Thomas Rhett, recognized as “the most reliable maker of No. 1 singles in country music” by Variety, recently earned his 21st career chart-topper with ‘Angels (Don’t Always Have Wings).’ This accomplishment inspired the surprise release of ‘Mamaw’s House,’ enriching the much-anticipated number ones collection.

Reflecting on the deep-rooted inspiration behind the track, Thomas Rhett shared, “This song describes my grandmothers and Morgan’s as well – we wanted to portray a small-town piece of paradise. Growing up, I can remember going to both of my grandmothers’ houses in South Georgia. I learned so many life lessons there about hard work, manners, and respect. This song really hits home for me, and I hope everyone feels the same.”

Morgan Wallen, equally moved by the sentimental connection, added, “I dedicate this one to not only her but to my living grandmothers as well. TR had a similar experience growing up, so I’m really glad we got to write and record this song together. Hope y’all enjoy it.”

The surprise track release comes as Thomas Rhett closed out his much-lauded HOME TEAM TOUR 23 with two sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena. The tour, spanning 40 cities in 27 states, has electrified audiences nationwide.

Thomas Rhett’s remarkable journey, marked by 21 No. 1 singles and 15 billion streams, showcases his enduring impact on the country music scene. His latest album, ‘Where We Started’ has been hailed as a musical masterpiece, commanding the attention of fans and critics alike. You can read our review of it right here.

The post Thomas Rhett releases ’20 Number Ones’ compilation & drops new collaboration with Morgan Wallen appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The post Morgan Wallen achieves a chart feat not seen since it was done by Whitney Houston in 1987 appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

“I got some bad news from my doctors at the Vanderbilt Voice Center yesterday. After taking ten days of vocal rest, I performed three shows last weekend in Florida and by the third one I felt terrible. So I went in and got scoped yesterday, and they told me that I reinjured my vocal cords and that I have vocal fold trauma. Their advice is that I go on vocal rest for six weeks, so that’s what I’m going to do.

They want me not to talk at all, but they said if I need to, it’s okay to for something like this. I also tore my LAT while we were in Australia, I’ve been trying to work through that quietly, but this time off is going to help me get that back right as well.

We are working on rescheduling all the dates during this timeframe. We’ve almost got that done but some of them are pending, so I’ll keep you updated. I won’t be able to make these festivals that I have during this timeframe, but we are going to make those right next year.

I won’t be able to do the ACM [Academy of Country Music] Awards or Lifting Lives event, but y’all make sure you still go – it’s for a great cause. 

They told me that if I do this the right way, I’ll get back to 100% and they also said that if I don’t listen and I keep singing, then I’ll permanently damage my voice.

So for the longevity of my career, this is just a choice I had to make. 

I hate it. But I love you guys, and I appreciate all the support that you always give me.

I’ll see you soon and I’ll be back better than ever. God bless you.” 

Tickets for the original dates will be honored for all rescheduled performances. 

30-day refund window will open at point of purchase when new dates are announced imminently. 

Wallen is working to reschedule any missed festival appearances to 2024.

The post Morgan Wallen forced to cancel six weeks of shows due to vocal chord injury appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

Cramming 36 songs onto his latest project (find out our favourites), even more than 2021’s ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’, Wallen will have no shortage of material to choose from when it comes to picking the ‘One Night at a Time’ set list. We may have got a sneak peek at what to expect from the star’s recent Bridgestone Arena show in Nashville but with such a large trek, I’m sure songs will change from night-to-night.

As part of the trek, Wallen will be coming to the UK for the very first time (his planned first visit was cancelled due to the pandemic) to play at The O2 Arena in London on Saturday 3rd December 2023. In anticipation, I’ve picked 20 songs that I hope make it onto the set list.

‘Whiskey Glasses’

His second number one, ‘Whiskey Glasses’ really was the point where Wallen started his transformation from successful new artist to global star in the making. A fun song that showcases Wallen’s personality, the track is an early favourite and to this day remains a fan favourite.

‘Chasin’ You’

With a dreamy groove, ‘Chasin’ You’ easily scored Wallen his third number one. A little more soulful than previous releases, the song highlights the singer-songwriter’s more sensitive side. While he may not have had a hand in writing this one, he pours his soul into it.

‘Heartless’

Released in 2019, this collaboration with Diplo proved that Wallen had crossover potential. While the heart of the song is undoubtedly Country, the pop production took the singer’s sound to a whole new level. I’m a big fan of the version he included on his ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ release too.

‘More Than My Hometown’

The lead single from ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’, this Ernest, Hardy and Ryan Vojtesak co-write is a breezy summer-ready tune that is made for Country radio. In a live arena, this song sounds even better and I can already imagine The O2 full of people with beers in their hands, singing along.

‘7 Summers’

A rare blip in terms of radio chart performance ‘7 Summers’ should have been another number 1 for the star (it did go to number one on the US Country chart). I’m glad it’s become a fan favourite since its release. Soulful, groove-laden and with a strong vocal from Wallen, the song deserves to be considered among his best.

‘Sand In My Boots’

Can Wallen pull off a ballad? You bet and he had the balls to open ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ with it. One of the most heartfelt songs he’s recorded (written by Ashley Gorley, Hardy and Josh Osborne), ‘Sand in My Boots’ is proof that Wallen has a lot more versatility as an artist then he’s often given credit for.

‘Wasted On You’

Wallen teamed up with the songwriters he worked with on ‘More Than My Hometown’ for ‘Wasted On You’ and it was one of the best songs on ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’. Pushing the boundaries of Country music, the song effortlessly blends genres while keeping the focus rightly on Wallen’s gritty vocal.

