Tune In To Learn The 2022 MusicRow Awards Winners Tomorrow

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MusicRow will reveal the industry-voted winners of the 34th annual MusicRow Awards in a series of videos on all MusicRow online platforms, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, starting at 9:00 a.m. TOMORROW (Aug. 30).

The Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards will also be announced on Aug. 30, recognizing the industry’s most in-demand studio players for Bass, Drums, Engineer, Fiddle, Guitar, Keyboards, Steel, and Vocals.

MusicRow Awards Schedule of Announcements:
9:00 a.m.: Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards
9:30 a.m.: Producer of the Year
10:00 a.m.: Label Group of the Year
10:30 a.m.: Agency of the Year
11:00 a.m.: Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year
11:30 a.m.: Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year
12:00 p.m.: Male Songwriter of the Year
12:30 p.m.: Female Songwriter of the Year
1:00 p.m.: Song of the Year
1:30 p.m.: Discovery Artist of the Year
2:00 p.m.: Breakthrough Artist of the Year
2:30 p.m.: Artist of the Year

Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank.

Click here to read about the nominees up for each category. The nominees are also profiled in the recently released MusicRow Awards print issue.

In This Issue: MusicRow Awards Issue Features ’90s Country, Post-Pandemic Anxiety, More

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MusicRow Magazine, Nashville’s leading music industry publication, released its 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue earlier this week with Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi gracing the cover.

The print magazine highlights this year’s MusicRow Awards nominees in a range of categories. Presented by City National Bank, the winners for the 34th annual MusicRow Awards will be announced virtually among multiple MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. This print issue also honors the Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards, which will also be announced on Aug. 30, recognizing the studio players who played on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Albums Chart during the eligibility period.

The 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue also includes a look at the resurgence of popularity for ’90s country, tapping industry veterans Cris Lacy and Kerri Edwards to analyze this trend.

“It’s the cycle of music,” Lacy tells MusicRow regarding the surge of popularity for ’90s country. “It’s the music that millennials and Gen Z heard their parents listening to. I lean into things that my folks listened to when I was a kid, so I think that’s a piece of it.”

She adds, “I also think ’90s music was really fun. If you look at The Chicks, Faith Hill, George Strait, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Joe Diffie and Shania Twain, there was a lot of fun music. It was positive and uplifting. There were certainly meaningful songs, but there were also songs that felt light and carefree. I think we all need that right now. Those two things are converging—the state of the world for the last couple years and the age of younger listeners and what they grew up on.”

Also featured in the 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue is a deep dive into the recent changing of the guard in Music City’s major label publicity departments, as Meg Kehoe takes over for Allen Brown at Sony Music Nashville and Fount Lynch assumes Wes Vause’s former position at Warner Music Nashville. Both Kehoe and Lynch detail their career journeys to this point and discuss their goals for their new positions.

Elsewhere, MusicRow hears from Onsite Entertainment’s Debbie Carroll to discuss the mental and emotional health challenges that have arisen due to the pandemic, and how we as an industry can move on. Onsite is an international leader in the emotional and mental wellness space. This spring the organization launched Onsite Entertainment, an innovative new division explicitly curated to meet the growing needs of the entertainment industry, tapping Carroll to lead the division.

“The pandemic has taken a toll on all of our mental health, so it’s important for everybody to acknowledge that and to normalize it a little,” Carroll shares.

The 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue also features a discussion on the ins and outs of the life of a business manager with FBMM’s Duane Clark. As President & COO of FBMM’s Nashville firm, Clark’s roster of clients includes top recording and touring artists.

In the article, Clark tells MusicRow how he got his start, details his journey with FBMM, and speaks about his philanthropy efforts that recently secured him an ACM Award.

He shares, “It’s a blessing to get to wake up every morning and do what you really are passionate about. I can come in and do what I really love doing and hopefully help guide some folks to their dreams.”

Also included in the 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue is an informative roundup of all the awards applicable to the Nashville music industry.

Single copies of the 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $20, and are included with yearly MusicRow subscriptions.

