebook | https://facebook.com/stephowensmusic Twitter | https://www.twitter.com/stephowensmusic

Dustin Lynch Kicks Off a Good Summer with “Good Girl”

Dustin Lynch News

Surprise Debut Performance During 2018 iHeartCountry Festival Named One Of The Event’s “Best Moments”, Up For First Billboard Music Award May 20 Broken Bow Records star DUSTIN LYNCH is getting his summer off to a “good” start, unveiling brand new music and the groove-country vibes of his new single “Good Girl.” After performing the song live for the first time at the iHeartCountry Festival by AT&T in Austin, TX, on Saturday (5/5), “Good Girl” made its world premiere across iHeartCountry radio yesterday (5/6). The track just felt too perfect for the moment to hold back any longer. “We came across something that I just fell in love with immediately, and we just said, ‘Well, why not just go and record the song?’ And once we did that, I got to thinking, ‘Man, I can’t live with this song not being heard this summer,’” Lynch said in a video message to fans. “So, I called my record label, they were cool with going ahead and letting me record it, and then I asked, ‘Man, what if we went ahead and put this out for summer ’18. Like, I can’t wait all year long to put this out next year, or something.’ And they were like, ‘Well, hell yeah!’” Listen to “Good Girl” here. Written by Lynch with Justin Ebach and Andy Albert, and produced by Zach Crowell, “Good Girl” taps back into the classic-meets-contemporary sound of Lynch’s biggest country hits. Doused in sunshine and overflowing with effortless romance, the lucky-to-be-me anthem is all about living the good life – one where the right partner makes even the best of times better. It follows closely after a remarkable streak of five straight GOLD or PLATINUM-certified #1 singles – two of which stemmed from the Tullahoma, TN native’s 2017 Top 5 album, CURRENT MOOD (“Seein’ Red” and “Small Town Boy”). Lynch’s performance ranked as one of the night’s “best moments” (iHeartRadio) when he surprised the crowd with the “new summer jam” (Whiskey Riff) at the 2018 iHeartCountry Festival Saturday (5/5), taking place at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, TX. The boundary pushing singer-songwriter is also on the bill for this year’s all-genre iHeartRadio Music Festival, which takes place September 21–22 in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Lynch is up for his first-ever Billboard Music Award on May 20, nominated in the coveted Top Country Song category for his PLATINUM-certified, multi-week #1, “Small Town Boy.” The star-studded ceremony will air live on NBC at 8 p.m. ET from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. Having just wrapped his run as the featured supporting artist on Brad Paisley’s WEEKEND WARRIOR WORLD TOUR, Lynch is slated to perform at North American fairs and festivals through September. For tour dates and more information, visit DustinLynchMusic.com, and reach out to him on Facebook,Instagram. About Dustin Lynch: Since releasing his PLATINUM debut single, “Cowboys and Angels,” Lynch has been on a steady path toward superstardom with five consecutive #1s, three Top 5 albums, PLATINUM-level certifications and tours with the biggest Continue reading Dustin Lynch Kicks Off a Good Summer with “Good Girl”

Introducing: Metro Jethros

Metro Jethros on Country Music News Blog

When it comes to reviewing new music I tend to follow the advice of Nashville legend Erv Woolsey when he said “No matter what, you can’t beat a good song.” Of course, having helped George Strait select so many astronomical chart-toppers, the man has a point. And that point is well-made on the debut self-titled album from North Carolina’s own Metro Jethros. To be honest, I haven’t had such a solid album submission in a very long time… to the point that I wonder if this is really the bands’ first album. Each song is a well-written story on par with the raw honesty of Eric Church, the humor of Blake Shelton, and the classic composure of Alan Jackson. Songs like “Storm” manage to capture the exact moment when you realize the life you’re living is about to come undone. Meanwhile “Tailgate” is just a fun barn-burner of a bonfire tune, perfect for your summer party playlist. Find out more about the Metro Jethros band from their Official Website or follow the band on Facebook!

