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  • CHRISTMAS 2015: Lauren Alaina

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    Lauren Alaina

    Lauren Alaina loves Christmas music. In fact, she goes out Christmas caroling every year, and she tries to make sure she includes her Grandmother’s favorite holiday song.

    “I also like ‘O Holy Night,’ like when I just really want to sing and get into the Christmas spirit,” says Lauren. “It was my Grandmother’s favorite, one of her favorites. My grandmother loved Christmas.”

    Lauren is currently making her way up the country charts with her single, “Next Boyfriend.”

    Audio / Lauren Alaina reveals her favorite Christmas songs.

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    Lauren Alaina (Christmas songs) OC: …loved Christmas. :22
    “Well, I have a few favorites. A fast favorite, actually, surprisingly, is ‘Oh Santa’ by Mariah Carey. I jam to that, girl. I mean, I am crazy about that song. And I also like ‘O Holy Night,’ like when I just really want to sing and get into the Christmas spirit. It was my Grandmother’s favorite, one of her favorites. My grandmother loved Christmas.”

    Audio / Lauren Alaina talks about her favorite Christmas present.

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    Lauren Alaina (Christmas moment) OC: …picture on it. :09
    “This is Lauren Alaina, and my favorite Christmas memory is when I got my Barbie bike when I was like six years old, and I thought I ruled the world because it had a horn and it had Barbie’s picture on it.”

  • KIP MOORE’S ‘WILD ONES’ ALBUM LANDS ON SEVERAL BEST OF LISTS.

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    Kip Moore
    Kip Moore spent the last three years touring non-stop and writing for the follow up to his debut album which spawned three No. one hits and multi-PLATINUM sales.  What resulted is “the year’s most honest album” (Rolling Stone), with WILD ONES garnering praise on “Best Of” lists by Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Sounds Likes Nashville and Brooklyn Magazine. Critics continue to loudly roar in appraisal of Moore’s sophomore offering while his unwavering fans voted the album as Taste Of Country’s “Best Album Of 2015.”
    “Tip[s] his signature ball cap to traditional country, but as a whole it’s bigger and blessedly, Wild Ones is louder.” – Entertainment Weekly 
    “With raspy, echoing vocals and songs … Moore pays homage to the troublemaking days that built him” – Paste
    “One heck of an album… set to produce hit after hit after hit” – Huffington Post 
    “An impressively singular release from Music Row…unlike anything else in country music at the moment, and it pulses with energy and strong rock melodies.” – The Guardian 
    [Moore] “sprinkles a little late-night Bonnaroo magic into his stadium-sized sing-alongs and forges a sound that’s made to be witnessed live” – VICE
    “Moore avoids the mold of the Nashville machine” – Village Voice
    Assembling a WILD ONES takeover Moore’s profile sky-rocketed this year with an onslaught of national TV performances including Good Morning America, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock and ACM Presents: Superstar Duets.  In 2016, fans will also be given an insight into never-before-heard stories behind Moore’s biggest hits and stripped down versions of songs taken from his new album when Moore’s episode of Front and Center, celebrating the CMA Songwriters Series airs on Public Television beginning 1/25.
    Having built his career from the stage up with Washington Post heralding Moore “is a natural when he’s on stage,” he kicked off 2015 stunning crowds during his first stint in Europe. Moore then continued to wow crowds across the U.S throughout the summer on tour with Dierks Bentley as well as playing major festivals including New York City’s first-ever country music festival FarmBorough where Moore’s performance was spotlighted by both Village Voice and Rolling Stone in their “Best Of” reviews. This fall Moore undertook a stream of sold-out dates on his headlining WILD ONES TOUR that night after night saw fans singing along to every track, radio single or not.
    Moore also looked to give back in the face of a wildly successful year, launching his first charitable initiative known as the “Comeback Kid Skatepark Project.” Phase one of the project oversaw the construction of a series of skateparks in Nashville, TN; Boston, MA; San Marcos, TX; and Annapolis, MD to benefit communities and “comeback kids.”  The project stemmed from Moore’s desire to provide an alternative outlet for youth to engage in healthy habits and physical activities like skateboarding while the inspiration for the name of the project came from “Comeback Kid,” a personal anthem from Moore’s sophomore album.
    As Moore looks to a New Year there are no signs of slowing down yet.  Fans will be able to experience Moore’s album that Country Weekly declares “matches the energy of his live show” for themselves as Moore recently announced the second leg of his headlining WILD ONES TOUR that will continue across the U.S and Canada due to fan demand.  For more information and updates, visit www.kipmoore.net

     

    Video / Kip Moore's Thank You to Fans

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  • CHRISTMAS 2015: Eric Paslay

    Audio
    Eric Paslay

    Eric Paslay grew up in Texas with much of his extended family in the same town, so there were many toys to play with at Christmas time.

