Luke Bryan, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie are getting ready to help the next round of hopefuls on the new season of ABC’s American Idol. A sneak preview was released from some of this year’s auditions, and you are in store for another emotional season full of great talent, backstories and cheering for your favorites. Check out the preview below.
American Idol returns Sunday, February 16th at 8pm ET on ABC.
Luke is currently making his way up the country charts with his latest smash, “What She Wants Tonight.” Country Aircheck’s Most Heard Artist of the Decade will also hit the beach when he puts on this year’s Crash My Playa event later this month with Jason Aldean, Jordan Davis, Caylee Hammack, Old Dominion, Dustin Lynch, Jon Langston, Lee Brice, Scotty McCreery and many more.
Keith Urban spent a lot of spare time in 2019 in the studio creating music. When he had a few hours available, he’d either go in the studio at his home or he would book a room locally.
“When I think of this whole year (2019) musically, I think of being in the studio for a good chunk of it,” says Keith. “It seemed like any chance I had I was in a studio somewhere at any given moment. Sometimes I would find myself having three hours to spare like ‘tomorrow,’ and if my studio wasn’t up and running, I’d book one and jump in and do something.”
For this new year (2020), Keith wants to keep expanding his music, his creativity, his entire being. “To keep expanding the musicality that my life is – the kind of music I get to listen to; the kind of music I get to make,” he says. “For me, it’s always about moving my center in everything in life. As long as my center keeps moving, it keeps me alive, invigorated, passionate, curious, hunger, engaged, interested, everything comes from that. So, hopefully that will…I KNOW that will continue.”
Keith, who just rang in the New Year with 250,000 fans, has several dates on the books already, beginning with a handful of dates at The Colosseum in Las Vegas January 10th, 11th and January 17th, 18th.
Audio / Keith Urban spent every spare moment in the studio in 2019.
Keith Urban (New Year 2019) OC: …do something. :20 “When I think of this whole year (2019) musically, I think of being in the studio for a good chunk of it. It seemed like any chance I had I was in a studio somewhere at any given moment. Sometimes I would find myself having three hours to spare like tomorrow, and if my studio wasn’t up and running, I’d book one and jump in and do something.”
Keith Urban (2020) OC: …will continue. :22 “To keep expanding the musicality that my life is – the kind of music I get to listen to; the kind of music I get to make. For me, it’s always about moving my center in everything in life. As long as my center keeps moving, it keeps me alive, invigorated, passionate, curious, hunger, engaged, interested, everything comes from that. So, hopefully that will, I KNOW that will continue.”
Carrie Underwood recently revealed the cover and release date of her brand-new book, Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul and Get Strong with the Fit52Life. The collection, which will include tips, recipes, exercises and stories about her personal health and fitness journey, is set to be released March 3rd.
She says on her official website, “I want to be healthy and fit 52 weeks of the year, but that doesn’t mean I have to be perfect every day. This philosophy is a year-round common sense approach to health and fitness that involved doing your best most of the time.
She explains, “I’ve done a lot. I’ve tried a lot. I have a random life. I’m a working mom. I feel like that’s a lot of us in a nutshell, and I just kind of wanted to lay it all out – here’s what works for me and hopefully people can get some ideas and implement some of it into their lives. It’s all about just trying to be your best and juggle. Everybody’s juggling and trying to do it all, so hopefully people get some good ideas and tips and tricks in there.”
There is also a Target exclusive bonus chapter. The Target exclusive edition of FIND YOUR PATH features a special bonus chapter called “From My Garden,” with advice on growing vegetables and fresh herbs in an at-home vegetable garden. Carrie invites readers into her own backyard vegetable garden, and she shares several bonus plant-based recipes that are exclusive for Target readers.
Carrie is currently making her way up the country charts with her latest song “Drinking Alone.”
Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about her new book, Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul and Get Strong with the Fit52Life.
Carrie Underwood (book) OC: …my life anyway. :54 “We’ve been working on it a long time, and it’s really just, you know, I’ve done a lot. I’ve tried a lot. I have a random life. I’m a working mom. I feel like that’s a lot of us in a nutshell, and I just kind of wanted to lay it all out – here’s what works for me and hopefully people can get some ideas and implement some of it into their lives. It’s all about just trying to be your best and juggle, right, which is the kind of, it’s the world we live in. Everybody’s juggling and trying to do it all, so hopefully people get some good ideas and tips and tricks in there. There’s recipes and exercises and stories and backstories and why I am the way I am in the health and fitness portion of my life anyway.”
