Universal Universal Music Group Nashville Pressroom

Jordan Davis will perform on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Wednesday (February 15th) beginning at 11:35pm ET. Jordan’s new album, Bluebird Days, will be available on Friday (February 17th). Actor Orlando Bloom will also appear on the show to talk about his new show, Carnival Row.  (FUN NOTE: Maybe the two can talk about their friendship with Luke Bryan. Jordan recorded the two-week No. 1, multi-platinum, CMA Song of the Year with pal Luke, while Orlando and Luke have a blossoming friendship due to Orlando’s fiance Katy Perry — Luke and Katy are fellow judges on American Idol.)

Speaking of Luke Bryan, he will be at the judges’ table for the sixth time when American Idol returns this Sunday (February 19th), alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie. Check out this year’s premiere episode on Sunday beginning at 8pm ET/7pm CT on ABC.

https://twitter.com/AmericanIdol/status/1625228126736510976

Carrie Underwood has a new family member. She shared photos of her new furbaby “Charlie” on her socials over the weekend. She met the fluffy puppy in Charlotte when the Pawsitive Impact North Carolina Dog Rescue brought some puppies to the venue prior to Carrie’s show on her Denim & Rhinestones Tour stop. She says that she and her family, including husband Mike Fisher and their two boys Isaiah and Jacob, had been searching for just the right puppy…and they obviously found her.

Meet Charlotte “Charlie” Nilla Fisher…newest member of the family! I met her in Charlotte when the lovely people at @pincdogrescue brought some puppies to the venue to make us all smile. We had been looking for the right pup for our family for a while… https://t.co/9Gc5xcIX4T pic.twitter.com/LtZnJabmpR

— Carrie Underwood (@carrieunderwood) February 12, 2023

Chrissy Metz appeared on NBC’s Today Show on Monday (February 13th) with her boyfriend Bradley Collins. The pair were on the show to wrote a new children’s book titled “When I Talk to God, I Talk About You.”

“This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz @ChrissyMetz and her boyfriend, songwriter Bradley Collins, open up about their new children’s book called “When I Talk to God, I Talk About You” that teaches kids about the power of prayer. pic.twitter.com/tdXasdjKo9

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 13, 2023

Darius Rucker offers a powerful take on Rihanna’s Oscar-nominated “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” theme song, “Lift Me Up,” with his version of the anthemic ballad available everywhere now. Listen HERE.

Written by Rihanna together with filmmaker Ryan Coogler, composer Ludwig Göransson and Nigerian singer Tems as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who starred in the original “Black Panther,” the song plays over the end credits of the film, which is where Rucker first fell in love with its message.

“I’ve been a huge fan of comics since I was a kid, and I love all of the Marvel movies, so I couldn’t wait to see ‘Wakanda Forever’ when it came out a few months ago,” explains Rucker. “I was so moved by this song playing at the end of the movie and I felt inspired to try my hand at singing it. I hope y’all love this version we created as much as I do.”

The release comes as Rucker puts the finishing touches on his forthcoming album, Carolyn’s Boy, and follows the news earlier this week that his Riverfront Revival Music Festival will return to Charleston this fall for its second year, with lineups for the October 7-8 event to be announced soon. Early access tickets are available now via RiverfrontRevival.com.

Chris Stapleton will be singing the National Anthem at Sunday’s (February 12th) Super Bowl. The multi-platinum artist and 8-time Grammy winner been quoted in the past he would perform the anthem unless it was at the Super Bowl. During an Apple Music press conference this week, he said he may have manifested the invitation.

“It’s one of those calls you think you’re not gonna get. And then you get the call and you’re like, ‘Okay, let’s do this!,'” says Chris. “I think I said it ‘cause I thought I wouldn’t get asked. The national anthem’s not an easy song for singers, and it’s one that can go horribly wrong as we’ve seen many times in the past. Hopefully it won’t happen for me, knock on wood. But yeah, no, if you’re gonna do it, this is the place to do it.”

Oscar winner Troy Kotsur will sign the national anthem alongside Stapleton. Kotsur won an Academy Award in 2022 for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “CODA,” becoming the second Deaf person ever to win an acting Oscar after Marlee Matlin.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1617886437676027910

Also performing this year are Emmy-winning actor Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbot Elementary) with “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the pre-show. Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will also perform with a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

If you want to see the entire press interview with Chris, as well as Sheryl Lee Ralph and Babyface, click here.