Tyler Hubbard’s Lead Single As Solo Artist Goes No. 1 On MusicRow Chart

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Tyler Hubbard’s “5 Foot 9” makes its way to the top of the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week. This is Hubbard’s first release as a solo artist. He wrote the single with Jaren Johnston and Chase McGill and co-produced the track with Jordan Schmidt.

With lyrics highlighting life’s small joys before pointing out that “God makes the good stuff,” Hubbard adds, “As much as the song talks about real life stuff like whiskey, country music, dirt roads and rain, I want listeners to be reminded that God really does make the good stuff. For me, over the last couple of years, I’ve really been reminded of that.”

Hubbard recently sat down with MusicRow to discuss his new solo endeavors. Click here to read the full interview. 

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

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Blake Shelton Proves His Country Superstar Pedigree On Newest Single

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Seasons change, but some things in country music are constant.

The days are getting shorter, the kiddies are going back to school and summer will soon be gone. But whether it is brilliant sunshine or falling leaves, you can always depend on Blake Shelton. This country titan nails down this week’s Disc of the Day prize with ease.

His closest challengers are all duos—Maddie & Tae, Sunny Sweeney with Vince Gill and the stunning outing by Hardy & Lainey Wilson. All three are essential listening.

The DISCovery Award goes to Pennsylvania’s Conrad Fisher.

TYLER RICH / “Trucks Don’t Lie”
Writers: Tyler Rich/Adam Craig/Jim McCormick; Producer: Jaren Johnston; Label: Valory
–Heartache on four wheels. Well sung and well produced, even if it does deal in country’s well-worn (worn-out?) truck fetish.

BLAKE SHELTON / “No Body”
Writers: Rodney Clawson/Chris Tompkins/Josh Kear; Producer: Scott Hendricks; Label: Warner
–Deliriously catchy. Thumpin’ rhythm, sassy lyric, snappy attitude and production perfection. Then there’s the voice of one of our finest country singers…..

HARDY & LAINEY WILSON / “Wait in the Truck”
Writers: Michael Hardy/Hunter Phelps/Jordan Schmidt/Renee Blair; Producers: Joey Moi/Hardy/Derek Wells/Jordan Schmidt; Label: Big Loud
–Very creative. A dark and arresting story song involving domestic violence and vengeance. You’ll hang on every line of this gripping yarn. Applause to everyone involved in this awesome outing.

BREI CARTER / “Kiss an Angel Good Mornin’”
Writer: Ben Peters; Producer: none listed; Label: BC
–She sings well, but I’m not sure it was a good idea to slow down this Charley Pride country classic.

CONRAD FISHER / “Trouble With a Hammer”
Writer: Conrad Fisher; Producer: none listed; Label: Ashbrook
–It’s a lively toe tapper with a workaday, everyman lyric. His strong tenor voice is backed by some twang guitar and a snazzy rhythm track. Promising. Send more.

MADDIE & TAE / “Spring Cleaning”
Writers: Maddie Font/Taylor Kerr/Josh Kerr/Tayla Parx; Producers: Derek Wells/Josh Kerr; Label: Mercury
–Bluesy, saucy and cool. It ain’t spring, but she’s cleaning house and wants him to get his shit outta there. The snarky vocals are matched by electric guitars on a rampage.

SUNNY SWEENEY & VINCE GILL / “Married Alone”
Writers: Hannah Blaylock/Josh Morningstar/Autumn McEntire; Producers: Paul Cauthen/Beau Bedford; Label: Thirty Tigers
–I have long been a fan of this gal. She’s as country as grits. On this downcast ballad, she’s joined by the incomparable Mr. Gill on spectacular vocal harmony. Steel and twang abound. Catch Sunny’s “Sunny Side Up” Sirius/XM radio show weekday mornings, 6 a.m.-noon on the Willie’s Roadhouse channel.

SHANE PROFITT / “How It Oughta Be”
Writers: David Frasier/Mitch Oglesby/Shane Profitt; Producers: Julian Raymond/Chris Janson/Scott Borchetta; Label: BMLG
–Rousing and rambunctious, he lays out a vision of a life where prices aren’t so high, folks treat each other right and teachers should be paid like lawyers are. You’ll get no argument from me.

