My Music Row Story: Robert K. Oermann

Robert K. Oermann

The “My Music Row Story” weekly column features notable members of the Nashville music industry selected by the MusicRow editorial team. These individuals serve in key roles that help advance and promote the success of our industry. This column spotlights the invaluable people that keep the wheels rolling and the music playing.

Dubbed “the dean of Nashville’s entertainment journalists,” Robert K. Oermann has become one of Music City’s leading multi-media figures—a journalist, television personality, radio broadcaster, graphic artist, lecturer, photographer, archivist and author.

Oermann writes weekly columns for MusicRow Magazine and has been published in more than 100 other national periodicals. He has penned liner notes for more than 125 albums and boxed-set productions. His nine books to date include the New York Times best-selling Songteller with Dolly Parton (2020), the award-winning Finding Her Voice with Mary A. Bufwack (2003), A Century of Country (1999) and America’s Music (1996).

Oermann has scripted and/or directed more than 50 television specials and documentaries for CMT, CBS, the BBC, TBS, TNN and others, and he appears frequently on-camera as a commentator on VH-1, A&E, CMT and the BBC.

The University of Pittsburgh graduate worked as an advertising manager for the Discount Records retailer in St. Louis, Missouri in the 1970s. After obtaining his Masters degree, Oermann moved to Nashville in 1978 to become the Head of Technical Services at the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Library. In 1981-’93, he was the all-genre music reporter at The Tennessean and the founding country-music writer for USA Today. Oermann began working in television production during this same period.

His projects have included scripting the 2000 CBS TV special celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Grand Ole Opry, penning the liner notes for the Grammy-winning O Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack album in 2001 and co-writing Little Miss Dynamite, the autobiography of 2002 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Brenda Lee. He was a judge on the 2003 USA Network series Nashville Star, which launched the career of Miranda Lambert. In 2004 he wrote the PBS special celebrating George Jones and was the music supervisor and script writer for the United Stations syndicated radio series Honest Country, narrated by Willie Nelson. He was a writer/director of the six-hour TBS documentary series America’s Music: The Roots of Country, narrated by Kris Kristofferson.

Among Oermann’s projects in 2005-’10 were writing and/or hosting PBS specials about Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins and John Denver. He scripted the A&E Biography specials on Billy Ray Cyrus and Carrie Underwood. He co-hosted the PBS fund-drive broadcasts of Chet Atkins: Certified Guitar Player (alongside pop superstar Michael McDonald) and Opry Memories (alongside Country Hall of Fame member Bill Anderson). Behind the Grand Ole Opry Curtain was published in the fall of 2008 as Oermann’s eighth book.

In 2013, he scripted and co-directed Dolly Parton: Song By Song, a six-part documentary series for the Ovation arts channel. In 2016, he was the second-unit director of the streamed-concert series Skyville Live, which featured Cyndi Lauper, Gregg Allman, Chris Stapleton, Gladys Knight, Little Big Town, Taj Mahal, Martina McBride and Delbert McClinton, among others. He co-hosted the Children of Song podcast marketed by Fox News Radio in 2017-’18. During 2019 he worked in various capacities on documentaries about The Bluebird Cafe, The Florabama nightclub, Loretta Lynn, Dallas Frazier and Kenny Rogers. Also in 2019, he was a script consultant for the 16-hour PBS documentary Country Music by famed filmmaker Ken Burns.

His acclaimed Songteller: My Life in Lyrics book with Dolly Parton was published in November 2020. He was a consultant on the 2023 PBS documentary about Minnie Pearl and served in the same capacity for the American Masters documentary about Brenda Lee in 2024.

Oermann has been active on various boards throughout his career, such as the Nashville Public Library, the Country Music Association, the Recording Academy, WPLN Radio, Leadership Music and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. He has been honored by various organizations over the years for excellence in media and entertainment.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. My dad taught at the University of Pittsburgh, where I ended up going. My mother was a pediatric nurse.

But my mother’s mother, Grammy Clara Lowe, had a music store in Dubois, Pennsylvania. It was the only music store for counties and counties around, so they sold everything. They had records, sheet music, song books, instruments and anything to do with music.

They also had a jukebox chain. There were jukeboxes in all the bars in those western Pennsylvania and West Virginia towns. My mother had four brothers: Chubb, Luther, Corny and Bill. They rode around and would stock Polka, hillbilly or R&B records, depending on what bar they were in. I would ride with them sometimes. I would also clerk in the store whenever I was there in the summertime and around Christmas. She paid me in used jukebox records, which I loved. That’s how I started collecting records and how I got passionate about the music business.