‘Warning’

Hip-hop beats meet an urgent chorus that singles this song out as one of Wallen’s most under-rated songs. I go back to it frequently on ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ and I love his vocal on this one. Imagine how epic this would sound in an arena once that beat drops!

‘Dangerous’

The title track from his second album, ‘Dangerous’ switches into mid-tempo gear with an eye firmly on radio play. I feel like this song would be perfect in the mid-section of the set when fans have sung their hearts out during the first half and want to lose themselves in something a little more mellow.

‘Last Night’

The third single from latest album ‘One Thing at a Time’, ‘Last Night’ is surprisingly stripped-back production wise with an intricate acoustic guitar riff central to the song’s catchy melody. Has a break-up ever sounded so good? I don’t think it has.

‘One Thing at a Time’

The current single, and the title track from the album, ‘One Thing at a Time’ leans into an 80s sound and owes a lot more to Rock than Country, which is not a complaint. With a full band behind him, this song is one that could easily be a highlight during his live show. It’s sure to get fans on their feet too!

‘Thought You Should Know’

Writing with Miranda Lambert and Nicolle Galyon yielded this fantastic track, which became the second number one from ‘One Thing at a Time’. Putting family at the centre of the lyrics, it’s a moment of introspection that sees Wallen grappling with the enormity of what’s happened to him in his career so far.

‘Born With a Beer In My Hand’

It’s no secret that Wallen has spoken about his issues with alcohol, and the resulting fallout he’s had from over-indulging, so bravo to him for writing a song that’s so honest. If he puts an acoustic section in his set, this song would fit in nicely and it would be an emotional centre point for the show.

‘You Proof’

The lead single from ‘One Thing at a Time’, ‘You Proof’ rocketed to number one. Continuing exploring Wallen’s love for pushing the boundaries of the genre he belongs to, you could be forgiven for thinking this was another Diplo collaboration. That crossover appeal has never sounded so obvious.

‘Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby)’

That acoustic section I was manifesting earlier in the article would benefit from ‘Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby)’. The catchiest song on Wallen’s latest album, the simplicity of the arrangement is its greatest strength. Inflected with a little R&B vocal delivery, this is one hell of a song that I need to hear live.

‘I Deserve a Drink’

This one includes Devin Dawson and Hillary Lindsey on the writing credits so you know it’s going to be a potential single choice. Even if it doesn’t get single treatment, ‘I Deserve a Drink’ is one of the standout moments on Wallen’s new album. It explores his relationship with alcohol, even if he didn’t write the lyrics, and it fits nicely with the themes on the record and hopefully it’ll get a shot at becoming a live favourite.

‘Wine Into Water’

Continuing on the alcohol theme (which is making me thirsty as I write this), ‘Wine Into Water’ has the potential to sound truly epic in an arena. The song may sound a little quieter on the record but if you crank up that guitar and intesify the gentle beat, this could be a real surprise moment.

‘Thinkin’ Bout Me’

If this isn’t a single then I’ll eat my hat. Regardless it should be on the set list for every damn show because this song SLAPS. That’s a phrase I never use but on this occasion it’s the only word that fittingly describes the song. It’s a cool slice of R&B/Country that shows once again why Wallen is leading the modern Country pack.

‘Last Drive Down Main’

Can you imagine rocking out to this one with thousands of other Wallen fans? Another moment that draws from the 80s, it’s a foot-on-the-gas anthem that you won’t be able to get out of your head. In a live arena, this song could very well be dynamite!

‘Don’t Think Jesus’

The last song on the list, ‘Don’t Think Jesus’ is another one that could go into that acoustic section I keep banging on about. The lyrics for this one hit hard, especially knowing the personal journey that Wallen has been on. He sings it like he wrote every word, and that’s likely because he lived every feeling the song describes.

The post 20 songs we want to hear on Morgan Wallen’s ‘One Night at a Time’ World Tour appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The one-night-only show will be the first time that Wallen has performed in the UK. The tour is in support of Wallen’s huge new album ‘One Thing At a Time’, which was released last week.

Fan club pre-sales begin Tuesday 7th March, with general on-sale available beginning 10am local UK on Thursday, March 9 at MorganWallen.com.

The 2023 One Night at a Time World Tour launches in Auckland, New Zealand on 15th March. It is produced by Live Nation in North America/United Kingdom and Frontier Touring for Australia/New Zealand.

Following shows in New Zealand and Australia, the tour will return stateside on 14th April at Milwaukee’s American Family Field with HARDY; hitting New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Boston’s Fenway Park with Parker McCollum; and returning overseas 3rd December at The O2 in London. 

ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman will support across U.S. and international dates.

Morgan Wallen 2023 U.S. Tour Dates:

