Nate Smith Tops MusicRow Chart With ‘World On Fire’

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Nate Smith. Photo: Matthew Berinato

Nate Smith‘s “World On Fire” is at No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week.

Smith wrote the breakup hit with Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips and Lindsay Rimes. With over 80 million global streams to date, “World On Fire” is one of 26 tracks on Smith’s deluxe version of his self-titled album.

Next year, Smith will set out on the “World On Fire 2024 Tour” and join Morgan Wallen‘s “One Night At A Time 2024 Tour.”

“World On Fire” currently sits at No. 4 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and on the Mediabase chart.

Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Tim McGraw Delivers ‘Downright Inspirational’ New Track

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Album Art: Courtesy of Big Machine Records. Photo: Tyler Conrad

Today’s edition of DISClaimer is a “variety pack” of contemporary country sounds.

If it’s old-fashioned country sentimentality you seek, you’ll find it in “This Is My Dirt,” “The Country I Grew Up With” and the superbly written “Growin’ Up Raising You.” Headed for the dance club? Take “Neon Cowboy” with you. For a full-throated love song, try “Gonna Love You” by Parmalee. Those of you into country pop have that base covered by either Ashley Monroe or MacKenzie Porter. Our sexy outlaw du jour is Warren Zeiders.

And to hear a modern country master at work, spin “Runnin’ Outta Love” by Tim McGraw. It is the Disc of the Day. The DISCovery Award goes to Sam Grow. 

SAM GROW / “Loretta”
Writer: Johnny Gates; Producer: Sam Grow; Label: Average Joes Entertainment 
– “I miss you like the radio misses Loretta Lynn,” he mourns for his lost love. Vivid songwriting. Soulful, raspy singing. Punchy production. What’s not to love?

SAMMY KERSHAW / “On the Road Again”
Writer: Alan Wilson; Producer: Danny B. Harvey; Label: Cleopatra Records
– It’s a revival of the bluesy Canned Heat hit of 1968, and Kershaw keeps it pretty close to the original. His singing voice sounds totally untouched by time, and the harmonica blowing of producer Harvey matches him lick for lick, and then some.

WILLIE JONES & BEN BURGESS / “Dive Bar”
Writers: Willie Jones/Ben Burgess/Chris Lane/Michael Lotten; Producer: Michael Lotten; Label: The Penthouse
– This stomper sings the praises of low-rent roadhouses. Jones has always mixed hip-hop and country elements better than most, and this catchy ditty follows that pattern. He and singer Burgess vow to turn a trendy nightclub into their kinda joint. No mechanical bull, thank you very much.

JUSTIN MOORE / “This Is My Dirt”
Writers: Justin Moore/Paul DiGiovanni/Randy Montana/Jeremy Stover; Producers: Jeremy Stover/Scott Borchetta; Label: The Valory Music Co.
– A stranger approaches a farmer with an offer to buy his land to build a housing development. His reply is just what the title implies. Sentimental, but that’s what we love about country music, right?

ASHLEY MONROE / “Over Everything”
Writers: Ashley Monroe/Al Anderson/Scott Stepakoff; Producers: Ashley Monroe/Gena Johnson; Label: AM
– Wafting, echoey, ethereal and kind of magical. Her double-tracked, soft soprano is backed with slowly shuddering percussion and wooshing electronics. It ain’t all that “country,” but it is decidedly hypnotic. Lend this your ears.

TIM MCGRAW / “Runnin’ Outta Love”
Writers: Matt McGinn/Lindsay Rimes/Brad Warren/Brett Warren; Producers: Tim McGraw/Byron Gallimore; Label: Big Machine Records
– This is downright inspirational. McGraw’s solid delivery of the hope-filled lyric rides atop a splendid, galloping rhythm track that cranks the excitement up. His top-10 tally currently stands at 69. Let’s make it an even 70, shall we?