Robert K. Oermann and Naomi Judd. Photo: Courtesy of Oermann

What were you like as a kid?

I was very shy and very thin. My brothers and sister are all six footers, so I was the runt of the litter. I drew pictures and listened to records alone in my room a lot. I would study the labels, and notice names like Boudleaux and Felice Bryant and Billy Sherrill. I got to know these names. I was interested in all kinds of music, but in high school, I really fell for R&B.

In college, I started reading about the history of rock and roll and learned that it was a fusion of R&B and country. I read about Red Foley, Hank Williams and Kitty Wells, and realized I had records by them that I never played. So I went home from college and got them out. I played Hank Williams and I got it! I thought, “Oh, this is white people’s soul music.” I became really passionate about it at that point.

What happened after college?

I went to St. Louis and got a job at Discount Records. They had a policy of stocking at least one copy of every record in print. Nobody in the store knew anything about country or classical music, so I became their country and classical person because I knew both of those areas fairly well. I did that and I painted for 10 years. [My wife] Mary [Bufwack] was teaching women’s studies in college.

Robert K. Oermann, Dolly Parton and Mary Bufwack. Photo: Courtesy of Oermann

I realized if we had to live on what I was making, we would starve to death, so I went back to Syracuse University and got a Masters degree in information studies. In that program, you took half of your coursework in library and archival work and the other half in whatever you wanted. They had the Newhouse School Of Public Communications there which had everything, so I took film, video, animation, photography and recording studio technology. I didn’t realize it, but I was preparing myself.

At that time, upstate New York was a huge country music area. On the way back and forth between Colgate and Syracuse—at least an hour drive each way—all the stations were playing country. So I started knowing every single country hit that was on the radio. I was getting more and more immersed in country music.

How did you get to Nashville?

I was really digging Loretta, Dolly and Tammy, so Mary and I decided to combine our interests and write a book about women in country music. We got a list of record collectors across the country and a list of archives where there were collections of folk and country music. We went off across the nation and stopped at about every place. It was a massive educational trip.

When we stopped in Nashville, the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s library was looking for someone who had a library degree specializing in non-print media and who was an encyclopedia of popular music. I said, “That would be me.” That’s how we got here in 1978.

Robert K. Oermann is honored with the Keynote Award during the 2016 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame gala. Photo: Bev Moser

How did you start writing in Nashville?

Most of the people that used that library were writers, so I got to know most of the writing community here at the time. I would read what they wrote and think, “I could do that.” So I started writing on the side while I was still at the library, particularly for Country Song Roundup and Country Music Magazine.

My friend John Lomax had pitched Esquire magazine for a piece on the 100 most influential people in country music, so the two of us wrote it. Within three years of writing in town, I was published in Rolling Stone and Esquire.

Lomax helped me so much—he believed in me. He had one of the first alternative newspapers in Nashville called the Nashville Gazette. He published me in that and my first feature was Brenda Lee. I started writing more and more, and then a job opened at The Tennessean.

Tell me about that.

I applied and so did 250 other people. The editor of that section of The Tennessean was a guy named Gene Wyatt. He didn’t like people with journalism degrees, he liked people that knew their subject area and who could work the beat. By then, I had been doing profiles on songwriters for publishing companies and writing bios for executives and producers, so I knew the Row pretty well.

So he hired me and Sandy Neese to be the two country music reporters at The Tennessean. That was in July. In September, USA Today started [and became The Tennessean’s parent company] and I went from never having been in a newspaper office to being in the national newspaper. That’s also when the big country music explosion happened in the ‘80s. I was just in the right place at the right time. I stayed there until ‘81.

Robert K. Oermann, Taylor Swift and Mary Bufwack. Photo: Courtesy of Oermann

David Ross started MusicRow Magazine in ‘81. You became a contributor shortly thereafter and have remained part of our family since then. Tell me about the early days of MusicRow.

David had started this directory with contacts for audio rental services and whatnot. When I was still the librarian at the library, he came by and asked if we would carry it in the library. After the first or second edition, he decided to put some editorial in it. Al Cooley, who worked at Combine Music, did an issue where he was the record reviewer. After the first reviews came out, Al said, “Wait a minute. I’m a song publisher. I could get in some serious hot water doing this.” He came to me and asked if I would take over the column. Then it started to grow. Kerry O’Neil did a financial column, I did record reviews and David did the news.

MusicRow grew and prospered and I just stayed with it. It’s still one of my favorite gigs. I believe in the publication. It’s an extremely valuable source, knitting the community together, which is needed more now than ever. It’s a local publication and it helps the community understand each other. I really believe in it, both as a journalist and as a sociologist.