KANE BROWN / “Go Around”
Writers: Kane Brown/Jordan Mark Schmidt/Ernest Keith Smith/Garrett Scott Nichols/Zachary Ryan Beeken; Producer: Dann Huff; Label: Arista
–This track marks time between his chart-topping “Like I Love Country Music” and his next single. The fiddle-embellished tune meanders aimlessly and so does the come-on lyric. Pass.

LEANN RIMES / “Awakening”
Writer: LeAnn Rimes; Producers: LeAnn Rimes/Darrell Brown; Label: LR
–LeAnn is turning 40: How can this be? As a mark of her new maturity, she’s issuing this confessional ode about mental health and psychological survival. It’s an extremely well produced pop track with lush strings, rumbling rhythms and layered vocal echoes.

ADAM DOLEAC / “Close That Tab”
Writers: Adam Doleac/Derrick Southerland/Zach Abend; Producer: Andy Skib; Label: Arista
–She keeps making the same mistakes, so he advises her quit that no-good guy. “Why you wanna spend another Happy Hour sad?” “He’s another watered-down vodka/soda.” Repetitive, but listenable.

MAREN MORRIS / “Make You Say”
Writers: Zedd/Maren Morris/Charlie Puth/Jacob Kasher Hindlin/Johan Yang/Bernie Yang; Producers: Zedd/BEAUZ; Label: Sony
–Zedd & Morris collaborated on her monster million selling “The Middle.” This reunion isn’t as insanely catchy, but it shares one fact with its predecessor: There is nothing country about it. There are a lot more electronic loops this time around, presumably by the two Yangs, who work under the billing BEAUZ.

Music Row Commends Parmalee And Songwriters At ‘Take My Name’ No. 1 Party

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Pictured (L-R, back row): BBRMG’s Jon Loba, Round Hill’s Mike Whelan, ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston, Reservoir’s John Ozier, Tape Room’s Blain Rhodes and BMI’s Josh Tomlinson. (L-R, middle row): Parmalee’s Josh McSwain, Barry Knox, Matt Thomas and Scott Thomas. (L-R, front row): ASCAP songwriter Ashley Gorley, and BMI songwriters Ben Johnson and producer David Fanning. Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI.

Tuesday afternoon (Aug. 23), industry members came together at BMI to celebrate Parmalee‘s hit “Take My Name.”

The atmosphere inside felt as warm and sunny as it did outside in the summer heat as everyone gathered around the black high table-tops sprinkled throughout the room. BMI’s Josh Tomlinson stepped on stage to host and called the Stoney Creek recording group and the songwriters up to join him.

Tomlinson began by congratulating BMI writers Ben Johnson, David Fanning, and band member Matt Thomas. “I have a feeling this song is probably the soundtrack to a lot of couples’ memories around the world,”  he said. The BMI Director of Creative then introduced ASCAP’s Mike Sistad, who welcomed ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews and praised songwriter and Tape Room Music owner Ashley Gorley for his success “at a level never seen before.” Sistad added, “Ashley, we’re proud you’re part of the ASCAP family. Thank you so much for being a part of us and congratulations on another No. 1.”

The wedding song written on a snow day marks Gorley’s 62nd No. 1 hit and his first No. 1 with Sony Music Publishing. The 8-time ASCAP songwriter of the year and 4-time Billboard country songwriter of year will be recognized as Songwriter of the Decade by NSAI in the weeks to come. Toward the end of the event, Fanning reiterated his co-writer’s talent by sharing the voice recording Gorley sent him while the snow was falling in which he shares the idea for the song and sings a portion of the chorus.

Next up was Blain Rhodes from Tape Room Music. Beer in hand, he marveled at how “this band and [BBR] are putting out smash after smash.” Rhodes brought to everyone’s attention that Johnson is not even 30 and has already accomplished so much in his career, noting his seven country No. 1s; awards for BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC’s Song of Year; and his Grammy nomination for Rock Song of the Year. The Track45 band member is also a producer and has worked with artists such as Kylie Morgan and Hunter Phelps.

