[Watch] The Voice Season 15 Finale Contestants Perform With Country Stars

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Last night, NBC’s hit singing competition show The Voice wrapped up its 15th season with the last four contestants, Chevel Shepherd, Chris Kroeze, Kirk Jay, and Kennedy Holmes. The four finalists were competing for the winning title and a record deal that will change their lives forever. The two-hour season finale was jam-packed with performances from a multitude of different artists like Dierks Bentley, John Legend, Marshmello and Bastille, Panic! at the Disco, and Halsey. While even bringing out judges Kelly Clarkson and Jennifer Hudson to join forces for a powerful Christmas duet. That wasn’t all for the finale performances, the finalists had a special musical collaboration for their last performance in the competition.

Luckily for us country music fans, there were some country stars in the making, Chevel Shepherd (Team Kelly) and Kirk Jay (Team Blake.) The two finalists got the opportunity to perform with artists we all know and love, Rascal Flatts and Dan + Shay.

Throughout the competition, Kirk Jay and Blake Shelton have become great collaborators and friends. Shelton has embraced Kirk’s undying love for country music and even praised the contestant saying, “Kirk has got this twang that nobody has ever had in country music before.” Giving the Shelton stamp of approval, Jay has won the hearts of many and even turned fellow judge Jennifer Hudson into a fan of the genre. Last night, his dream came true to share the stage with one of the best selling country groups of all time, Rascal Flatts, performing their latest single, “Back To Life.” The trio and the finalist poured out their hearts, giving the crowd a beautiful performance filled with emotion and undeniable talent.

Next up, was Kelly Clarkson’s very own country Tinkerbell, Chevel Shepherd. The champion coach took Shepherd under her wing, bringing the pure country singer all the way into the final four. Over their time in the competition, the two have formed a sister like bond with one another, ending with Clarkson praising her saying, “She’s everything you want your daughter to be, I hope my daughter sings and she sings like you!” The country Tinkerbell took the stage with Grammy Nominated Best Country Duo, Dan + Shay singing their latest number one single, “Speechless.” The duo and the finalist joined forces, giving everyone watching a female perspective of the hit song, while she stood in the middle belting out the lyrics and captivating the audience with their powerful vocals.

Before the big winner was announced, country superstar Dierks Bentley took the stage to perform his latest hit single, “Burning Man” off his ninth studio album, The Mountain. Bentley gave all he had while performing, not leaving the crowd disappointed for a moment. Throughout the performance, he was seen interacting with the audience, even stepping into the crowd to get as close as possible, while the camera panned to the fans cheering and singing along. The performance was energized making those watching at home wishing that they were there.

Voice Finale

Photo Credit Trae Patton/NBC

After the final four performed for the last time, it was the moment everyone was waiting for. Coming in fourth place was Team Jennifer’s Kennedy Holmes while following in third place was Team Blake’s country singer, Kirk Jay. The final two contestants came down to Team Blake’s Chris Kroeze and Team Kelly’s Chevel Shepherd. Leaving the audience waiting on the edge of their seats…and the winner is country Tinkerbell, Chevel Shepherd! A big congratulations to the winner and Team Kelly, who has now won two years in a row.

Luckily for us New Yorkers, Dan + Shay have recently added a New York City date to their spring 2019 tour, playing at Hammerstein Ballroom on March 7, 2019, with support act Morgan Evans.

 

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Devin Dawson Releases ‘Dark Horse: Songs in the Key F (Live)’

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Nearing the one year anniversary of its original release, Warner Bros. recording artist, Devin Dawson released a live stripped-down version of his debut album Dark Horse.  The LP features all twelve original tracks in a new light, every one of them recorded in the same room the vocalist originally wrote each song in, with his co-writers.

Dawson took to his Instagram to share the significance of taking each step in re-recording his record, “The songwriting community in Nashville is something that is very sacred to me, and I wanted to shed some light on the magic of it – while sharing the inspiration and details on how this album came to life.”

Along with each song, comes a live performance video which are all featured on Dawson’s YouTube channel.

Dawson will continue his headlining ‘Stray Off Course Tour’ this upcoming January, with the first stop being right here in New York City at Bowery Ballroom. Tickets are sold-out but check back with NYCountry Swag for a full show review, as well as live videos on our Instagram story.

Dark Horse: Songs in the Key F (Live) is now available everywhere you steam or buy music. Take a listen below.

