Sam Hunt climbed to the top of both the Country Aircheck/Mediabase and Billboard Country charts this week with his latest smash, “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s.” The Georgia native co-wrote his 8th No. 1 single with Zach Crowell, Chris LaCorte, Josh Osborne and Ernest K Smith.

He recalls Josh Osborne had the idea and brought it straight to him. “My buddy, Josh Osborne, called me one afternoon when I was driving home from Nashville. He called me with this idea, ‘I Bet Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s.’ He said, ‘I feel like it sounds like you.’ I said, ‘Man, I love it. Let’s write that,'” recalls Sam. “So, fast forward several months we did a little writing retreat outside town, rented a little cabin and wrote the song. It was kind of the ninth hour in terms of the second record coming out. Typically, I don’t know for sure that a song is going to be on a record until it’s finished, and I listen to it and I’m like, ‘yeah, okay. This is going to work for the record.’ But that one, I would sit and write the track listing and I would put ‘Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90s’ on the track listing before we even wrote the song, and I knew I had to get it right.”

Named one of US Weekly’s Best Albums of 2020 so far, SOUTHSIDE is Hunt’s second No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums Chart following his 3x Platinum debut album MONTEVALLO. Like MONTEVALLO, Hunt wrote every track on SOUTHSIDE including his chart-topping “Hard to Forget,” the record-breaking “Body Like A Back Road,” and his most recent No. 1 “Kinfolks.”

Jordan Davis and his wife Kristen announced that they are expecting their second child — a boy! Due at the beginning of September, the new bundle of joy will join big sister Eloise.

Add a few limbs to the family tree…add me to the list of artists putting out new music and having kids during quarantine pic.twitter.com/bec7FhO6lw

— Jordan Davis Music (@JordanCWDavis) May 17, 2021

Jordan is currently sitting inside the Top 10 with his latest song, “Almost Maybes,” from his new EP, Buy Dirt, available Friday (May 21st).

Dierks Bentley closed out his intimate but rowdy HIGH TIMES & HANGOVERS club tour this past Saturday (5/15) after headlining five shows in five-nights. Marking his return to the stage for the first time in over a year, “Bentley’s touring ensemble roared to life” (Rolling Stone) as he gave fans a taste of what to expect from his upcoming 2021 BEERS ON ME TOUR with specials guests Riley Green and Parker McCollum. Bentley offered beverages to capacity crowds while debuting his new road-anthem “Beers On Me,” which shares the same name as the upcoming cross-country trek launching on Aug. 13th at Salt Lake City, UT’s USANA Amphitheatre. Tickets are on sale now at Dierks.com.

“Bentley looked as grateful to be back as the fans packed in” (Sounds Like Nashville) while performing his catalog of hits, including his current Top 10 and climbing single “Gone.” The HIGH TIMES & HANGOVERS club tour hosted special guest Cody Canada & The Departed, who also served as support the last time Bentley headlined a dive bar tour by the same name in 2006. The two collaborated onstage for a rendition of “Lot of Leavin’ Left to Do” each night.  To close out the run on Saturday (5/15), fans in Knoxville, TN, were treated by an impromptu performance as Cole Swindell joined Bentley onstage for “Flatliner” and “Ain’t Worth the Whiskey.”

“Dierks had whipped the crowd into a frenzy. The band blared, the crowd swayed, and Bentley was as good as he ever was. Country music is back.” – Outsider

“People say no distance was too far to travel and see a concert in person….’I came down from New Jersey..a lot of Dierks’ music is about rebirth and getting through tough times.” – (News 2/Frank Luna)

Bentley continues to be a dominant voice for the genre with over 6.4 billion streams. Reaching a new creative high while “making music designed to challenge” (New York Times), Bentley co-wrote 10 of 13 tracks on his last album THE MOUNTAIN, which earned him the highest debut sales of his career and became his seventh chart-topping release. Bentley has amassed countless nominations from the ACM’s, CMA’s, Billboard Music Awards and more while also earning 14 GRAMMY  nominations. He just recently celebrated his 15 year anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. As “he is dedicated to giving fans the best performance possible” (The Tennesseean) as a headliner for national festivals and during his own headlining run, Bentley has also created professional endeavors outside of the music with his Flag & Anthem lifestyle collection Desert Son, along with his “Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row” franchise hosting five locations. For more information visit www.dierks.com.