    “I remember always [on] Christmas Eve, we’d go to my Mom’s mother’s house, my grandmother, and we’d open up gifts kinda from the family. And my great-aunt, lived across the street, so all of those cousins, we’d go over there and hang out and steal some more cookies and kind of show…what’cha got and play with the toy for five minutes and move on to the other cousin’s toys.”

    This year, the “High Class” singer will also be spending the holiday with his new wife, Natalie.

    Audio / Eric Paslay talks about his Christmas holidays when he was a child.

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    Eric Paslay (Christmases growing up) OC: …and football. :37

    ‘I remember always [on] Christmas Eve, we’d go to my Mom’s mother’s house, my grandmother, and we’d open up gifts kinda from the family. And my great-aunt, lived across the street, so all of those cousins, we’d go over there and hang out and steal some more cookies and kind of show…what’cha got and play with the toy for five minutes and move on to the other cousin’s toys. And then the next morning, maybe when we were younger, open up some more presents, you know, and then go to my other grandparents’ [house], my dad’s parents and hang out with that family, and it was always fun. We’d always have turkey, ham and football.”

    Audio / Eric Paslay talks about his favorite Christmas song.

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    Eric Paslay (Christmas Song) OC: …Christmas. :07

    “My favorite Christmas song is ‘Away in a Manger.’ The melody’s so beautiful, and I think it’s the true meaning of Christmas.”

  • CHRISTMAS 2015: Dierks Bentley

    Dierks Bentley

    Dierks Bentley, who is the father of three children (Evie, Jordan, Knox), says you revert back to your childhood at Christmas when you start having a family of your own.

    “Christmas didn’t lose any of its real meaning, as far as its religious meaning with Jesus’ birthday,” says Dierks. “But as far as like the whole tree and all of the Christmas spirit stuff, the secular stuff, it just kind of goes away, to be honest. But then you have a family, and all of a sudden it’s like I’m all Clark Griswold out there decorating the tree, putting lights up around the house, you know. So, all of those things that you did as a kid and appreciated as a kid, you get a chance to do over again when you have kids, because you kinda become one again.”

    Growing up in Arizona, Dierks and his family didn’t have a white Christmas, but they created their own Christmas traditions in the desert. “I grew up in Arizona, so we didn’t have like a white winter kind of deal,” he says. “Once you experience that, it’s hard to go back and like celebrate Christmas in the desert but…for us, we would…me and my family and a couple other families would go out to the desert and bring a big turkey and just kinda have a cookout in the middle of the desert.”

    Dierks received an early Christmas gift – he’ll co-host the ACMs with pal Luke Bryan.

    Audio / Dierks Bentley, who is father to three beautiful children, says when you start having a family of your own, you become a kid again at Christmas.

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    Dierks Bentley (Christmas is for kids) OC: …one again. :29
    “You know, Christmas didn’t lose any of its real meaning, as far as its religious meaning with Jesus’ birthday. But as far as like the whole tree and all of the Christmas spirit stuff, the secular stuff, it just kind of goes away to be honest. But then you have a family, and all of a sudden it’s like I’m all Clark Griswold out there decorating the tree, putting lights up around the house, you know. So, all of those things that you did as a kid and appreciated as a kid, you get a chance to do over again when you have kids, because you kinda become one again.”

    Audio / Dierks Bentley didn't have any white Christmases as a kid in Arizona, so that meant he and his family engaged in some Christmas Day activities that snowbound folks have never thought of.

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    Dierks Bentley (Christmas in the desert) OC: …in Arizona. :32
    “I grew up in Arizona, so we didn’t have like a white winter kind of deal. It’s kinda…once you experience that, it’s hard to go back and like celebrate Christmas in the desert but…for us, we would…me and my family and a couple other families would go out to the desert and bring a big turkey and just kinda have a cookout in the middle of the desert…and drink beers and ride four-wheelers and…well, I wouldn’t drink beers, but they would. We’d ride four-wheelers and horses and just kind of spend it out in the middle of the desert, which was kind of a cool way to spend Christmas. So whenever I think of Christmas, I always think of the desert, which is a little weird, but that’s just the way we did it out in Arizona.”

