CRS 2019 Recap – 3 Days Making Country Music Memories

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For the second year in a row, the NYCountry Swag team packed up and headed to Nashville to participate in Country Radio Seminar.  CRS for short takes place each February and this year the seminar celebrated 50 years of memories and incredible musical moments.  CRS is an annual three-day convention where country music and the radio industry gather to exchange ideas, set trends, introduce brands, launch artists and make decisions that affect every aspect of the genre’s future.   The seminar includes new music from rising artists as well as some of the most established artists in the business. For some of the best moments and the most exclusive shots, check out our highlight reel on Instagram here. 

CRS Recap

To kick off the week we flew to town a day before the seminar started to attend a show at the Grand Ole Opry, one of Nashville’s staple events.  On this particular night, we caught Justin Moore, Travis Denning, Chris Janson and making their Opry debut, the Davisson Brothers. Each artist brought their unique brand of country music to the famed circle, as always respecting the incredible honor it is to play there. Big thanks to Jordan Pettit for allowing our team to explore backstage, and even catch Chris Janson’s set from the stage.

CRS REcap

The next day officially kicked off the seminar which is held at the Omni Hotel. The first event was the Warner Luncheon which featured Morgan Evans, Devin Dawson, Cody Johnson, Cole Swindell, Chris Janson, Ashley McBryde, Dan + Shay and Humanitarian of the Year, Blake Shelton.  This event allows these artists to perform just one song for a room full of media and radio programmers from across the country. Highlights included Ashley McBryde telling the story of her teacher in grade school telling her that her dream of writing songs was stupid, she went on to sing “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” and you could hear a pin drop during her poignant song. Shelton accepted the Humanitarian of the Year award from last year’s recipient Dierks Bentley then after thanking everyone for the great honor sang “Austin” and “Ole Red” two of the songs that skyrocketed him to superstardom.

After the luncheon, we headed to a Happy Hour reception held by The Valory Music Company. Valory’s recording artists including Brantley Gilbert, Aaron Lewis, Thomas Rhett, Tyler Rich, Eli Young Band, and Justin Moore were all in attendance, sharing a drink with the invited guests. We had the chance to chat with Thomas Rhett and Tyler Rich about their upcoming plans for 2019 as well as Rhett’s headlining show at Madison Square Garden this fall. Thank you to Don Gosselin for having us out and for always being such a huge supporter of NYCountry Swag.

CRS recap

Next up was Amazon Music Country Heat, a showcase that featured King Calaway, Tenille Townes, Adam Hambrick, HARDY and Zac Brown Band. Highlights for us included seeing King Calaway, a band we are proud to support from the very beginning getting their shot to showcase their talent and charisma for a large audience of influential people in this business. Zac Brown Band premiered a brand new song as well as had everyone on their feet dancing along to their cover of “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

CRS recap

Next up was an exclusive once in a lifetime moment for CRS attendees, Garth Brooks closed down Bridgestone Arena for an intimate one-man show. Not only did Brooks answer questions about his career and give advice to the crowd but he played snippets of songs from artists that inspired him throughout his career including Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Keith Whitley and many more. The show concluded with a CRS sing-along of one of his biggest hits “Friends In Low Places”.

CRS Recap

Closing out day one, we headed to Luke’s 32 Bridge on Broadway to catch Jon Langston and a performance from the man himself, Luke Bryan. Langston rocked the crowd as an opener for Bryan’s very first time performing in his own bar. He played current hits such as “What Makes You Country” and “Huntin’ Fishin’ and Lovin’ Everyday” as well as throwing it back to “Country Girl (Shake It For Me)”. He invited Morgan Wallen to jump on stage, a total surprise for the crowd as well as Wallen himself, as the two sang to his number one hit “Up Down”.

CRS Recap

Day two started with one of the most highly anticipated events of the seminar, the Team UMG Lunch at The Ryman Auditorium. The hallowed halls of the Ryman were the perfect setting for Kassi Ashton, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Jordan Davis, Travis Denning, Vince Gill, Adam Hambrick, Caylee Hammack, Brandon Lay, Little Big Town, Maddie & Tae, Chris Stapleton, and Keith Urban. Little Big Town played a brand new song for attendees, a heartfelt ballad recognizing the importance of raising our girls to be strong women. As a surprise, Darius Rucker did not take the stage alone, Hootie and the Blowfish performed two of their biggest hits, “Let Her Cry” and “Hold My Hand” which had the entire auditorium on their feet singing along.

