• Tyler Hubbard Back Then Right Now
  • Anne Wilson Rain in the Rearview
  • Chris Stapleton Think I'm In Love With You
  • Chris Stapleton Think I'm In Love With You
  • Keith Urban Messed Up As Me
  • Darius Rucker Never Been Over
  • Brothers Osborne Break Mine
  • Priscilla Block Good On You
  • Dalton Dover Bury Me In This Bar

News

DIERKS BENTLEY RELEASES NEW SINGLE.

Multi-PLATINUM singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley found himself instantly intrigued with the idea of “Woman, Amen” when it was thrown out during a Fall co-write with songwriters Josh Kear and Ross Copperman. The result is a deeply sincere and personal message of love and gratitude made universal and then freed to soar with signature acoustic instrumentation and a full-throated anthemic chorus. Available now at Country Radio and with all digital partners, Bentley will perform the lead track from his next studio album THE MOUNTAIN tomorrow on The Ellen DeGeneres Show(1/18, check local listings).
 
“My wife and our relationship has been the one constant element in my life over all the ups and downs of my career and personal life,” shared Bentley. “Our journey together has made me the man I am today. I doubt my heart would even recognize the old me. This song addresses that in the most direct possible way. The personal gratitude expressed in the lyrics, mixed with a track that leans heavily on some bigger sounds, is the perfect way to introduce the album.” 
 
Since moving to Nashville, Bentley has brought a distinguishable grit and songwriting prowess to his recordings, and he’s consistently recreated his sound with a fearlessness that has won him both critical acclaim and commercial viability. Billboardgives breadth to his latest evolution with a video glimpse into the epic landscapes of Colorado and the studio atop a Telluride mesa where the song was recorded. To watch and listen to the full track, click here: http://bit.ly/2DoWOcY
 
Last week, NPR previewed new music from THE MOUNTAIN (Capitol Records Nashville), which will be released in early 2018. “He pursues themes of questing and self-actualization across a wide-open terrain of arid deserts and rugged ridgelines, cactus flowers and tumbleweeds” (NPR) as the writing process came together quickly when Bentley returned to Telluride a short time later for a retreat with fellow Nashville songwriters. Guitars, banjos, mandolins and fiddles are given room to shine, and integrated into modern drum and bass sounds that will fuel the arenas and amphitheaters on the road. He has become a fixture in country music amassing 17 No. One singles, dozens of nominations including those from the ACM, CMA, GRAMMYand Billboard Music Awards while serving as a Grand Ole Opry member for over a decade. For more information on new music and upcoming appearances, visit www.dierks.com.

DIERKS BENTLEY HITS THE AIRWAVES WITH HIS NEW SINGLE, ‘WOMAN, AMEN.’

Dierks Bentley has just released his new single, “Woman, Amen,” the first song from his upcoming album, The Mountain. Dierks co-wrote the song with Josh Kear and producer Ross Copperman while they had a writer’s retreat in Telluride, Colorado where he wrote and recorded much of the new album.

For Dierks, “Woman, Amen” is an important way to kick off his new album. “The song’s about gratitude, and the song is just the cracks in your heart and love and how you really need to have those failures and those cracks to really let love get in, so it’s an inspiring song,” says Dierks. “I think it’s an album that has a lot of gratitude in the album throughout every song. So, it’s a good song to really just get that message out there, and all that gratitude for me starts at home. There’d be nothing without Cass and the way she’s not only made my life, she’s been through the ups and downs and made me a better person. I don’t know where I’d be without her. So, for me to get the message of the album out there, I want to start with this song and this important message about the women in my life, the women in our lives. There’d be nothing without them. For me, it’s just an important way to start the album.”

“I’d lose my way, yeah, I’d lose my mind/If I faced one day on my own/I know I was saved, the night that she gave/This drifter’s heart a home/Every night I should be on my knees/Lord knows how lucky I am/I’ll never say it near enough/Thank God, for this woman, amen.”