Introducing: J. Antonette

J. Antonette on Country Music News Blog

J.Antonette’s New York meets Nashville styled country pop EP, “Paper Trail”, has created quite the buzz on the airwaves. Her singles, “Hello, Goodbye” and “Somewhere In The Middle” have already been featured on stations such as Nash FM, Big Frog 104, Kiss FM, Bug Country and more! J.Antonette got her start as a background singer for Grammy Award winning artist Melissa Etheridge, Jerry Wonda’s Platinum Sound Band, and since has toured with Gary Douglas in support of South Side Johnny & The Asbury Jukes. She’s most recently teamed up with NASH FM and shared the stage with a number of celebrity artists, including country top charter, Jordan Davis!   Throughout her journey, she was lead back to her country roots and created a movement called “#NYDoesCounty”.This movement rallies support around fellow New York based country artists to fight the stereotypes of what country artist are perceived to be, and supports the right to be authentically you no matter what genre you are. “While writing my latest EP, the perceptions and expectations people had regarding what being a country artist was frustrated me. I was told I’d have to relocate to Nashville or Texas to succeed. People expected me to all of a sudden change my wardrobe because I live in New York and they felt I didn’t dress “country” enough. NYDoesCountry was an idea to challenge the misconceptions that country music success would depend on one’s location or wearing daisy dukes, flannel, or cowboy boots and have/sing with a southern drawl to be accepted fully as a country artist. Although I love those classic country ideas, there are many types of “country”. I’d rather be authentically me, than conforming just because that’s the image someone has for me. This movement goes beyond music. Your looks and locations doesn’t determine your success, you do. I was raised in a small country town in upstate New York. Why would being born in a NY country environment make me any less “country”? It’s a way of life. Afterall, country music is for the WHOLE country. We are blessed to have a choice to wake-up and be whomever we want. For me, I’m country, my clothes and location can change, country music is rooted in me.”- Jessica Antonette   Her first country music video, “Somewhere In The Middle” is set to exclusivly premiere on Big Frog 104 (website) in the beginning of May 2018. Visit www.Jantonette.com for other news and tour dates!

Watch now: Kacey Musgraves – Butterflies

Kacey Musgraves News

The darling of the jukebox, Kacey Musgraves takes us back to that first taste of sweet sweet love with her new single “Butterflies” off her 2018 album “Golden Hour“. “Butterflies” was released to rave reviews, with NPR proclaiming it as “stepping easily beyond any genre category with a sunny sense that this is just where country should be these days.” The track is featured on Kacey’s critically-acclaimed new album Golden Hour, her third #1 debut on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Golden Hour has been praised by everyone from NPR, Time, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Pitchfork, and The FADER, among others, with USA Today declaring “Golden Hour may be 2018’s best album yet,” and The Huffington Post calling it “the work of a self-assured artist breaking the mold instead of the younger version telling us that one day she would.” Kacey has performed music from Golden Hour on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, TODAY, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and she will make her debut on Saturday Night Live next Saturday, May 12th. Kacey played Stagecoach festival this past weekend, with Noisey announcing her set “proves she’s the best future country music has” and The Los Angeles Times observing Saturday’s lineup “offered a triumphant set from Kacey Musgraves, who delivered on her early promise and handled her new stature as a soon-to-be headliner with confidence.” Kacey will wrap up her tour with Little Big Town this weekend, and will go on to support Harry Styles on his tour this summer. Kacey will kick off her headlining Oh, What A World: Tour this fall in Europe, with additional global dates to be announced. For more information, visit http://www.kaceymusgraves.com/tour.

Watch Now: Carrie Underwood – Cry Pretty (Official Video)

Carrie Underwood Cry Pretty

Carrie Underwood is BACK and better than ever with her release of the official video for the tearjerker anthem “Cry Pretty“. You can catch Carrie Underwood returning to American Idol and a superstar guest mentor on May 13th. Underwood will also perform her hit single, “Cry Pretty,” which Underwood co-wrote and co-produced, and debuted in its first week sales at #1 in the U.S. all-genres, topping the iTunes Top Songs charts in 12 countries. The new album – her first for Capitol Records Nashville – will be released on September 14, marking the first time she has co-produced her own album.