Pulse – Country Music News

Newcomer Nate Smith will release his self-titled debut album on February 17th. The 20-track project includes his current Top 15 single, "Whiskey On You," as well as recent releases "I Found You" and "I Don't Wanna Go To Heaven."

Nate said, "It has been so much fun making this album, and I really believe in every one of these songs. Releasing an album has always been a goal of mine, but at the end of the day it's really not about me. It's about being able to reach other people with music that means something. I'm not trying to be cool, or reinvent the wheel, or chase musical trends…I'm going after the heart of the matter."

Nate will be joining Thomas Rhett on his Home Team Tour 23. The 40-city tour will kick off on May 4th in Des Moines, IA, and tickets go on sale Friday (November 11th) at 10 a.m. local.

The deluxe edition of Craig Morgan's God, Family, Country album will be released this Friday (November 11th) and he will be making a visit to The Kelly Clarkson Show that day to be part of a special Veterans Day episode. Friday night, he'll wrap his 11-city headlining Operation Finally Home Welcomes God, Family, Country Tour 2022 with a sold-out concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium where he'll be joined by Ray Fulcher and several surprise guests.

God, Family, Country (Deluxe Edition) features four new sides including his latest single, "How You Make A Man."

Craig recently released his memoir, also called God, Family, Country.

Ingrid Andress charts her career second Number One hit this week with "Wishful Drinking" with Sam Hunt, which claims the top of the Country Aircheck chart. The song is included on Ingrid's sophomore album, Good Person, which was released in August.

Ingrid posted a video message to fans on social media yesterday writing, "Y'all did it!! Wishful Drinking is #1 on country radio!! @samhuntmusic u make an outstanding wishful drinking buddy. thank you to country radio and my fans for getting it all the way to the top and huge thank you to all my songwriting frandz who were a part of this song!"

She spent the past year out on the road with Keith Urban for his 52-date North American The Speed of Now World Tour, which wrapped this weekend.

Among Carrie Underwood's three nominations at tomorrow night's (Wednesday, November 9th) CMA Awards is the evening's biggest honor, Entertainer of the Year. She is nominated alongside Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Chris Stapleton and Morgan Wallen.

Carrie tells us: "Obviously, that's such a tough category to be in, ‘cause there's just so, I don't even want to call it competition, there's just so many hard working artists out there that are just you know pouring themselves and their time and their energy and their artistry into what they do. Obviously just to even be in the final category is just absolutely amazing and hopefully, above all, we can all just remember that it's a celebration of a great year in country music and in our careers as artists, so we'll just see what happens, but definitely excited to be in that category."

Carrie is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year and Musical Event of the Year for "If I Didn't Love You" with Jason Aldean. She is also set to perform during the show. The CMA Awards will air live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Keith Urban is heading back to Vegas for another residency in 2023, this time at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Keith Urban: The Las Vegas Residency will open on Friday, March 3rd for a run of 16 dates.

Tickets go on sale to the public starting on Saturday (November 12th) at 10 a.m. PT at ticketmaster.com/keithurbanvegas.

Keith's previous residency over the past three years was at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.

Toby Keith surprised the crowd at Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse in Lexington, KY on Friday night (November 4th), popping up on stage and performing songs for over an hour, according to Classic Country Music. Toby was reportedly in town for the annual Breeder's Cup at Keeneland Racetrack. This was his first public appearance since revealing his cancer diagnosis in June.

Toby's set list included his 2003 hit "I Love This Bar," which was recorded by patrons and shared on social media.

In June, Toby revealed that he has been battling stomach cancer since late 2021. He wound up canceling the remainder of the dates on his 2022 calendar.

Cole Swindell gave the fans what they've been asking for on Sunday (November 6th) night, and that's a remix of his latest chart-topper, "She Had Me At Heads Carolina," featuring Jo Dee Messina. Of course, Jo Dee recorded the 1996 hit song, "Heads Carolina, Tales California," on which Cole's song is based.

He shared the news on social media writing, "Did y'all really think we were gonna leave you hanging without releasing a version of this song w/ @jodeemessina?!? Such a full circle moment for this here 90's Country fan… the "She Had Me At Heads Carolina" Remix is OUT NOW."

Jo Dee is also featured in the video for "She Had Me At Heads Carolina," which was filmed at a downtown Nashville bar.