Pictured (L-R, back row): MusicRow‘s Sherod Robertson; Parmalee’s Josh McSwain, Barry Knox, Matt Thomas and Scott Thomas; MusicRow‘s LB Cantrell; (L-R, front row): ASCAP songwriter Ashley Gorley, and BMI songwriters Ben Johnson and producer David Fanning. Photo: Steve Lowry for BMI.

Sony Music Publishing’s Rusty Gaston was on deck to speak next. “This is an exciting time for country music and a crazy exciting time for the band Parmalee,” Gaston said. “What I love most about the music business, and getting to work with songwriters in general, is the fact that we get to have a front row seat to watch dreamers go to work and then watch those dreams come to life. We are all getting to watch Matt Thomas’ dream come true right now.”

Gaston noted that, like many artists, Parmalee’s journey has not been an easy one, “but Matt and the guys in his band never lost heart.” He praised BBR’s Jon Loba and JoJamie Hahr for their success and also gave shout outs to Sony Music Publishing’s Tom Luteran, 33 Creative’s Tina Crawford, and Fanning for having the band’s back since the beginning.

“This is the first No. 1 party I’ve had to speak at, and I can’t believe I have to follow Rusty Gaston,” joked Lindsay Will of Round Hill Music. She sung her praises to the songwriters, noting that in lieu of a plaque, Round Hill Music would be making a donation to the My Life Speaks foundation of behalf of Gorley.

Reservoir’s John Ozier declared that “everything about the song was perfect.” Ozier congratulated Fanning on his first No. 1 as a songwriter and reminded everyone that he also co-wrote and produced Parmalee’s first single “Musta Had a Good Time” in 2012. He also acknowledged Crawford and the risk she took on the band, as well as Reservoir’s VP of Creative Greg Gallo and the significant role he played in bringing Fanning to Reservoir.

Jim Landers from Pinnacle Bank reminisced on celebrating the group’s hit “Carolina” in 2014 and congratulated them on their achievement. Landers announced that in place of plaque, Pinnacle Bank made a donation to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

Loba stepped up next to talk about the band’s future. “If these guys are not nominated for Group of Year at the CMAs and ACMs, it will be criminal,”stated the label president.

Gorley followed and thanked his co-writers, his publishers, and ASCAP. He also thanked God, his family, and the crowd for coming out. Gorley commented on the fact that “Take My Name” had remained in the top echelons of the chart nine weeks after hitting No. 1. “Thank you Stoney Creek. Everybody has echoed it but they have been up here a lot lately because they work like crazy. They believe in these songs and they push them,” he said.

A long-awaited moment for the artist/producer/songwriter, Johnson hopped on stage to share his excitement for his first No. 1 party and to applaud his co-writers, the Tape Room Music team, and BMG.

“I’m pretty sure every single publisher in all of Nashville told me ‘no’ at one point, and then Ashley told me ‘yes’ and changed my life,” he shared. “It is so special that not only is this with Tape Room, but it’s with BMG, who believed in me, my music, and [Track45] two years ago. We are signed to Stoney Creek as well, so just another reason I’m glad this is my first No. 1 party.” He concluded by thanking his wife Lauren—who is “more important to [him] than any No. 1 [he has] ever had”—his sisters who were unable to attend, and everyone involved in the project.

Finally, an emotional Thomas took the mic. The band leader said, “So many people in here have been with us since day one, and it’s awesome to stand  on this stage right here 10 years later.” Thomas acknowledged his family’s presence in the audience and went on to thank everyone that has accompanied Parmalee on their journey to success.

“We’ve been a band for a very long time and we’re all brothers,” added band member Barry Knox. He took time to recognize all of Thomas’s hard work and made known how much the band appreciates him and his efforts.