Fri, April 14          Milwaukee, WI               American Family Field*# 
Sat, April 15         Milwaukee, WI                American Family Field*#
Thurs, April 20     Louisville, KY                 KFC Yum! Center
Sat, April 22         Oxford, MS                      Vaught-Hemingway Stadium*#
Sun, April 23        Oxford, MS                      Vaught-Hemingway Stadium*+
Thurs, April 27     Grand Rapids, MI             Van Andel Arena
Fri, April 28          Moline, IL                        Vibrant Arena
Sat, April 29          Lincoln, NE                     Pinnacle Bank Arena
Thurs, May 4        Jacksonville, FL               VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Fri, May 5             West Palm Beach, FL       iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sat, May 6             Tampa, FL                        MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Thurs, May 18       Hershey, PA                      Hersheypark Stadium*
Fri, May 19           East Rutherford, NJ          MetLife Stadium*$ 
Sat, May 20           East Rutherford, NJ          MetLife Stadium*$
Wed, May 24         Austin, TX                        Moody Center
Fri, May 26           Houston, TX                     Minute Maid Park*#
Thurs, June 1        Atlanta, GA                       Truist Park*$ 
Fri, June 2             Atlanta, GA                       Truist Park*$
Sat, June 3            Panama City Beach, FL     Gulf Coast Jam^
Thurs, June 8        Virginia Beach, VA            Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Fri, June 9             Virginia Beach, VA            Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sat, June 10           Myrtle Beach, SC              Carolina Country Music Fest^
Wed, June 14         Pittsburgh, PA                    PNC Park*& 
Thurs, June 15       Pittsburgh, PA                    PNC Park*#
Sat, June 17           Philadelphia, PA                 Citizens Bank Park*#
Thurs, June 22      Chicago, IL                         Wrigley Field*# 
Fri, June 23           Chicago, IL                         Wrigley Field*$
Thurs, June 29      Detroit, MI                          Ford Field*# 
Fri, June 30           Detroit, MI                          Ford Field*#
Thurs, July 6         St. Louis, MO                     Busch Stadium*$ 
Fri, July 7              St. Louis, MO                     Busch Stadium*$
Fri, July 14            San Diego, CA                    Petco Park*# 
Sat, July 15           San Diego, CA                    Petco Park*#
Wed, July 19         Phoenix, AZ                       Chase Field*# 
Thurs, July 20       Phoenix, AZ                       Chase Field*#
Sat, July 22           Los Angeles, CA                SoFi Stadium*#
Thurs, Aug 3         Detroit Lakes, MN             WE Fest^
Fri, Aug 11            Columbus, OH                   Ohio Stadium*%
Sat, Aug 12            Columbus, OH                  Ohio Stadium*#
Wed, Aug 16          Boston, MA                       Fenway Park*#
Thurs, Aug 17       Boston, MA                        Fenway Park*#
Fri, Aug 18            Boston, MA                        Fenway Park*$
Sat, Sept 2             Washington, DC                 FedEx Field*$
Sat, Oct 7              Tacoma, WA                       Tacoma Dome

Morgan Wallen 2023 International Tour Dates:

Wed, March 15      Auckland, NZ                  Spark Arena #
Sun, March 19       Ipswich, QLD                  CMC Rocks ^         
Tues, March 21      Sydney, NSW                  Qudos Bank Arena #
Wed, March 22      Sydney, NSW                  Qudos Bank Arena #
Fri, March 24        Melbourne, VIC               Rod Laver Arena #
Sat, March 25        Melbourne, VIC               Rod Laver Arena #
Sat, Aug 5              Camrose, AB                    Big Valley Jamboree^
Thurs, Sept 14        Toronto, ON                    Budweiser Stage 
Fri, Sept 15             Toronto, ON                    Budweiser Stage 
Sat, Sept 16             Toronto, ON                    Budweiser Stage
Mon, Sept 18           London, ON                    Budweiser Gardens
Thurs, Sept 21         Ottawa, ON                     Canadian Tire Centre
Fri, Sept 22              Quebec City, QC             Videotron Centre
Sat, Sept 23             Montreal, QC                   Bell Centre
Thurs, Sept 28         Winnipeg, MB                 Canada Life Centre
Fri, Sept 29              Saskatoon, SK                 SaskTel Centre
Sat, Sept 30             Calgary, AB                      Scotiabank Saddledome
Tues, Oct 3              Vancouver, BC                 Rogers Arena
Wed, Oct 4              Vancouver, BC                 Rogers Arena
Sun, Dec 3               London, UK                     The O2

* Stadium Dates
^ Festival Dates
# HARDY, ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman
$ Parker McCollum, ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman
& HARDY, Bailey Zimmerman
% Riley Green, ERNEST
+ HARDY, ERNEST

The post Morgan Wallen announces debut UK show at The O2 in December appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The elephant in the room is that ‘One Thing at a Time’ is un-reviewable! 36 songs is simply just too much: an avalanche of content that can’t be consumed in a single sitting or even multiple sittings! There can be no narrative, no ebb and flow to the album that we usually get from a project of 12, 13 or 14 songs. Consequently, ‘One Thing at a Time’ cannot really be viewed as a single album – it’s more like a portal or ‘content hub’ of Morgan Wallen tracks.

We decided the best thing to do would be to choose our favourite 10 tracks from ‘One Thing at a Time’ and see if any of them aligned with yours. So, in no particular order, here are our favourite 10 tracks from the 36 on offer.

Everything I Love

Midnight, high-plains drifter Western vibes on this retro-sounding track. Foot-tapping rhythms and a real hardwood floor feel to the music means that this is a superb track to dance to. It sounds like it could have been lifted right off the soundtrack to ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ too. Superb mix of old meets new, but mostly old, sounds real good on Wallen.

One Thing at a Time

The title is a complete left-of-centre paradigm shift for Wallen. Lighter, poppier vibes and 80’s sounding production values mean this song is a banger in terms of melody. Infectious, playful and something very different make this song one of the best Wallen has ever released. Ambitious and unapologetic, ‘One Thing at a Time’ hints at a future that is even brighter than could be expected.

Born with a Beer in My Hand

Wow! A personal song about Wallen ‘smiling through his sobriety’ and how the alcohol is always at the back of his mind. ‘I ain’t the devil that I acted like I was years ago’. You can hear HARDY’s input all over this song. Similar to ‘Dangerous’s opener, ‘Sand in My Boots’, ‘…..Beer in My Hand’ is both restrained & melodic and a great introduction to this phase of his career.