Front Row (L-R): Cindy Mabe (UMG Nashville President), Douglas “Doug” Douglason, Mike Dungan (UMG Nashville Chairman/CEO)
Back Row (L-R:) Brian Wright (UMG Nashville Exec. VP of A&R), Mary Hilliard Harrington (Red Light Management), Terotej “Terry” Dvoraczekynski, Marty Ray “Rayro” Roburn, Barry Van Ricky, Monte Montgomery, Royce Risser (UMG Nashville Exec. VP of Promotions), Trevor Travis, Jay Williams (WME Nashville Co-Head)
The ’90s influenced country band Hot Country Knights has inked a worldwide recording deal with Universal Music Group Nashville (UMGN), it was announced today. Teaming with imprint Capitol Records Nashville, the Knights are promising to bring real ’90s country music back to a format that’s been drowning in male sensitivity, cashmere cardigan sweaters and programmed drum loops.
“Some artists out there tried to put the ‘O’ back in country, that was a thing for a while…. but what it’s really missing is the ‘T,’” band leader Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason said. “Country music has Low-T right now…it could use a pick me up, if you know what I mean. Those record label people over at Universal finally realized that only the Knights could be up to a task this big and hard.”
Watch the Hot Country Knights invade the UMGN building during their signing here:
The Hot Country Knights are comprised of lead singer Douglas (“Doug”) Douglason, lead bass player Trevor Travis, lead guitarist Marty Ray (“Rayro”) Roburn, keytar/fiddle player Terotej (“Terry”) Dvoraczekynski, steel guitarist Barry Van Ricky and percussionist Monte Montgomery. As dedicated road warriors, they’ve basically lived out of a van their entire existence. For more information on The Hot Country Knights visit www.hotcountryknights.com.
Universal Music Group Nashville consists of Capitol Records Nashville, EMI Records Nashville, MCA Nashville and Mercury Nashville. Reading like a “who’s who” of Music Row, the combined rosters include Adam Hambrick, Alan Jackson, Billy Currington, Brandon Lay, Brothers Osborne, Carrie Underwood, Caylee Hammack, CB30, Chris Stapleton, Clare Dunn, Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Eric Church, Gary Allan, George Strait, Hootie & The Blowfish, Jon Langston, Jon Pardi, Jordan Davis, Josh Turner, Kacey Musgraves, Kassi Ashton, Keith Urban, Kip Moore, Kylie Morgan, Lauren Alaina, Little Big Town, Luke Bryan, Maddie & Tae, Mickey Guyton, Parker McCollum, Sam Hunt, Shania Twain, Travis Denning and Vince Gill.
Maddie & Tae appeared on NBC’s Today Show twice over the holidays. On December 20th, the duo performed their smash hit “Die From a Broken Heart,” and on New Year’s Eve, the ladies performed “Bathroom Floor,” which they released from their most recent EP Everywhere I’m Goin’. Check out the performances below.
Keith Urban once again performed on stage in Nashville on New Year’s Eve and helped ring in 2020 with more than 250,000 of his closest friends. He welcomed special guests, the legendary Stevie Nicks and also badass Ashley McBryde, during his set. Check out the highlights below.
Dierks Bentley’s 2014 Riser album will be featured on vinyl for the first time in January. The collection celebrating the fifth anniversary includes his No. 1 hits “I Hold On,” “Drunk on a Plane” and “Say You Do” will be available on a translucent orange special edition and on standard black vinyl.
“I named the album ‘Riser’ because the lyrics in that song perfectly articulate who I want to be, who I try to be,” Bentley explained when the album was released in February 2014. “There’s a lot of really intense material on this record, but there’s also a lighter side that is equally important in telling the story of the last two years of my life.” When I first started writing for this album, I was in a place of grief over the loss of my dad, but over the course of the next 18 months, my wife and I had our son Knox, and I ended in a place of real joy and gratefulness. Both sides of that coin are what country music has always been about, and I hope that my fans can feel how much of myself I put into this project. It’s all out on the table, for sure.”