A cool note — Oscar winner Troy Kotsur will sign the national anthem alongside Stapleton. Kotsur won an Academy Award in 2022 for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “CODA,” becoming the second Deaf person ever to win an acting Oscar after Marlee Matlin.

The Big Game kicks off at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT Sunday (February 12th) and will be broadcast live from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona on FOX. However, make sure to tune in early to catch all of the pre-game performances.

Multi-Platinum-selling hitmaker Sam Hunt releases new song “Walmart” today. Hunt and co-writers Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally, and Josh Osborne maintain an undercurrent in “Walmart” that life has a way of working out, as Hunt transports the listener to a small town run in with an ex’s mother. Hunt is introspective while looking back on open-ended questions of his past, now with the knowledge of life and years gone by.

I know I don’t put out as much music as often as a lot of the artists y’all listen to but I really appreciate you guys tuning in when I do. Walmart is out now. Thanks for listening!https://t.co/eLnbOxmhLD pic.twitter.com/USeiKP4IBq

— Sam Hunt (@SamHuntMusic) February 10, 2023

Listen to “Walmart” HERE 

“Walmart” serves as the latest from the five-time GRAMMY nominee, following his nostalgic “Start Nowhere” and his current Top 20-and-climbing radio hit “Water Under the Bridge.”

“Walmart” Lyrics – written by Sam Hunt, Zach Crowell, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne

We parted ways in the summer, told me goodbye through your tears

I used to run into you over Christmas, but I hadn’t seen you in years

I used to think that I messed up, wonder if I should’ve stayed

I thought I’d always regret letting you go but all that regret went away

I saw your mama at Walmart with your little girl

She had your eyes and your smile, she had your nose and your lips

Somewhere in our little small-town, small talk girl

Lost in the grocery aisle, holding a bag of some chips

I realize that everything happens for a reason

Losing your love ain’t the end of the world

I saw your mama at Walmart with your little girl

Your little girl, your little girl

She asked me how I was doing, I didn’t know what to say

I kept replaying how you used to say that you wanted a family someday

Someday was just an illusion, when this town was all that we knew

You told me you’d never get over me, honestly, part of me hoped that was true

I saw your mama at Walmart with your little girl

She had your eyes and your smile, she had your nose and your lips

Somewhere in our little small-town, small talk girl

Lost in the grocery aisle, holding a bag of some chips

I realize that everything happens for a reason

Losing your love ain’t the end of the world

I saw your mama at Walmart with your little girl

Your little girl, your little girl

I saw your mama at Walmart with your little girl

She had your eyes and your smile, she had your nose and your lips

Somewhere in our little small-town, small talk girl

Lost in the grocery aisle, holding a bag of some chips

I realize that everything happens for a reason

Losing your love ain’t the end of the world

I saw your mama at Walmart with your little girl

Your little girl

I saw your mama at Walmart with your little girl

Your little girl, your little girl

About Sam Hunt: 
Sam Hunt is a five-time GRAMMY-nominated, multi-Platinum-selling, award-winning hitmaker. His sophomore album SOUTHSIDE debuted to critical acclaim and was one of the top country albums of 2020 landing at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. Named one of the Best Albums of the Year by The New York Times and US Weekly, the Platinum-selling project features 12 songs all written by Hunt including his No. 1 hits “Kinfolks,” “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s,” one of NPR’s Best Songs of 2020 “Hard To Forget,” and his three-week No. 1, 9x Platinum-selling, GRAMMY-nominated smash, “Body Like A Back Road.” Hunt also wrote his recent eighth chart-topping hit, “23,” his latest radio staple “Water Under the Bridge,” and brand-new tracks, “Start Nowhere” and “Walmart.”

This week marks the 20^th anniversary of Vince Gill’s hit album, Next Big Thing, his 11^th album for MCA Nashville, which released on February 11th, 2003. To mark the occasion, the music video from one of the album’s singles, “Someday,” was remastered in HD, and the video made its broadcast premiere on CMT, CMT Music and ViacomCBS Times Square Billboards.

“Next Big Thing was a collection of songs that I’m really proud of as a songwriter,” say Gill. “It was also the first record of my own I ever produced, and I was pleased to discover the process was still the same—great musicians, great engineers—all with a common goal, to serve a song. Adds Gill, “I was honored to have written ‘Someday’ with a dear old friend, Richard Marx, one of the most talented guys I’ve ever known.”

WATCH REMASTERED VIDEO FOR “SOMEDAY.”

The second single from Gill’s self-produced album, “Someday,” was written by Gill and Richard Marx. It reached the Top 30 on the R&R Top Country Top 50 chart.