CRS REcap

Next up was a 90’s Country Night event hosted by Monument Records featuring one of our 2019 Artists to Watch Brandon Ratcliff and Walker Hayes. Ratcliff sang his debut single “Rules of Breaking Up” as well as a cover of one of his favorite 90’s country hits, Shania Twain’s “Still The One”, showcasing his undeniable talent to the crowd.  Walker Hayes was prepared to rock the beautiful theatre, giving the invited guests a sneak peek at his ‘Dream On It’ tour. He performed all of his hits and even gave the audience a taste at new music. Special shout out to Sarah DHilly and Casey Thomas from Monument and Olivia Hanceri from SMACK Songs for inviting us out to the event and always taking such good care of us. We were so happy to see you all!

CRS Recap

We rushed over to The Bell Tower to catch Radio Disney’s event ‘Let The Girls Play’ hosted by Kalie Shorr and Savannah Keyes. We caught Runaway June play their girl power anthem “Buy My Own Drinks”, Cassadee Pope sing her new single “If My Heart Had a Heart” and “Raelynn” perform “Love Triangle”.

CRS Recap

Finally, we headed to the presidential suite at the Omni where Warner Music Nashville hosted Tucker Beathard, their most recent signee.  Beathard performed for the suite, playing music from his latest album, Nobody’s Everything and showcasing new songs that will be on the next installment of songs.

CRS REcap

Beathard displays a unique and soulful way of storytelling. We are so grateful for our friends at Warner including Diane Monk and Tim Foisset for the invite to the exclusive performance and for the incredible conversations this past week and their continued support.

The final day of the seminar kicked off with the Big Machine Label Group luncheon which featured Rascal Flatts, Brantley Gilbert, Riley Green, Lauren Jenkins, and Noah Schnacky.  The variety of acts, Gilbert with his raw rock n roll country blend, Jenkins with her soulful meaningful lyrics and Rascal Flatts with their giant, classic country hits made for the perfect afternoon of music.

One of the most anticipated events always closes out the seminar, New Faces which features the best new artists in the genre. In the past 50 years, almost every single huge country star has been honored at the New Faces showcase.  To start out the night a video clip of Tim McGraw played on the giant screens, an interview with the superstar about his set at New Faces 25 years ago. It was the same night that McGraw met his future wife, Faith Hill.  As attendees took their seats and ate their dinners, the interviewer mentions that they had a clip from that night and as the first notes of “Don’t Take The Girl” played on the screens the curtain rose to reveal the last big surprise of CRS, singing the song in person was Tim McGraw.

Prepped for a night of great music from rising artists, we were so proud that first up was Russell Dickerson, an artist we have been working with since our very first event in January 2016. Dickerson brought his high energy set to CRS, playing his first two number hits, “Blue Tacoma” and “Yours” as well as his next single “Everything Little Thing”. As he closed his set by jumping around on stage, the audience was eager to award him with a standing ovation, proving why he was in this class of New Faces.

CRS Recap

Next up was Lindsey Ell who surprised her label by performing a brand new song and showing off her incredible guitar skills on “Criminal” and “Castle”. Another artist we have championed since 2017 to make the New Faces roster was Jimmie Allen.  Allen’s cool delivery and swagger had the audience captivated from his first song “Best Shot” to his closing number, a song he wrote about being a black man in country music “All Tractors Ain’t Green”. One of the most epic moments of the night, he brought out several gospel singers to accompany him, showcasing his true artistry.

Next up, the boys of LANCO brought their live set to the stage, performing “Greatest Love Story” and “Born to Love You” and even took the opportunity to premiere brand new music for the radio seminar audience. Closing out the night with Dylan Scott’s energetic live set, the crooner performed his latest single “Nothing To Do Town” and even covered Keith Whitley  He ended the night with his smash hit “My Girl”.

