Music News

The trio's new EP is inspired by their live set.

Continue reading…

George Strait dropped an intoxicating new track, “Código,” on Dec. 7.

Penned by George, his son Bubba Strait and longtime collaborator Dean Dillion, “Código” references the tequila brand that George co-owns.

The tune is George’s first new music since 2015’s Cold Beer Conversation, his 29th studio album. George is currently working on new music that’s slated to be released in 2019.

2019 is lining up to be a busy year for the Cowboy—George has announced four Strait to Vegas shows (Feb. 1, Feb. 2, Aug. 23, Aug. 24) as well as dates at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on March 30, Buckeye Country Superfest in Columbus, Ohio, on June 8, and Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, on Nov. 22. George will wrap 2018 with two Vegas shows on Dec. 7 and 8.

Listen to “Código” below.

.themify_builder .text-579974-0-0-0.module-text{background-repeat: repeat}

photo by Curtis Hilbun / JpegFoto.com

Charlie Worsham and Muscadine Bloodline will alternate as his supports acts for the 2019 leg of the tour.

Continue reading…

When the 2019 Grammy Awards nominees were announced on Friday morning (Dec. 7), we had questions.

Continue reading…

The Herald is reporting that a Rock Hill, S.C., woman has lost $160,000 to a social media scammer posing as Dierks Bentley.

According to the report, the woman has been sending cashier’s checks and gift cards to a person claiming to be Dierks for two years. The woman told police she met the suspect via Twitter and exchanged text messages.

Rock Hill authorities have determined the case will have to be investigated by federal authorities.

In June, more than 20 country stars united for a PSA to combat imposters on social media. Spearheaded by Blake Shelton—and posted on his YouTube page—the PSA includes appearances by Keith Urban, Lindsay Ell, Hunter Hayes, Kelly Clarkson, Maren Morris, Rascal Flatts, Dustin Lynch, Kip Moore, Jon Pardi, Jake Owen, Travis Denning, Brett Young, Maggie Rose, Trace Adkins, Old Dominion, Cale Dodds, Cole Swindell and Michael Ray.

The gist of the PSA: make sure to look for the blue verified check mark next to the name of the country star on their social media accounts and never give out any of your private information. These guys and gals don’t want—or need—you to send them any money.

.themify_builder .text-579957-0-0-0.module-text{background-repeat: repeat}

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Tight verses and an irresistible chorus that Evans leans hard on make this second single a real charmer.

Continue reading…

Nominations for the 2019 Grammy Awards were announced this morning (Dec. 7).

In the all-genre categories, Kacey Musgraves picked up an Album of the Year nomination, while Margo Price and Luke Combs nabbed New Artist of the Year nominations. Maren Morris was nominated for Record of the Year for her collaboration with Zedd and Grey.

Kacey also earned nominations for Best Country Album, Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song.

Maren also earned nominations for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song.

Chris Stapleton copped three nominations for Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Album and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance, while Brothers Osborne picked up two nominations for Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance.

Willie Nelson earned nominations for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album and Best American Roots Performance. John Prine scored three nominations for Best Americana Album and Best American Roots Song (twice).

Check out the list of nominees in the world of country, bluegrass, Americana and roots, as well as the all-genre categories that feature country artists.

Album Of The Year
Award to Artist(s) and to Featured Artist(s), Songwriter(s) of new material, Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s), Mixer(s) and Mastering Engineer(s) credited with at least 33% playing time of the album, if other than Artist.