Gill’s performance on Next Big Thing earned Gill his 8^th Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male for the album’s lead single, “Next Big Thing.” The album, on which Gill produced himself for the very first time, has garnered 11M global streams. Gill wrote or co-wrote all of the album’s 17-songs, and then he put together a stellar line-up of musicians, working them into a live band in the studio. The all-star band included such players as NRBQ guitarist Al Anderson, drummer Chad Cromwell, fiddle player Stuart Duncan, steel guitar player John Hughey, guitarists Mac McAnally and Dean Parks, piano-player Pete Wasner, bassist Willie Weeks, slide guitarist Tom Britt, harmonica/accordion player Jim Hoke and saxophonists Jim Horn and Kirk Whalum. Among the vocalists who guest on the record are wife Amy Grant, Emmylou Harris, Lee Ann Womack, Bekka Bramlett, Dawn Sears, Leslie Satcher and Michael McDonald.

About Vince Gill:
One of the most popular artists in modern country music, Vince Gill is famous for his top-notch songwriting, world-class guitar playing and warm, soaring tenor, all wrapped up in a quick and easy wit. Gill achieved his big breakthrough in 1990 with “When I Call Your Name,” which won both the Country Music Association’s (CMA) Single and Song of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance, Male. Since then, Gill has won 17 additional CMA Awards, 22 Grammy Awards, and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. In 1991, Gill was invited to become a member of The Grand Ole Opry, and in 2007 was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In 2012 he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A gifted songwriter, Gill’s compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and was awarded the prestigious BMI Icon award in 2014. Throughout his career he has released 20 albums, sold over 30 million albums, and charted 45 singles. Always considering himself a musician above all else, Gill has over the years been a part of some iconic bands including Pure Prairie League, The Notorious Cherry Bombs, and The Time Jumpers. In 2022, Gill was inducted into the Musician’s Hall of Fame.  In 2017 Vince was asked to join the Eagles on the road and continues to be a part of that historic band’s tour.

Priscilla Block exploded onto the country music scene last year following the huge success of her viral hit song, “Just About Over You.” Since then, her infectious personality, authentic country sound and undeniably relatable lyrics have captured fans around the world. Now, Priscilla is releasing the Deluxe edition of her wildly successful debut album, Welcome To The Block Party Deluxe, available now.

LISTEN:   Welcome To The Block Party Deluxe Edition

Recently, Priscilla released one of the new Deluxe album tracks, “Me Pt. 2,” along with its lyric video. The moving track, written by Priscilla, follows her summertime anthem, “Off The Deep End,” which is also featured on the Deluxe album.

Welcome to the Block Party Deluxe Album Track Listing:

1. Welcome To The Block Party
   2. My Bar
   3. Heels In Hand
   4. Like A Boy
   5. I Know A Girl ft. Hillary Lindsey
   6. Ever Since You Left
   7. Thick Thighs – Block Party Version
   8. I Bet You Wanna Know
   9. I’ve Gotten Good
   10. Wish You Were The Whiskey
   11. Just About Over You
   12. Peaked In High School
   13. Getting Even*
   14. Me Pt. 2*
   15. Little Bit*
   16. Off The Deep End*

*Deluxe tracks

“This past year was really big for me, especially releasing my debut album. When we were selecting songs for Welcome To The Block Party we had so many songs to choose from, which is why I’m super excited for the deluxe album. Four more songs that complete the Block Party era.”  – Priscilla Block

After a year of huge career successes, including her first RIAA Platinum certification for her viral hit, “Just About Over You,” first nominations for ACM and CMT Awards, appearing on national TV including The Kelly Clarkson Show, ELLEN and The Tamron Hall Show, headlining her first tour and recently announced 2023 iHeart Radio Award nomination; Block is primed to take the year by storm with new music and tour dates – notably opening for Shania Twain on select dates during her highly anticipated Queen of Me Tour.

Tomorrow my deluxe album is out and I can’t wait for you to hear this one!!! #littlebit pic.twitter.com/LRSN1g6GAM

— Priscilla Block (@priscillablock) February 9, 2023

Priscilla’s recently released duet with Justin Moore, “You, Me, And Whiskey,” has amassed over 37 million global streams since its fall release and it has garnered 2 million+ on-demand streams for 5 consecutive weeks. She is also hitting the road with Moore on select dates for the You, Me, And Whiskey Tour.

All upcoming tour dates and tickets for Priscilla Block can be found here.