Co-writer, Parmalee manager, and producer Fanning recapped how the hit came to be, sharing that the group agreed that the song was “the coolest way to ask, ‘will you marry me?'” He told the crowd how proud he is to work with everyone at Stoney Creek, and brought it home by emphasizing Loba’s view on the CMA and ACM nomination. “Voting is come up!” he said with grin.

On The Cover: MusicRow Awards Issue Features Jon Pardi On Cover

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MusicRow Magazine, Nashville’s leading music industry publication, has released its 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue, which highlights this year’s MusicRow Awards nominees in a range of categories, including Producer of the Year, Label Group of the Year, Talent Agency of the Year, Breakthrough Songwriter of the Year, Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year, Male Songwriter of the Year, Female Songwriter of the Year, Song of the Year, Discovery Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, and Artist of the Year.

The winners for the 34th annual MusicRow Awards will be announced virtually among multiple MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2022. Presenting Sponsor of the 2022 MusicRow Awards is City National Bank. This print issue also honors the Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards, which will also be announced on Aug. 30, recognizing the studio players who played on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Albums Chart during the eligibility period.

“Even in a world where one’s worth is sometimes calculated as the number of likes, follows, or views you receive, those metrics will never replace the feeling and value of receiving accolades from your peers—the ones that support you, love you, and know that you are the very best. And that’s exactly what the MusicRow Awards represent,” shares MusicRow owner/publisher Sherod Robertson. “Now in its 34th year, the MusicRow Awards are Nashville’s longest running music industry trade publication honors and celebrate the achievements of songwriters, artists, producers, and more.”

Capitol Records Nashville’s Jon Pardi graces the cover of the 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue. The multi-Platinum-selling entertainer has had a fruitful last few years in his career, releasing two consecutive No. 1 albums: the CMA and ACM-nominated Album of the Year Heartache Medication and his sophomore release, California Sunrise, which contained the CMA-nominated Single and Song of the Year “Dirt On My Boots.”

Three years since the release of his last full-length project, Pardi is gearing up to drop his highly anticipated fourth studio album, Mr. Saturday Night, on Sept. 2. The project, which he co-produced alongside Bart Butler and Ryan Gore, boasts 14 tracks, including the neon-tinged title track and his current single “Last Night Lonely.” Pardi is currently criss-crossing around the country on his “Ain’t Always The Cowboy Tour,” which will run through October with support from Lainey Wilson and Hailey Whitters.

The 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue also includes a look at the resurgence of popularity for ’90s country, tackles post-pandemic anxiety as we return to pre-pandemic life, and features an in-depth discussion on the ins and outs of the life of a business manager with FBMM’s Duane Clark.

Additionally, this issue takes a deep dive into the recent changing of the guard in Music City’s major label publicity departments as Meg Kehoe takes over for Allen Brown at Sony Music Nashville and Fount Lynch assumes Wes Vause’s former position at Warner Music Nashville. The MusicRow Awards print issue also contains an informative roundup of all the awards applicable to the Nashville music industry.

Single copies of the 2022 MusicRow Awards print issue are available for purchase at musicrow.com for $20, and are included with yearly MusicRow subscriptions.

Keith Urban Talks Tour: ‘The Audience Is As Passionate, Involved & Engaged As Ever’ [Interview]

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Keith Urban

Earlier this summer, celebrated country superstar Keith Urban embarked on “The Speed Of Now World Tour.” The trek marked Urban’s first time touring the United States in nearly four years.

The two and a half hour show is filled with hits, with Urban energetically busting out many of his 24 No. 1 hits night after night. After playing a few dates in the U.K., the tour launched in Tampa, Florida and has included dates across the United States and Canada. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Ingrid Andress has served as support throughout the “The Speed Of Now World Tour.”

Despite nearly four years off the road, Urban says that the energy of the crowd hasn’t changed.

“I’ve always tried to create an experience that results in a certain reaction from the audience and a certain engagement from them,” Urban tells MusicRow. “That hasn’t changed for me. And the audience is as passionate, involved and engaged as ever.”

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Though “The Speed Of Now World Tour” is another great success for Urban, it didn’t come without challenges.