In addition to being a prolific writer, you’ve also done a lot of work in television and other media arts. How did you diversify?

The Women in Country Music book came out in ‘94. It won awards and made a big splash. I met this guy named Bud Schaetzle through Bob Doyle and Pam Lewis. Bud was a television producer, and he had this idea to do a special on women in country music. So Mary and I did this two-hour special for CBS, and that opened the television door.

At that same time, Tipper Gore was on a big tangent about sinful lyrics poisoning our children’s minds. Channel 5 had me come on TV every Friday to talk about the concerts that were going to be in town for the weekend, and should little Susie be allowed to go to the Poison concert? [Laughs] I always said sure!

Robert K. Oermann is honored with the Storytellers Award. Photo: Courtesy of Oermann

I got hired by Lorianne Crook and Charlie Chase to be a weekly reviewer for them. I would come on once a week and talk about the latest records that had come out.

I hated being on camera—still do—I wanted to produce and direct. I finally got my wish and started doing that a lot. I was doing EPKs and television specials. TNN and CMT came to town, which brought opportunities because they needed content all the time. I also had a radio show on WSM.

I look back now and wonder how I did all of this at the same time. It was about being in the right place at the right time, but I worked hard. I could outwork anybody. I loved the music so much that I wanted to be part of it. I wanted to be here so badly.

Who helped mentor you in the beginning?

There was a publisher named Don Gant. I would go over there and hang out and he would teach me how things worked. Back in those days, you could pretty much go into anybody’s office, sit down and listen to music. Lomax was a huge help, particularly on the writing side. On the TV side, Lorianne Crook, Charlie Chase and Jim Owens were very encouraging.

You have authored and contributed to so many country music books. Most recently you co-authored Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. Tell me about that experience.

That book was hard work. It had a tight deadline and there were lots of clearances I had to get. But it’s a beautiful book. Dolly is a total pro. She would outwork me. We’d be doing an interview and it would get to be five o’clock. I would say, “Let’s stop here and pick up tomorrow.” She would say, “No, let’s keep going!” She will outwork anyone. That was a fun project.

Who have been some of your favorite interviews through the years?

Dolly is a great interview. She’s a great role model for everyone—we should all be that nice and good-hearted. I love Bill Anderson. Jeannie Seely is always a ball. Randy Travis and I were very close. Vince Gill is great. Kathy Mattea is an old friend. Steve Earle and I were tight. Those relationships were forged in a time when the industry wasn’t nearly what it is today. It was small and special.

What projects are you most proud of?

The Women in Country special is a beautiful project. It’s really moving. When the Recording Academy was starting its oral history program, they hired me to do a documentary called Nashville Songwriter, which I’m also very proud of. I interviewed so many early songwriters, like Marijohn Wilkin, Felice Bryant, Harlan Howard, Hank Cochran, Cindy Walker and all the greats. I made it into chapters about the creative process, how the money happens, what a publishing deal is, etc. I love that project.

Of the books, I will always be proud of the Dolly book. Before I came to Nashville, I was listening to country radio all the time. There were three new people coming along at that time: Kris Kristofferson, Tom T. Hall and Dolly Parton. They were writing songs that were just another level up. That was an inspiration for me to get to Nashville, so I’ll always be proud of that project.

Nominees Announced For 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards

NBC and Peacock have revealed the nominees for the 2024 People’s Choice Country Awards across 18 categories. The voting also commenced today (Aug. 14) and runs through Friday, Aug. 23.

Zach Bryan, Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, Shaboozey, Kane Brown, Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs lead the nominations this year. Voted on by country music fans, winners will be celebrated at the awards show airing live Thursday, Sept. 26 at 8 p.m. ET / PT across NBC and Peacock from the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. The evening will be hosted by Shania Twain and a limited number of show tickets and VIP packages are available now at Opry.com

The categories have been expanded this year to include Female Song, Male Song, Group/Duo Song, Cover Song, New Artist Song and Storyteller Song. Fans can vote online at votepcca.com. Additionally, votes cast on Turbo Tuesday, Aug. 20 (12:00 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. ET), will count twice, equaling a maximum of two votes per day, per category.