Trailblazing husband-and-wife duo The War And Treaty release their new single, “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me,” today from their forthcoming milestone album, LOVER’S GAME, out March 10th. The fiery track co-written by “the genre-bending duo” (Paste) and produced by Dave Cobb combines their fire-and-brimstone harmony with a prowess lyrical anthem that wards off any doubts. As hints of truth have always been present in their music, The War And Treaty continue to offer their unique perspective on shifting cultural and musical tides that encompass their first major-label release under Mercury Nashville. LOVER’S GAME is now available for pre-order HERE with instant access to “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me.”

Our digital pre-save starts today for our new record #LoversGame, we can’t wait for you to hear the full project. Here’s a sneak peak, one of our songs Ain’t No Harmin Me is out now, listen here: https://t.co/fCFe3wzxDl pic.twitter.com/TULCr3uRo9

— The War And Treaty (@warandtreaty) February 10, 2023

“Love is the foundation of our new record and ‘Ain’t No Harmin’ Me’ reminds us that no matter what troubles are waiting around the corner…the power of love will pull us through,” Michael Trotter Jr. said. “We wrote this together as a personal testament to ourselves…we aren’t afraid to face the hard times knowing we have the other by our side. It felt like an awakening for us, and I hope fans can feel that same energy when they hear it.”

Listen to “Ain’t No Harmin’ Me” HERE

“Aint No Harmin’ Me” pulls back another layer of The War And Treaty’s maturing relationship found throughout the 10-song collection, as Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter share a sonic landscape that builds off “their rootsy vocals and chameleonic arrangements,” (Billboard).  The War And Treaty dug deep into the lessons their love has laid bare, with more than 100 songs written over the last two years before completing LOVER’S GAME. The duo’s previously released BLANK PAGE EP offers an introduction to “their genre-crossing essence” (NPR).

On the heels of new music, The War And Treaty sit-down this weekend with Sunday TODAY (February 12th at 9a CT on NBC), where they take viewers inside the studio and highlight the importance of black culture in country music.

Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, The War And Treaty have emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. With a lionhearted sonic blend – both roaring with passion and tender to the touch, they “are making soul moves that are captivating everyone who sees them,” (Hits Magazine). Earning respect, they’ve gone on to appear as top-flight collaborators, and have been recognized by the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association as “2022 Duo/Group of the Year.” With more than 100 shows last year, the duo has dominated stages across the globe including North America, Europe, Italy, Australia, and Ireland, while headlining their own shows and opening for a diverse group of living legends: Al Green, Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell, John Legend, Lauren Daigle, and Van Morrison among them. “In context and talent, they are unlike any other act in music,” (The Tennessean) which has created vastly diverse tour opportunities across multiple genres. It was just announced that this summer, The War And Treaty will join Chris Stapleton on the All American Road Show Tour.  But first, they will bring “their rootsy vocals and chameleonic arrangements” (Billboard) to more than 35-cities this spring on their own LOVER’S GAME TOUR, kicking off Mar. 19 in Oklahoma City, OK. For more information visit www.thewarandtreaty.com.

More than 20 songwriters and music industry professionals are set to participate in the Nashville Songwriters Association International’s (NSAI) longest-running educational event, Tin Pan South Songwriting Seminar on March 27 and 28, 2023!  This year’s event is presented by Belmont University and to round out the already-impressive list speakers, NSAI is proud to announce songwriter-artist Tyler Hubbard as the closing guest interview!

While certainly recognized as one half of the multi-platinum selling duo Florida Georgia Line, a slightly lesser-known fact about Hubbard is that he has penned over 100 songs recorded by artists including Jason Aldean, Chris Tomlin, Zac Brown, Kane Brown, and his own duo Florida Georgia Line. Hubbard was also a writer on “Cruise,” which earned the genre’s first RIAA Diamond single certification, and he was a writer on the Diamond-certified “Meant To Be.” Hubbard’s passion and honesty with his songwriting ultimately inspired him to begin recording works for a solo project, leading to the release of his debut solo single and 20^th No. 1 hit, “5 Foot 9,” which is also certified Platinum by the RIAA. Co-written by Hubbard, Jaren Johnston and Chase McGill, “5 Foot 9” is one of 18 songs written on Hubbard’s self-titled album Tyler Hubbard which was released January 27, 2023.

The closing interview with Hubbard on Tuesday will wrap up two days at Belmont’s Fisher Center For the Performing Arts filled with educational panels, Q&A Sessions, and interviews where top members of the music industry will cover topics including publishing, sync, co-writing, demo sessions, streaming, and more.