Dierks just opened the new Nashville location of Whiskey Row on the corner of Broadway and Fourth Avenue.

Audio / Dierks Bentley talks about his new song, "Woman, Amen."

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Dierks Bentley (Woman, Amen) OC: …to start the album. :45
“The song’s about gratitude, and the song’s just the cracks in your heart and love and how you really need to have those failures and those cracks to really let love get in, so it’s an inspiring song. I think it’s an album that has a lot of gratitude in the album throughout every song. So, it’s a good song to really just get that message out there, and all that gratitude for me starts at home. There’d be nothing without Cass and the way she’s not only made my life, she’s been through the ups and downs and made me a better person. I don’t know where I’d be without her. So, for me to get the message of the album out there, I want to start with this song and this important message about the women in my life, the women in our lives. There’d be nothing without them. For me, it’s just an important way to start the album.”

 

Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Woman Amen) 1

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Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Woman Amen) 2

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Audio / LINER Dierks Bentley (Woman Amen) 3

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JORDAN DAVIS ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM HOME STATE, AVAILABLE MARCH 23RD.

MCA Nashville’s promising new artist Jordan Davis announces today his debut album HOME STATE will be released March 23. HOME STATE includes the singer/songwriter’s infectious current Top 20 single “Singles You Up” in addition to the previously-released tracks “Slow Dance In A Parking Lot” and “Take It From Me.” Known for his unique songwriting talent, Jordan co-wrote every track on HOME STATE and teamed up producer Paul DiGiovanni for the entire 12-song collection.

“Making this record has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done,” says Jordan. “I want to thank everyone who was involved in bringing this to life, especially to my producer Paul Digiovanni and the songwriters that helped me create these songs. I can’t wait for y’all to hear it.”

Rolling Stone Country recently premiered the official music video for “Singles You Up” which can be viewed HERE.

Jordan Davis continues to draw critical acclaim with Rolling Stone commending Jordan for “melding the song craft of artists like John Prine and Jim Croce with the genre’s pop progressiveness.” The Tennessean notes, “in the vein of Sam Hunt, Davis pairs syncopated melodies and ultra-progressive production with smooth vocals and contemporary vernacular.”

 

HOME STATE Track Listing:

  1. Take It From Me

(Jordan Davis, Jason Gantt, Jacob Davis)

  1. Going ‘Round

(Jordan Davis, Ben Daniel, Pavel Dovgalyuk)

  1. More Than I Know

(Jordan Davis, Paul DiGiovanni, Blair Daly)

  1. Slow Dance In A Parking Lot

(Jordan Davis, Lonnie Fowler)

  1. Singles You Up

(Jordan Davis, Justin Ebach, Steven Dale Jones)

  1. Sundowners

(Jordan Davis, Josh Jenkins, Matt Jenkins)

  1. Tough To Tie Down

(Jordan Davis, Jeff Middleton, Seth Ennis)

  1. Made That Way

(Jordan Davis, Paul DiGiovanni, Scooter Carusoe)

  1. So Do I

(Jordan Davis, Paul DiGiovanni, Jamie Paulin)

  1. Selfish

(Jordan Davis, Jason Gantt, Joshua Wade Door)

  1. Dreamed You Did

(Jordan Davis, Shane Minor, Jonathan Singleton)

  1. Leaving New Orleans

(Jordan Davis, Lonnie Fowler, David Frasier)

 

To pre-order an exclusive HOME STATE album package, visit: https://store.jordandavisofficial.com/

Jordan has previously opened shows for Kip Moore, Chase Rice, David Nail and more. He is set to embark on his first headlining WHITE WINE AND WHISKEY TOUR with special guest Jillian Jacqueline next month. With almost 15 cross-country dates, notable stops on the WHITE WINE AND WHISKEY TOUR include Atlanta, Dallas, Austin and Nashville.