Outlook

Another song about hindsight, change and growth. Co-written with Rodney Clawson and Jeff Hyde, this is a delightful song with impactful lyrics and a wonderful, lilting cadence to the melodies. Mature, restrained but with a real punch to it in terms of sound and style. ‘Someone’s up there, looking down and looking out for me.’ Bit of a ‘Sand in My Boots’ vibe in places.

180 (Lifestyle)

On an album where there is a lot of mature, restrained songs with a traditional Country feel to them, Wallen absolutely nails this modern club song with its snappy lyrics and heavy bass. In the right place, at the right time, this song will hit home and get people up and dancing with its funky beats and bells-and-whistles programming.

I Deserve a Drink

Darker, acoustic beginnings here as Wallen sings another song about how hard he’s been trying recently……..until ‘she’ walks back in. Is he singing about the girl, or the booze? Great work by the likes of Devin Dawson and Hillary Lindsey amongst others on this track that builds to a cracking chorus. ‘I’ve been doing good…….I’ve been on my best behaviour,’ Wallen sings on a song destined for the top of the charts.

Money on Me

This is a real sleeper song that could get buried amongst some louder, flashier songs but it has a terrific melody and builds to an understated but powerful chorus with a wonderful melody. We’re a fan of writer Matt Roy and it’s great to see him here on this track. Wallen’s vocals are smooth and confident here as warns the girl that he isn’t someone worth putting your money on or even trusting. That’s the real kicker in the lyrics, right there. Love it.

Ain’t That Some

Wallen leans into his Florida Georgia Line influences on a song written by Chris LaCorte, Chase McGill, Josh Miller, Blake Pendergrass. FGL’s demise is Wallen’s gain because this song leaps out of the headphones and provides something a little different to a lot of the mid-tempo balladry and introspection that is a hallmark of ‘One Thing at a Time.’ Bombastic, brash and redneck as hell, this will be a live staple for years to come.

Last Drive Down Main

One of the most uptempo songs on ‘One Thing at a Time’ and another song, similar to the title track, that really leans into some 80s sounding influences. We love the drum beat and guitar riff that drives this song co-written by Jerry Flowers, Ryan Hurd, Michael Lotten. ‘Life packed in a Chevrolet, every corner I see your face,’ it’s a goodbye song with real soul but one that makes you want to sing along too at the same time.

Don’t Think Jesus

Raw, emotional song with some plaintive guitars that invoke a real campfire feel. Wallen’s vocals are mixed so as to feel that he is actually in the room with you. Some nice storytelling about ‘chasing the devil through honky tonk bars’ makes the song feel very personal and when Wallen’s vocals break out and the drums kick in there’s a real gut-punch of all the feels. This one will be perfect for intimate performances and award shows.

And an extra, 11th song for luck:

Man Made a Bar (ft Eric Church)

This one is a nailed on, absolute number one hit in waiting. Just The Chief’s presence is enough to elevate it but the song does enough all on its own to deserve both fan and critical acclaim. Lilting melodies and plaintive guitars, ‘Man Made a Bar’ is peak modern Country, with clever lyrics and relatable themes that both men and women can identify with whilst sounding like it has a direct link back to the Country greats of the past.

How many of our favourite songs would make your list?

The post The Top 10 tracks on Morgan Wallen’s new album ‘One Thing at a Time’ appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The pop-up show is a chance for the singer’s fans to mark the release of Wallen’s album, which has already garnered considerable buzz ahead of its release.

With over 1.2 million fans already having bought tickets to 2023’s ‘One Night At A Time World Tour’, Wallen wanted to create the kind of night sure to create memories to last through all 63-shows – and 30-stadiums – with an up-close, in-the-round, free full band event.

“I’m gonna do acoustic… everyone’s asking me why I’m not doing a Tennessee show. I’m doing one now. Friday, 3/23. See you there,” Wallen shared with fans.

With only 9 songs of the 36-song project available now, Wallen has already seen tremendous streaming demand, and the superstar has claimed the top spot on all five Billboard country charts – marking the first time an artist has done so since 2019.

Fans can only reserve tickets in person at downtown Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and are capped at two tickets per-person. The in-the-round show kicks-off Friday night at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 4:30 p.m.

The post Morgan Wallen announces free album launch show at Bridgestone Arena appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

ERNEST is aiming to eclipse the success of 2022 this year and the first step towards achieving that is the release of an extension to the ‘Flower Shops’ album entitled ‘Two Dozen Roses’, out on February 10th. We talked to ERNEST all about it.

Thank you for your time today, ERNEST, we do appreciate it.

No problem, thanks for having me.

Let’s start with a congratulations on the success of ‘Flower Shops’ last year. That song burned and burned for you all year. Did you know you had something special on your hands when you wrote it?

Definitely! It felt different to most of the other songs I’ve written. We had so much fun writing it and it didn’t take a lot of time either. You can never predict or guess the trajectory of a song but that one did feel very special. 

I look forward to the day, though, when it doesn’t necessarily have to be the ‘grand finale’ song because that will mean I’ve written some even better ones by then! (laughing)

You had an amazing 2022 as both a writer and as an artist. Did you have any real stand-out moments or events that really resonated with you and made lasting memories?

If I had to narrow down to just a few I’d say getting to sing ‘Flower Shops’ at Madison Square Gardens with Morgan (Wallen) – that was awesome.

Debuting at the The Grand Ole Opry was a childhood dream of mine which we achieved last year.