• INVASION OF PRIVACY
  Cardi B
  Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Belcalis Almanzar & Jorden Thorpe, songwriters; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
• BY THE WAY, I FORGIVE YOU
  Brandi Carlile
  Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Dave Cobb & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
• SCORPION
  Drake
  Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Aubrey Graham & Noah Shebib, songwriters; Chris Athens, mastering engineer
• H.E.R.
  H.E.R.
  Darhyl “Hey DJ” Camper Jr, H.E.R. & Jeff Robinson, producers; Miki Tsutsumi, engineer/mixer; Darhyl Camper Jr & H.E.R., songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
• BEERBONGS & BENTLEYS
  Post Malone
  Louis Bell & Post Malone, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Louis Bell & Austin Post, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
• DIRTY COMPUTER
  Janelle Monáe
  Chuck Lightning & Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, producers; Mick Guzauski, Janelle Monáe Robinson & Nate “Rocket” Wonder, engineers/mixers; Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Taylor Parks & Janelle Monáe Robinson, songwriters; Dave Kutch, mastering engineer
• GOLDEN HOUR
  Kacey Musgraves
  Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, producers; Craig Alvin & Shawn Everett, engineers/mixers; Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves & Daniel Tashian, songwriters; Greg Calbi & Steve Fallone, mastering engineers
• BLACK PANTHER: THE ALBUM, MUSIC FROM AND INSPIRED BY
  (Various Artists)
  Kendrick Lamar, featured artist; Kendrick Duckworth & Sounwave, producers; Matt Schaeffer, engineer/mixer; Kendrick Duckworth & Mark Spears, songwriters; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer

Record Of The Year
Award to the Artist and to the Producer(s), Recording Engineer(s) and/or Mixer(s) and mastering engineer(s), if other than the artist.

• I LIKE IT
  Cardi B, Bad Bunny & J Balvin
  Invincible, JWhiteDidIt, Craig Kallman & Tainy, producers; Leslie Brathwaite & Evan LaRay, engineers/mixers; Colin Leonard, mastering engineer
• THE JOKE
  Brandi Carlile
  Dave Cobb & Shooter Jennings, producers; Tom Elmhirst & Eddie Spear, engineers/mixers; Pete Lyman, mastering engineer
• THIS IS AMERICA
  Childish Gambino
  Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, producers; Derek “MixedByAli” Ali & Riley Mackin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
• GOD’S PLAN
  Drake
  Boi-1Da, Cardo & Young Exclusive, producers; Noel Cadastre, Noel “Gadget” Campbell & Noah Shebib, engineers/mixers; Chris Athens, mastering engineer
• SHALLOW
  Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
  Lady Gaga & Benjamin Rice, producers; Tom Elmhirst, engineer/mixer; Randy Merrill, mastering engineer
• ALL THE STARS
  Kendrick Lamar & SZA
  Al Shux & Sounwave, producers; Sam Ricci & Matt Schaeffer, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
• ROCKSTAR
  Post Malone Featuring 21 Savage
  Louis Bell & Tank God, producers; Louis Bell & Manny Marroquin, engineers/mixers; Mike Bozzi, mastering engineer
• THE MIDDLE
  Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey
  Grey, Monsters & Strangerz & Zedd, producers; Grey, Tom Morris, Ryan Shanahan & Zedd, engineers/mixers; Mike Marsh, mastering engineer

Song Of The Year
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• ALL THE STARS
  Kendrick Duckworth, Solána Rowe, Al Shuckburgh, Mark Spears & Anthony Tiffith, songwriters (Kendrick Lamar & SZA)
• BOO’D UP
  Larrance Dopson, Joelle James, Ella Mai & Dijon McFarlane, songwriters (Ella Mai)
• GOD’S PLAN
  Aubrey Graham, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Ron LaTour, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib, songwriters (Drake)
• IN MY BLOOD
  Teddy Geiger, Scott Harris, Shawn Mendes & Geoffrey Warburton, songwriters (Shawn Mendes)
• THE JOKE
  Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
• THE MIDDLE
  Sarah Aarons, Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Marcus Lomax, Kyle Trewartha, Michael Trewartha & Anton Zaslavski, songwriters (Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey)
• SHALLOW
  Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando & Andrew Wyatt, songwriters (Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper)
• THIS IS AMERICA
  Donald Glover & Ludwig Goransson, songwriters (Childish Gambino)

Best New Artist
An artist will be considered for Best New Artist if their eligibility year release/s achieved a breakthrough into the public consciousness and notably impacted the musical landscape.