For a full list of tour dates, news, images and more, visit www.jordandavisofficial.com 

Video / Singles You Up video

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DIERKS BENTLEY OPENS THE NASHVILLE LOCATION OF HIS HIS FAMED WHISKEY ROW WITH A HOST OF FAMOUS FACES.

Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row Nashville from multi-Platinum singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley and Riot Hospitality Group (RHG) is now open in one of the most historic buildings on Lower Broadway. To break in the new restaurant and bar, Bentley with friends and family in tow descended on downtown Nashville last night with a raucous country cover-filled set packed with unscripted surprise performances by Lauren Alaina, Kelsea Ballerini, Bobby Bones, Brothers Osborne, Ryan Hurd, LANCO, Maddie & Tae, Maren Morris, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett, Cole Swindell and more. Mayor Megan Barry and the Nashville Predators were among the list of friends and family who helped celebrate.

“It’s really a full-circle moment for me to be opening Whiskey Row on this street. When I first moved to Nashville, Broadway was my second home…I was the first artist to be hired and fired from The Stage,” Bentley told the elbow room only crowd. “It’s surreal to think that now I can just jump in my truck and run over here anytime, and that it might possibly be a place where new artists could get their start.”

Bentley set the tone for the night, kicking off with his favorite 90’s Country cover songs before calling out artists friends in the crowd to join. Dozens of artists spontaneously took the stage including Thomas Rhett who performed his father Rhett Akins’ “That Ain’t My Truck,” Maren Morris had the crowd singing along as she sang Deana Carter’s “Strawberry Wine” and Brothers Osborne kept the energy high with their rendition of Alan Jackson’s “Chattahoochee.”  Another highlight saw Bentley collaborate with Lauren Alaina, Bobby Bones and LANCO’s Brandon Lancaster for Brooks & Dunn’s “Brand New Man.” Jon Pardi continued the fun on the second floor, while Bentley surprised fans on the ground level hopping on stage with the house band. Guests danced long into the night as the DJ’s, Diesel and Tilow played hours after the live sets ended.

Formerly the long-time home of Gruhn’s Guitars, the historic building is nestled between the very institutions where Bentley cut his teeth, sharing an alley with the Ryman Auditorium where he often finds himself onstage as a Grand Ole Opry member and across the street from the Bridgestone Arena where Bentley sold out his tour stop just a year ago and where he cheered on the Nashville Predators through the Stanley Cup Finals. The new location includes three floors and a rooftop patio, which is also the highest rooftop bar on Broadway, and that intertwined with Bentley’s love for live music and sports delivers an authentic Nashville experience.

Nashville’s Newest Downtown Destination
Sitting on the corner of Broadway and 4th Ave N, Whiskey Row Nashville features three floors and a rooftop patio, each with its own unique personality and an emphasis on great music of all genres. The first floor will feature live music daily with a stage, full bar and a full dining menu. The second floor will also serve a full dining menu and will progress throughout the evening with a DJ booth, dancefloor and VIP table service late into the night. The rooftop patio will be open all night and day, but will be THE destination for brunch, with its view of Lower Broadway and the historic Ryman Auditorium. Whiskey Row Nashville is the fourth location to open and marks the concept’s debut outside Bentley’s home state of Arizona.

Premium Ingredients Take The Stage 
Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row serves American gastropub cuisine made-from-scratch using only premium and local ingredients. The selection of starters, sliders, burgers, sandwiches and larger entrees include the Chicken & Waffles, Steak Salad and menu favorite Alabama Chicken. For brunch, Country Maple French Toast, a Cheddar Bacon Omelet and a Breakfast Burger are among the fresh and filling dishes that diners can anticipate. In addition to the incredible food, Whiskey Row has a craft cocktail program that includes a variety of classics and Whiskey Row originals.