Cole is set to perform "She Had Me At Heads Carolina" on the CMA Awards tomorrow (Wednesday, November 9th) night airing live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET. He is nominated for Musical Event Of The Year and Music Video of The Year for "Never Say Never" featuring Lainey Wilson.

Scotty McCreery's performance of his current single, "It Matters to Her (Live from Gruene Hall)," has just been released on video. The clip was filmed at Scotty's sold-out show at Gruene Hall in New Braunfels, TX on September 23, 2022. He intends to release an official music video for the song in the coming weeks.

Scotty co-wrote "It Matters to Her," which is included on his 2021 album, Same Truck. The song is making its climb up the country charts.

Scotty and his wife, Gabi, just welcomed their first child, son Avery, last month.

Dolly Parton is officially a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! She was inducted on Saturday (November 5th) night in Los Angeles, where she told the crowd, "I'm a rock star now! This is a very special night for me. I'm sure a lot of you knew that back when they said they were gonna put me in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I didn't feel like I had done enough to deserve that. And I didn't understand at the time that it's about more than that. But I'm just so honored and so proud to be here tonight."

Dolly performed twice throughout the ceremony, according to Rolling Stone -- first, a version of "Jolene" with Pink, Brandi Carlile, and fellow inductees Pat Benatar, Simon LeBon of Duran Duran, Rob Halford of Judas Priest, and Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart; and a second time with her house band for the night, the Zac Brown Band, where she debuted a new tune called "Rockin'."

HIghlights from this year's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony will air on HBO on November 19th and stream on HBO Max.

Dolly's fellow inductees included Eminen, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, Eurythmics, and Carly Simon.

Luke Bryan released a new song on Friday (November 4th) called "Prayin' In A Deer Stand." He co-wrote the song, which is the second release of new music from his upcoming album following his current radio single "Country On."

Luke said, "This is such a personal song to me. The world can be a busy place and I, like a lot of people, have a ton of different things going on but getting to be outside, it grounds and reenergizes me. There is just something about it that never gets old."

Luke closed out his Raised Up Right Tour this weekend with three re-scheduled shows in Florida.

For the second consecutive year, Luke is hosting the On the Road to the CMA Awards special tonight (Monday, November 7th) at 10 p.m. ET on ABC. On Wednesday (November 9th), Luke and NFL superstar Peyton Manning will host the 56th Annual CMA Awards live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena airing on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

Tyler Hubbard has finally revealed the cover, track listing and title of his upcoming debut solo album. The self-titled project features 18 songs all co-written and co-produced by Tyler. The Tyler Hubbard album is set for release on January 27th.

Of the album, Tyler tells us: "I think it tells my story, and I think it's a fairly dynamic album. I think every song brings out a different emotion, and it really is an album that's created to listen to fully from top to bottom, and I think when the fans do that, they're gonna get to know me a lot better."

The album's debut single, "5 Foot 9," sits at Number Two at Country radio and has almost 190M global streams.

Tyler will be a presenter on the Wednesday's (November 9th) 56th annual CMA Awards, airing live from Nashville on ABC at 8 p.m. ET. He will make his Grand Ole Opry debut as a solo artist on Friday (November 11th). Tickets are available at opry.com.

Darius Rucker appeared on NBC's Today show on Friday (November 4th) to reveal the title of his upcoming studio album, which is Carolyn's Boy. Carolyn is Darius' late mother, and the album cover is a portrait of her.

Darius explained, "I wanted to name the record Carolyn's Boy because Mom never got to see any of my success. She died before any of this happened, so it's just another homage to the greatest woman I've ever known."

When asked why now is the right time to honor her, Darius said, "Years ago, I wasn't really sure what my place in Country music was and I was trying to find it. Now I have found it – I know – and I think it's time to give that record."

Fans can get a sneak peek at the new Carolyn's Boy album with Darius' recent releases, "Same Beer Different Problem" and "Ol' Church Hymn" featuring Chapel Hart, which are available everywhere now.

Jason Aldean has released his first-ever holiday track called "Christmas In Dixie." This is Jason's take on his favorite group, Alabama's, holiday classic. He said, "It's cool to get to give a nod to my musical heroes with the first Christmas song we've ever put out."

Carrie Underwood has released the official music video for her new single, "Hate My Heart." The clip was filmed on location at Nashville's Wildhorse Saloon and follows Carrie and a group of her girlfriends who are all approaching break-ups in different ways. In the video, she rides a mechanical bull and crowd surfs as she and her friends see their own alter-egos in the all-female band onstage.