• CHLOE X HALLE
• LUKE COMBS
• GRETA VAN FLEET
• H.E.R.
• DUA LIPA
• MARGO PRICE
• BEBE REXHA
• JORJA SMITH

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative pop recordings. Singles or Tracks only.

• FALL IN LINE
  Christina Aguilera Featuring Demi Lovato
• DON’T GO BREAKING MY HEART
  Backstreet Boys
• ‘S WONDERFUL
  Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
• SHALLOW
  Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
• GIRLS LIKE YOU
  Maroon 5 Featuring Cardi B
• SAY SOMETHING
  Justin Timberlake Featuring Chris Stapleton
• THE MIDDLE
  Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new traditional pop recordings.

• LOVE IS HERE TO STAY
  Tony Bennett & Diana Krall
• MY WAY
  Willie Nelson
• NAT “KING” COLE & ME
  Gregory Porter
• STANDARDS (DELUXE)
  Seal
• THE MUSIC…THE MEM’RIES…THE MAGIC!
  Barbra Streisand

Best Country Solo Performance
For new vocal or instrumental solo country recordings.

• WOULDN’T IT BE GREAT?
  Loretta Lynn
• MONA LISAS AND MAD HATTERS
  Maren Morris
• BUTTERFLIES
  Kacey Musgraves
• MILLIONAIRE
  Chris Stapleton
• PARALLEL LINE
  Keith Urban

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
For new vocal or instrumental duo/group or collaborative country recordings.

• SHOOT ME STRAIGHT
  Brothers Osborne
• TEQUILA
  Dan + Shay
• WHEN SOMEONE STOPS LOVING YOU
  Little Big Town
• DEAR HATE
  Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill
• MEANT TO BE
  Bebe Rexha & Florida Georgia Line

Best Country Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• BREAK UP IN THE END
  Jessie Jo Dillon, Chase McGill & Jon Nite, songwriters (Cole Swindell)
• DEAR HATE
  Tom Douglas, David Hodges & Maren Morris, songwriters (Maren Morris Featuring Vince Gill)
• I LIVED IT
  Rhett Akins, Ross Copperman, Ashley Gorley & Ben Hayslip, songwriters (Blake Shelton)
• SPACE COWBOY
  Luke Laird, Shane McAnally & Kacey Musgraves, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
• TEQUILA
  Nicolle Galyon, Jordan Reynolds & Dan Smyers, songwriters (Dan + Shay)
• WHEN SOMEONE STOPS LOVING YOU
  Hillary Lindsey, Chase McGill & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Little Big Town)

Best Country Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new country recordings.

• UNAPOLOGETICALLY
  Kelsea Ballerini
• PORT SAINT JOE
  Brothers Osborne
• GIRL GOING NOWHERE
  Ashley McBryde
• GOLDEN HOUR
  Kacey Musgraves
• FROM A ROOM: VOLUME 2
  Chris Stapleton

Best American Roots Performance
For new vocal or instrumental American Roots recordings. This is for performances in the style of any of the subgenres encompassed in the American Roots Music field including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk or regional roots. Award to the artist(s).

• KICK ROCKS
  Sean Ardoin
• SAINT JAMES INFIRMARY BLUES
  Jon Batiste
• THE JOKE
  Brandi Carlile
• ALL ON MY MIND
  Anderson East
• LAST MAN STANDING
  Willie Nelson

Best American Roots Song
A Songwriter(s) Award. Includes Americana, bluegrass, traditional blues, contemporary blues, folk or regional roots songs. A song is eligible if it was first released or if it first achieved prominence during the Eligibility Year. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.

