Brown
Kane Brown Signs Global Deal With Sony Music Publishing Nashville, Launches Verse 2 Music
SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING NASHVILLE has signed KANE BROWN to a worldwide deal. Additionally, BROWN will partner with SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING for his own publishing imprint, VERSE 2 MUSIC, headed by industry veteran KENT EARLS. The news follows BROWN's ...
Trisha Yearwood Contracts Covid, In Quarantine With Husband Garth Brooks
GARTH BROOKS and TRISHA YEARWOOD – currently quarantining at home following a recent positive COVID test by a member of their team (NET NEWS 2/12) – are going to be spending a ...
Dan + Shay’s impressive streak of five consecutive (and eight total) #1 singles is unlikely to end with their newest offering, the upbeat, vibey “Glad You Exist." The duo is describing the song as “a message of gratitude and hope. A message to everyone in our lives: our fans, our friends, our families, to remind them all how grateful we are to be on the planet at the same time.” That almost certainly includes their many friends and fans at Country radio, too, who made it this week's most added record. Written by the duo’s Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney, alongside Ryan Lewis, Tayla Parx and Jordan Reynolds, the compact, two minute and 24 second-long single is a straightforward love song. (Cue up those Valentine’s Day playlists.) The lyrics in the chorus say, “There's a couple billion people in the world / And a million other places we could be, but you're here with me / Take a moment just to take it in / ‘Cause еvery high and every low lеd to this / I’m just so glad you exist.” In a joint statement, Dan + Shay further explain that the track resonates even more during the pandemic. “This song has taken on a new meaning not being able to see our loved ones in person, but throughout history, music has always had a special way of bringing people together, even when we are furthest apart,” they say. “These words hold a special place in our hearts, and hopefully they will in yours too.”
After a clip of this song quickly went viral on TikTok last December, Mitch Rossell and his team knew that "2020," with its clever lyrical turn of phrase, had to be his next single. The piano-centered ballad begins with Rossell setting the scene about the year we all just collectively experienced, singing, "Hey God, we need some help down here / The devil's been a busy man, bullyin' us all year," and, "We're headed down a path where a mask, can't save us." The chorus' emotional lyrics go, "So Lord I pray with all my might / Help us see each other through your eyes / Let's take the red, take the blue, wave the white, call a truce / Build a bridge across the line drawn through this country / Before hindsight's 2020." The song was written by Rossell, Dave Turnbull and Phil O'Donnell, and weighed heavily on Rossell before he completed it. “For the last few months I’ve been really frustrated with myself," he said. "As 2020 unfolded, I ... watched the divide in our country grow bigger. The hate, confusion, turmoil, violence and strife has been taxing on all of us. As a songwriter, I felt like I should be using my gift to say something. Be a light. Do something. Anything. I just couldn’t seem to ever find the words.” Well, boy, he found them, and we're glad he did. Less than a month after its TikTok introduction, the song went #1 on the iTunes Country chart. Let's help it do the same on Mediabase with an add at Country radio.
Quartz Hill Records flagship artist Nate Barnes is radio ready with his debut single, "You Ain't Pretty." Don't let the title fool you, the sentimental love song will have listeners swooning as Barnes reassures his lover of her beauty when the weight of the world may have her feeling otherwise. "I've seen half an hour go by / Been watching you in that mirror light / And I can tell it's telling you lies / Got you thinking to yourself, that you ain't pretty," Barnes convincingly croons. "Well come here girl, give me a kiss / Let me have a shot at this and tell you what that mirror missed / So you don't have to think that you ain't pretty." The tune, written by Barnes, alongside Jason Sellers and Jimmy Yeary, will please traditional and new Country fans alike with its empowering message and true Country sound. Barnes, a Michigan native, is no stranger to hard work and is ready to showcase his music to fans nationwide as he watches his dreams unfold and his efforts pay off. "It's pretty crazy to think that just a year ago I was working at a power plant and now, here I am making music, music videos, and about to go on the radio. It's crazy. It's pretty wild," he says.