A Musical Legacy Lives On
Constructed in ca. 1878, the historic building at 400 Broadway was one of the earliest properties to be preserved and stabilized by the Metro Development & Housing Agency through their redevelopment efforts more than 30 years ago, earning an ABC Excellence in Development Award. Most recognized as the longtime home of Gruhn’s Guitars, the building’s revered musical history is now continued as Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row.

About Dierks Bentley
For PLATINUM singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley, there was something entirely captivating about performing this past summer at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Surrounded by his musical heroes, deep in the box canyon of the Colorado mountain town, the course was set for the creative process of Bentley’s ninth studio album, THE MOUNTAIN (Capitol Records Nashville), which will be released in early 2018. “He pursues themes of questing and self-actualization across a wide-open terrain of arid deserts and rugged ridgelines, cactus flowers and tumbleweeds” (NPR) as the writing process came together quickly when Bentley returned to Telluride a short time later for a retreat with fellow Nashville songwriters. Guitars, banjos, mandolins, and fiddles are given room to shine, and integrated into modern drum and bass sounds that will fuel the arenas and amphitheaters of Bentley’s 2018 tour. While earning 17 career No. Ones, he has garnered nominations from the ACM, CMA, GRAMMY and Billboard Music Awards while serving as a Grand Ole Opry member for over a decade. For more information, visit www.Dierks.com.

About Riot Hospitality Group
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, Riot Hospitality Group is a premier hospitality management company responsible for some of the most successful food and beverage concepts, including: El Hefe, Farm & Craft, Hand Cut Burgers & Chophouse and Dierks Bentley’s Whiskey Row. Riot Hospitality Group was founded in 2010 by like-minded individuals looking to transform the typical restaurant landscape into memorable cultural experiences by giving local residents an opportunity to feel connected to something special through a superior food and drink experience. Every Riot Hospitality Group concept has its own unique identity, however, each sources only the most sustainable and locally grown products which are elevated through design and experience. Riot Hospitality Group has plans for strategic nationwide restaurant expansion. For more information, visit www.riothg.com.

Audio / Dierks Bentley says opening Whiskey Row in Nashville is a full circle moment.

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Dierks Bentley (Whiskey Row full-circle moment) OC: …from this one. :55
“It’s just this real full-circle moment to go from a place where you’re lugging, I used to play this place where I had to park, dump my tailgate, lug all my PA equipment in, jump back in my car hoping I didn’t get a parking ticket, you know ‘cause I’m parked in the street with my hazards on, go find a place to park for free ‘cause I’m not making any money anyway. I knew these little spots before Nashville got so big. You know, play a show, drink, sober up, get my truck, load up my PA equipment, drive back to my house. Now to be here 18 years later, the PA’s system there. It’s a really good PA system. It sounds amazing, and it’s my own place. My name’s on the door. Here we are playing some of the music we played back then, but in the meantime, I’ve had a pretty good career. It’s a really reflective moment for me and still is, and I can’t believe it’s true. It’s a couple of doors down from The Stage, where I was the first country singer to play The Stage and the first one to get fired from there. So, to have my own place now, it’s like hey, you can’t fire me from this one.”

CARRIE UNDERWOOD LOOKS FORWARD TO SUNDAY NIGHTS AND FOOTBALL.

It was announced on Friday (January 12th) Carrie Underwood will be a part of this year’s Super Bowl (Big Game). She’s set to open NBC’s Super Bowl LII (the Big Game) on February 4th with a video filmed last year for her anthemic song, “The Champion,” which was released globally on Friday.

A huge football fan, Carrie has been the face and voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Football show open for the last five seasons and loves being a part of it.

“I love being the voice of Sunday Night Football because I grew up watching football…from birth. I’m from Oklahoma – we’re a football state. It’s just a part of the country that everybody has their teams and there’s such an energy about it,” says Carrie. “We would drive down to Dallas and watch the Cowboys play whenever we could. There’s just something about being at a live sporting event or watching it on TV. You have your favorites. They have their rivals. There’s an excitement to it that really, it’s unlike anything else, so being a small part of that is absolutely amazing. Being a part of the Super Bowl is especially amazing because that’s just the biggest of the big. It’s been so wonderful working with everybody at SNF, and I count myself very lucky and very blessed that I get to be a small part of something that I’ve loved my whole life.”