As a writer? This most recent number one with Jelly Roll – ‘Son of a Sinner’ – was very special. That’s three unassuming Nashville guys on that track, right there! Two of us were rappers at one point too. It’s the weirdest, coolest fairytale story you could imagine! (laughing) If you had told me when I was hanging out with Jelly Roll in high school that we would have a number one song at Country radio I just would not have taken that seriously!

I love the guy. He sings about real people going through real shit, and that there is Country music, right?

There seems to be a real developing Nashvillian mafia around town right now. Yourself, Jelly Roll, Mitchell Tenpenny are all having great success. Who else should be included in your Nashville mafia?

Oh man. Conner Smith is another one of us. On the writers side? Our guy John Byron is cool. Grady and Rocky Block, the brothers. Reece Rutherford is another cat on the scene that people need to take notice of – his dad Rivers Rutherford was a huge writer in the industry in the early 2000’s. There’s a lot of good Nashvillians bubbling and boiling right now. We’re aiming to take the town back from those Georgia boys! (laughing)

Speaking of Georgia boys, then. We’ve had Kane Brown over in the UK recently. He played both your ‘One Mississippi’ and ‘Memory’ co-writes at the shows. What was it like working with him?

Kane’s great. I love him. He’s always willing to go in whatever direction the song needs. From super-Honky Tonk to straight Rap, Pop and R&B. From a creative standpoint, that is so awesome. We wrote a few songs together down in the Florida Keys at a beautiful house on the water – that doesn’t suck either! (laughing)

Kane knows what he wants to say and he doesn’t lock himself in a corner.

Let’s talk about your forthcoming ‘Two Dozen Roses’ album release. What was your thinking behind extending the original album with another batch of songs rather than releasing a brand new product?

The brass tacks answer there is that there are more reasons beyond just me to put out a deluxe album. It’s beneficial for streaming, for consumption, whatever. I handed in an album’s worth of songs so I wouldn’t call this a deluxe album at all – it’s more of a part two.

It would make more sense if it was seen as a part two rather than just a deluxe album. 

I saw you say on Twitter that every song on the album had been a true story at some point over the past year. Is there one song on there that is the most deeply personal to you?

I think ‘The Hill’ might be. Brett Tyler brought most of that idea in and I immediately gravitated towards it and wanted to finish it. When that song was written we were living in a ranch style house that was built in the 60’s and we were thinking about turning it inside out and making it our forever home. 

Now, when the album comes out, we will be in a new house that we bought that has a little more acreage on it so that my boy has more space to ride. That song means so much more and in a slightly different way than it did to begin with. 

At the same time ‘This Fire’ also means a lot to me. I don’t know a guy in this industry who can’t relate to that song. Not even in the music industry, there isn’t a guy in the whole world who won’t relate to ‘This Fire’. We all got fire out there and the fight in life is to try and repel it as much as possible.

Funny story the day we wrote ‘This Fire’. Myself and the other writers were in the room at Julian Bunetta’s house. Me, John Ryan and Rocky Block. We didn’t have a title and Julian was like, I’m going to go online into this A.I. thing and generate a Country music title! By the way, Chatbot GPT just beat the bar exam so this thing is advanced, right?

A list of 20 songs was spit out and the second one was ‘This Fire’ and I was, like, ‘OK then boys, we’re writing that one!’ (laughing) We sat around and talked about ‘what’ the fire should be and got there pretty damn quickly to be honest. 

What was it like writing with Charles Kelly on ‘Songs We Used to Sing’?

It was awesome. Charles is great. I could listen to him sing the phone book and not get bored. We wrote two songs that day. The first one was a song called ‘Bad For Me’ that I think is a ‘Charles song’ and then I was messing around and playing a progression and we wrote ‘Songs We Used to Sing’ second, pretty quickly, and he was, like, ‘Man, this song is for you, you gotta song this.’

We each got a song that day so there was no tug of war! (laughing) I think Charles is going to come out and sing that song with me when I’m there at The Opry next.

I really like ‘Wild, Wild West’ on the new batch of songs.

I wrote that one with my best friend, Rafe Tenpenny, who I just signed to Cadillac Music. Mitchell’s brother, right? Rafe and I made some of my first music together back in 5^th and 6^th grade so when the opportunity came up to start my own publishing Rafe said he was ready to start writing for real and so we did it! 

What were your template of influences for ‘Wild, Wild West’?

If you had to guess what the template and the influences were what would you say?

Of the modern bands I can hear a lot of Midland and that West coast style on there.

You’re right about that West Coast Country! The Eagles were a huge influence to me on that song. The Band, as well, were another unspoken influence on both ‘Wild, Wild West’ and ‘This Fire’. 

When you write a song do you consider yourself stronger on lyrics or melodies or does it chop and change according to the song and the day of the week? I love the fact that ‘Miss That Girl’ sounds like the cadence of a child’s nursery rhyme. It’s so melodic.

That was very intentional on that song, for sure. The melody I was playing on the guitar that day automatically just generated the ‘red dirt, red dirt’ cadence. Needless to say it is one of my son’s favourite songs on the album! (laughing) He loves that one and ‘Unhang the Moon’. When he hears the intro to that song he says, ‘……Moon?’ He knows that one.

To answer your question about lyrics or melodies, it totally depends on the day. Somedays I got nothing to bring to the table in terms of lyrics, or it might well be somebody else’s day, right? You know, when Ashley Gorley shows up with an idea you are duty bound to let him run with it! (laughing) It depends on who you are writing with and what their ideas and strengths are. No two back-to-back days are ever the same in this town.

Is there anyone you haven’t managed to get into a room with in Nashville who you’d like to write a song with? 