Brothers Osborne & The War And Treaty's rendition of "It's Only Rock ‘N' Roll (But I Like It)" is the debut release from Stoned Cold Country, the upcoming 60th anniversary tribute album to The Rolling Stones. The two acts will hit the stage live at the 56th Annual CMA Awards on Wednesday (November 9th) at 8 p.m. ET for the debut broadcast performance of the collaboration.

Cody Johnson will release a new live album featuring his longtime touring band, called Cody Johnson & The Rockin' CJB Live, on December 2nd. The project was recorded live on the road this past June during back-to-back-to-back sold-out concerts.

Cody said, "There is nothing I enjoy more than getting to play live shows with this band. We've travelled a lot of miles in the last 15 years and lived a lot of life together. This record is allowing us to deliver a live concert directly to the fans."

Cody heads into Wednesday's (November 9th) CMA Awards with four nominations, as well as a performance slot during the live broadcast. The 56th Annual CMA Awards airs on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Priscilla Block has received her very first RIAA Platinum certification for her viral hit song, "Just About Over You." She was presented with the plaque before her sold-out show at the famed Nashville Palace in Nashville, TN on Thursday (November 3rd) night. Her concert marked the first time a female artist has ever sold-out the venue.

On Friday (November 4th), Priscilla said, "Last night was one of the wildest nights of my career so far! I can't believe all of the love and energy from the crowd at Nashville Palace. I am blown away! Then finding out ‘Just About Over You' had gone PLATINUM! Are you kidding me?! Since the beginning, the fans have been behind me and so encouraging - it means the world to me and I feel so blessed. Thank y'all!"

Prisicalla will be opening select dates on Shania Twain's upcoming Queen Of Me Tour.

She is featured on Justin Moore's new single, "You, Me, And Whiskey."

Chris Lane is the featured guest on rapper Nelly's new single called "Birthday Girl," which was released on Friday (November 4th). The song is the followup to Nelly's Heartland album which featured a collaboration with Florida Georgia Line called "Lil Bit," which has been certified 3x Platinum.

Chris said, "Working with Nelly on this song is a full circle moment for me. I grew up a huge fan of his music and have enjoyed getting to know him through touring together. Doing this song together is the icing on the cake!"

Nelly's previous successful country collaborations include "Over And Over" with Tim McGraw, Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise," Jimmie Allen's "Good Times Roll," Kane Brown's remix of "Cool Again," and Nelly's own remake of Thomas Rhett's "Die A Happy Man."

Russell Dickerson releases his third studio album today (Friday, November 4th). The 15-song project is self-titled, not only because he co-wrote and co-produced the entire thing, but as he tells us, he's making a statement. "You know, I had to fight against this whole big 'the format is really country right now.' And I'm like, 'Cool, good for them.' Like that's even more of like putting my foot down, planting my flag of Russell Dickerson the self-titled album is like I'm not trying to fit into any format. Yes, we've got some country songs, we got little funky songs, we've got some heartstring ballads. Like, whatever it is, it's Russell Dickerson and it's not gonna be trying to fit into any format. I'm gonna stay true to who I've always been."

The lead single from the Russell Dickerson album is "She Likes It" featuring Jake Scott, which is a current Top 20 hit.

Russell kicks off his headlining She Likes It Tour with special guest Drew Green on November 17th in Indianapolis.

Thomas Rhett has announced plans to hit the road again next year on his headlining Home Team Tour 23 via a video message he posted on social media yesterday (Thursday, November 3rd). The 40-city trek launches on May 4th in Des Moines, IA with special guests Cole Swindell and Nate Smith. Thomas closes things out in his hometown of Nashville, TN on September 29th. Tickets to all shows go on sale on Friday, November 11th at 10 a.m. local time at ThomasRhett.com.

Thomas said, "Being on the road is one of my favorite places to be. I can't wait to see the joy on y'alls faces next year and with my buddies Cole Swindell and Nate Smith. We're definitely gonna have a good time."

Thomas sits at Number Four on the Mediabase chart this week with his latest hit, "Half of Me," featuring Riley Green.