Carrie co-wrote “The Champion” last year with fellow songwriters Brett James, Chris DeStefano, and Christopher Bridges PKA Ludacris, who she asked to collaborate on the event song. NBC Sports will also incorporate “The Champion” into its coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

Audio / Carrie Underwood is such a big fan of football, and she is thrilled to be a part of Sunday Night Football and this year’s Super Bowl (Big Game).

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Carrie Underwood (loves being a part of SNF) OC: …my whole life. 1:01
“I love being the voice of Sunday Night Football because I grew up watching football…from birth. I’m from Oklahoma – we’re a football state. It’s just a part of the country that everybody has their teams and there’s such an energy about it. We would drive down to Dallas and watch the Cowboys play whenever we could. There’s just something about being at a live sporting event or watching it on TV. You have your favorites. They have their rivals. There’s an excitement to it that really, it’s unlike anything else, so being a small part of that is absolutely amazing. Being a part of the Super Bowl is especially amazing because that’s just the biggest of the big. It’s been so wonderful working with everybody at SNF, and I count myself very lucky and very blessed that I get to be a small part of something that I’ve loved my whole life.”

KEITH URBAN TELLS THE TALE OF TWO NICS ON ‘FEMALE.’

Keith Urban has two powerful women supporting him on his new song “Female.” When Keith heard the song, he knew right away that one of the song’s co-writers, Nicolle Gaylon, who was singing on the demo, needed to be a part of the finalized track. So along with the songwriting Nicole, Keith added another Nicole…his award-winning multi-talented wife Nicole Kidman.

“Well, Nicolle Galyon, who’s one of the writers on the song, she did the part originally and you hear her on the record,” says Keith. “But when I was working at my studio at the house, Nic was home…my Nic was home, and I went upstairs and said ‘Would you come down and sing these parts as well? ‘Cause it’d be great to have on this record. Of all songs this is the right one to have you on.’ So, she came down and sang along with Nicolle Galyon. So, there’s Nic and Nic on the track”

Shane McAnally and Ross Copperman co-wrote “Female,” which Keith debuted at the 2017 CMA Awards, with Nicolle Galyon.

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DIERKS BENTLEY FINDS INSPIRATION FOR NEW ALBUM IN THE MOUNTAINS OF COLORADO.

Dierks Bentley experienced a level of inspiration he hasn’t really experienced before when he performed last summer during the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. During the middle of his tour, he suddenly wanted to play guitar and write songs. So, he decided a writing retreat in Telluride, Colorado would be the perfect place for a writing retreat.

“Usually when I’m vacation, I don’t really reach for my guitar. I’m there to recharge in a way,” says Dierks. “Here I am out in the middle of the tour – the heavy part of the tour – playing my guitar and singing and my voice is hoarse, and I just found myself like wanting to hold my guitar and play songs, which is a really weird thing for me on an off-day on the tour. There’s just something here, which I can’t put into words, but I feel like this could be a good starting place in some way. What I’m looking for is here somehow.”

The writing retreat, with songwriters Natalie Hemby, Luke Dick, Jon Randall, Jon Nite, Ashley Gorley and writer/producer Ross Copperman, proved to be hugely successful and led to recording the new album in the small former mining town located within the San Juan Mountains.

“I just had this crazy idea to bring some songwriters out there and let them go for hikes and walk around town and just hang and see if they can sense that same intangible vibe that I was sensing, and they did,” says the Arizona native. “We jumped right into it and it was really, really special. And everyone immediately starts talking about how can we start getting back out here again, because it’s one of those places you just like never want to leave. Ross said, ‘We should come back out here to make the record,’ and we all kinda laughed about it, but it planted the seed. So, I came back a few months later with a different set of guys and girls, musicians, and we recorded the album out there.”