Bookending the trip with another stop at the famed Grand Ole Opry, we headed back to the historic venue Saturday night to catch Mitchell Tenpenny’s Opry debut. Since meeting Tenpenny back in 2017 and interviewing him first on our live session in the middle of Times Square, we have enjoyed championing this incredible musician and watching his career continue to flourish. We were lucky enough to watch him step into the infamous circle for the very first time from the side of the stage with the rest of his team. Check out an exclusive video of the magical moment on our Instagram below.

Overall the three day seminar gave NYCountry Swag the opportunity to connect with people our team had been emailing with over the past year, hear some incredible new music from rising artists as well as being in awe of some of country music’s biggest icons. We learned, connected and celebrated country music with the rest of the Nashville community and with people who live across the country.  Thank you to Aristo PR for credentialing our team and we are already looking forward to CRS 2020! Don’t forget to visit our highlight reel on Instagram here to check out photos and videos from some of the best moments of the week.

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Parmalee Reaches Milestone with “Country Dictionary” Series

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Parmalee

Country music band, Parmalee, comprised of brothers, Matt and Scott Thomas, as well as, their cousin Barry Knox, and friend, Josh McSwain have reached a milestone last week. Back in 2017, the band created a fun and quirky YouTube series, geared towards explaining their home town phrases, entitled ‘Country Dictionary,’ releasing their 100th episode just yesterday.

Hailing from North Carolina, the boys have a unique vocabulary of words and phrases otherwise known as, ‘Parmalism,’ that they use to communicate with each other over the years, all stemming from their upbringing. The band gives credit to their southern roots, as well as, their family members for the creation of their colloquial native language (Parmalism).

The band excitedly announced their accomplishment via their twitter, encouraging followers to check out their 100th episode. “100 EPISODES!!! Tell your friends, tell your neighbors!! & we’re just gettin started!! We’ve heard em all and we putting them all here together on #countrydictionary – #parmalisms (need a good laugh? see every episode by clicking the hashtags or our YouTube channel).”

Through its 100 episodes, Parmalee’s “Country Dictionary” series has taught us the meaning of the words, “wollered,” “crackhawk,” and “mash,” as well as, the phrase, “hawg maui” and “sausage fingers,” among many others. For the 100th installment video, Thomas, Thomas, Knox, and McSwain introduce us to the verb “hoodoo,” defining it as similar to being scammed or tricked.

Check out the humorous video below. Who knows, you might learn some other North Carolina slang in the process.

Keep up with the fun-loving Parmalee’s youtube series here, as well as, on Twitter and Instagram. When it comes to music, the men continue to play shows throughout the country. Head to parmalee.com to check out their tour schedule, and see if they’re playing a show near you soon.

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NYCS First Impression: Ashley Monroe ‘Sparrow Acoustic Sessions’

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Ashley Monroe Sparrow

Singer-songwriter Ashley Monroe released her latest EP entitled Sparrow (Acoustic Sessions) last Friday, which features five stripped-down versions of her songs from her fourth solo record. The rawness of the acoustic album highlights the classic timeless voice Monroe has.

Monroe has perfected the art of storytelling. The first track off of the album “Orphan” reveals the desperation of a person who is lost and wonders how they will make it alone in life. Expressing her sorrow and confusion, Monroe sings, “Nobody told me what I should do/When the world starts to rumble and shake under you/How does an orphan find its way home?/Reach out with no hand to hold/How do I make it alone?”

Monroe dives deep into the art of exploring a woman’s sexuality with her second song “Hands On You.” It is a provocative and seductive song where she reminisces on a past love and longs to be back in that relationship again. “Hands On You” in its acoustic entirety creates an even further sensual listening experience of regret and the passion that no longer exists.

The third track, “Wild Love” was inspired by her first trip to London. Monroe continues to show her sensual side and describes a longing for a love that is untamed and dangerous that will wash over her “like the Barcelona rain.” The acoustic version of “Wild Love” enhances and dramatizes the song and feeling of desperation.