Country Music icon Alan Jackson will return to his hometown next month as he headlines a special concert event to benefit relief efforts in Newnan, Georgia. Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Featuring Alan Jackson will find the superstar bringing three decades of hits to the stage in an area recently ravaged and still recovering from a devastating spring tornado.

The June 26 concert will take place at Newman’s Coweta County Fairgrounds (275 Pine Rd., Newnan GA, 30263). Tickets for the event go on sale Friday, May 21 at 10:00am ET at AlanJacksonBenefit.com; ticket prices start at $49.99, and pre-sale opportunities will be available. Detailed information regarding the concert is also available at AlanJacksonBenefit.com.

On March 26, an EF-4 tornado – just shy of the most-powerful ranking on the National Weather Service’s scale – ripped across Newnan…the city where Jackson and his wife, Denise were born, raised, met and married. At least 70 homes were completely destroyed, many others suffered major damage, and – all told – over 1700 structures were impacted and compromised.

“After the tornadoes came through Newnan I knew that I wanted to do what I could to help my hometown. I started working on an idea to do some kind of benefit in Nashville to help those affected in Newnan, but then heard from a group of leaders in Newnan,” the superstar says. “I’m glad we came up with a way to bring this show to my hometown…and I’m happy to be helping the people who need it most.”

Proceeds from Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Featuring Alan Jackson will benefit the Coweta Community Foundation, which is managing charitable efforts to help the people of Newnan in the wake of the storm (more info below). Donations to the Foundation’s relief efforts can be made via their website.

Cornerstone Building Brands is the presenting sponsor of Where I Come From: Tornado Benefit Featuring Alan Jackson. The event is driven by Southtowne Chevrolet. Additional details – such as special guests – for the concert will be forthcoming.

Alan Jackson’s touring history has taken him all over the U.S. and around the world. His concert performances have been seen by millions in such far-reaching places as Australia, Norway and Brazil; he’s played iconic stages ranging from Carnegie Hall to the Ryman Auditorium. His June Where I Come From concert in the town where this “Small Town Southern Man” grew up will be the latest in his storied line of memorable and notable live concert events.

ABOUT ALAN JACKSON:
A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson’s membership among music’s all-time greats is part of a long line of career-defining accolades that include three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, 30 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry, a Billboard ranking as one of the Top 10 Country Artists of All-Time, induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Heritage Award as the most-performed country songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.

The man from rural Newnan, GA has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide, ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time (rock, pop and country). He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 major music industry awards – including 19 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards.

Jackson – one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music – just released his latest album, Where Have You Gone, May 14. The 21-track collection features 15 songs penned solely by the music icon. He’s also the man behind one of Nashville’s most-popular tourist stops, AJ’s Good Time Bar, a four-story honky-tonk in the heart of downtown featuring daily live music and a rooftop view of Music City.

Darius Rucker has released the official music video for his latest single, “My Masterpiece.” The song has already earned the attention of fans and critics alike, with Billboard noting, “Rucker dips deeper into his forthcoming album with this sweet, swaying ode to a lasting love,” as Rolling Stone celebrates the single’s “spacious, piano-driven arrangement of laid-back drumming, tambourine, and wisps of pedal steel that’s meant to go down as sweetly as Rucker’s romantic words of praise.”

Music Row praises the three-time GRAMMY Award winner’s “positive, sunny, upbeat and engaging” consistency, while remarking that “the happy-in-love theme is common, but its delivery in this finely crafted lyric is exceptional.”

Written by Rucker together with Josh Osborne, J.T. Harding and Ross Copperman, “My Masterpiece” offers a swaying melody and lyrics that prize true love over all else.