  • ERIC PASLAY’S ‘HIGH CLASS’ WILL BE FEATURED IN ESPN/ABC’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL POSTSEASON.

    Press
    Eric Paslay
    Grammy nominee Eric Paslay’s current single “High Class” will be featured in the upcoming ESPN/ABC College football postseason. The song can be heard during bumps, montages and promos of ESPN networks’ college football bowl game coverage beginning today and through the end of 2015, including the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl that begins bowl season on Saturday, December 19th, at noon ET on ABC.
    Eric said, “You have to be a high class player, with a high class team and especially high class fans to make it to the college football postseason. Congratulations to all of these guys on an incredible season and I know I’ll be watching these games… with my shades on.”“High Class” is the lead single from Eric’s highly-anticipated sophomore album due out in 2016. Co-penned by Eric, Corey Crowder and Jesse Frasure, the song made its chart premiere as the most added at country radio. “High Class” is available on all digital retailers: http://umgn.us/HighClass
    Eric wraps 2015 with his first Grammy nomination as an artist with Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley and Dierks Bentley for “The Driver” in the Best Country Duo/Group category and inclusion in year-end Best Country Songs lists.Rolling Stone Country’s 25 Best Country Songs of 2015 counted “The Driver” and “She Don’t Love You” among its top songs.  The feature claims “She Don’t Love You” “wraps an entire movie’s worth of story into a four-and-a-half minute song” while “Paslay turns in the vocal performance of a lifetime here, soaring on the choruses with a heart-in-throat intensity in his delivery.” “She Don’t Love You” also lands at #6 on Popdust’s all genre Top 20 Songs of 2015.Eric recently concluded his touring year opening for Chris Young’s “I’m Comin’ Over World Tour” and this January Eric will perform as part of Brad Paisley’s “Crushin’ It World Tour.”
    Since releasing his critically-acclaimed debut self-titled album, Eric has celebrated a No. 1 with smash Platinum-selling hit “Friday Night” as well as GOLD-certification for “Song About A Girl” and success with his powerful ballad single “She Don’t Love You.” A true artists’ artist, the Texas native co-penned five No. 1 hits as a songwriter including “Even If It Breaks Your Heart” (Eli Young Band), “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” (Jake Owen), “Angel Eyes” (Love & Theft), “Rewind” (Rascal Flatts) and “Friday Night.” An ACM, CMA and GRAMMY-nominee Eric has been sought after for his songwriting prowess by artists including Steven Tyler, Lady Antebellum and Hunter Hayes. For additional information please visit www.EricPaslay.com  

  • CHRISTMAS 2015: Josh Turner

    Audio
    Josh Turner

    With the addition of his fourth son, Hawke, a year ago, Josh Turner and his wife Jennifer say it’s easier for their extended families to come to them rather than traveling during the holidays. However, since the boys are used to being on the road throughout the year, it wouldn’t be a huge burden to travel during the holidays either.

    “We have kind of made it a point to be at home at Christmas, ‘cause we want the boys to grow up with memories of being at home for Christmas, instead of traveling around going to this place and that place,” says Josh. “It’s definitely a lot easier when people come to us, but we have no problem going somewhere too.”

    One thing he’s got to have on the table wherever he is celebrating Christmas is his father’s fried turkey. ““My favorite food to eat at Christmas time is probably the fried turkey that my daddy makes every year,” He says. “He started that several years back, and it became a hit with our family, and so he ended up doing it.”

    Audio / Josh Turner says he wants his four boys to grow up having memories of Christmas in their own house.

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    Josh Turner (Christmas kids) OC: …somewhere too. :19
    “We have kind of made it a point to be at home at Christmas, ‘cause we want the boys to grow up with memories of being at home for Christmas, instead of traveling around going from this place to that place. It’s definitely a lot easier when people come to us, but we have no problem going somewhere too.”

    Audio / Josh Turner, a father of four boys, talks about his favorite Christmas food.

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    Josh Turner (favorite Christmas food) OC: …favorite food. :15
    “My favorite food to eat at Christmas time is probably the fried turkey that my daddy makes every year. He started that several years back, and it became a hit with our family, and so he ended up doing it. He’s been doing it every year since, so that’s always been my favorite food.”

  • CHRISTMAS 2015: Easton Corbin

    Audio
    Easton Corbin

    Easton Corbin may not had snow on Christmas Day growing up in Florida, but he certainly had enough to get him into the holiday spirit. He reveals which soulful sounds got him into the holiday spirit. “I think the song that gets me, I guess, in the most Christmas spirit would probably be – since Merle Haggard is one of my heroes, ‘If I Make It Through December,’” says Easton.