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Emily Hackett Re-Releases “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)”

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Emily Hackett

 

CMT’s 2019 Next Women of Country inductee, Emily Hackett recently re-released her beautiful rendition of John Lennon’s song, “Happy Xmas (War is Over), in honor of the holiday season. The songstress’ cover includes a beautiful lyric video to go along with her phenomenal vocals.

Hackett’s lyric video features clips of home videos of different families celebrating Christmas with their loved ones. Her hauntingly beautiful vocals paired with the visuals bring a soulful twist to Lennon’s classic song. The singer-songwriter’s version can and should be appreciated by music lovers of not only the country music genre but of any genre. Take a look at the video below.

Still looking for more holiday music to get you through the season? For more of our favorite country holiday songs, check out our ‘Top 10 Christmas Songs’ and our ‘Top Original Country Music Christmas Songs’ here. Don’t forget to follow NY Country Swag’s playlist on Spotify for your complete holiday country music fix.

To hear more of Hackett’s beautiful voice, fans can download her EP By The Sun, which features five heartfelt tracks, all seemingly authentic to the artist. The track list includes “Nostalgia,” “Waitress,” “Josie,” “Good Intentions,” and “Yours.” Each song has the singer’s story-telling ability and knack for honest and soulful vocals weaved throughout, showing fans exactly why she was selected to represent 2019’s class of women in country music. Hackett’s EP is available, wherever music can be streamed.

Keep up with the singer-songwriter on her website, emilyhackett.com and make sure to follow her journey on social media.

 

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[Watch] Dylan Scott Releases Music Video for Single “Nothing To Do Town”

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Just over a month ago, chart-topper, Dylan Scott released his new single, “Nothing To Do Town” to fans across all digital platforms. The track will be sent to country radio in the new year and is most likely our first taste of the singer-songwriter’s upcoming sophomore album. Scott continues his momentum, as he dropped the official music video for the jam just yesterday.

Rocking his signature ball-cap and swagger, Scott plays the lead in the music video, as he engages in different activities throughout the small town. Viewers get to see the simplistic happiness on the singer’s face, as he greets each and every person he encounters rides a four-wheeler, and has a party outside, complete with a fire and good people. The setting mirrors where Scott grew up, and the feeling of going back home again, after experiences big-city living. “Nothing To Do Town” is the rising country star’s lyrical take on how he grew up in a small town in his home state of Louisiana. The song focuses on the joys of living in a small town, including all the fun things to do and the refreshing vibe. Check out the music video below.

Looking ahead to the new year, Scott has a lot in store for fans and the music industry. In February, the singer will take part in the 2019 Country Radio Seminar in Nashville, as one of the ‘New Faces’ in country music. Don’t forget to check out New York Country Swag’s coverage of the event.  For New Yorkers, Scott takes his headlining ‘Nothing To Do Town Tour’ to the Gramercy Theater on January 17th, accompanied by Seth Ennis. Find tickets for the show here and head to dylanscottcountry.com for a full list of tour dates.

 

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Country Artists Reimagining Christmas Classics

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When it comes to Christmas music, there are the classics, recorded time and time again by various artists. We all know and love them, but we especially love when a country artist comes along and creates a unique take on a tried and true classic. After hearing Mason Ramsey’s swinging take on “White Christmas,” we started thinking about other classic songs that have been uniquely countrified.

Here are six of our favorite Christmas classics that have been reimagined with a new spin.

1. Lady Antebellum – “All I Want for Christmas is You”

While Mariah Carey’s 1994 Christmas hit “All I Want for Christmas is You,” is an undeniable bop, Lady Antebellum released a very different take on the song as part of 2012 their holiday album, On This Winter’s Night. Rather than cheery sleigh bells and uptempo music, Lady A turns the cheery chart-topper into a somber ballad. This version truly allows the song’s lyrics to shine, bringing them to the forefront, as the trio, led by Hillary Scott, sing of longing and loneliness during the holiday season.

2. Little Big Town – “Go Tell It On the Mountain”

While “Go Tell It on the Mountain” dates back as early as 1865, it’s Little Big Town’s countrified version that breathes new life into the tried and true classic. Where LBT always shines is in their unmatched harmonies, which are on full display here. Over a fully countrified instrumentation of the Gospel classic, Karen Fairchild leads the foursome through a spirited and uplifting take on the classic, proclaiming, “Go tell it on the mountain/ Over the hills and everywhere / Go tell it on the mountain / That Jesus Christ is born.” Come for the harmonies, stay for the guitar solo around 1:30.