“The song is about a guy who really just wants to be known for the tremendous amount of love he has for this woman, and I think that’s beautiful,” shares Rucker. “During a tough time like this past year has been, I think upbeat songs like this are important because they remind people that even when things are tough, there’s also a lot of good in life and good in the world. I hope people enjoy this song as much as I do, and I hope they enjoy seeing it come to life in the music video.”

Rucker will also appear as a guest panelist on the semi-finals of Fox’s hit show “The Masked Singer” this Wednesday, May 19, helping to guess the identities of the remaining contestants and the show’s mysterious “Cluedle-Doo,” the masked celebrity who has been offering additional hints about each contestant in a new addition to the show for Season 5.

Luke Bryan has teamed up with the card game UNO to give out a limited number of custom-themed decks to is fans in support of his latest album. The Born Here Live Here Die Here Deluxe Edition Card Game includes custom cards featuring Luke and the album cover.

UNO made these awesome custom decks to celebrate my album release. You guys have shown me so much support for this album, I decided to give away a few until we’re DOWN TO UNO. Reply with the song from #BornHereLiveHereDieHere (Deluxe) that makes you REVERSE and play it again. pic.twitter.com/Pjv7256FV8

— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) May 14, 2021

ABC’s American Idol has announced several famous faces for the show’s finale next week. Mickey Guyton, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Chaka Khan, Leona Lewis, Lindsey Buckingham, Fall Out Boy, Alessia Cara and Macklemore will perform during the finale, airing Sunday, May 23rd beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT.

So ready for the @AmericanIdol finale! Tune in live Sunday, May 23rd. 🤍 pic.twitter.com/1zUSAw2Xzj

— Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) May 14, 2021

Kip Moore will headline the Reno Rodeo Kickoff Concert June 16TH. Travis Denning is set to open for Kip.

Dierks Bentley will perform during Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series on July 23rd.

Country superstar Alan Jackson releases his first album of all new music in six years today. Where Have You Gone features 21 songs – 15 of them written by the Songwriters Hall of Fame member himself. It’s his 16^th studio album – the 25^th in a career that includes two Christmas albums, two gospel albums, three Greatest Hits collections, a bluegrass album, and one boxed set. Longtime producer Keith Stegall again plays that role on Where Have You Gone.

“Some of the greatest tracks I feel like we’ve made. We pulled in guys from that played on my record for 20, 30 years and came in there and they’re some of the best real country players in town and they hadn’t had a chance to play on a lot of real country stuff in the last few years as much and they were excited to do it,” says Alan. “I was overwhelmed by it.  First time (Keith Stegall) sent me three tracks I hadn’t heard anything since the studio ,and I about had to pull my truck over I was about to tear up because I just loved the way it all sounded, the songs and the tracks and everything was just what I wanted to do.”

“The plain-spoken wordsmith sings about fatherly love, once-in-a-lifetime loss and the barn-burnin’ honky-tonk music that remains near his heart,” notes USA Today. “Where Have You Gone is the quiet superstar’s rebuke to those who would forget the roots of where this music comes from,” says HITS magazine, while Rolling Stone calls Where Have You Gone “a sprawling 21-track compilation that finds the Country Music Hall of Fame member reflecting on the state of his beloved genre, paying tribute to his late mother, and, in some songs, simply having a honky-tonking good time.”

Jackson will mark today’s release of Where Have You Gone with a performance of “Way Down In My Whiskey” from the album this evening on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (11:35pm ET/10:35pm CT). On Sunday, May 30, Jackson will appear as part of the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS (8:00pm ET). He’s currently featured on Apple Music’s Essentials Radio, reflecting on his life and career with host Kelleigh Bannen.

Led by the self-penned title track, Where Have You Gone is highlighted by such songs as the poignant and thoughtful “Things That Matter,” the heartache-filled “Way Down in My Whiskey” and the tender “I Can Be That Something.” Never one to shy away from reflecting real life in his music, “You’ll Always Be My Baby” and “I Do” were written for his daughters’ weddings…while “Where Her Heart Has Always Been” was written for his mother’s funeral and includes a recording of her reading from The Bible. There’s also plenty of fun to be had on barnburners like “Livin’ On Empty,” “Back” and “Beer:10.” And, in the spirit of the album’s overall sound, “That’s The Way Love Goes (A Tribute to Merle Haggard)” is a bonus track.