MACKENZIE PORTER / “Bet You Break My Heart”
Writers: Mark Holman/Chris Tompkins/Travis Wood; Producer: Joey Moi; Label: Big Loud Records
– Crisply produced country-pop piffle. 

BILL ANDERSON, BOBBY BARE, JIMMY FORTUNE, VINCE GILL & WILLIE NELSON / “The Country I Grew Up With”
Writers: Bill Anderson/Bobby Tomberlin/Lance Miller; Producers: Bill Anderson/Thomas Jutz; Label: MCA Nashville
– As always, Anderson is a master of heart-tugging spoken-word performance. His singing collaborators—Bare, Fortune, Gill and Nelson—are all fellow members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. I believe that is a historic first. The nostalgia in the track is palpable. 

WARREN ZEIDERS / “Sin So Sweet”
Writers: Warren Zeiders/Blake Pendergrass/Justin Ebach; Producer: Justin Ebach; Label: Warner Records
– Sexy, steaming and smoldering, this slow-burn performance is as hot as a blacksmith’s fire. Zeiders is on a roll. 

PARMALEE / “Gonna Love You”
Writers: Matt Thomas/David Fanning/Abram Dean/Andy Sheridan; Producer: David Fanning; Label: Stoney Creek Records
– Ultra romantic, super compelling and packed with oomph, this power ballad might be the band’s strongest performance yet. And that’s saying something, since the group has already topped the charts four times in the past three years. 

GABBY BARRETT / “Growin’ Up Raising You”
Writers: Gabby Barrett/Jon Nite/Zach Kale/Jimmy Robbins; Producers: Gabby Barrett/Ross Copperman; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– This is the best song about motherhood that I’ve heard in years. Every honest line is the truth, and Barrett sings with immense conviction and believability. Precious. Perfect. Essential. 

THE KENTUCKY GENTLEMEN / “Neon Cowboy”
Writers: Brandon Campbell/Derek Campbell/Paul Wrock/Andrew Capra; Producer: Andrew Capra; Label: TKG
– Few contemporary country acts understand the dancefloor better than these two do. This continues their uninterrupted streak of instantly addictive boppers. The song’s video tips its hat to the long tradition of Black rodeo culture. 

BREAKING: Carson James & Chris Poole Exit BBR Music Group/BMG Amid Restructuring

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Carson James & Chris Poole

Sr. VP of Promotion Carson James and Sr. Director of A&R Chris Poole have exited BBR Music Group/BMG as part of a company-wide reorganizing, MusicRow has confirmed.

James has been part of the BBR Music Group staff for over a decade. He oversaw the promotional efforts for Broken Bow, Stoney Creek and Wheelhouse Records, and led Broken Bow Records to being named 2022’s No. 1 airplay label for country music by Country Aircheck/Mediabase. Prior to joining BBR Music Group, James spent nearly a decade in promotion at Curb Records. He also served as GM at Bullseye Marketing/Research and Hart Media as well as Sr. VP Programming for then Colonial Broadcasting in Montgomery, Alabama.

Poole joined the company in 2018, and was promoted to Sr. Director of A&R in 2022. He joined the label group after time at CTM/Writer’s Ink, where he served as Creative Manager. He began his career as an artist manager with Paravel Management, which he co-founded in 2013.

BMG announced its plans for restructuring today (Nov. 30), detailing that the indie company planned to focus its approach on a global scale, and clarifying roles and structures to make the company “more accountable” to its artist and songwriter clients.

“We are changing the way we do things. We will combine creative intuition with data-driven insights to deliver the best service for our clients and customers,” says BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld. “We are local where necessary, global where possible.”

In line with its publishing business, the company shares that the new structure for BMG’s recordings business will make a clear distinction between local expertise in artist relationships and global functions which serve them. Catalogue, sales and marketing will now become global functions, alongside investments, technology, rights and royalties which BMG already organizes on a global basis. Local campaign management will work with a new global marketing team responsible for analytics, content creation and media planning and buying.