Fans who pre-order the album now on Dierks.com will receive a Key to THE MOUNTAIN that will unlock extra tracks, bonus videos, special merchandise and VIP experiences with Bentley on his 2018 tour.

The Mountain is set for release early this year.

Audio / Dierks Bentley explains how he was inspired on his new album by spending time in Telluride, Colorado.

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Dierks Bentley (album inspired by Telluride) OC: …working with. :41
“There’s something about Telluride, just being out there and the music and the festival. Usually when I’m vacation, I don’t really reach for my guitar. I’m there to recharge in a way. Here I am out in the middle of the tour – the heavy part of the tour – playing my guitar and singing and my voice is hoarse, and I just found myself like wanting to hold my guitar and play songs, which is a really weird thing for me on an off-day on the tour. There’s just something here, which I can’t put into words, but I feel like this could be a good starting place in some way. What I’m looking for is here somehow. I know that’s weird, but making albums is a hard thing to really verbalize to the people you’re working with.”

Audio / Dierks Bentley was inspired by Telluride to write and record his new album, The Mountain.

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Dierks Bentley (album inspired by Telluride) 2 OC: …it was magic. :53
“I just had this crazy idea to bring some songwriters out there and let them go for hikes and walk around town and just hang and see if they can sense that same intangible vibe that I was sensing, and they did. We jumped right into it and it was really, really special. And everyone immediately starts talking about how can we start getting back out here again, because it’s one of those places you just like never want to leave. Ross said, ‘We should come back out here to make the record,’ and we all kinda laughed about it, but it planted the seed. So, I came back a few months later with a different set of guys and girls, musicians, and we recorded the album out there.” It’s one of those things where you just kind of follow your gut, just keep your heart open to ideas and see what you’re feeling, and once you get that little, tiny feeling, you’ve got to go for it, just like that gut instinct of I want to be a country singer. It’s that little seed that if you believe in it, you’ve got to go for it, try it, so that’s what we did with this album, and it was magic.”

Video / Dierks Bentley The Mountain preview

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BILLY CURRINGTON CRANKS UP ‘WAKE ME UP.’

Billy Currington was drawn to the acoustic guitar part in his latest single, “Wake Me Up.”

“The song ‘Wake Me Up’ [is] the third song on the album. When we recorded the song, I remember the acoustic [guitar] player playing a certain part in the very beginning, and it was so beautiful is the word,” says Billy. “I just wanted to hear it over and over and over, and I was like, ‘Wow! This guy is so good, and I can’t believe this is gonna be on this song on my album, just something as simple as that one little acoustic part.’ So, now when I play the album, I crank that part up. I just love it, and it’s such a happy song. So much fun. I could go on and on about it.”

The track, written by Josh Osborne, Jimmy Robbins and Ashley Gorley, is from Billy’s current album, Summer Forever and follows up his previous No. 1 hits – “Don’t It,” “It Don’t Hurt Like It Used To” and “Do I Make You Wanna.”

Audio / Billy Currington talks about the song, “Wake Me Up,” which is featured on his album, Summer Forever.

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Billy Currington (Wake Me Up) OC: …about it. :36
“The song ‘Wake Me Up’ [is] the third song on the album. When we recorded the song, I remember the acoustic [guitar] player playing a certain part in the very beginning, and it was so beautiful is the word. I just wanted to hear it over and over and over, and I was like, ‘Wow! This guy is so good, and I can’t believe this is gonna be on this song on my album, just something as simple as that one little acoustic part.’ So, now when I play the album, I crank that part up. I just love it, and it’s such a happy song. So much fun. I could go on and on about it.”

Video / Wake Me Up lyric video

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NEWS AND NOTES: Tyminski, Chris, Keith, Little Big Town

Tyminski is scheduled to perform “Wanted” from his album, Southern Gothic, on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday (January 16th).