Embraced by Bentley’s fans as well as country radio, Riser topped the Billboard Country Albums chart and marked his fifth career debut in the top spot on the strength of three No. 1 country singles – “I Hold On,” “Say You Do” and the platinum-selling “Drunk On A Plane,” which became his 18th career single to peak in the top 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay chart. Produced by Ross Copperman and Arturo Buenahora, Riser, which was also Bentley’s seventh top 10 album on the Billboard 200, debuting at No. 6, was nominated for a GRAMMY for Best Country Album.
Accepting change – and growing from it – is a key theme in Riser, and it is reflected by the tone of the album, which demonstrated a new artistic depth and an extra level of intensity for Bentley. Evolving from track to track, the 12-song album exudes a range of emotions and blends a contemporary sound with Bentley’s obvious love for traditional country music. Riser features six songs co-written by Bentley including the No. 1 hits “I Hold On,” which displays some of the soaring guitar work that has drawn comparisons to U2, and “Drunk On A Plane,” an up-tempo song with an underlying lonesomeness about a guy determined to enjoy his Mexican honeymoon by himself after getting left at the altar.
Opening with “Bourbon In Kentucky,” featuring backing vocals from Kacey Musgraves, the album is loaded with highlights including “Say You Do,” “Damn These Dreams,” “Hurt Somebody,” with backing vocals by Chris Stapleton, and the powerful title track “Riser,” which has become one of Bentley’s signature songs, a fixture at his live shows and the name of his foundation which focuses on the needs of children and families. The song about overcoming life’s obstacles came to him following the death of his father and birth of his son and became the cornerstone of the record. It was accompanied by a poignant video inspired by a “60 Minutes” episode and tells the real-life story of Amy Thomas who was forced to live out of her car with her children after their house was foreclosed on. Throughout the starkly light black and white video, Bentley sings the chorus of strength and resilience: “I’m a riser/I’m a get up off the ground, don’t run and hider/Hey pushin’ comes to shovin’/Baby I’m a fighter/When darkness comes to town, I’m a lighter/A get out aliver, of the fire/survivor.”
Dierks, who just scored his 19th No. 1 song with “Living,” will release the new vinyl editions of Riser January 31st.
Dierks Bentley RISER LP
Side A
Bourbon In Kentucky
Say You Do
I Hold On
Pretty Girls
Here On Earth
Drunk On A Plane
Side B
Five
Riser
Sounds Of Summer
Damn These Dreams
Back Porch
Hurt Somebody
Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about making his new album Riser over the course of the past couple of years being bookended by the death of his father and the birth of his son.
Dierks Bentley (Riser album songs) OC: …been amazing. :44
“Once I kind of knew what I was feeling with my dad and just all this stuff, I had a template to start from for writing and listening for stuff to kind of fit that mold. Luckily for me, there was enough gap between my dad passing away and my son being born that we were able to go out, I had this tour on the road which my true colors actually came out. And that feeling was able to be brought into the album with songs like ‘Back Porch,’ ‘Chillin’ on a Back Porch,’ and ‘Drunk on a Plane,’ and ‘Sounds of Summer,’ these fun songs that kind of encapsulate who I am, as well as a father and a son who has lost his father. So, yeah, It’s [been] a pretty incredible journey the last two years. It’s been amazing.”
Carrie Underwood announced this week she will be stepping down as host of the CMA Awards after 12 years. She made the announcement via Instagram, saying “I’ve decided that it’s time to pass the hosting torch (at least for now!) to others that will cherish it and honor it as much as I do.”
“One of the highlights of 2019 and of my entire career so far was being on stage with the legends that are Reba and Dolly Parton. I’m so proud that we could celebrate the incredible female artists that are part of the legacy of country music, past, present and future, and I’m thankful for the huge audiences all over the world that tuned in to see it. It’s hard to believe that it was my 12th year hosting and I will always treasure every show, from the 11 that I was so lucky to do with my partner in crime and friend for life, Brad Paisley, to sharing the stage with two of my all-time heroes. I’m so incredibly grateful to everyone involved with the CMA Awards all these years. It’s hard to imagine topping what we have accomplished together, so I’ve decided that it’s time to pass the hosting torch (at least for now!) to others that will cherish it and honor it as much as I do. I’ve got so many exciting things coming in the new year and beyond, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for all of us. #blessed#MemorableMoments
Carrie, who is making her way up the country charts with her song “Drinking Alone,” will release her first book, Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul and Get Strong with the Fit52Life on March 3rd (2020).