“Paying Attention” is somehow even more heartbreaking in the acoustic rendition as Monroe sings about a love that is no longer in her life. A melancholy feel is created with a simple guitar strum and a violin in the background, as she sings “You promised I’d miss you when you walked away/You were right when you told me I’d be sorry someday/Well, I’m paying attention to you/Oh now, I’m paying attention to you.”

The last track of Sparrow (Acoustic Sessions) is “Keys To The Kingdom,” an emotional religious tribute connecting music to loved ones who have since passed on. With a simple piano playing in the background, the solemn track is beautifully composed and executed.

Sparrow (Acoustic Sessions) showcases Monroe’s unbelievable vocal capability and captures the creativity of her talented songwriting. Take a listen to the full EP below.

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NYCS Swag Spotlight: Kalie Shorr

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“I just always had this really deep interest in lyrics and that’s probably why I started writing my own songs”

Kalie Shorr grew up in Portland, Maine, where she was heavily influenced by a blend of rock and country music. From Foo Fighters and Nirvana to Dixie Chicks and Shania Twain, Shorr knew from a very young age, music was what she was destined to pursue. “I just love songs. My dad always tells this story of when I was probably five years old, we were driving and listening to “Last Kiss” by Pearl Jam. It’s a really heartbreaking song about a couple who were in high school and they get in a car accident and the girl passes away and he gets her last kiss and it’s really sad,” she told us in a recent phone interview. “A five-year-old shouldn’t really be able to wrap their head around that but we’re just listening and driving down the road and he’s not paying attention, then he looks over and I’m just sobbing my eyes out. From then on, I loved country music and I just loved songs that made me cry and he was like ‘this is so bizarre because you’re like a child,’ but it was what I was supposed to do.”

Shorr wrote her first song when she was just six-years-old and started to play the guitar when she was eleven-years-old. When she was nine she attended her very first concert at Madison Square Garden, with Dixie Chicks as headliners and Michelle Branch as the opening act. Seeing those women live, solidified her passion for song and lyric. Shorr’s parents were always supportive of her musical career but were adamant she waited until she was an adult to pursue it as a full-time career.

In middle school, Shorr started her very own Nirvana cover band with a group of friends. She discovered a new love for country music once the band broke up, and knew she wanted to focus specifically on that genre. When she was fourteen-years-old, she told her parents she wanted to move to Nashville once she was finished with school. Shorr worked hard and graduated high school early, while also working at a local pizza shop to save up for the big move. Once she got to Nashville, she began working at a hot dog stand on Broadway and “hustled” until she met her current manager, Todd Cassetty. The two became close and started Song Suffragettes together. They decided to pick a lineup of female country artists and Shorr was very hands-on with this aspect, building the show from the ground up. Song Suffragettes was where the singer-songwriter met her first friends and collaborators in town.

Shorr’s current single, or should we say, singles, were recently released in a unique way. “Awake” is the name of the song, Shorr originally wrote a country version, but the moment it was written, she knew she could hear it becoming something more. She continuously asked her manager for ideas, until he was out to dinner, brainstorming ideas with the head of Radio Disney and it turned into something never done before. Shorr would simultaneously release the country version of “Awake” and the pop version of “Awake” on the same day. You could hear “Awake (Country Mix)” on Radio Disney Country and flip the station to Radio Disney, and hear “Awake (Pop Mix).” Shorr added Jonny Brenns on the pop mix, he sings the second verse of the song, rewriting the lyric from a guy’s perspective, which she thinks is super valuable. Hearing both versions, she wants listeners to know, “It’s not just, ‘stop calling me when you’re drunk, I wanna be there for you so much but you’re not there for me.”

Shorr is currently working on her debut full-length studio album, slated for release later this year. She has written every track on the album, with the exception for one cover which she is extremely excited about. She tells us the record will be completely different from anything she’s ever done but unapologetically herself, honest, vulnerable and full of estrogen. Briefly touching on female sexism in the music industry, Shorr hopes things will continue to change, “I know it’s my job to keep talking about it and not letting people get away with it.”

Check out our Swag Session with the songstress from last year, below.

Be sure to follow Shorr on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook to not miss a single announcement or release in 2019.