Kaleb Garrett's newest single is deep-diving into the tough questions many of us find ourselves asking at some point in our lives, questions like. "Are we really happy?" "Most days I tell myself / I'm doing fine / But am I lying," Garrett asks in the first verse. "If I'm the only one who's not having fun / What's the point in all the time I set aside," he passionately sings in the chorus, as the sound of a steady drumbeat and melancholy guitar riffs drive the tune along. The self-penned song explores the existential question of happiness, and features relatable lyrics like, "The whiskey's more like kerosene / I use to burn away my pain." You'll undoubtedly being humming along before the three-minute tune concludes. The accompanying music video features Garrett lounging around a house, drinking whiskey and playing guitar, which perfectly matches the Classic Country sound and twangy feel of this song. Check out the music video 
Country radio listeners might not yet be familiar with Caitlyn Smith’s world-class voice, but they already know her songwriting, as the author of cuts by Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Lady A, Rascal Flatts and many more. “I Can’t,” which Smith originally recorded solo, is poised to be the song that finally breaks her into the Country mainstream, particularly with the addition of Old Dominion on this new version. Matthew Ramsey’s warm vocals augment the track with just the right amount of familiarity for radio listeners, and elevate the song into one that tells both sides of the story. Written by Smith with Ben West and Stephen Wilson Jr., “I Can’t” is about how difficult change can be, particularly moving on from a failed relationship. It begins with lyrics about the changes in the booming city of Nashville over the past several years, as Smith sings, “This ain't a 20 minute town no more / It don't look the same / Red lights, bars, streets, too much concrete / I don't recognize a thing.” It then quickly moves on to the doomed relationship, with a wrenching chorus about “when everything around me keeps changing / But I can't, I can't, I can’t.” Smith says, ”I moved to Nashville 10 years ago, and both the city and I are completely different now. The idea for ‘I Can’t’ came to me when I was driving by downtown to a session, and noticed more new skyscrapers going up and dozens of cranes changing the skyline and couldn’t help but feel like a stranger in my own town. There’s beauty in change, in watching a city progress, but sometimes personal change can feel impossible. It’s comforting to know you’re not alone, so the song has always felt like a duet to me, and adding Old Dominion to the track really makes it magic.” Both versions of “I Can’t” are included on Smith’s album, “Supernova (Deluxe),” released last fall.
Calling all Pardi animals ... Jon Pardi is ready to "Tequila Little Time" on your airwaves with his new single. Written by the rising star, alongside Rhett Akins and Luke Laird, the free-flowing, mariachi-rich and (of course) tequila-filled tune is a party waiting to happen. "I feel like this song goes great on a boat, a lake or a pool," said Pardi. "It’s about picking up a girl that’s down and maybe, maybe we want to do a shot of tequila? There’s no answer, but maybe. She starts feeling better, and it’s fun. It’s just a fun song.” We agree! The third single from his most recent album, "Heartache Medication," is sure to lift any spirit as the cleverly-worded chorus finds Pardi singing, "I want tequila little time with you / A little salt and a lime will do / Hey bar man, will you bring us two?" A perfect mix for any market, there's only one question left: Do you want to "Tequila Little Time" with him too?
Granger Smith's new single from his 10th and latest studio album, "Country Things Vol. 1," is a mid-tempo track that many listeners will without a doubt relate to. Written by Smith, Justin Wilson, Kyle Fishman and Rodney Clawson, the song's message echoes how many of us have felt after a tough breakup: You wish you could hate the person as much as you cared for them. "I'm just tryin' to hate you like I love you / Not want you like I need you / Forget you like I miss you," Smith sings in the chorus. Smith says it's a song he's “really, really excited about, and have been ever since the day I wrote it. I was on the bus in 2019 with some good buddies of mine and I brought up the scenario to them that really intrigued me. I said, 'Hey, what is the opposite of love?' and they all quickly answered, 'Well, hate of course.' Nope. The opposite of love is indifference. Like, complete apathy ... Hate is a close relative of love ... It takes the same passion, the same extreme emotional effort to hate as it does to love. So, what if I wrote this song about the fellow who is hopelessly in love with this girl that he can’t have? And what if he’s trying everything he can do to make that leap of his love and turn it into hate?" In creating the song, Smith says, "The lyrics and the melody came quick, and the production, actually … I struggled with this one. Because maybe I knew how important it was going to be, but I remember scrapping at least three takes of this song, three different drum recordings searching for that perfect vibe I had in my head ... I loved it in the beginning, then I hated it, then I slowly started liking it and then I rediscovered my love for it in the process. And today, I couldn’t be more happy with the way that it turned out – almost like a self-fulling prophecy with this song. I had to hate it first, and now I love 'Hate You Like I Love You.'” Let's give your listeners a chance to love it too, with an add at Country radio. 
Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley teamed up to deliver a song that encapsulates youth and all the feelings of wonder that come along with it in their latest single. Written by Allen, Ash Bowers and Matt Rogers, the upbeat tune takes the listener back to their teenage days, when the little things seemed like everything. Allen and Paisley's smooth and sweet vocals fill the chorus as they sing, "I wish I could go back to those days / When that town was the whole world / And love was the girl next door / Soundtrack was a song in the dark / I miss those days when our dreams were there for chasin' / But time was better wasted / We were summer young and livin' for a Friday / And freedom was a highway." The song pairs memorable melodies and fun guitar riffs with lyrics like, "When you're 17 and drivin' / You don't think about the road runnin' out," that capture an innocence we all once experienced. "It’s a song you can just play during the summer, the windows down, have a good time," said Allen. "It kind of just takes you back to your favorite place in life ... your safe place in life." Now, who doesn't want that? Relatable and lively, let's help this song make waves on the air, and be the soundtrack blasting in the background as listeners drive down their own "freedom highway."