“The number one challenge was keeping the show on the road, which has eased a lot recently, but is still a reality,” he says. “We definitely got pummeled with various crew members being knocked out during rehearsals for the tour, which has never happened to me before. It made for an interesting start to the tour where we were building a lot of things as we went.”

Another big challenge Urban had to face was the loss of his beloved tour production manager, Randy “Baja” Fletcher. The touring veteran died on Aug. 27, 2021 following a tragic fall at a show site.

Though Fletcher was a vital and missed part of Urban’s crew, he says that his legacy lives on at his shows.

“I’m not trying to fill his shoes,” he says. “One of the beautiful blessings that happened is his daughter, Natalie, is now on our crew, so there is a piece of Baja there every day in Natalie.

“Baja was such an optimistic person. He brought such an optimism everywhere. We were in Alabama the other day and it was pouring rain. His daughter walked by me and said, ‘Daddy used to say that some people feel the rain and some people just get wet,'” Urban shares with a laugh. “He’s alive and well on our crew.”

Despite the challenges Urban and his crew have faced, the show must go on. He says that while the fan engagement has remained as passionate as ever, he is noticing some new faces out on the road.

“The thing that’s caught me most by surprise is how many new people are at our concert. I’ve actually started asking by show of hands who has never seen us before. About a third of their hands go up sometimes. It’s unbelievable,” he says. “We will play older songs and a lot of those people don’t know those songs—but they know all the ones from the last few years. That’s not a change that I expected, but certainly welcomed.”

When asked about his favorite moments of the show, the two-time CMA Entertainer of the Year says he can’t pick.

“The whole thing!” he says with a laugh. “I build a show that I want to play first and foremost—that I’m excited to play. If I’m really passionate and having the time of my life, it’s most likely going to feed out into the audience as well.

“There’s so many great moments. We come out opening with ‘Tumbleweed,’ which is off the new album. It’s such a dynamic way to open a show. Every singalong moment, which seems to be almost all the songs, is great. The audience is so diverse that it seems no matter what we play, there’s someone somewhere that knows every word.”

He’s also getting to sing his fast-rising new single, “Brown Eyes Baby,” written by Will Bundy, Rodney Clawson, Josh Thompson and Morgan Wallen.

“There’s a guy in town named Joe Fisher, who has been a friend of mine for a long time. He heard the song and sent it to me. It was love at first listen. It just connected with me lyrically, melodically, thematically… Everything about the song I just loved,” Urban says.

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“We started playing it before we released it. The funniest thing about that song is the very first night we did it, which was opening night of the tour in Tampa, by the second chorus, I was watching people try to sing along with it. I’ve never seen that before—people trying to sing along with a song they’ve never heard. Surely that’s a good sign.”

In July Urban announced that new label-mate Tyler Hubbard would be joining him and Andress in the fall, starting in Mountain View, California on Sept. 3.

Urban and Hubbard’s worlds have collided frequently lately, as Hubbard partnered with Urban’s longtime management company Borman Entertainment to start his solo career. Urban and Hubbard also co-wrote the title track to Hubbard’s newest EP, Dancin’ In The Country.

“We had written ‘Dancin’ In The Country,’ and I’d never really gotten to spend that much time with Tyler. I just loved his vibe and energy, and I knew that he was embarking on his solo career. I said to him, ‘Would you have any interest wanting to come out with us in the fall? [With Ingrid], the three of us could do something really special.'”

Urban and Andress will play a few more shows before Hubbard joins them on Sept. 3. “The Speed Of Now World Tour” will hit Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Oct. 7. Tickets for select dates are available now.

BMI Reduces Workforce By Almost 10 Percent

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In an email sent to the BMI staff last week, President and CEO Mike O’Neill announced that the PRO would be reducing its total workforce by just under 10% via a headcount reduction and the decision to leave a number of current open positions unfilled.

According to a source at BMI, the headcount reduction accounted for fewer than 30 people. Though it is unclear how many of the layoffs affected BMI’s Nashville branch, former Sr. Director of Events & Partnerships, Erica Glidewell, and Director Corporate Travel and Relations, Mary Loving, were reportedly among the group.