    His favorite gift would have to be a guitar. “My favorite Christmas gift probably as a kid would probably be the guitar my dad got me, the first electric guitar my dad got me one Christmas,” says Easton.

    Easton is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Yup.”

    Audio / Easton Corbin reveals which Christmas song gets him in the holiday spirit.

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    Easton Corbin (fave Christmas song) OC: …December. :07
    “I think the song that gets me, I guess, in the most Christmas spirit would probably be – since Merle Haggard is one of my heroes, ‘If I Make It Through December.’

    Audio / Easton Corbin recalls his favorite Christmas gift as a kid.

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    Easton Corbin (fave Christmas gift) OC: …ever got. :11
    “My favorite Christmas gift probably as a kid would probably be the guitar my dad got me, the first electric guitar my dad got me one Christmas. I don’t remember exactly which one it was, but yeah, it was the first electric I ever got.”

     

  • CHRISTMAS 2015: David Nail

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    David Nail

    David Nail just became a father of twins – Lillian and Lawson – which will make this Christmas even more meaningful. The singer’s favorite Christmas memories are naturally all about family…and naps. When he was growing up in Missouri, his grandparents lived right across the street and everyone would gather there for Christmas morning.

    “I would get up in the morning, and I’d look out the window and you’d see a car there, and you’d get in the shower and come back and see a couple more cars there, and it was kind of that anticipation of seeing all the family members start to come into town in the morning,” recalls David. “Then we always got to kind of roll over there last, and it was like once we showed up, that was kind of the go-time!”

    The holiday also featured some ZZZZ’s, as well. “After we opened gifts, it was kind of a race to see who could catch my dad sneak back across the street to take a nap, because he was always the first one to start dozing off on the couch.”

    David is making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Night’s On Fire.”

    Audio / David Nail says this Christmas with twins will be the most special yet.

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    David Nail (Christmas 2015) OC: …this year. :11
    “The thing that I’m looking forward to this Christmas the most is the fact it’s gonna be our first as a family of four. It’ll definitely be extra special this year.”

    Audio / David Nail talks about his favorite Christmas memory.

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    David Nail (Favorite Christmas Memory) OC: …on the couch. :39
    “It was always very, very simple. My grandparents lived right across the street from us. I would get up in the morning, and I’d look out the window and you’d see a car there, and you’d get in the shower and come back and see a couple more cars there and it was kind of that anticipation of seeing all the family members start to come into town in the morning. And then we always got to kind of roll over there last, and it was like once we showed up, that was kind of the go-time! The food’s out, you eat, and so after we ate and after we opened gifts, it was kind of a race to see who could catch my dad sneak back across the street to take a nap, because he was always the first one to start dozing off on the couch.”

    Audio / David Nail reveals his favorite Christmas dish.

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    David Nail (Christmas dish) OC: …heavenly. :17
    “My favorite Christmas dish is my mother’s pecan pie. She knows that I’m not a big fan of the goo, and so she puts extra pecans in there for me, and so it’s loaded up with that. You put a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream beside it, and it’s pretty heavenly.”

    Audio / David Nail says there is no other holiday movie like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

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    David Nail (Christmas movie) OC: …my favorite. :10
    “My favorite Christmas movie has to be National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. I mean, is there really another option? I know there are several Christmas movies, but that is definitely my favorite.”

    Audio / David Nail says he loves the classic Christmas songs.

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    David Nail (Christmas song) OC: …the spirit. :14
    “My favorite Christmas song is definitely ‘Silent Night.’ I’m a traditionalist and a sucker for the old standards, and so anytime I hear that one, it definitely puts me in the spirit.”

  • CHRISTMAS 2015: Darius Rucker

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    Darius Rucker

    Darius Rucker, who released his Christmas album Home for the Holidays last year, loves to take it easy during the holidays after being on the road all year long. One way he winds down with his family is to watch Christmas movies…however, he can’t pick just one favorite.

    “That’s such a hard question, favorite Christmas movie, because there are so many great movies that I can think of just off the top of my head that are great Christmas movies,” says Darius. “But it would be a tie between Miracle on 34th Street, which is still just great acting, great movie. I just love it. I love watching it. I watch it probably four times every Christmas and cry at the end every time. And I love Elf. I just think Elf is one of the absolute great stories and just funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and it just happens to be a Christmas movie. It’s one of my favorite movies.”