Yeah! I wanna write with Shane McAnally. To grab a day with him and Josh Osborne would be so cool. I’ve written with Josh before and Shane and I have talked ideas back and forth a little. He stopped by when I was writing with Ashley Gorley one time and we sort of halfway wrote a song but I’d love to sit down with him fully and get one done.

You’ve already mentioned your new publishing company. What’s the motivation for you stepping into the business side of the industry? Why now?

I have the resources to be writing a lot more on the road now. Even my drummer, Grady, is a writer with Big Loud now. It was happening organically and having Chandler Walters out on the road with us is great. He’s writing a lot with Bailey Zimmerman right now. I found a guy called Cody Lohden on Instagram and I was like, we need to write with this guy, he’s good.

The time is now and I’m blessed to be able to use Big Loud’s resources on all of the stuff I am not good at behind the scenes, right? I’m good at the creative side of things.

Yourself, Morgan Wallen, HARDY and writers like Ben Burgess are sort of responsible for pulling Country music back into something a little more traditional right now. Do you guys talk about that and was it always an intention you had?

It would be true to say that it is not just us. Culture, as a whole, has shifted into a sort of cowboy world. Yellowstone is the new hottest playlist for any artist to get on. Alongside that you have artists like Charles Wesley Godwin and Zach Bryan doing their thing too. What you might have called Americana five years ago is now considered Country music. 

Me and Morgan, when we see ‘You Proof’ doing 10 weeks at number one? We can’t believe what we’ve managed to achieve but we never sat around a round table plotting all this out, right? We just write songs and have so much fun doing it. Listen to the HARDY album. That dude is doing exactly what he wants to do. I’m doing exactly what I want to do. We’re not trying to be anyone else and if people like that, hell yeah! 

What are the chances of us seeing you over in the UK this year? I know you’re heading out to Australia and New Zealand soon.

I think about this a lot and it could be on the plans for this year but there’s nothing confirmed right now. I’d love to come spend a couple of weeks over with you guys, even taking music out of the equation, just to see the country and have a drink with y’all.

ERNEST’s new album, ‘Flower Shops: Two Dozen Roses’ is out Friday 10th February. Pre-order or buy it right here.

The post Interview: Hit songwriter ERNEST reflects on chart success, the Nashville mafia & new album ‘Two Dozen Roses’ appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

Opening with confessional “Born With A Beer In My Hand” and closing with poignant “Dying Man,” Wallen takes the listener on a very personal journey throughout the expansive project.

“This record represents the last few years of my life, the highs and the lows,” Wallen shares. “It also brings together the musical influences that have shaped me as an artist – country, alternative and hip-hop. There are 36 songs on this album because we just kept exploring with fresh lyrics, music and production ideas and these are the songs that felt right to me. It was a blast to create, and I was so grateful to be back in the studio to lay this out for my fans.” 

Showcasing his wide-ranging influences and creativity – he interpolated The Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” – showcased on “Everything I Love,” a sample of Young Thug’s “Lifestyle” interpolated on “180 (Lifestyle),” collaborations with Eric Church on “Man Made A Bar,” HARDY on “In The Bible,” and “Cowgirls” with ERNEST, finishing with “Dying Man” (Codeine it got Elvis / Whiskey it got Hank / I always thought somethin’ like that / Might send me on my way), the prolific album runs the gambit.  

“I just try to tell it how it is – the good, the bad, the love, the heartbreak. That’s all I know how to do,” says Wallen. “My hope is that this album makes my fans proud; makes ’em laugh, smirk, cry, and think – just like it did for me.”

Furthering the connection to his roots, Wallen’s sister, Ashlyne Wallen, sings harmony on “Outlook.” He recalls, “I grew up in church singing three-part harmonies with my two sisters. That’s how I learned to sing, so this was a full-circle moment for Ashlyne and me.” The cover art also holds family significance for Wallen – photographed at the home of his Mamaw (Grandmother) Boots, who is no longer with us. “My Mamaw Boots helped raise me. I had such a special bond with her, so I wanted to honor her with this new record.”

Three new songs off the album arrive tonight to start the countdown to ‘One Thing At A Time’ –  “Last Night,” “Everything I Love” and “I Wrote The Book.”

The track listing for ‘One Thing At a Time’ is:

1. Born With A Beer In My Hand (Morgan Wallen, Zach Abend, Michael Hardy)
2. Last Night (John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Ryan Vojtesak)
3. Everything I Love (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
    Contains interpolation from “Midnight Rider” written by Gregg Allman, Robert Kim Payne
4. Man Made A Bar (Feat. Eric Church) (Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, Larry Fleet, Brett Tyler)
5. Devil Don’t Know (Travis Denning, Jared Mullins, Ben Stennis)
6. One Thing At A Time (Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, Morgan Wallen)
7. ’98 Braves (John Byron, Josh Miller, Travis Wood)
8. Ain’t That Some (Chris LaCorte, Chase McGill, Josh Miller, Blake Pendergrass)
9. I Wrote The Book (Morgan Wallen, Michael Hardy, Cameron Montgomery)
10. Tennessee Numbers (Jordan Minton, Blake Pendergrass, Travis Wood)
11. Hope That’s True (Morgan Wallen, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
12. Whiskey Friends (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Jonathan Hoskins, Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson, Ryan Vojtesak)
13. Sunrise (John Byron, Blake Pendergrass)
14. Keith Whitley (Thomas Archer, Brad Clawson, Jared Mullins)
15. In The Bible (Feat. HARDY) (John Byron, Jeff Garrison, Jon Hall, Ben Johnson, Geoffrey Warburton)
16. You Proof (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
17. Thought You Should Know (Morgan Wallen, Nicolle Galyon, Miranda Lambert)
18. F150-50 (Jared Mullins, John Pierce, Ben Stennis)
19. Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby) (Morgan Wallen, Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson, Ryan Vojtesak)
20. I Deserve A Drink (John Byron, Devin Dawson, Jacob Durrett, Hillary Lindsey)
21. Wine Into Water (John Byron, Matt Jenkins, Blake Pendergrass)
22. Me + All Your Reasons (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
23. Tennessee Fan (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Mark Holman)
24. Money On Me (Michael Lotten, Blake Pendergrass, Matt Roy)
25. Thinkin’ Bout Me (John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips, Ryan Vojtesak)
26. Single Than She Was (John Byron, Ben Johnson, Ryan Vojtesak)
27. Days That End In Why (John Byron, Blake Pendergrass, Driver Williams)
28. Last Drive Down Main (Jerry Flowers, Ryan Hurd, Michael Lotten)
29. Me To Me (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
30. Don’t Think Jesus (Jessi Alexander, Mark Holman, Chase McGill)
31. 180 (Lifestyle) (Rocky Block, Ashley Gorley, Mark Holman, Blake Pendergrass, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
      Contains interpolation from “Lifestyle” written by Arsenio Archer, London Holmes, Dequantes Lamar, Bryan Williams, Jeffery Williams
32. Had It (Rocky Block, Alex Eskeerdo Izquierdo, Ryan Vojtesak)
33. Cowgirls (feat. ERNEST) (Rocky Block, Ashley Gorley, James Maddocks, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
34. Good Girl Gone Missin’ (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, James Maddocks, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)
35. Outlook (Morgan Wallen, Rodney Clawson, Jeff Hyde)
36. Dying Man (Ben Johnson, Blake Pendergrass, Josh Thompson)

The post Morgan Wallen announces new 36 track third album release date appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

 
“Man, what a year 2022 has been with the Dangerous Tour,” Wallen exclaims, “I had the time of my life, and I cannot begin to express how grateful I am that my fans connected with the Dangerous album the way they did.”

Wallen shares. “I’ve had so many people ask me if I wanted to take some time off; but the truth is – I have been writing and making so much music in my off-time because I feel as inspired as I ever have. It feels like new songs are pouring out of me, and I love that feeling. We are going to run it back next year with the One Night At A Time World Tour. Bigger venues. New countries. Bigger memories. See y’all there.”

Morgan Wallen’s 2023 One Night At A Time World Tour U.S. Dates:
Sat, April 15                 Milwaukee, WI                     American Family Field*#
Thurs, April 20             Louisville, KY                       KFC Yum! Center
Sat, April 22                 Oxford, MS                          Vaught-Hemingway Stadium*#
^ ON SALE FRIDAY, 12/16

Thurs, April 27              Grand Rapids, MI                 Van Andel Arena
Fri, April 28                   Moline, IL                              Vibrant Arena
Sat, April 29                  Lincoln, NE                           Pinnacle Bank Arena
Thurs, May 4                Jacksonville, FL                    VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
Fri, May 5                     West Palm Beach, FL           iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
Sat, May 6                    Tampa, FL                             MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Thurs, May 18              Hershey, PA                           Hersheypark Stadium*
Sat, May 20                  East Rutherford, NJ               MetLife Stadium*$
Wed, May 24                Austin, TX                              Moody Center
Fri, May 26                   Houston, TX                           Minute Maid Park*#
Fri, June 2                     Atlanta, GA                            Truist Park*$
Sat, June 3                   Panama City Beach, FL         Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam^
Fri, June 9                    Virginia Beach, VA                 Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sat, June 10                  Myrtle Beach, SC                  Carolina Country Music Fest^
Thurs, June 15              Pittsburgh, PA                        PNC Park*#
Sat, June 17                  Philadelphia, PA                    Citizens Bank Park*#
Fri, June 23                   Chicago, IL                            Wrigley Field*$
Fri, June 30                   Detroit, MI                              Ford Field*#
Fri, July 7                      St. Louis, MO                         Busch Stadium*$
Sat, July 15                   San Diego, CA                       Petco Park*#
Thurs, July 20               Phoenix, AZ                            Chase Field*#
Sat, July 22                   Los Angeles, CA                    SoFi Stadium*#
Thurs, Aug 3                 Detroit Lakes, MN                  WE Fest^
Sat, Aug 12                   Columbus, OH                       Ohio Stadium*#
Fri, Aug 18                    Boston, MA                             Fenway Park*$
Sat, Aug 26                   Washington, DC                     Nationals Park*$
Sat, Oct 7                      Tacoma, WA                          Tacoma Dome

Morgan Wallen 2023 International Tour Dates:
Wed, March 15              Auckland, NZ                        Spark Arena #
Sun, March 19               Ipswich, QLD                        CMC Rocks ^     
Tues, March 21             Sydney, NSW                        Qudos Bank Arena #
Friday, March 24           Melbourne, VIC                     Rod Laver Arena #
Sat, Aug 5                     Camrose, AB                         Big Valley Jamboree^
Sat, Sept 16                  Toronto, ON                           Budweiser Stage
Mon, Sept 18                London, ON                           Budweiser Gardens
Thurs, Sept 21              Ottawa, ON                           Canadian Tire Centre
Fri, Sept 22                   Quebec City, QC                   Videotron Centre
Sat, Sept 23                  Montreal, QC                         Bell Centre
Thurs, Sept 28              Winnipeg, MB                        Canada Life Centre
Fri, Sept 29                   Saskatoon, SK                       SaskTel Centre
Sat, Sept 30                  Calgary, AB                            Scotiabank Saddledome
Wed, Oct 4                   Vancouver, BC                        Rogers Arena

The post Morgan Wallen is dropping 3 new songs as he announces an international tour appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

There are some obvious caveats and some expectations that need to be tempered from the outset here. Dolly has retired from touring but might play the odd festival, and other artists like Brooks and Dunn and Alan Jackson have personal issues that are probably going to preclude them from ever making it across the Atlantic.