In an email obtained by MusicRow, O’Neill writes, “These decisions are never easy as they involve our colleagues and changes to the way we operate. At the same time, they are necessary for us to ensure that we are best positioned for continued success in the future.”

O’Neill continues, “We learned some important lessons during the pandemic about how we could operate more effectively. Unlike many other companies, we made a concerted effort to maintain headcount as COVID took hold, the right decision for us at that time. As we emerged from the pandemic, it became clear that there were areas in our workforce that needed adjustment.”

He goes on to say that though BMI has continued to “outperform the competition,” the PRO’s success doesn’t mean the company should not “take a critical look at our business and ensure we are operating in the most efficient and effective way possible, particularly as we head into uncertain economic times.”

This is a developing story…

Luke Combs Claims Spot In The Top 10 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

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Luke Combs. Photo: Jeremy Cowart

Luke Combs pops into the top 10 on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart this week. The country superstar checks in at No. 9, up two spots from last week. He’s a co-writer on his own “The Kind Of Love We Make” and “Tomorrow Me,” as well as on Zac Brown Band’s “Out In The Middle.”

Ashley Gorley maintains his spot at the top this week for a third consecutive week with eight songs on the country charts, including Dierks Bentley’s “Gold,” Michael Ray’s “Holy Water,” Dylan Scott’s “New Truck,” Cole Swindell’s “She Had Me At Heads Carolina,” Parmalee’s “Take My Name,” Carly Pearce’s “What He Didn’t Do,” Brett Young’s “You Didn’t” and Morgan Wallen’s “You Proof.”

Ernest Keith Smith (No. 2), Morgan Wallen (No. 3), Mitchell Tenpenny (No. 4) and Chase McGill (No. 5) round out the rest of this week’s top songwriters.

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.

Tyler Hubbard On The Journey To Becoming A Solo Artist [Interview]

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Pictured: Tyler Hubbard rehearses for first solo tour. Photo: Devin Groody

In January of 2021, multi-Platinum duo Florida Georgia Line announced on social media that they would be releasing their own music as individuals. Though rumors swirled that the two were breaking up, the duo’s Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard maintained that they weren’t, but that they were exploring their creativity as solo artists.

By April, Kelley had partnered with Warner Music Nashville to release an EP, BK’s Wave Pack. In June of 2021 he doubled down, releasing a 17-song project inspired by his beach-side upbringing, Sunshine State Of Mind. Now, after aligning with Big Machine Label Group in June of 2022, Kelley is releasing more new music.

During most of that time, Hubbard kept his head down, continuing to write with and for other artists, while spending some time in the producer’s chair on projects such as Lathan Warlick‘s My Way EP. For a while it was unclear if Hubbard would make a run at a solo career or not.

“It was very unexpected. BK came to me in 2020 and just expressed his desire and need to go do a solo thing. At first I was a little surprised and didn’t fully understand it, but I thought, ‘I really want to support him, so I’ll just take a step back and be a stay-at-home dad and a songwriter,'” Hubbard shares. “That seemed pretty incredible to me at the time, and it was. I did that for probably eight months. Then I realized there was a big piece of this that I really love and was really missing: making music, recording records, being on tour and doing the artist side of things.”

Pictured (L-R) Jimmy Rector, EMI; Lori Christian, UMGN; Tyler Hubbard; Cindy Mabe, UMGN; Gary Borman, Borman Entertainment; Erik Peterson, Borman Entertainment

Hubbard said it took an impromptu, non-business meeting with industry veteran Gary Borman—who has long managed the careers of Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton—to help show him the way to becoming a solo artist.

“I was in Sun Valley about a year ago. That’s where my wife grew up, so we were hanging out with one of our close family friends. One afternoon, our friend asked me, ‘How’s it going with FGL? What’s going on?’ I was filling her in and she said, ‘You need to meet my friend Gary.’ I was leaving Sun Valley the day after, so I said, ‘I can this afternoon if he happens to be available.’ At the time I didn’t even put two and two together on who Gary was or the fact that he was a manager.