3. Sugarland – “Holly Jolly Christmas”

While “A Holly Jolly Christmas” was originally written in 1962, it’s the 1964 version that appeared in the Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and sung by Burl Ives, that is perhaps the most well-known. However, it’s Sugarland’s 2009 version off of their holiday album, Gold and Green, that makes our list. Unlike most Sugarland songs, Kristian Bush takes the lead here, with Jennifer Nettles lending background vocals. While Bush leads the first chorus and verse, the magic begins about a minute and a half in, while he sings “Holly Jolly Christmas,” over Nettles’ singing of “Winter Wonderland.” Believe us when we say it more than works, it’s a must-listen.

4. Taylor Swift – “Last Christmas”

Taylor Swift’s take on this 1986 Wham tune first appeared on her 2007 Christmas EP, released exclusively at Target stores. Her version of the eighties hit is much more curly-haired, guitar hugging, country “Tim McGraw” Taylor, than the Swift of the Reputation and 1989 eras. While her Big Machine Label Group version of “Last Christmas” is definitely in the country realm, we’d love to hear Swift re-release this track in 2018. Since the old Taylor can’t come to the phone (Why? Because she’s dead.), we’d love to hear the new Taylor’s take on the Wham classic.

5. Toby Keith – “Frosty the Snowman”

Originally recorded in 1950, “Frosty the Snowman” tells the tale of a snowman who comes to life and is best-known for accompanying a television cartoon of the same name. Toby Keith recorded the track as part of his two-disc A Classic Christmas Collection, and his version stays true to the original, with a distinctly country take. With banjos and steel guitar, it’s easy to imagine Keith’s frosty coming to life on a snow-covered farm somewhere in the South, and sporting a cowboy hat instead of his classic “old silk hat.”

6. Kelly Clarkson, Reba & Trisha Yearwood – “Silent Night”

While “Silent Night” has been performed for nearly 200 years, with its first performance dating back to Christmas Eve in present-day Austria, it’s this 2013 version that is sure to give you goosebumps. When Clarkson released her holiday album, Wrapped in Red, she tapped Reba and Trisha Yearwood for a new take on “Silent Night.” It begins with Clarkson, who is then joined by Yearwood, and then Reba, each new verse layered with the other women’s vocals. While the entire song is superb, it’s the completely acapella finale that takes this version to a whole different level. Truly, they sleigh it.

 

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Best Country Music Concerts in NYC This Winter

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New York Country Swag has compiled a list of the best country shows to attend this winter to keep your spirits up and out of the cold weather.
Dylan Scott, Gramercy Theatre, NYC
January 17th, 2019
Dylan Scott with special guest Seth Ennis is kicking off his headlining “Nothing to do Town” tour at NYC’s Gramercy Theatre on Thursday,  January 17th, 2019. Buy tickets now and let’s set the bar high for the rest of his tour!
Brothers Osborne, Terminal 5, NYC
January 23rd, 2019
The Grammy-nominated duo is taking their latest album, Port Saint Joe on the road in the new year.  They will be heading to Terminal 5 in New York City on January 23rd and you can grab your tickets here.
Ryan Hurd, Bowery Ballroom, NYC
January 25th, 2019
With only three dates on this mini-tour, Ryan Hurd is hitting Bowery Ballroom in New York City with guest, singer-songwriter Ryan Beaver. The other stops include The Troubador in California and Joe’s on Weed St. in Chicago. Tickets are limited, grab yours here.
Kacey Musgraves – Beacon Theatre, NYC 
January 25 & 26th, 2019
Kacey Musgraves will be at the Beacon Theatre in NYC for two nights, Friday, January 25th and Saturday, January 26th on her “Oh, What a World: Tour” with special guest Natalie Press. Fans won’t want to miss her singing favorites such as “Space Cowboy” and “High Horse.”
Scotty McCreery, NYCB Theatre, Westbury, NY
January 26th, 2019
Scotty McCreery with opening acts Jimmie Allen and Heather Morgan will be performing at NYCB Theatre in Westbury, NY on Saturday, January 26th, 2019 as part of his Seasons Change tour. Be sure to check him out as it is the final date of his tour!
Devin Dawson, Bowery Ballroom, NYC
January 31st, 2019
New York City, Devin Dawson is back for the Stray Off Course tour.  The “Dark Horse” is heading to Bowery Ballroom on January 31st to close out the first month of the year and he is bringing one of our Artists to Watch and Swag Spotlights, Jillian Jacqueline.  Catch them both by getting your tickets to the show here.
Morgan Wallen, Irving Plaza, NYC
February 21st, 2019
Morgan Wallen is bringing his If I Know Me headlining tour to the Big Apple this winter and we can’t wait to see it. He is bringing along singer-songwriter HARDY who cowrote Wallen’s very first number one “Up Down”. Tickets and more info available here.
Luke Combs, Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC
February 28th, 2019
Grammy-nominated rising star Luke Combs and special guest Jameson Rodgers are coming to Manhattan Center Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC on Thursday, February 28th as part of his first headling “Beer Never Broke My Heart” tour.  Combs is coming off an amazing year being nominated for two CMA Awards for Male Vocalist of the Year and New Artist of the Year.