“Real country songs are life and love and heartache, drinking and Mama and having a good time,” the Country Music Hall of Fame member says. “You listen to these songs, and you realize these things are true,” he adds. “I just love this kind of music.”

ALAN JACKSON’S WHERE HAVE YOU GONE Track List:

1. “Where Have You Gone” (Alan Jackson)
2. “Wishful Drinkin’” (Alan Jackson)
3. “I Can Be That Something” (Alan Jackson)
4. “Where the Cottonwood Grows” (Alan Jackson)
5. “Way Down In My Whiskey” (Alan Jackson)
6. “Things That Matter” (Robert Keith Stegall, Michael White)
7. “Livin’ On Empty” (Alan Jackson)
8. “You’ll Always Be My Baby (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)” (Alan Jackson)
9. “Where Her Heart Has Always Been (Written for Mama’s funeral with an old recording of her reading from The Bible)” (Alan Jackson)
10. “The Boot” (Adam Wright)
11. “Back” (Alan Jackson)
12. “Write It In Red” (Alan Jackson)
13. “So Late So Soon” (Scotty Emerick, Daniel Tashian, Sarah Buxton)
14. “This Heart Of Mine” (Adam Wright)
15. “A Man Who Never Cries” (Alan Jackson)
16. “Chain” (Alan Jackson)
17. “I Was Tequila” (Alan Jackson)
18. “I Do (Written for Daughters’ Weddings)” (Alan Jackson)
19. “Beer:10” (Alan Jackson)
20. “The Older I Get”* (Hailey Whitters, Adam Wright, Sarah Turner)
    Extra Track: “That’s The Way Love Goes” (A Tribute to Merle Haggard) (Lefty Frizzell, Whitey Shafer)

Produced by Robert Keith Stegall
*Produced by Keith Stegall

ABOUT ALAN JACKSON:
A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and an inductee to the Songwriters Hall of Fame, Alan Jackson’s membership among music’s all-time greats is part of a long line of career-defining accolades that include three CMA Entertainer of the Year honors, 30 years of membership in the Grand Ole Opry, a Billboard ranking as one of the Top 10 Country Artists of All-Time, induction to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and the Heritage Award as the most-performed country songwriter-artist of ASCAP’s first 100 years.

The man from rural Newnan, GA has sold nearly 60-million albums worldwide, ranks as one of the 10 best-selling male vocalists of all-time (rock, pop and country). He has released more than 60 singles – registering 50 Top Ten hits and 35 #1s (including 26 Billboard chart-toppers). He has earned more than 150 major music industry awards – including 19 Academy of Country Music Awards, 16 Country Music Association Awards, a pair of Grammys and ASCAP’s Founders and Golden Note Awards.

Jackson is one of the most successful and respected singer-songwriters in music. He’s also the man behind one of Nashville’s most-popular tourist stops, AJ’s Good Time Bar, a four-story honky-tonk in the heart of downtown featuring daily live music and a rooftop view of Music City.

We have compiled an array of content — a variety of liners and soundbites – from ALAN JACKSON to equip you with everything you might need to put together your own album radio special; roll-out tracks leading up to –and following — the release of his new project, WHERE HAVE YOU GONE, to use in news feeds, specials and much more. Check out all of details below (including audio liners and soundbites, as well as transcriptions) to create your own content surrounding Alan’s release.

CLICK HERE to download Album Audio Toolkit.

Country superstar Alan Jackson will release his first album of all new music in six years this spring – Where Have You Gone arrives Friday, May 14th.

Packed with 21 performances, Where Have You Gone is Jackson’s 16^th studio album – his 25^th in a storied career that includes two Christmas albums, two gospel albums, three Greatest Hits collections, a bluegrass album, and one boxed set.

Jackson – a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame – penned 15 of the album’s songs, including the title track. Keith Stegall, his longtime producer, once again plays that role on Where Have You Gone.

Travis Denning enlists the help of friends, Adam Hambrick, Bobby Bones and Lanco, to play a game of HORSE for Episode 2 of “Travis Denning and Friends Do Stuff.” You’ll never guess who came in last place!