What are some of your favorite stars doing to welcome in the New Year? A few of them are working to help fans celebrate. Several artists have taken the time off around the holidays and will hit it hard when they return to the road in January. Some artists have resolutions, and some are very helpful with their own hangover cures for those who imbibe too much on New Year’s Eve.
Keith Urban is set to headline Music City on New Year’s Eve for the fourth consecutive year. He’ll perform at the Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park as part of the Jack Daniels Music City Midnight bash. The legendary Stevie Nicks will join Keith, as well as Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Ashley McBryde, Amanda Shires, The Struts andthe Fisk Jubilee Singers, among others. The event will include the traditional Music Note Drop and fireworks display to ring in the New Year. Keith will be featured on “NBC’s New Year’s Eve,” which will be hosted by Carson Daly and Julianne Hough. The special will air Monday, December 31st from 10-11pm ET/PT and return 11:30pm – 12:30am ET/PT. Keith, as well Shania Twain, will also appear during CNN’s coverage of the New Year with hosts Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.
Sam Hunt will perform during Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve from New York City. The long-running countdown to the new year, hosted by Ryan Seacrest, will also include performers Keith Urban, Post Malone, BTS, Jonas Brothers, Kelsea Ballerini, Blanco Brown, Dan + Shay, Green Day, Sheryl Crow, Usher, Salt-N-Pepa and many others. The show will air 8pm to 2am ET on ABC.
Lauren Alaina will perform on Fox’s New Year’s Eve with Steve Harvey: Live From Times Square. Other performers include LL Cool J, Florida Georgia Line, The Chainsmokers, The Lumineers, Backstreet Boys and The Killers, among others, to help ring in 2020. The show will air in two parts: 8p-10p ET/CT live; MT/PT tape-delayed with the second part beginning at 11pm – 12:30am ET live; CT/MT/PT tape-delayed.
Gary Allan is set to ring in the New Year with a show at Riverwind Casino in Norman, Oklahoma.
Audio / Brothers Osborne talk about how people spend the last moments of the year, and the first moments of the new year.
Brothers Osborne (New Year) OC: (TJ) …next month. :44
JOHN: “I think it’s kind of funny how we spend literally the last moment and the very first moment of every year being extremely intoxicated, extremely, because you don’t want to wait until like 12:30 to get your buzz on. You’ve got to do it before midnight, and then once midnight happens, you’re like, ‘Omigod! Now it’s time to celebrate even more.’ Debauchery is the literally bookending your entire year.” TJ: “I love how everyone starts the year off with diets and then we end the year with like excessive amounts of food. And then you get to the end of the year, you’re like, ‘Oh, I’m going to start a diet on the 1st, so I’m going to eat everything that’s in front of me.’ I love it.” JOHN: “And come February 1st, ‘what diet?’” [laughs] TJ: “What diet? I’ll start it next month.” [laughs]
Audio / John Osborne of Brothers Osborne says a little hair of the dog is definitely the cure for a hangover.
Brothers Osborne (hangover cure) OC: …of the year. :07 “Usually drinking more. I mean, a little hair of the dog never hurt anybody. Plus, it’s the first of the year.”
Clare Dunn (hangover cure) OC: …hangover cure. :10 “Greasy food is always kind of a, you can let it go for one day before you start all your resolutions [laughs] after that. So, that’s probably my best hangover cure.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley says there’s not really a cure for a hangover.
Dierks (NYE) OC: …for that. :10
“I think January first is universally accepted as a dog. So, I mean, a little hair of the dog, I guess. But just…water and stay on the couch, I guess. There’s no real sure-fire cure for that.”
Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about New Year's Eve.
Dierks Bentley (New Year’s) OC: …in stride. 1:07 “New Year’s is rough. New Year’s hurts no matter what’s going on. I’ve played a lot of New Year’s shows, you know, but I’ve honestly found that it’s not my favorite night to throw down. Look, for a living, that’s what I do. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, I host a big party; not only on stage, but I’ve got friends backstage. It starts before the concert sometimes, [and] it goes long after the concert, so a lot of times on New Year’s, I’m looking for a really mellow hang – a good party, good friends, pretty chill. Some of my best New Year’s – it doesn’t make for great radio – but some of my best New Year’s have been just like actually hearing fireworks go off while I’m in bed, [laughs] and know I’m gonna wake up the next morning for the first day of the New Year feeling great, feeling recharged and I’m ready to go and go into the New Year feeling good as opposed to going into it with a giant Jagerbomb hangover, which I’ve done many, many times. So, the goal this year is to go into it feeling pretty good and the kids help with that, because you really just don’t want to be hungover with children. It’s not a good feeling. You would probably admit to any crime to get them, just feel better, and get them leave you alone.”