 

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Florida Georgia Line Celebrate Album Release in NYC

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Florida Georgia Line

This past Friday (Feb. 15), multi-platinum-selling country duo Florida Georgia Line spent the day promoting their highly anticipated fourth studio album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, throughout New York City.
We first caught the guys during their exclusive in-studio Nash FM 94.7 interview with host Kelly Ford in the early afternoon, which aired on Nash FM over the weekend. The superstar duo discussed the process of making the record, along with backstories behind a few of the songs, which Ford hand-picked. “Talk You Out Of It,” “Swerve” and “Speed Of Love” were among Ford’s favorites. The radio host continued to compliment Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley on their entrepreneurship with all three of their businesses; their Nashville bar, FGL House, their whiskey brand, Old Camp Whiskey and BK’s clothing brand, Tribe Kelley. Ending the interview, Hubbard and Kelley gave everyone in the audience a physical copy of the new album as a thank you for supporting them over the years.

Later that evening, the duo teamed up with iHeartRadio for an official intimate album release party held at the iHeartRadio theater. The two superstars performed an hour-long set, along with a special question and answer portion, hosted by Brooke Taylor.

Florida Georgia Line

Kelley and Hubbard opened up about the album’s title, their choice of featured artists on the record and who Brother Jervel is. When asked about why they named the album ‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country’, Hubbard took the lead and revealed it started with the album’s title track, telling fans it became Kelley’s idea to title the album the same name. The duo continued to explain how they came to choose each collaboration for the record, “Everybody that’s on our album in the collaborations, it just fit perfect. It was really organic. We wrote a song called “Women” with Jason Derulo out in L.A. a couple years ago and there was no chance his voice wasn’t going to be on that one. We left it, already sounded amazing, and we already had a vision of what it was going to sound like. And Jason Aldean, he answered back real quick and said, ‘Hey. I’ll hop on with y’all. That’s sounds amazing. Love the song.’ And HARDY is somebody, one of those young guns. We love him and couldn’t be more proud of him. He’s a rock star. He’s a hell of a songwriter and also a heck of an artist, too. So we kind of go by the song and imagine who we hear and who fits naturally and just kind of put out feelers.”

Hubbard revealed the man behind the character Brother Jervel who is featured in the four skits on the album. Brother Jervel is one of their longtime friends, whose real name is Chris. Chris would leave the guys funny voicemails and it sparked the idea of creating skits to set up some songs on the record.

The superstar duo performed five songs from Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, four of them being for the very first time, including “Colorado,” “People Are Different,” “Swerve” and “Y’all Boys.” They also performed the album’s lead single “Simple,” along with their record-breaking hit collaboration with Bebe Rexha, “Meant to Be” and tailgating tune with Morgan Wallen, “Up Down.”

Florida Georgia Line

Hubbard and Kelley couldn’t end the night without a few shots of their very own whiskey (of course) and performing their crowd-favorite hits, “H.O.L.Y.,” “Anything Goes,” “Round Here,” “This Is How We Roll” and the song that got it all started for them, “Cruise.”

Florida Georgia Line will hit the road this summer for their ‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country Tour’ with Dan + Shay, Morgan Wallen, HARDY and Canaan Smith. New Yorkers can catch the show at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater on Saturday, July 20th. Visit http://www.floridageorgialine.com for all ticketing information.
Can’t Say I Ain’t Country is now available everywhere you stream or buy music.

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Today’s Biggest Stars Honor Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special

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Elvis Presley

Trae Patton/NBC

Last night (Feb 17) some of today’s biggest superstar performers joined together to honor the late, great Elvis Presley. Broadcasted on NBC, the all-star event mimicked the ’68 Comeback’ special Presley starred in on his return from the war. From John Fogerty to Ed Sheeran, to Little Big Town to Post Malone; every genre was represented on the special. Presley was famous for his unique sound that combined the genres of rock, country, R&B, pop, gospel and even opera, which is what made him such a tremendous music icon.

The tribute began with the original footage of Presley singing “Guitar Man” from the ‘68 special with host Blake Shelton joining in on every other verse. Interviews with Priscilla Presley (wife of six years), Steve Binder (producer and director of ‘68 special) and Mac Davis (songwriter for Presley) were also included throughout the tribute.