“I went to his house and I sat in his living room for a couple hours. I just spilled my heart and told him my story. We chatted for a couple hours and connected. He was very content managing who he is managing. He wasn’t looking for more artists, but once we met and we connected, we both felt excited and energized.”

After leaving Borman’s house, Hubbard called him to see if he was interested in working together. Borman agreed and the two were off to the races.

“I would say that was pretty much the beginning of me processing [being a solo artist] and feeling supported and enabled to put together a project and to really pursue the artist thing 110%,” Hubbard says. “Once I started feeling that support, I was quickly energized and my creativity was re-lit. I found my passion again. I started transitioning my head space into writing for me and what I wanted my solo project to be like.”

In May of 2022, news broke that Hubbard had signed with UMG’s EMI Nashville, and that he was working on a solo project. He released his first solo single, “5 Foot 9,” later that month. The track has done extremely well at country radio, earning 157 first week adds across the Billboard, Mediabase, and MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart. It has garnered almost 90 million LTD streams and has reached the top 15 at radio.

“It’s definitely a lot of the same energy and excitement of being a new artist,” Hubbard says. “Like I said, my passion has been reignited. I’ve been feeling the new artist energy. It’s been really fun because it was unexpected. Considering that I have somewhat of a foundation already, and I’m not struggling day-to-day to make ends meet, there’s a little bit lower level of stress. I’m really just trying to soak it up and enjoy it.

“When FGL was coming up, we were going so hard that I don’t think we took time to really sit back and enjoy what we had accomplished until COVID hit. That sounds crazy, but we just went so hard for 10 years. So now I’m really trying to remember that and take it in stride and enjoy each success and each moment.”

Once Hubbard, with the help of Borman and his team at UMG, got a clear view of his path forward as a solo artist, he began writing for his debut solo project with a new lens of creativity.

“With this new perspective and this new lens of looking at a career, picking songs and putting an album together, there is this level of being able to go more personal [than we could on FGL songs]. There’s that freedom in the writing room. I still felt it before, but it’s definitely on a new level now, especially when the intention is writing for me. It enables me to pull from life experience. We can make it more obvious and not have to use analogies, different images or different people.

“This has been a season of self discovery,” he adds. “Inevitably, when you’re wanting to tell your story, it requires you to take a deeper look into your life. I had to ask myself, ‘What do I want to sing about? What do I want to talk about? How do I want my music to impact people?’ That has been a lot of fun.”

Hubbard released his 6-song EP, Dancin’ In The Country, on Friday (Aug. 19). The project includes “5 Foot 9,” the good time track “Everybody Needs A Bar,” a swanky “Baby Gets Her Lovin’,” and the title track, which is fit for a modern country line dance. Dancin’ In The Country was produced by Hubbard and Jordan Schmidt, with assistance from Jesse Frasure on “Baby Gets Her Lovin’.”

Hubbard also announced he will release his yet-to-be-titled debut solo album on Jan. 27, 2023.

He will take his new music on the road when he joins the fall leg of Urban’s “The Speed Of Now World Tour.” He says he’s really enjoying crafting a show for this phase of his career.

“It’s been a lot of fun. One of the biggest things I thought about when I was making this music was the live aspect of it, because I knew that I was going to be playing all these songs live, as opposed to making a sixth FGL album and only being able to play a couple of the songs live off the album,” he says. “Now to be rehearsing and be putting the show together for this Keith tour, it’s been a lot of fun. The band’s excited, the songs are coming together and it just feels great.”

Now, with his own music out in the world, Hubbard is grateful for the outlet him and Kelley have to tell their own stories.

“That’s the beauty of having this individual outlet,” he says. “We are able to tell stories on an individual and personal level and really go deeper. The fans loved FGL—what we were and what we represented. We were a good time and we were good dudes, but ultimately, we could only go so deep because of the dynamic of having two people. We chose to be respectful of one another’s life and just find common ground to sing about. This now allows us both to go deeper and to tell more of our personal stories.”