At a time of unprecedented division in this country comes a song intended to remind us we’re more alike than different. Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard wrote “Undivided” while quarantined with COVID-19 last fall, and immediately sent it to pal and label mate Tim McGraw, who says, “From the first time I heard it, I knew it was one I wanted to be singing for a long time. Music gives us hope and brings us together in a way nothing else can. This song's positive message is so important during a time like this. My wish is that y’all can hear the hope in this one!” While some message songs can come across as heavy-handed, this uptempo song’s vibe, and the chemistry between the two superstars, turns “Undivided” into a fun, feel-good duet full of optimism and joy. The two artists take turns with the verses, then join together on the chorus: “I think it's time to come together / You and I can make a change / Maybe we can make a difference / Make the world a better place / Look around and love somebody / We've been hateful long enough / Let the good Lord reunite us / Until this country that we love is undivided.” The lyrics even take a subtly spiritual bent in the bridge, where Hubbard sings, “We’re all the same to God / No matter what we get his love,” and McGraw answers, “I’m tired of looking left or right, so I’m just looking up.” That’s surely a direction we can all get behind.
Written by Nicolle Galyon, Corey Crowder and Jesse Frasure, this sweet song serves as a reminder that money and possessions pale in comparison to love. The hooky lyrics find the Country superstar singing to his love, “You could make a six pack on the carpet / Taste like a million dollar bill / You could make a one-bedroom apartment feel like a house up on the hill / You could make my truck out in the driveway / Roll like a cleaned-up Cadillac / Girl lookin’ at you, lookin’ at me that way / Can make a man feel rich on minimum wage.” Although the song weirdly caught some heat from internet trolls early in the year, Shelton stands by the message the song projects. “It’s literally a love song about how, if times are tight and you ain’t got much money — as long as you have love and you’re happy — at the end of the day, that’s all any of us can really hope for," Shelton told 
Warner Music Nashville newcomer Robyn Ottolini is headed full speed to Country radio with her debut single, "F-150." Written by Ottolini alongside Erik Fintelman and Mark Schroor, the song takes listeners through the emotional roller coaster of a breakup with some edge. “My ex drove an F-150 and I f’ing hate that truck,” Ottolini shared of the song's inspiration. “You might think that ‘F-150’ is just a truck song, but this isn’t about any ol’ truck. It’s about trying to move on and get strong, until you see that one thing that brings you back to the pain. Nothing does that more for me than his white Ford F-150." The anthem has already resonated with many, reaching #4 on Spotify’s all-genre U.S. Viral 50 chart and #3 on Rolling Stone’s all-genre Trending 25. We have no doubt the song's popularity will continue to grow as it meets more ears on the airwaves. "This song is a piece of my heart and soul. It’s a true story of personal heartbreak and self-growth," says the Canadian rising star. "I hope people feel safe and heard when they listen, and remember to fall in love with themselves. Your F-150 might be a Ram, a Jeep, or a Sunfire. But whatever it is, I hope this song means something to you.”
The opening notes of steel and acoustic guitars set the scene perfectly for Clay Walker’s new juke joint jam, “Need A Bar Sometimes.” Before his familiar voice is even heard, the listener is musically transported to a honky tonk where, the lyrics suggest, they can “Turn the jukebox up and light one up / And just get lost in the smoke.” The neo-traditional track is the first single release under Walker’s new record deal with Show Dog Nashville, and the first taste of his 12th studio album to come later this year. At just under three minutes, the mid-tempo melody conjures a mood. As Walker explains in the chorus, “We all need a bar sometimes / Lean back with a longneck on a neon night / Somewhere you can sip and unwind / Or hang out with the party crowd till closing time / You might be drowning her leaving / Or just here drinking / But we all need a bar sometimes.” Walker wrote the song with Jaron Boyer, Josh Mirenda and Show Dog label-mate George Birge of Waterloo Revival. And Walker has said of its timely origins, “When the other songwriters and I started writing, we were talking about the Coronavirus and not being able to get out and spend time with our friends. Then, someone said, ‘We all need a bar sometimes,’ and we knew immediately that we had to write that. There have been plenty of times when I’ve partied at a bar, and times that I’ve been brokenhearted too. There’s not a line in this song that I haven’t lived.” That’s likely true of most listeners as well, making this song both timely and relatable.
After a tumultuous year worldwide, Shy Carter is using his debut single to deliver a song that will lift our spirits and bring a renewed sense of hope. "If I was on the street with no love / I know you would put some change in my cup / If I was down on my luck, you would pick me up," Carter sings in the first verse. "If ever I would breathe my last breath / I know you would put your hands on my chest / Sing to me and say 'God bless' / You would lift me up." Written by Carter, Carlo Colasacco, James Slater and Micah Carter, the mid-tempo song intertwines meaningful lyrics with beautiful harmonies and background vocals. What stands at the forefront of the single, however, is Carter's impressive vocal range, particularly showcased in the chorus. With each "good love" Carter sings, we feel the passion behind his voice, and get to really hear him belt out those striking high notes when he sings, "Make me feel like it’s alright / Make me believe in this good life / Yeah you pick me up / Good love." In a 2020 interview with 