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Spice Up Your Text Messages with New Music Songbyte App: Gifnote

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Have you ever sent a funny gif and just wish that you could add sound for the full effect? Well, the time has come! Music fans will be happy to know that for the first time ever, consumers can easily add clips from their favorite artists and songs to gifs, photos or videos through a brand new app called: Gifnote.

Recently named Apple’s “App of the Day” and “New App We Love”, Gifnote allows users to easily share these song-bytes (byte-sized music clips) in text messages, tweets, Facebook comments and across all social platforms. The easy-to-use app allows you to choose from thousands of specially curated clips in their ever-growing library or create your own. Simply search by mood, genre, artist, expression, keyword, album or song title to make the perfect Gifnote.

Bring life to your texts and tweets whether you want to say “Happy Birthday”, “Good Morning” or share your excitement over an upcoming concert, Gifnote has the perfect selection for you. Gifnote is conveniently available on the iOS App Store or at Gifnote.com.

We want to see how creative you can get! Tweet us your favorite Gifnotes, @NYCountrySwag.

 

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Brantley Gilbert & Lindsay Ell Join Forces in “What Happens in a Small Town”

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Brantley Gilbert Lindsay Ell

Country music bad boy, Brantley Gilbert has been pretty quiet since the release of his 2017 fourth studio album The Devil Don’t Sleep, but the wait is over! Last Friday, the singer-songwriter released his brand new single, “What Happens in a Small Town” in a collaboration with the talented Lindsay Ell, who lends her vocals and guitar skills to the song. The track is said to be the first song off Gilbert’s highly anticipated 2019 record and is slated to be sent to country radio in January.

The Big Machine Label Group recording artist gushed about his excitement for the new single on Twitter for a few days leading up to release day. Gilbert shared a video of him and Ell discussing their feelings about the new song, “It was just leaning towards a duet, and I’ve never done one. We kinda just got excited about it, and I don’t think the excitement ever stopped,” captioning the video with “This is something really special.”

The country-rock ballad depicts the full story of falling in love, breaking up and navigating those circumstances in a small town, seemingly not being able to get away from the memories that were made together. The words and the vocals are powerful, as both Ell and Gilbert prove that they are both a force to be reckoned with. The vulnerable lyrics are a perfect segway into a new, but still authentic sound for Gilbert. The single debuted at number 1 on the iTunes country music chart.

Check out the lyric video for the track below. “What Happens in a Small Town is available on all digital platforms now. For more new recently released music, make sure to follow our ‘New Country Music’ playlist on Spotify for your weekly new country music fix.

Going into the new year, fans can expect more new music from Gilbert, as we gear up for the release of his next album. Keep up with the recording artist on brantleygilbert.com.

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NYCS Swag Spotlight Featuring Sundance Head

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Sundance Head

Photo Credit: Tara Bone Photography

You may recall our next Swag Spotlight, Sundance Head as the winner of season 11 of The Voice back in 2016. Growing up in Porter, Texas about twenty miles north of Houston, his father was in the music business so he grew up around musicians, never really knowing that people had other jobs other than playing music. “It was more of like a lifestyle, I wrote songs because everyone I knew wrote songs, played guitar because everyone around me playing guitar,” Head says. In order to pay the bills, he took a job in construction which allowed him the freedom to work outside, listening to the radio all while keeping his musical dreams on the back burner.   When his girlfriend at the time suggested he try out for American Idol. Making it to the top 13, he learned a lot about the television competition process during that time. “I didn’t know myself as an artist and I wasn’t a great vocalist at the time. I didn’t realize that you needed to have a strategy,” Head explains.