Chris Stapleton has been announced as the musical guest on NBC’s Saturday Night Live January 27th. Will Ferrell will host.

 

Keith Urban and Little Big Town are among the artists honoring Fleetwood Mac during the 2018 MusiCares Person of the Year Tribute in New York City January 26th, just a couple of days before the 60th Annual Grammy Awards. Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, Imagine Dragons and Lorde will also perform during the show.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD PENS AND RECORDS ANTHEMIC “THE CHAMPION” FOR NBC’S SUPER BOWL LII SHOW OPEN.

SUPER BOWL LII — “2017 Promo Shoot” — Pictured: Carrie Underwood — (Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBC Sports)

Carrie Underwood will open NBC’s Super Bowl LII on February 4th with a video filmed last year for her anthemic song, “The Champion,” released globally today. Underwood, who has been the face and voice of NBC’s Sunday Night Football show open for the last five seasons, co-wrote “The Champion” last year with fellow songwriters Brett James, Chris DeStefano, and Christopher Bridges PKA Ludacris, who Underwood asked to collaborate on the event song produced by Jim Jonsin. NBC Sports will also incorporate “The Champion” into its coverage of the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

“When we met with Carrie last year to discuss the Super Bowl open, we each brought ideas. Carrie presented first. After she spoke, we looked at each other and said ‘That’s the one,’” said Fred Gaudelli, Executive Producer of NBC Sunday Night Football and the network’s Super Bowl LII presentation. “Later on, our Olympics producers listened to ‘The Champion’ and decided that it would be a perfect complement for our Winter Games coverage. We are excited to highlight ‘The Champion’ in two events on the global stage in February.”

“When we were writing ‘The Champion,’ our main focus was to celebrate athletes at the top of their game, but we also wanted the song to resonate with people in their everyday lives,” explains Carrie Underwood.  “We hope the lyrics will inspire people to push themselves beyond their limits to conquer anything they are trying to accomplish or overcome. There’s a champion in every single one of us!”

Ludacris says, “It was a pleasure to collaborate with Carrie for this inspirational song.”

The lyric video is available now (and below), as well as the playlist for “The Champion.”

Carrie is currently in the studio working on her next album which will be released on Capitol Records Nashville.

About Carrie Underwood:
Carrie Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, and film. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has amassed over 100 major honors, sold 64 million records worldwide, and recorded 26 #1 singles, 13 of which she co-wrote, with a catalog of songs that have been streamed more than 2.6 billion times worldwide. The first female artist to be twice named the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year, Underwood was recognized by Pollstar as the top female country touring artist for each of her headlining tours in 2008, 2010, 2012, and for 2016’s The Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round.” Carrie also topped Billboard’s Top 25 Tours of 2016 as the leading female country artist and was the leading female artist on Country Aircheck’s top country radio performers list for her success in both 2015 and 2016. All five studio albums, Some Hearts, Carnival Ride, Play On, Blown Away, and Storyteller – are certified Platinum or multi-Platinum, and each an American Music Awards winner as Favorite Country Album – and tallied an incredible 40 weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.  The RIAA’s highest certified country album artist to debut this century, Underwood also holds the distinction of the highest album certification of any country artist to emerge since 2000 with the 8x Multi-Platinum success of her 2005 debut, Some Hearts.  She is the all-time Top Country Artist (male or female) on RIAA’s Digital Single Ranking, also placing her among the Top 5 females in the history of RIAA’s Digital Single Program across all genres.  In December of 2014, she released her Platinum-certified Greatest Hits: Decade #1, which produced two new #1 hits co-written by Underwood, including the RIAA-Platinum, GRAMMY-winning “Something in the Water.” The Grand Ole Opry member demonstrated her creative diversity in 2013 starring as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s three-hour holiday blockbuster, the Emmy®-winning The Sound of Music Live!, whose airings attracted 44 million viewers. Her latest chart-topping platinum fifth studio album, Storyteller, produced four #1 hits.  Last November Underwood co-hosted the CMA Awards for the tenth consecutive year, and she’s currently in her fifth season as the voice of primetime television’s #1 program, Sunday Night Football.