Tin Pan South Songwriter Seminar is only the beginning of a songwriter-filled week as it leads into the start of the Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival presented by Regions! March 28-April 1, 2023, over 400 songwriters will perform during the five-day event where ten venues throughout Nashville will join together with NSAI to bring the world’s largest songwriter-only festival to fans for the 31^st year in a row.

Tyler is scaling the country charts with his latest single, “Dancin’ In The Country.”

Jordan Davis has been working hard on his brand new album, Bluebird Days, and he says he’s grateful for the time he had to work on it and didn’t have to rush getting it out into the marketplace.

“The making of Bluebird Days was definitely a little weird in that half of it was recorded during COVID, you know, which gave us more time to get things right, but at the same time made things tough to get musicians in to play,” says Jordan. “It was weird in the recording process of I, but I think the good thing is that it gave us a lot of extra time to make sure the songs were right, gave us time to write more, we didn’t feel as rushed, and you know this is the sophomore album for me so, this was a big one and I wanted it to be special, and I knew what I wanted to do with it. So, I was really happy that we did have a little bit of extra time to make sure that this one felt right.”

The album, available everywhere February 17th, will include Jordan’s multi-week, 2x Platinum No. 1 single, “Buy Dirt,” which earned Davis his first Song of the Year win last Fall at the 2022 CMA Awards.  The collection will also include his most recent multi-week chart-topper, “What My World Spins Around,” as well as his brand new single, “Next Thing You Know.”

Jordan is north of the border for a string of shows in Canada. Tonight (February 9th), he performs in Vancouver, followed by shows in Edmonton on Saturday (February 11th) and Calgary on Sunday (February 12th).

Dierks Bentley is looking forward to watching the match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles at Sunday’s (February 12th) Super Bowl. He’s also looking forward to watching the night’s entertainment, including Chris Stapleton’s rendition of the National Anthem, Rihanna’s half-time performance and, of course, the commercials.

“I’ve been to the last Super Bowl in Arizona. It was the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. I was actually sitting next to Peyton Manning. I did not know him at the time. He was there rooting on his brother Eli, which was pretty cool to see that whole thing playing out,” says Dierks. “Now we have two brothers playing actually in the Super Bowl at the same time. The Kelce Brothers. I think the mother’s name is Donna, so it’s a crazy story for her. It’s gonna be a great day and a really sad day for her. It’s kind of a no-win situation for her. But that’s a cool event to have those guys playing together. I think they said other firsts in the Super Bowl to have two black quarterbacks for the first time starting in Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, so both those guys are awesome. I’m just hoping for a close game, you know? Looking forward to the half-time show, the commercials, you know? That half-time show, it’s a million dollars a minute, and it’s a 13 ½ minute half-time show, so just Rihanna, all the collaborations, the surprises, the whole thing’s so fun. But yeah, the longer it can be closer, the better the Super Bowl is for me.”

A self-proclaimed Rihanna fan, Dierks says he would like to see more country music performers at next year’s Super Bowl. 
“And another cool first for him, Chris Stapleton is playing the Super Bowl. He’s doing the National Anthem. For me personally, I’d be very happy watching Chris doing the half-time show. He would be amazing, and I think people would really love it. I’m a big Rihanna fan too. I’d like to sit down with Rihanna and figure out how she made 1.7 billion dollars. That’d be an interesting conversation. (laughs) But I think in 2024, we need country as the half-time show. I’m just gonna say the Hot Country Knights are available.”

The only all-country music half-time show took place in 1994 with Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt and the Judds. Shania Twain took part in the half-time show in 2003, alongside No Doubt and Sting. Previous country stars singing the National Anthem include Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, the Dixie Chicks, Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Mickey Guyton.

Also performing this year are Emmy-winning actor Sheryl Lee Ralph (Abbot Elementary) with “Lift Every Voice and Sing” during the pre-show. Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds will also perform with a rendition of “America the Beautiful.”

A cool note — Oscar winner Troy Kotsur will sign the national anthem alongside Stapleton. Kotsur won an Academy Award in 2022 for Best Supporting Actor for his work in “CODA,” becoming the second Deaf person ever to win an acting Oscar after Marlee Matlin.

The Big Game kicks off at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT Sunday (February 12th) on FOX.

For more Super Bowl-related audio, click HERE.

Dierks is making his way into the Top 10 on the country charts with his latest single, “Gold,” which is from his upcoming album, Gravel & Gold, available February 24th.