The changes form part of a strategy which has already seen BMG take control of its distribution, forming direct relationships with Spotify and Apple Music and discontinuing its Berlin-based international marketing function in order to simplify its relationships with artists and empower local A&R and campaign management teams.

“This is a strategy for future growth,” states Coesfeld. “But in a business in which change is a constant, we ourselves need to change to grow further. Standing still is not an option if we want to deliver for our artist and songwriter clients.”

It is unclear if other positions from BMG’s Nashville office have been affected by the changes.

Morgan Wallen Commands Spotify’s 2023 Year-End Lists

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Spotify unveiled its 2023 Wrapped campaign, showing users’ top artists, songs, albums and podcasts of the past year.

The platform also revealed its most-streamed artists, songs and more from its more than 574 million subscribers around the world. Globally, the top streaming artist was Taylor Swift, with more than 26.1 billion global streams since Jan. 1. The most-streamed song was “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus and the album was Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny.

Swift was also the top-streamed artist in the United States, followed by Drake, Morgan Wallen, The Weeknd and Bad Bunny. Wallen’s “Last Night” was the most streamed song in the U.S. in 2023.

Two of Wallen’s albums, 2023’s One Thing At A Time and 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album, were in the top five most streamed albums in the United States, with One Thing At A Time topping the list.

For more Spotify year-end data, visit spotify.com.

Reba McEntire Appoints Justin McIntosh As Manager, Among Other Team Changes

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Justin McIntosh

Reba McEntire has made changes within her core team, adding Justin McIntosh as her new Manager. She has also added Tyler Lewis as Management Coordinator and expanded Leslie Matthews Dugger‘s role of Brand Manager.

McIntosh has worked closely with McEntire for more than a decade since he joined her former management home Starstruck Entertainment as VP of Marketing & Creative. Prior to Starstruck, McIntosh worked at Big Machine Label Group, where he was instrumental in digital & marketing strategies for the label’s roster. A Belmont University graduate, his professional experience also includes a role with Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB), in addition to his own creative consulting agency. He is a member of the Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and the Recording Academy, and has served on the Boards of the Nashville Film Festival and The Theater Bug.

Lewis previously worked as a talent agent for Ovation Artist Group, where he played an important role in the careers of artists including CeCe Winans, Dailey & Vincent, The Isaacs and more. The Lipscomb University alum has extensive experience working major live events and television productions such as the CMA Awards, CMA Fest and ABC’s Nashville.

Dugger is continuing to build upon her 15-year plus position as the country star’s Brand Manager. In addition to managing McEntire existing brand partnerships with Dillard’s and Justin Boots, her role has expanded becoming an integral decision maker in McEntire’s overall brand. The Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) graduate has also leveraged her extensive fashion and retail experience to include personal styling for the artist.

“I consider my team a well-oiled machine,” says McEntire. “We have fun and we get the job done, but the best part is we like each other. Everyone brings something different to the party with their creativity and curiosity, while earning the respect of others. 2024 is going to be an amazing year!”

She continues to be represented by WME, The GreenRoom PR and Tri Star Sports & Entertainment.

Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen Dominate Year-End Apple Music Charts

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Apple Music has revealed its 2023 Year-End Charts, spotlighting the biggest songs of the year across Apple Music and Shazam and, for the first time, the songs music fans sang along to the most using Apple Music Sing.

Taylor Swift is Apple Music’s Artist of the Year, with more Apple Music subscribers listening to her in 2023 than to any other artist in the world. With this feat, Swift set a new all-time record for the most listeners for any artist in a single year on Apple Music. In the first 10 months of 2023, she saw 65 songs reach Apple Music’s Global Daily Top 100—more than any other artist.

Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night” was crowned No. 1 on the Top Songs of 2023: Global, with more listens on Apple Music worldwide than any other song this year. It marks the first country song since “Old Town Road” (2019) to top the chart. In 2023, “Last Night” smashed the record for the country song with the most days at No. 1 on the Global Daily Top 100. 11 country songs reach the Top Songs of 2023: Global chart, up from four last year. Wallen also scored the No. 1 album of the year with One Thing At A Time.

The full suite of Year-End Charts are available to view and listen to on Apple Music.

The platform also rolled out its Apple Music Replay 2023 feature, where subscribers can discover, listen to and share their top songs, artists, albums genres and more.

Longtime Music & Radio Industry Executive Bill Mayne Passes Away

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Bill Mayne

Longtime music and radio industry executive and former CRB/CRS Executive Director Bill Mayne has died at 72 after a long-term illness.

Mayne’s nearly 50-year career included a decade at the helm of CRS as well as time at multiple radio stations and a 15-year stint at Warner Bros. in Nashville.

Mayne started his career in radio, working on-air in programming roles across diverse formats, including top 40, rock and country music, where he found his calling. Mayne launched KASE in Austin and went on to lead KZLA/KLAC in Los Angeles and KSCS/WBAP in Dallas.

After time spent in radio, he transferred over to the records side of the building, joining Warner Bros./Nashville. During his 15 years there, Mayne held various influential roles, from regional to VP of Promotion, eventually becoming Sr. VP/General Manager and VP of Promotion.

A devoted member of the CRB Board, Mayne became the Board Vice President before assuming the role of Executive Director in 2009. He held the position for a decade before stepping down in 2019. The same year, Mayne received the organization’s President’s Award and was recognized for the significant contributions he’d made to the radio industry.

The multi-hyphenate business man also presided over Mayne Entertainment, an artist management company, and Mayne Street Consulting, a private entertainment consulting firm, offering valuable insights and guidance to clients in the entertainment field.

Mayne was also deeply involved in the industry’s charitable endeavors, serving as a former Board member of the Country Music Association and spent over 35 years on the Academy of Country Music Board of Directors, including roles as Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Lifting Lives, the charitable arm of the ACM. His legacy also includes co-founding the St. Jude Country Cares for Kids Program, a monumental initiative that has raised over $700 million for St. Jude since its inception in 1989. Additionally, he held the role of National VP for MDA and was a distinguished member of Leadership Music and the Mayor’s Nashville Music Council.

Mayne is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Sallie Mayne, who was his steadfast partner throughout his incredible journey. He is also survived by his sons Bryant Mayne and Christopher Mayne, his grandchild Everleigh Mayne and mother-in-law Helen Wood.

Mayne’s life will be memorialized at a Celebration of Life event on Jan. 30, 2024 on the second floor of ACME Feed & Seed from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Guests are encouraged to drop by at their convenience, and come ready to share stories and fond memories of Mayne. In addition to sharing stories, a special montage is being created to commemorate Mayne’s journey through the years. Contributions to the photo montage can be sent to rj@crb.org to be included.

Donations can be made in his honor to St. Jude and ACM Lifting Lives.

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RJ Curtis, the current Executive Director of CRB/CRS, shared the following statement regarding Mayne’s passing: “The passing of Bill Mayne marks a profound loss for the entire country music community. Bill was a true giant in every sense of the word. His fifty years of passionate work positively impacted everyone he met, in nearly every segment of our business, through his time in radio, the music industry, artist management, entrepreneurialism, and, of course, his decade of leadership as Executive Director for CRB. Bill Mayne navigated the organization through a period of great adversity, ultimately reestablishing CRS as the premier industry event that it is today.”