Wynonna Judd, Tyler Hubbard, George & Tammy star Jessica Chastain, BRELAND, Jordan Davis, Apple TV's Amber Brown star Sarah Drew, Yellowstone star Cole Hauser, Lady A, CBS's Young Sheldon and ABC's Big Sky actor Rex Linn, Little Big Town, Parker McCollum, Reba McEntire, Grand Ole Opry member Jeannie Seely, Lainey Wilson and two-time World Series champ, MVP and Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts are among the presenters at Wednesday's (November 9th) CMA Awards in Nashville. Hosted by Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning, the 56th Annual CMA Awards broadcasts live on ABC on Wednesday (November 9th) at 8 p.m. ET and will be available on Thursday (November 10th) on Hulu.

Previously announced CMA Awards performers include Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Brothers Osborne, Bryan, Brandy Clark, Kelly Clarkson, Luke Combs, Caylee Hammack, HARDY, Cody Johnson, Elle King, Marcus King, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Ashley McBryde, McEntire, John Osborne, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, Katy Perry, Pillbox Patti, Chris Stapleton, Cole Swindell, The Black Keys, The War And Treaty, Thomas Rhett, Carrie Underwood, Morgan Wallen, Wilson, and Zac Brown Band.

Brantley Gilbert will digitally release a new 10-track album called So Help Me God next Thursday (November 10th). This is the followup to his 2019 album, Fire & Brimstone.

Brantley said, "In the past, my albums were almost direct reflections, direct chapters of my life. Whatever I'd gone through since I wrote the last record would make its way onto the new album. There's still some of that with So Help Me God since I'm a co-writer on all the songs – it's been three years since the last release and a lot of life lived. But I feel like this album is more of a mixtape of great songs. We wanted to put songs that sounded good together, but also songs that covered a wide variety of genre influences . . ."

The lead single from So Help Me God is called "Heaven By Then" with Blake Shelton featuring Vince Gill. Brantley co-wrote the song with Michael Hardy, AKA HARDY, among others. The song heads to radio later this month.

Brantley's co-headlining tour with Five Finger Death Punch kicks off on November 9 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and continues through December 17, wrapping in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Luke Bryan will serve as the celebrity guest picker for ESPN's College GameDay pregame show on Saturday (November 5th) before his beloved Georgia Bulldogs take on the Tennessee Volunteers. The show airs at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Randy Houser will open the 2022 Breeders' Cup World Championships races on Saturday (November 5th) with the National Anthem at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, KY. Limited tickets are available at BreedersCup.com/tickets and the event will air live on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and FanDuel TV.

Blake Shelton will release the "Super Deluxe" version of his holiday album, Cheers, It's Christmas, next Friday (November 11th). The project features three new songs -- "Up On The House Top," "Holly Jolly Christmas," and "Cheer For The Elves," a previously released Gwen Stefani original track -- as well as the original 17 tracks featured on the 2017 version of the album.

Blake said, "During the holidays I always celebrate traditions and add new things, so cheers to some new music. After all, what is Christmas without it. I just want to thank everyone for including my music in your festive playlists all these years. It really is ‘the most wonderful time of the year.'"

Cheers, It's Christmas (Super Deluxe) features collaborations with Kelly Clarkson, Reba McEntire, Michael Bublé, and Blake's mother, Dorothy Shackleford.

Kelsea Ballerini will host the 2023 CMT Music Awards, which is set to air live from the Moody Center in Austin, TX for the first time on Sunday, April 2nd on CBS. Kelsea revealed the news last night (Wednesday, November 2nd) during a surprise on-stage moment with Carrie Underwood as part of Carrie's sold-out Denim & Rhinestones Tour stop at the Moody Center. Carrie holds the title as the winningest artist in CMT history, with a total of 25 trophies, and is the first performer revealed for the 2023 show.

Kelsea teased the announcement on social media yesterday with a video of her boarding a private plane.

This marks her third year to host the fan-voted CMT Awards.

The 2023 CMT Awards will also be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.

Tim McGraw and his family were on hand to watch the Philadelphia Phillies win against the Houston Astros in Game 3 of the World Series on Tuesday (November 1st). He was wearing his dad, Tug McGraw's, jersey. The late MLB pitcher helped the Phillies win the World Series in 1980.

Taste of Country reports that Tim and his oldest daughter, Gracie, were spotted on the Jumbotron while his iconic hit, "I Like It, I Love It," blasted through the speakers at Philly's Citizens Bank Park.

Fans at the game turned to social media to reveal that Faith Hill and the couples' two other daughters, Maggie and Audrey, were spotted behind Tim and Gracie.

Last week, Tim shared a video pn social media of his father striking out the last batter in the 1980 World Series, giving Philadelphia the win over the Kansas City Royals with the caption, "Let's go Phillies!"