“Elvis was country; Elvis was R&B; and anyway you look at it, Elvis rocked. Sometimes he did it all at once” – Shelton praised.  Keith Urban performed with hip-hop artist, Post Malone covering “Baby What Do You Want From Me” while Carrie Underwood sang “You’ll Never Walk Alone” with gospel singer, Yolanda Adams. Urban and Underwood also sang solos of “Burning Love” and “How Great Art Thou”, respectively.

Elvis Presley

Tyler Golden/NBC

Other country artists that performed included Darius Rucker singing “One Night”, Shelton – “Suspicious Minds”, Mac Davis – “Memories”, Little Big Town – “Lonesome”, Pistol Annies – “Love Me”, and Dierks Bentley – “Little Sister”.  “I feel so proud to sing it tonight as we all remember the unforgettable, Elvis Presley” – Ballerini said on performing “Always On My Mind”.

The show ended with the classic footage of Presley singing “If I Could Dream” joined by Underwood, Mendes, Post Malone, Rucker, and Shelton. This was the song he closed the show with 50 years ago. To watch the full ‘68 Comeback special click here and for clips from last night’s epic tribute click here.

 

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Florida Georgia Line Perform on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

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Florida Georgia Line

Photo Credit: Robby Klein

To celebrate the release of their newest album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, platinum-selling duo, Florida Georgia Line is in New York City to promote their record. Their first stop included performing their hit “Talk You Out of It” on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ at midnight.

Host Fallon excitedly announced the duo’s performance, just before they took the stage. Record in hand he shared, “Performing “Talk You Out of It.” from their new album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, out now! Give it up for Florida Georgia Line.”

With a hazy and steamy looking backdrop and a peek of their band, the duo took front and center. Hubbard’s smooth and sultry vocals were evident as he began to sing the first verse of the song, while Kelley’s harmonies and unique swagger added to the performance. As a nod to their love of blending sounds and different genres together, the duo blended their fashion as well, with Kelley dressed in a cowboy hat and denim, and Hubbard donning a more hip-hop inspired look. Whatever the case, their signature fashion and vocal style were on full display during the entire performance. The boys embodied the essence of the music video for “Talk You Out of It” perfectly. They ended their performance thanking the audience, who immediately erupted into applause. Check out the clip below to see for yourself.

Fans can catch Florida Georgia Line on their ‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country Tour’ kicking off this summer, accompanied by Dan + Shay and Morgan Wallen, as well as, special guests, HARDY and Cannan Smith at select shows. The tour hits the New York area on Saturday, July 20th at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre. Tickets can be purchased through ‘Megaticket’ now; however pre-sale begins on Tuesday, February 26th at 10 am. via Ticketmaster for fan-club members. For more information, head to floridageorgialine.com.

 

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New Country Music Friday – The Playlist 2/15/19

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It’s that time of the week again… New Music Friday! Today, we see the highly anticipated fourth studio album from Florida Georgia Line, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country.  Plus new tracks from Sara Bareilles, George Strait and so much more.

Check out our Spotify New Country Music Playlist below and be sure to follow for updates each and every Friday:

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NYCS First Impression: Florida Georgia Line ‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country’

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Can't Say I Ain't Country

Platinum-selling country duo, Florida Georgia Line have officially released their highly anticipated fourth studio album, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country. The LP features collaborations by country singers, Jason Aldean and HARDY, as well as, reuniting the duo with Jason Derulo on one of the nineteen tracks. On Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, Hubbard and Kelley continue to explore their signature sound and their mutual love of multiple genres of music, and it evident from start to finish.

The record opens with the title track, which sets the tone for the rest of the album. The song explores the criticism that Florida Georgia Line often hear, that their sound does not fit the country music mold. In typical Florida Georgia Line fashion, the boys push back, delivering the definitive country jam. Both the lyrics and the instrumentals give fans the country flavor that they are often accused of missing. “You can say I’m a redneck / You can say you don’t like my truck / You can say that I talk and I dress all funny / But you can’t say I ain’t country.”