Damon Whiteside, CEO of the Academy of Country Music, shared, “On behalf of our membership and Board of Directors of the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives, I am deeply saddened by the loss today of Bill Mayne, a true giant of the Country Music industry, an invaluable champion of the Academy of Country Music, and one of our longest serving Board Members. Bill dedicated more than 35 years of service to the ACM Board, including serving as the Chairman for both the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives. I am comforted that we were able to celebrate his phenomenal legacy this summer by presenting him with our ACM Service Award at the 16th ACM Honors. Bill had a huge heart, as evidenced by his incredible philanthropic work, including his service to ACM Lifting Lives. His impact, passion, and devotion to the Country Music industry and community will live on forever. On behalf of all of us at the ACM, we send our love and prayers to his family, friends, and all who have been lucky enough to work with and know him.”

CMA CEO Sarah Trahern said, “Bill had great passion for Country Music going back to his days in radio. I first worked with him in 1996 on a TV special when he was with Warner Bros. Nashville. I was struck by his enthusiasm for the format and ability to get things done. Years later, we were both officers of the ACMs, where his great knowledge of board governance and organization was a huge asset to our leadership team. Most recently, we got to work together when he joined the CMA Board of Directors, where he served from 2016 to 2018. My deepest condolences to Sallie and his sons.”

JUST IN: CTM Outlander Signs Sam Hunt To A Worldwide Publishing Deal

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Pictured (L-R): Derek Crownover (Loeb & Loeb LLP), Van Hunt (Between the Pines Music), Mike McKool (Co-Founder, Outlander Capital Management), Erin McKool, Sam Hunt, André de Raaff, (CEO, CTM Outlander), Thomas Deelder, (Creative Director, CTM Outlander), Jitze de Raaff, (President, CTM Publishing) and Willie Jones (Loeb & Loeb LLP). Photo: Weatherly Photography

CTM Outlander has acquired the publishing catalog of five-time Grammy-nominated, multi-Platinum singer-songwriter Sam Hunt, and signed him to a go-forward publishing deal for his future works.

CTM Outlander is a partnership between the Dallas, Texas-based Outlander Capital, led by Les Ware and Mike McKool, and the Dutch-based leading independent music entertainment company CTM, led by industry veteran André de Raaff.

“Discussing the sale of some of my catalog took a while and I am glad that it did, as I got to know André and his CTM Outlander team better and better. They continued to meet with me and my team over the last several months to discuss what working together might look like. I appreciate their diligence and belief in what I am doing as an artist, and more importantly, as a songwriter. I believe we will have a productive partnership both internationally and here at home,” shares Hunt.

de Raaff says, “Sam has been on our radar for a long time, and we were very eager to work with him. Since we landed in Nashville, we signed some of the most prolific songwriters like Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby, Ross Copperman and Michael Tyler. By adding Sam to our roster, who is not only one of the most respected songwriters in town but also a global superstar and touring artist, we feel we can service the community even better.”

He continues, “We are truly honored that Sam, after being in talks with us for a long time, decided to sign with our company. Sam is an example of an artist and songwriter that we can help move forward in the international market; his body of work doesn’t only dominate the U.S. radio waves and streaming world but also travels throughout the world. We look forward to supporting Sam in his endeavors and expansion, and are excited to work with him in the country music space and international scene.”

McKool adds, “We’re thrilled to add a singer-songwriter with the stature of Sam Hunt to the CTM Outlander family. Not only is he the type of artist that we want to be in business with, but more importantly he’s the type of person that we want to invest in. Sam has clearly experienced an immense amount of success, and our goal at CTM Outlander is to provide Sam with the resources he needs to achieve all his future endeavors.”

Throughout his career, Hunt has been honored with numerous awards including multiple ACM Awards, an American Music Award and CMT Music Award as well as numerous nominations for the Grammys, CMA Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

The Georgia native has nine No. 1 hits including: “Body Like a Back Road,” “Kinfolks,” “Hard to Forget,” “House Party,” “Leave The Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “Make You Miss Me” and “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s.” Hunt also has success as a songwriter with several top artists. Some of his No. 1 hits as a songwriter include “Come Over” by Kenny Chesney, “Cop Car” by Keith Urban, “I Met A Girl” by William Michael Morgan and “We Are Tonight” by Billy Currington. Hunt has continued his success with the release of his No. 1 hit “23” and his current radio single “Outskirts,” which is currently top 40 and climbing on country radio.

