Luke Bryan took to social media to reveal ABC’s American Idol has been renewed and he’ll be back at the judges’ table with Lional Richie and Katy Perry.
It’s happening. Season 2. @americanidol pic.twitter.com/SsNJTLFF6p
— Luke Bryan (@lukebryan) May 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/katyperry/status/992467880099942401
https://twitter.com/LionelRichie/status/992473843821301760
Carrie Underwood posted on social media Sunday night’s episode of ABC’s American Idol will show a sneak peek of her new video for “Cry Pretty.”
Watch @AmericanIdol on @ABCNetwork Sunday night at 8e/5p for a sneak peek of my new music video for #CryPretty ! pic.twitter.com/dZorKrAvDk
— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) May 5, 2018
Watch @AmericanIdol tonight to get a worldwide exclusive look at my new music video for #CryPretty !! Live show starts at 8e|5p on @ABCNetwork pic.twitter.com/0N1ApkK1FB
— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) May 6, 2018
Following the release of her “Space Cowboy” video earlier this week, Kacey Musgraves shares the video for “Butterflies.” Shot in Mexico City by “Space Cowboy” director Courtney Phillips, the visual captures the magic and thrill of falling in love. Watch “Butterflies” here: http://smarturl.it/kmbutterflies
“Butterflies” was released to rave reviews, with NPR proclaiming it as “stepping easily beyond any genre category with a sunny sense that this is just where country should be these days.” The track is featured on Kacey’s critically-acclaimed new album Golden Hour, her third #1 debut on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. Golden Hour has been praised by everyone from NPR, Time, The Los Angeles Times, Rolling Stone, Billboard, Pitchfork, and The FADER, among others, with USA Today declaring “Golden Hour may be 2018’s best album yet,” and The Huffington Post calling it “the work of a self-assured artist breaking the mold instead of the younger version telling us that one day she would.” Kacey has performed music from Golden Hour on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, TODAY, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and she will make her debut on Saturday Night Live next Saturday, May 12th.
Kacey played Stagecoach festival this past weekend, with Noisey announcing her set “proves she’s the best future country music has” and The Los Angeles Times observing Saturday’s lineup “offered a triumphant set from Kacey Musgraves, who delivered on her early promise and handled her new stature as a soon-to-be headliner with confidence.” Kacey will wrap up her tour with Little Big Town this weekend, and will go on to support Harry Styles on his tour this summer. Kacey will kick off her headlining Oh, What A World: Tour this fall in Europe, with additional global dates to be announced. For more information, visit http://www.kaceymusgraves.com/tour.
Follow Kacey Musgraves:
Eric Paslay‘s latest single is “Young Forever,” and the man doesn’t age a bit. He owes his “fountain of youth” to writing songs, racing go-karts, DIY projects and maybe a little laser tag.
DIY projects with a side of go-karts & laser tag… just a few ways I stay #YoungForever. What about y’all? My new song just might give you some inspiration: https://t.co/Rl33uhQbPj pic.twitter.com/hi2d3xmfXR
— Eric Paslay (@ericpaslay) May 4, 2018
Keith Urban began working on his new album, Graffiti U, in January of last year and thought he may have it done within a short period of time. However, as he continued to write and record, the project didn’t come together until months later.
“The album felt like it started coming together maybe eight months later. It was crazy how long it took of writing and recording songs and feeling like, ‘Oh yeah. I’m gonna have an album in the middle of the year. This is great.’ And then the more I wrote, the more it started moving in a different direction and the more I found myself feeling freer in the process,” recalls Keith. “I don’t know how to articulate that, because it’s not to say I haven’t felt that way on other records, but somehow this one just became more liberated.”
His home studio may have had a little bit to do with the feel of the album. “I do think recording a lot at home in my studio that has big windows with lots and lots of natural light started to influence the spirit of the record,” he says. “There’s a lot of spirit in the album.”
Keith will kick off his Graffiti U Tour June 15th in St. Louis, Missouri. If you can’t wait that long, watch him perform Thursday night (May 3rd) on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers.
Keith Urban (Graffiti U started coming together) OC: …in the album. :44
“The album felt like it started coming together maybe eight months later. It was crazy how long it took of writing and recording songs and feeling like, ‘Oh yeah. I’m gonna have an album in the middle of the year. This is great.’ And then the more I wrote, the more it started moving in a different direction and the more I found myself feeling freer in the process. I don’t know how to articulate that, because it’s not to say I haven’t felt that way on other records, but somehow this one just became more liberated. I do think recording a lot at home in my studio that has big windows with lots and lots of natural light started to influence the spirit of the record. There’s a lot of spirit in the album.”