One of the best examples of their ability to blend genres is “Talk You Out of It,” which was one of the songs released a few months ago. The track melds R&B influences with Hubbard and Kelley’s voices effortlessly. It is sexy, sultry, and super catchy. The song showcases their love for infusing different genres into their music in the best light. In the same vein, their track with Jason Derulo, “Women,” is a refreshing love letter to all women, mentioning that “we’re all better off with them right by our side.” Derulo is the perfect collaborator for this song.

Another ballad featured on the album is their final track entitled “Blessings.” The song has the same feel as past hits, “Dirt” and “God, Your Mama, and Me.” Hubbard and Kelley pour their hearts out, as they sing the sentimental lyrics. The arrangement is simple, focusing on their story-telling lyrics and their beautiful harmonies. It is clear that the duo drew inspiration from their relationships with their wives when they helped write this track. “I can’t count them on one hand / But when I look there on your finger / I say I’m a lucky man / God made two lovers out of strangers / Little house on a little land / A little creek, a little jeep / Same old moon that everybody sees / It sure ain’t hard to count your blessings.”

For fans who love Florida Georgia Line for their fun party tracks, don’t worry, Can’t Say I Ain’t Country, has some good ones! The uptempo, “Y’all Boys” featuring rising country singer, HARDY is going to be the perfect addition to their live setlist. The cheeky song is as country as it gets, and will make a perfect tailgate song. Charming and catchy “Y’all Boys” will most definitely be a summer anthem in no time. Although more of a mid-tempo vibe, Florida Georgia Line’s collaboration with country superstar, Jason Aldean, “Can’t Hide Red” is sure to be an instant hit as well. The track showcases their southern pride, mixed with some hip-hop flavor. The song will have everyone singing and dancing along from the first listen.

Although we love the party songs, Florida Georgia Line really shine on tracks like “People Are Different” and “Sittin’ Pretty.” Both songs focus on the creative lyrics, show off Hubbard and Kelley’s song-writing skills and display honest messages that fans are sure to identify with.

Overall Florida Georgia Line deliver a solid record with Can’t Say I Ain’t Country. Hubbard and Kelley embrace their country roots throughout each of the tracks, while still staying true to their signature sound. The album is unapologetically Florida Georgia Line, and that is what makes it special.

Can’t Say I Ain’t Country is now available everywhere you buy or stream music. Take a listen below and check out more new recently released music here on our ‘New Country Music’ playlist. Be sure to give the playlist a follow for your weekly new country music fix.

Make sure to catch Florida Georgia Line this summer, on their ‘Can’t Say I Ain’t Country’ tour, featuring Dan + Shay, and Morgan Wallen, with special guests, HARDY and Cannan Smith at select shows. New Yorkers can catch the concert at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre on Saturday, July 20th. For more information, head to floridageorgialine.com.

 

 

 

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After Big Grammy Wins, Kacey Musgraves Releases “Rainbow” Video

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Following her big night, 4-time Grammy Award winner Kacey Musgraves, dropped her brand new music video for her newest single, “Rainbow” late last night. Musgraves swept the 2019 Grammys, winning the most awards of the night, Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Song and the biggest award, Album Of The Year for Golden Hour.

Before taking the stage to perform “Rainbow” at the Grammys, she teased the music video live on the E! Red Carpet with Ryan Seacrest. Giving an exclusive sneak peek of the video she created with the director, Hannah Lux Davis. When asked to talk about the concept of the video, Musgraves mentioned, “The song started out as kind of a memo to myself but it’s really just for anybody who’s going through any kind of anything and the video is kind of just representative of your own mental garden kind of just overtaking you.”

The video is breathtaking, showing Musgraves engulfed in a warm glowing light looking as angelic as ever. She is seen singing in between scenes of different people struggling through life including, a single mother taking care of her child, a young man coming out to his parents, and a man suffering from alcoholism. As the scenes play out, each person eventually finds their inner peace showing a rainbow spreading over their heads. Ending the video with Musgraves sitting in a room filled with colorful flowers underneath a majestic rainbow, showing that life has a way of working itself out in the end.

New Yorkers can catch Kacey Musgraves performing at the Governors Ball Music Festival on Randall’s Island on June 1st!

 

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Subscribe to our Weekly Round-Up here 
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