Audio / Eric Church has a couple of hangover cures for those times (especially on New Year’s Eve) when you might imbibe a little too much.
Eric Church (hangover cure) OC: …every time. :17 “The best hangover cure – I’ve got two. One is 5-hour Energy [bottles], because of all the B-vitamins that are in it. You can start pounding those, and it’s either gonna work, or it’s gonna keep you up and prolong your misery. But the other one I have is just take two Advil and a beer in the morning. Hair of the dog, man – that works every time.”
Audio / Jon Pardi talks about his own hangover cure.
Jon Pardi (hangover cure) OC: …deal with it. :20 “My hangover cure is Bloody Marys, but be careful – because once you have a couple, don’t go to beer, because if you go to beer, you’re gonna start drinking again and you’ll end up a morning drunk. OR if you want to go the non-alcoholic route, there’s nothing you can do for hangovers. [laughs] You just go deal with it.”
Audio / Kacey Musgraves has her own hangover cure.
Kacey Musgraves (hangover cure) OC: …water. Yup! :32
“Coconut water is a major help with hangovers and also, a lot of times we go and eat Vietnamese fuh. It’s a soup, and it’s got this awesome broth. You can get different things in it or whatever, but for some reason, it’s just like…it’s almost like a chicken noodle soup kind of an idea, you know, but it’s good. That’s good for hangovers too. That, sleep, Tylenol, coconut water and just water, in general. And when you’re drinking, have your alcohol, drink a little bit of water, drink some more alcohol, drink some water. Yup!”
Audio / Keith Urban says he loves playing New Year's Eve in Nashville.
Keith Urban (playing Nashville 2019) OC: …getting to do it. : “I love it. I love playing in Nashville. I’ve lived here now 27 years. I’ve lived here longer than I lived in Australia, which is crazy, you now? Playing New Year’s Eve is awesome because you never know what to expect from year to year. This’ll be our fourth year doing it. We have Jason Isbell, Amanda Shires this year and a bunch of other people. There’s a whole bunch of people at this show. It’s free and the town gets behind it in a big way. It just feels like a, I don’t know, it just feels like a big Nash love fest really for me. I love it. I love getting to do it.”
Audio / Kip Moore gives sound advice on how to avoid a hangover on New Year’s Eve.
Luke Bryan (New Years-best) OC: …great night. :17 “My best New Year’s Eve is definitely when my wife and I started back dating. We started back dating right before Christmas, and we went on a trip down to Florida and met some friends. And her birthday is New Year’s Eve. We celebrated it that night. It was just a great night.”
Audio / Travis Denning recalls his favorite New Year’s Eve party.
Travis Denning (favorite New Year’s Eve party) OC: …it was good. :41 “I think my favorite New Year’s Eve party ever was when my sister got married, and my sister’s party got done at 10:30, 10:45 and she got married right behind a little club that I played a lot in Macon, Georgia called the Crazy Bull and love the owner. We’re boys, you know? So, we just literally walked right over and burned the house down. That was one of my favorite New Year’s Eve memories, ‘cause I got to see my sister and brother-in-law get married and that was such a great, great time, and then me and my older cousin and best friend, we ended up at Waffle House that night, so it was good.”
Audio / Travis Denning talks about his hangover cures.
Travis Denning (hangover cure) OC: …me better. :17 “You know, I think my hangover cure is just sitting on my butt, [laughs] not doing anything. Drink some water, a cup of coffee, but usually anything greasy or just some big ole Mexican food that’ll get me at least to a nap, which will get me better.”
Audio / Travis Denning talks about getting dressed up for New Year’s Eve.
Travis Denning (wants to get dressed up for New Year’s Eve) OC: …good for it. :13 “No matter what I do for New Year’s Eve, I want to get dressed up. I want to wear a suit. I want to get real snazzied up, and I don’t care if I’m just going to a bar. Like, it’s New Year’s Eve, let’s look good for it.”