Chris Stapleton got some great news this week. His 2015 album, Traveller, was just certified triple platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), while From A Room: Volume 1 has been certified platinum and From A Room: Volume 2 has gone gold.
When making albums, Chris wants them to be good, from top to bottom. “We’re all incredibly fortunate that out on the road that the people who come out to the shows dig that deep. It sure is a powerful thing when you can pull out an album cut and have everybody sing along and have somebody be excited about it or watch that be somebody’s song they were hoping you were going to play that night,” he says. “I care about the album, quite a bit, and I kind of learned that from Tom Petty. He made my favorite record of all time, which was Wild Flowers, and that album really made me appreciate the album, top to bottom. I try to think about that record a lot when I’m making records, and that’s the way I feel about albums. I want them to be good, top to bottom.”
The ACM and CMA Male Vocalist of the Year (among other awards) recently released his latest song, “Millionaire,” which is featured on his newly minted gold album, From A Room: Volume 2.
Chris will hit the road with his 2018 All-American Road Show Tour, featuring Marty Stuart and Brent Cobb, beginning June 16th in Brandon, Mississippi. He’s also set to do a few shows before then, including CMA Music Fest, as well as a handful of shows with The Eagles.
Chris Stapleton (making records) OC: …top to bottom. :3
“We’re all incredibly fortunate that out on the road that the people who come out to the shows dig that deep. It sure is a powerful thing when you can pull out an album cut and have everybody sing along and have somebody be excited about it or watch that be somebody’s song they were hoping you were going to play that night. I care about the album, quite a bit, and I kind of learned that from Tom Petty. He made my favorite record of all time, which was Wild Flowers, and that album really made me appreciate the album, top to bottom. I try to think about that record a lot when I’m making records, and that’s the way I feel about albums. I want them to be good, top to bottom.”
Eric Paslay was in Cincinnati on Wednesday (May 2nd) on behalf of the CMA Foundation. He, along with Sara Evans, Trent Harmon and songwriter Rob Hatch, were able to pass out instruments to children. He tweeted a video (see below) and said, “inspiring to see schools and teachers that care so much for their students and music education!”
Great day in #Cincinnati with @saraevansmusic @trentharmon and #RobHatch getting to gift instruments to kids thanks to @cmafoundation and @usbank!!! Inspiring to see schools and teachers that care so much for their students and music education! pic.twitter.com/tYUCYp69E8
— Eric Paslay (@ericpaslay) May 2, 2018
Eric is currently making his way up the country charts with “Young Forever.”
Carrie Underwood has high hopes for the Nashville Predators, a team which includes her husband Mike Fisher. Last year, the Preds went to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time, and she thinks 2018 is going to be a big playoff for the team, as well.
“I think this year is definitely going to be another one for the books, and I think they’re going to be amazing and play amazing,” says Carrie. “Whatever they do, they’re just gonna give it their all, so hopefully, that leads them back to another Stanley Cup Final round, but we’ll see. But I know they’re excited.”
The Nashville Predators have made it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which has them hitting the ice against the Winnipeg Jets. They’re down 2-1 in the series and are set to play Game 4 on Thursday (May 3rd) in Winnipeg. Carrie brought the team good luck when she performed the Anthem on Sunday at Game 2 as they won the game in double overtime.
Carrie is making her way up the country charts with her new song, “Cry Pretty,” which is the title cut from her upcoming album, due September 14th.
Carrie Underwood (Preds this year) OC: …they’re excited. :19
“I think this year is definitely going to be another one for the books, and I think they’re going to be amazing and play amazing. Whatever they do, they’re just gonna give it their all, so hopefully, that leads them back to another Stanley Cup Final round, but we’ll see. But I know they’re excited.”
Brothers Osborne’s TJ and John Osborne are headed across the pond for their first headlining UK tour. They kick it off Friday (May 4th) in Dublin, Ireland, followed by shows in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol and London and are set to wrap May 13th in Glasgow.
The duo has become one of the UK’s favorite country acts to see live, and the guys couldn’t be more thrilled to head back overseas.