    The South Carolina native always looks forward to Christmas, not just because he gets a little downtime with his family after being on the road so much, but because he truly enjoys the holiday and all the magic that goes along with it.

    He and his family – includes his wife and three children have a routine they pretty much stick to on the big day. “Christmas at the Rucker house is pretty laid-back,” says Darius. “Our kids wake up early – real early – and open their gifts and we hang out, have breakfast, go to church, come home and PLAY, play with toys and hang out and see family who comes by, and we go to see family. It’s just a pretty normal, fun Christmas Day.” Sounds like a great time! But if you happen to receive a gift from Darius, just know he wasn’t the one doing the wrapping! “I buy it and go, ‘Honey, wrap this!’ I don’t wrap, and it definitely doesn’t look like Dillards’ [wrapping],” he admits. “It would be frumpy is what it would be. [laughs]”

    Audio / Darius Rucker has a hard time picking just one favorite Christmas movie.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite Christmas movies) OC: …favorite movies. :32
    “That’s such a hard question, favorite Christmas movie, because there are so many great movies that I can think of just off the top of my head that are great Christmas movies.  But it would be a tie between Miracle on 34th Street, which is still just great acting, great movie.  I just love it.  I love watching it.  I watch it probably four times every Christmas and cry at the end every time.  And I love Elf.  I just think Elf is one of the absolute great stories and just funniest movies I’ve ever seen and it just happens to be a Christmas movie.  It’s one of my favorite movies.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker reveals his favorite Christmas song.

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    Darius Rucker (favorite Christmas song) OC: …listen to. :09
    “Oh, ‘The Christmas Song,’ no doubt about it. There’s a reason it’s called, ‘The Christmas Song.’ That’s my favorite Christmas song to sing and my favorite Christmas song to listen to.”

     

    Audio / Darius Rucker says Christmas is a special time for his family.

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    Darius Rucker (Christmas) OC: …feels special. :35
    “Christmas is really that time where, that’s another thing with family. You get together, and the celebration of the birth of Christ is one of those things that I never take for granted. We always try to make it special. Because Christmas come just ones a year and it’s a holy, great holiday and we try to make is special for the family. I don’t want anything for Christmas. I bought all my stuff all year, if I see it and I want it, I buy it so Christmas is that time where I really go out of my way to make sure everybody else feels special.”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his family’s routine on Christmas Day.

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    Darius (Christmas at the Rucker Household) OC: …Christmas Day. :19

    “Christmas at the Rucker house is pretty laid-back. Our kids wake up early – real early – and open their gifts and we hang out, have breakfast, go to church, come home and PLAY, play with toys and hang out and see family who comes by, and we go to see family. It’s just a pretty normal, fun Christmas Day.”

    Audio / Don’t look to Darius Rucker to wrap any Christmas gifts.

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    Darius Rucker (wrapping gifts) OC: … would be. [laughs]” :12

    “I buy it and go, ‘Honey, wrap this!’ I don’t wrap, and it definitely doesn’t look like Dillards’ [wrapping]. It would be frumpy is what it would be. [laughs]”

    Audio / Darius Rucker talks about his favorite Christmas dish.

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    Darius Rucker (Christmas dish) OC: …sweet potato pie. :17
    “I’m a big food guy, as you can tell by looking at me up here. I like food a lot. But my favorite thing is my sister’s sweet potato pie. I love sweet potato pie so much, and I don’t get it very often. And my sisters always make sure I get a couple during Thanksgiving and Christmas, so that’s my favorite thing – sweet potato pie.”

  • CHRISTMAS 2015: George Strait

    Audio
    George Strait

    George Strait usually spends Christmas at his ranch in Texas, which includes his wife Norma, son Bubba and his family, along with grandson Harvey. He’s said the holiday has always centered around family.

    “At Christmas time, we always kind of got together at my grandparents and had Christmas there, and it was a lot of fun because you’d see cousins that you hadn’t seen in a while,” says King George. “Those are the memories that I have, getting to spend a few days with them and opening presents and it was just a lot of fun back then.”

    The Hall of Famer is making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “Cold Beer Conversation.”

    Audio / George Strait recalls his Christmas memories growing up.

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    George Strait (Christmas memories) OC: …back then. :21
    “At Christmas time, we always kind of got together at my grandparents and had Christmas there, and it was a lot of fun because you’d see cousins that you hadn’t seen in a while. Those are the memories that I have, getting to spend a few days with them and opening presents and it was just a lot of fun back then.”