After working an office job for five years after American Idol, he got sick of sitting at a desk and decided to try his hand once again in the music industry. He started up a band and they played every bar and venue they could in Texas, cutting their teeth and honing their craft.  When that same girlfriend who now was his wife suggested that he try out for another television competition, he was skeptical. “I said that’s the last thing I want to do is do that, it’s taken us four-five years to prove ourselves to Texas Radio, if we go do that and it doesn’t work out, I can’t come back to Texas,” he explains. “They look at that like you are selling out, they don’t always understand that you are just trying to do what it takes to pay your bills.” He does think that that mentality is changing, however, with the help of artists like Cody Johnson and Aaron Watson. “We’ve cultivated this great sound down here, why should we just keep it here”.

Taking one more chance, with more experience under his belt he tried out for The Voice, making it on to Team Blake and eventually going all the way to win the season. Since then, he has been on tour, performing over 280 dates last year alone, especially opening for Blake Shelton for his arena tour. When discussing what he learned from touring with Shelton he explains that the main takeaway is, always be yourself, be true to who you are and people will respect you for that. “Blake is so good at singing to 80 thousand people but he makes each individual there think that he is performing the show for them personally,” he says.

He then comments about rising superstar Luke Combs and how his genuine nature and incredible songs are making waves in the genre and how that will affect the path he takes to the industry. “He is singing great songs about real stuff and he is a real dude…This is a dude that’s lived it, people can feel that. That’s super exciting for me too, other than me being in incredible shape and very tall and handsome, we have a lot in common,” he laughs.

Looking ahead, Head has worked with and befriended legendary songwriter Dean Dillon (“The Chair”, “Tennesee Whiskey”) to pick the right songs and produce his album that has become highly anticipated since winning The Voice. Some of the greatest songwriters in Nashville has contributed songs to the record, slated for release very soon he tells us. Lori McKenna (“Girl Crush”, “Humble and Kind”) and JT Harding (“Sangria”, “Somewhere With You”) collaborated on the debut single from the record, “Leave Her Wild”. He comments about the song and how he knew it was the right single for him explaining, “I fell in love with it, it has that sexy kind of rock n roll backbeat on the kick drum but then it’s got these hip lyrics, it talks about this amazing woman, I can visualize her being smoking hot, free, goes around being happy and being sweet to everyone, lives as hard as she loves. I know who that girl is, that’s my wife.”

Anticipating his album, Stained Glass and Neon to be released in early 2019, Head can’t wait to release his own brand of soulful country to the world. For all news and updates be sure to follow Sundance Head on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Brett Young Performs “Here Tonight” on Ellen

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Brett Young

Last Friday (Dec. 7) Academy of Country Music New Male Vocalist of the Year, Brett Young released his sophomore studio record Ticket To L.A. Today, he continues to promote the album with his first appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with a performance of his latest single “Here Tonight.”

Two-time Emmy nominated actress, Ellie Kemper guest hosted the daytime talk show and introduced the country star to the audience. The electronic walls displayed the Ticket To L.A. album cover before sliding open to reveal Young and his four-piece band. Young delivered with his impeccable vocals while strumming along to his own acoustic guitar. The infectious feel-good tune had the audience up on their feet, clapping and swaying along to every beat.

Kemper returned to the stage to greet the powerhouse vocalist while the audience filled the air with applause and shouts, little did they know the guest host had a surprise up her sleeve for them. “The name of his CD is Ticket To L.A. AND everyone in the audience is getting a copy,” shared Kemper and the shouts evolved into screams.

Young will wrap up his ‘CMT Here Tonight Tour’ this weekend, visit www.brettyoungmusic.com for a full list of remaining dates and additional information.

For fans who couldn’t make it out to see the ACM winner on this tour run, he will be performing live from the Jack Daniel’s Music City Midnight: New Year’s Eve in Nashville event during NBC’s New Year’s Eve celebration, which will air Monday, December 31st on NBC from 10 p.m. – 11 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m.

Ticket To L.A. is now available everywhere you stream or buy music.

 

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