Travis is making his way up the country charts with his latest single, “ABBY.”

The nominations for this year’s CMT Music Awards have been announced. Little Big Town and Mickey Guyton have three nominations apiece, while Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood have two (Video of the Year, Collaborative Video of the Year). Dierks Bentley, Sam Hunt, Brothers Osborne, Chris Stapleton, Luke Bryan are also nominated (see list of nominees below).

The 2021 CMT Music Awards, hosted by Kelsea Ballerini and Kane Brown, airs Wednesday, June 9th at 8:00PM ET/7:00PM CT on CMT, with a five channel simulcast across MTV, MTV2, Logo, Paramount Network and TV Land. Each winner is selected by the fans, with voting now open at vote.cmt.com. 

The first round of nominees for the highly-coveted “Video of the Year” award includes 14 acts, most notably Carrie Underwood, who continues her reign as the most-awarded artist in CMT Music Awards history with 22 wins, nominated this year for her collaboration with John Legend. 

The nominees for the “2021 CMT Music Awards” are:

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video of the year; awarded to the artist (male, female, group/duo or collaboration). Top five nominees, from the first round of voting, will be announced on June 1. Top 3 nominees, from the second round of voting, will be announced on June 8. Final voting will be determined via social media and announced as the final category during the live show.

• Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
• Dierks Bentley – “Gone”
• Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
• Ingrid Andress – “Lady Like”
• Kane Brown – “Worldwide Beautiful”
• Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
• Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
• Kenny Chesney – “Knowing You”
• Maren Morris – “Better Than We Found It”
• Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
• Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”
• Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
• Sam Hunt – “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s”
• Willie Jones – “American Dream”

FEMALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a female artist; awarded to the artist

• Carly Pearce – “Next Girl”
• Gabby Barrett – “The Good Ones”
• Kelsea Ballerini – “hole in the bottle”
• Maren Morris – “To Hell & Back”
• Mickey Guyton – “Heaven Down Here”
• Miranda Lambert – “Settling Down”

MALE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a male artist; awarded to the artist

• Chris Stapleton – “Starting Over”
• Darius Rucker – “Beers and Sunshine”
• Kane Brown – “Worship You”
• Luke Bryan – “Down To One”
• Luke Combs – “Lovin’ On You”
• Thomas Rhett – “What’s Your Country Song”

DUO/GROUP VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video by a duo or group; awarded to the artists

• Brothers Osborne – “All Night”
• Lady A – “Like A Lady”
• Little Big Town – “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
• Old Dominion – “Never Be Sorry”
• Parmalee and Blanco Brown – “Just The Way”
• Runaway June – “We Were Rich”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from an artist’s major breakthrough album; awarded to the artist (male, female or group/duo)

• Dylan Scott – “Nobody”
• Hailey Whitters feat. Little Big Town – “Fillin’ My Cup”
• HARDY – “Give Heaven Some Hell”
• Lainey Wilson – “Things a Man Oughta Know”
• Mickey Guyton – “Black Like Me”
• Niko Moon – “GOOD TIME (Ride Along Video)”

COLLABORATIVE VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Best video from a collaboration; awarded to the artists

• Carrie Underwood with John Legend – “Hallelujah”
• Chris Young and Kane Brown – “Famous Friends”
• Elle King and Miranda Lambert – “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home)”
• Keith Urban with P!nk – “One Too Many”
• Ryan Hurd with Maren Morris – “Chasing After You”
• Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard – “Undivided”

CMT PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR
Musical performance on a television show, series or variety special on CMT; awarded to the artist (individual, group or duo)

• From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Brooks & Dunn and Luke Combs “1, 2 Many”
• From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Dan + Shay “I Should Probably Go To Bed”
• From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus “This Is Us”
• From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Kelsea Ballerini and Halsey “The Other Girl”
• From the 2020 CMT Music Awards – Little Big Town “Wine, Beer, Whiskey”
• From CMT Crossroads – Nathaniel Rateliff and Margo Price “Twinkle Twinkle”