• ALL THE TROUBLE
  Waylon Payne, Lee Ann Womack & Adam Wright, songwriters (Lee Ann Womack)
• BUILD A BRIDGE
  Jeff Tweedy, songwriter (Mavis Staples)
• THE JOKE
  Brandi Carlile, Dave Cobb, Phil Hanseroth & Tim Hanseroth, songwriters (Brandi Carlile)
• KNOCKIN’ ON YOUR SCREEN DOOR
  Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)
• SUMMER’S END
  Pat McLaughlin & John Prine, songwriters (John Prine)

Best Americana Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental Americana recordings.

• BY THE WAY, I FORGIVE YOU
  Brandi Carlile
• THINGS HAVE CHANGED
  Bettye LaVette
• THE TREE OF FORGIVENESS
  John Prine
• THE LONELY, THE LONESOME & THE GONE
  Lee Ann Womack
• ONE DROP OF TRUTH
  The Wood Brothers

Best Bluegrass Album
For albums containing at least 51% playing time of new vocal or instrumental bluegrass recordings.

• PORTRAITS IN FIDDLES
  Mike Barnett
• SISTER SADIE II
  Sister Sadie
• RIVERS AND ROADS
  Special Consensus
• THE TRAVELIN’ MCCOURYS
  The Travelin’ McCourys
• NORTH OF DESPAIR
  Wood & Wire

And the nominees are ...

Continue reading…

Moore will keep his Room to Spare: Acoustic Tour on the road into 2019!

Continue reading…

Congratulations to all of this year's country, Americana, bluegrass and folk Grammy Awards nominees!

Continue reading…

You'll have to rub your eyes after taking a look at the gorgeous diamond he selected for his bride-to-be!

Continue reading…

The duo started off the holidays right with this performance of their latest hit.

Continue reading…

The cute couple's stunning wedding will be the focus of the magazine's 2019 winter/spring issue.

Continue reading…

These stars are taking on a very sensitive issue.

Continue reading…

Before starting, they cracked a joke that had President George W. Bush rolling.

Continue reading…

Toby Keith's conversation with Clint Eastwood inspired his new song "Don't Let the Old Man In," which will be featured in Eastwood's upcoming film 'The Mule'.

Continue reading…

98 to go.

Continue reading…

Can't. Stop. Watching!

Continue reading…

Approximately 1,200 guests attended President George H. W. Bush’s funeral at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston on Dec. 6 to bid farewell to the 41st president, including the Oak Ridge Boys, who performed an a capella rendition of “Amazing Grace” after making a lighthearted joke that President Bush considered himself to be a good bass singer.

“We first sang for him in October of 1983 on the lawn of the White House when he was vice president, and he said, ‘Fellas,’ he always called us fellas, ‘Would you sing me a few songs, I’m a big fan,” said the Oaks’ Joe Bonsall before the performance. “For decades we have sang for him. And this is, again, a real honor to be here. What a lot of people may not know is he fancied himself to be a good bass singer—he was not. We’ll sing for our president.”

Watch the Oaks’ performance below.

“We’ll sing for our president.”

The Oak Ridge Boys sing “Amazing Grace” at funeral service for former Pres. George H.W. Bush in Houston, TX. https://t.co/GVUtvaVWZW #Remembering41 pic.twitter.com/0ipkITrNvL

— ABC News (@ABC) December 6, 2018

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com

Approximately 1,200 guests attended President George H. W. Bush’s funeral at St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Houston on Dec. 6 to bid farewell to the 41st president, including Reba McEntire, who sang the “Lord’s Prayer.”

“It was an honor and privilege to sing at President George H.W. Bush’s funeral this morning,” said Reba via Twitter. “He was a great friend and leader and I will never forget the time we shared together.”

Watch Reba’s performance below.

Reba McEntire sings “The Lord’s Prayer” at a funeral service honoring former Pres. George H.W. Bush. https://t.co/GVUtvaVWZW #Remembering41 pic.twitter.com/pe5VkN5FFT

— ABC News (@ABC) December 6, 2018

photo by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com