Hunt’s single “Body Like A Back Road” recently obtained RIAA Diamond-certification, becoming the eighth country artist ever to reach this status. The single has since surpassed that status, and currently sits at 11-time Platinum-certification.

Derek Crownover, Willie Jones, Megan Pekar and John Rolfe of Loeb & Loeb LLP handled the transaction on behalf of Hunt.

Chris Stapleton Leaps Into Top Three On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Chris Stapleton. Photo: Becky Fluke

As his new studio album Higher impacts the country charts, Chris Stapleton jumps from No. 12 to No. 3 this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Four songs from Stapleton’s Higher are currently charting, including “White Horse,” “Think I’m In Love With You,” “What Am I Gonna Do” and “It Takes A Woman.”

Ashley Gorley remains at No. 1 this week with nine songs on the charts. Artist-writers Zach Bryan (No. 2), Jelly Roll (No. 4) and Chayce Beckham (No. 5) complete the top five.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Plight Of Songwriters Captured In New TV Show ‘Chart Breakers’ [Exclusive]

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Chart Breakers judges Filmore, Janine Ebach and Wyatt Durrette

The journey of becoming a professional songwriter is being explored on the new television show Chart Breakers, which will film its finale episode on Wednesday (Nov. 29) at the Listening Room Cafe in Nashville.

Executive produced by Jason Sciavicco and singer-songwriter Chris Lane, Chart Breakers speaks to the true-to-life struggles that songwriters deal with when trying to move to Nashville and get a publishing deal. Veteran publisher Janine Ebach, hit songwriter Wyatt Durrette and artist-writer Filmore serve as judges for the competition series.

Behind the scenes of Chart Breakers

A winner will be selected on Wednesday from three finalists. The champion will receive $100,000 and a publishing deal.

“As a veteran Nashville music publisher, I am thrilled to be a part of a Chart Breakers as it helps to tell the story of the songwriter—something that the world needs to know more about. Afterall, it all begins with a song and I’m grateful to get to help find and nurture the next generation of special songwriters,” shares Ebach.

To gather competitors for the series, show organizers traveled around in tour buses and hosted auditions in five different cities, including Nashville, Greenville, Marietta, Pensacola and Statesboro. Each contestant competed for a spot on the bus to take them to the next city, where they would have to battle to stay on the bus against the new songwriters auditioning. After a group of eight songwriters were teased out, they were bussed to a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Behind the scenes of Chart Breakers

Each day in the cabin, the competitors were given different challenges to get them into the headspace for the songwriting they’d have to do later in the day. The winner of each mini challenge would get extra mentor time with an industry professional, such as Dave Kennedy, Levi Loury and Justin Ebach. Contestants would write a song and perform it by the following evening for the judges.

“I’ve never been more excited to produce a series than I am for Chart Breakers,” says Sciavicco. “This is truly a first-of-its-kind show where we are shining the spotlight on the songwriters. The talent on this series blew me away. These are names that people will soon know for a long time to come!”

The songwriters left competing in the finale of Chart Breakers are Tampa, Florida’s Emma Dunne, Grafton, Massachusetts’ Taylor O’Connor and Cincinnati, Ohio’s Nolan Gray. Each songwriter recently spent time in Nashville working on their finale song with the help of Sugarland’s Kristian Bush and songwriter Tyler Reeve. They’ve also recorded scratch vocals in Station West’s studio to get a taste of what it’s like to be a recording artist.

The finale of Chart Breakers will also include a red carpet event at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, and all top nine contestants will perform a song along with judges Filmore and Durrette as well as special guest Lane.

Details on how viewers can watch Chart Breakers will be announced as they are finalized.