“We’re excited to get over for our first headline tour in the UK. We’ve been over there several times, and we’ve really been itching at getting back over there, and it’s close to being all sold-out and hopefully by the time we get there, it’ll be a completely sold-out tour,” says TJ. “And the fans, man, the fans. The only thing I can imagine what it was like was playing music in the United States in the ‘70s. They don’t really, they’re kind of just listening to music they think is good. They don’t really care what you call it, if it’s country, if it’s rock or it’s blues. They just like it or don’t, and they will show up if they think it’s authentic.”
For John, who is one of the best guitar pickers in Nashville and beyond, the UK is also home to many legendary guitarists. “The UK is home to some of the most legendary guitarists of all time. If Eric Clapton is from where you’re from, then you should be known that’s clearly a guitar area,” he says. “A lot of guys I listened to growing up are from the UK, so they have a huge love for that…It took Jimi Hendrix, he had to go to the UK for the world to understand what he was about. So, we’re stoked. We can’t wait to go back.”
When John and TJ return to the States, they only have a couple of days at home before they head out on tour with Dierks Bentley on his Mountain High Tour, kicking off May 18th in Columbia, Maryland.
The reigning ACM and CMA Vocal Duo of the Year are making their way up the country charts with “Shoot Me Straight,” from their new sophomore album, Port Saint Joe.
Brothers Osborne (UK Headlining Tour) OC: (John) …to go back. 1:00
TJ: “We’re excited to get over for our first headline tour in the UK. We’ve been over there several times, and we’ve really been itching at getting back over there, and it’s close to being all sold-out and hopefully by the time we get there, it’ll be a completely sold-out tour. And the fans, man, the fans, the only thing I can imagine what it was like was playing music in the United States in the ‘70s. They don’t really, they’re kind of just listening to music they think is good. They don’t really care what you call it, if it’s country, if it’s rock or it’s blues. They just like it or don’t, and they will show up if they think it’s authentic and love it…and have fun.” JOHN: “And the UK is home to some of the most legendary guitarists of all time. If Eric Clapton is from where you’re from, then you should be known that’s clearly a guitar area.” TJ: “Like Jimmy Page.” JOHN: “Yeah and Jimmy Page. A lot of guys I listened to growing up are from the UK, so they have a huge love for that. So, for two guitar pickers like us…” TJ: “Or Keith Richards. Oh my God. The list goes on.” JOHN: “It took Jimi Hendrix, he had to go to the UK for the world to understand what he was about. So, we’re stoked. We can’t wait to go back.”
The members of Lady Antebellum have scored their first Tony nomination for their song “Chop to the Top” that appears in the Spongebob Squarepants musical that opened on Broadway in December. A few years ago, they were asked to write a song for a particular scene in the musical.
“The Spongebob musical opportunity kind of came about randomly. We got approached if we could write a song for it and they gave us the scene and kind of a direction. We wrote the song called ‘Chop to the Top’ [laughs], and it was funny, we didn’t hear much about it for so many years,” says Charles. “Those musicals must take forever to put together, because we were like, ‘Well, I guess it fell through,’ and all of a sudden, years later it resurfaced that it’s coming out. So, I can’t wait to see it. It’ll be fun to take the kids.”
Stunned right now! First Tony Awards nomination. Congrats @SpongeBobBway!! So grateful for this opportunity to be a part of such an incredible score. #TonyAwards2018https://t.co/GSlaBuOkg2
— Lady A (@ladya) May 1, 2018
Other artists who contributed original songs to the production include Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, Yolanda Adams, Sara Bareilles, The Flaming Lips, John Legend and Cyndi Lauper, among others.
The 72nd Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles, will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, at 8pm ET on June 10th.
The trio is currently making their way up the country charts with their latest hit, “Heart Break.”
Lady Antebellum (Spongebob musical) OC: …take the kids. :39
CHARLES: “The Spongebob musical opportunity kind of came about randomly. We got approached if we could write a song for it and they gave us the scene and kind of a direction. We wrote the song called ‘Chop to the Top’ [laughs], and it was funny, we didn’t hear much about it for so many years. We wrote this…” DAVE: “It was before kids we wrote it.” CHARLES: “Yeah, way before kids.” HILLARY: “Eisele was a newborn. It was one of those first writing appointments we did after Eisele was born, ‘cause y’all came over to my basement.” CHARLES: “Those musicals must take forever to put together, because we were like, ‘Well, I guess it fell through,’ and all of a sudden, years later it resurfaced that it’s coming out. So, I can’t wait to see it. It’ll be fun to take the kids.”