This is not a ‘fantasy football’, let’s just pick 5 legends article. It’s a more realistic, ‘we can’t think of any reason why these artists wouldn’t be able to make it over’ kind of thing! Of course, playing Country music in the UK is never easy and often a loss making exercise that needs to be offset against the more lucrative, American parts of the tour. (Matt Ramsey of Old Dominion once told me this, as did Kip Moore and Thomas Rhett to differing degrees) So, it is much harder for independent artists to bring themselves, a band and equipment over to the UK and we also can’t account for family situations or things happening in personal lives but I thought I’d give it a go anyway!

Dierks Bentley

It’s been a while since we saw Dierks. An appearance at the C2C festival and a couple of shows in 2016 is all we’ve had in the last six or seven years from this talented artist. A quick Dublin, Glasgow, London, Manchester jaunt wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility in his next album phase, surely?

Lee Brice

We were so close just before the pandemic! Lee locked in a few UK dates but they got re-arranged and then cancelled because of Covid. As with most artists who lost revenue during that time, priority had to be given to getting back out on the road in the USA to begin with but maybe now it’s time to look a little bit wider in 2023?

Morgan Wallen

The most ‘in-demand’ artist in Country music right now. Similar to Lee Brice, Wallen had dates booked pre-pandemic to come over and play small venues but they got cancelled. There’s been no mention of anything else since as Wallen’s career exploded. The biggest issues here would be his availability now, cost and the size of venue needed, which would be too big for some traditional Country venues but not big enough for arenas or theatres in some provincial areas.

Chris Janson

A whirling dervish on stage and a performer with some great songs, Janson has never been over to the UK, which we’ve always found a little odd. Now signed to Big Machine, a label with a distinctly trans-Atlantic feel to it, 2023 might well be the time he breaks the run and treats us to some of his classic songs like ‘Drunk Girl’ and ‘Buy Me a Boat’.

Randy Houser

With fabulous new album, ‘Note to Self’ freshly released this would be a great time for Randy to bring his wonderful, rich vocals across the Atlantic. With nearly a decade and a half of hits and awesome songs under his belt, Houser would be a much-anticipated artist in this part of the world.

Cody Johnson, fresh from his recent CMA awards success would also be on many people’s ‘must-see’ lists for 2023 but his booking price, similar to that of Lainey Wilson, just went up dramatically in the last couple of weeks after that ceremony! The C2C festival are incredibly lucky to have got Lainey secured, pre-CMA awards.

There are also lots of emerging artists we’d love to see grab a Spotlight stage slot or Pop-Up stage appearance at the C2C festival in March or even on tours of their own. Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith, Kylie Morgan, Kameron Marlowe, Kimberly Kelly, Conner Smith, Ashley Cooke, Chapel Hart, Peyton Porter, Morgan Johnston, Becca Bowen, Isaac Hoskins, Grace Leer and Shelby Darrall have all released great music this year that we’d love to see on a UK stage at some point.

The post 5 Country artists we’d love to see tour the UK in 2023 appeared first on Entertainment Focus.

The broadcast will open with a star-studded tribute to Country Music Hall of Fame lagend Loretta Lynn. Hosted by Bryan and Peyton Manning, Country Music’s Biggest Night™ broadcasts live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday, Nov. 9 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC. BBC usually carry an edited highlights program over here in the UK about a week or so afterwards.

CMA Awards co-host and nominee this year, Bryan will deliver a moving performance of his latest single “Country On.” The most nominated female artist of all time, with three nominations this year including CMA Entertainer of the Year, Lambert will perform her song “Geraldene” from her CMA Album of the Year-nominated ‘Palomino’. Reigning CMA Female Vocalist and five-time nominee this year Carly Pearce will also perform a special song from her most recent album. With three nominations this year including CMA Entertainer of the Year, Carrie Underwood will perform her newest single “Hate My Heart.” Receiving his first CMA Entertainer of the Year nod, two-time nominee this year Wallen will perform his latest single ‘You Proof.’ This last inclusion of Morgan Wallen, who is also nominated for ‘Entertainer of the Year’ this year seems to bring to an end his punishment / probation period in the eyes of the industry too.  

Don’t miss special collaborations from CMA Single of the Year nominee this year Ballerini, performing her new song “YOU’RE DRUNK, GO HOME” featuring Clarkson and Pearce. Three-time CMA Awards nominee this year HARDY will be joined by Wilson, the top nominee this year with six nods, for their powerful duet “wait in the truck.” Vying for CMA Vocal Group this year, Zac Brown Band will perform their latest single “Out In The Middle,” featuring reigning CMA New Artist of the Year Jimmie Allen and blues guitar phenom Marcus King. 

Additional performers and presenters for “The 56th Annual CMA Awards” will be announced in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned to CMAawards.com for more details. 

Tickets for “The 56th Annual CMA Awards” are on-sale now through Ticketmaster.  

Winners of “The 56th Annual CMA Awards” will be determined in a final round of voting by eligible voting CMA members. The third and final ballot is open now for CMA members, with voting for the CMA Awards final ballot closing Friday, Oct. 28 (6:00 PM/CT).      

The post The CMA announces performers & ticket details for the 56th annual awards ceremony appeared first on Entertainment Focus.