About Ludacris:
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges has sold more than 25 million albums domestically, thanks to the blockbuster success of such singles as “Stand Up,” “Get Back,” “Southern Hospitality,” “Number One Spot,” “Money Maker” and “My Chick Bad.”

With an unrivaled match of lyrical acumen, wit, and imagery, Bridges has solidified himself as one of music’s premier entertainers. Although he’s best known for his infectious tunes, Bridges has shown that he’s equally adept at writing powerful songs with serious subject matter, including runaways, with the song “Runaway Love.” Bridges’ versatility and artistic complexity also enabled him to make a seamless transition to acting.

Most recently, Bridges starred in the highly anticipated The Fate of the Furious, which broke records at the box office, becoming the highest grossing film opening worldwide.  His other feature film credits include Universal Pictures’ Fast 7, Fast & Furious 6, Fast Five, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Garry Marshall’s ensemble comedy New Year’s Eve; and Ivan Reitman’s romantic comedy, No Strings Attached, opposite Ashton Kutcher and Natalie Portman. His acclaimed performances in film, (Crash, Hustle & Flow), and television, (Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), have Hollywood and critics alike buzzing about his increasingly impressive screen resume.

A consummate businessman, Bridges is enjoying success outside of entertainment. His latest venture includes opening his long anticipated new restaurant “Chicken-n-Beer” at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport. In addition, he is dipping his hands in tech space by partnering up with apps such as “Roadie” an on-the-way delivery service.

Currently, Bridges is both the host and executive producer of MTV’s revived Fear Factor, and is currently working on an album for release at the end of the year.  Bridge’s philanthropic efforts rival his entertainment accomplishments; he started The Ludacris Foundation in 2001 which focuses on helping youth help themselves.  TLF has devoted more than 15,000 hours of service to youth across the nation.

Audio / Carrie Underwood talks about writing "The Champion" for the Super Bowl.

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Carrie Underwood (The Champion) OC: …for as well. :40
“We were asked to come up with something special for the Super Bowl. We knew we wanted the open to be as grand as the Super Bowl is, so I was really excited that NBC and Sunday Night Football kind of gave us control to be creative and go in and see what we could do. We spent a couple of days – we being me, Brett James and Chris DeStefano who I’ve written with both of those guys quite a bit – we went in and just gave it our all trying to figure out what would best set up something as amazing as the Super Bowl. After we turned it in, they loved it so much [that] we were told, ‘The Olympics are gonna want this!’ So, that was just more incredible news because it certainly fits everything that the Super Bowl stands for as well.”

Audio / Carrie Underwood explains the role Ludacris plays on her song, “The Champion.”

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Carrie Underwood (Ludacris) OC: …a whole new level. 1:10
“Ludacris came into the picture when we were writing this song ‘The Champion,’ we left a space in it for a potential guest appearance, a potential feature. And we went ‘round and ‘round about who do we approach, who do we ask, and in my mind, the style of the song with somebody that had his own thing, had a kind of legend status. I wanted something big. I wanted an artist that matched the song, and Ludacris, everything about him just seemed to scream ‘Champion’ to me, and he was just so great. And so we sent him everything and he put his part on it, and when we got it back, I thought, ‘Holy Cow! This took it to a whole new level.’ So, I think he was just that piece of the puzzle that was missing, and from the second that I heard it, I was like that was exactly the perfect person to be a part of this. Like I could never imagine anybody else being a part of this, and he just, again, took it to another level.”

Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (The Champion) 1

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Audio / LINER Carrie Underwood (The Champion) 2

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Video / The Champion lyric video

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  • Alan Jackson with WUSN/Chicago’s Jeff Kapugi and Marci Braun, as well as UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan and Steve Hodges.