People’s Choice Country Awards 2024 Nominees:

The People’s Artist of 2024:
1. Beyoncé
2. Jelly Roll
3. Kacey Musgraves
4. Kane Brown
5. Lainey Wilson
6. Luke Combs
7. Morgan Wallen
8. Zach Bryan

The Female Artist of 2024:
1. Beyoncé
2. Carly Pearce
3. Dolly Parton
4. Kacey Musgraves
5. Kelsea Ballerini
6. Lainey Wilson
7. Megan Moroney
8. Miranda Lambert

The Male Artist of 2024:
1. Bailey Zimmerman
2. Chris Stapleton
3. Cody Johnson
4. Jelly Roll
5. Kane Brown
6. Luke Combs
7. Morgan Wallen
8. Zach Bryan

The Group / Duo of 2024:
1. Brothers Osborne
2. Dan + Shay
3. Old Dominion
4. Ole 60
5. The Red Clay Strays
6. The War And Treaty
7. Tigirlily Gold
8. Zac Brown Band

The New Artist of 2024:
1. Chase Matthew
2. Chayce Beckham
3. Dasha
4. Koe Wetzel
5. Nate Smith
6. Shaboozey
7. Tucker Wetmore
8. Warren Zeiders

The Social Country Star of 2024:
1. Bailey Zimmerman
2. Beyoncé
3. Dolly Parton
4. Jelly Roll
5. Kelsea Ballerini
6. Luke Combs
7. Morgan Wallen
8. Reba McEntire

The Song of 2024:
1. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey (Songwriters: Collins Obinna Chibueze, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Mark Williams, Nevin Sastry, Sean Cook)
2. “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” – Dasha (Songwriters: Adam Wendler, Anna Dasha Novotny, Cheyenne Rose Arnspiger, Kenneth Travis Heidelman)
3. “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Austin Post, Chandler Paul Walters, Ernest Smith, Hoskins, Louis Bell, Morgan Wallen, Ryan Vojtesak)
4. “I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves (Songwriters: Kacey Musgraves, Zach Bryan)
5. “Miles On It” – Marshmello & Kane Brown (Songwriters: CASTLE, Connor McDonough, Earwulf, Jake Torrey, Kane Brown, Marshmello, Nick Gale, Riley McDonough)
6. “Pink Skies” – Zach Bryan (Songwriter: Zach Bryan)
7. “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Beyoncé (Songwriters: Beyoncé, Brian Bates, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nate Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq)
8. “Wild Ones” – Jessie Murph feat. Jelly Roll (Songwriters: Feli Ferraro, Gregory Aldae Hein, Jason Deford, Jeff Gitelman, Jessie Murph)

The Female Song of 2024:
1. “16 Carriages” – Beyoncé (Songwriters: Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin, Ink, Raphael Saadiq)
2. “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” – Dasha (Songwriters: Adam Wendler, Anna Dasha Novotny, Cheyenne Rose Arnspiger, Kenneth Travis Heidelman)
3. “Deeper Well” – Kacey Musgraves (Songwriters: Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves)
4. “Hang Tight Honey” – Lainey Wilson (Songwriters: Driver Williams, Jason Nix, Lainey Wilson, Paul Sikes)
5. “Hummingbird” – Carly Pearce (Songwriters: Carly Pearce, Jordan Reynolds, Nicolle Galyon, Shane McAnally)
6. “No Caller ID” – Megan Moroney (Songwriters: Connie Harrington, Jessi Alexander, Jessie Jo Dillon, Megan Moroney)
7. “Texas Hold ‘Em” – Beyoncé (Songwriters: Beyoncé, Brian Bates, Elizabeth Lowell Boland, Megan Bülow, Nathan Ferraro, Raphael Saadiq)
8. “Wranglers” – Miranda Lambert (Songwriters: Audra Mae, Evan McKeever, Ryan Carpenter)

The Male Song of 2024:
1. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey (Songwriters: Collins Obinna Chibueze, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Mark Williams, Nevin Sastry, Sean Cook)
2. “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma (From Twisters: The Album)” – Luke Combs (Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Jonathan Singleton, Luke Combs)
3. “Bulletproof” – Nate Smith (Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps)
4. “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson (Songwriter: Josh Phillips)
5. “I Can Feel It” – Kane Brown (Songwriters: Gabe Foust, Jaxson Free, Kane Brown, Phil Collins)
6. “Let Your Boys Be Country” – Jason Aldean (Songwriters: Allison Veltz Cruz, Jaron Boyer, Micah Wilshire)
7. “Pink Skies” – Zach Bryan (Songwriter: Zach Bryan)
8. “Take Her Home” – Kenny Chesney (Songwriters: Hunter Phelps, Michael Hardy, Zach Abend)

The Group / Duo Song of 2024:
1. “Break Mine” – Brothers Osborne (Songwriters: John Osborne, Pete Good, Shane McAnally, TJ Osborne)
2. “Different About You” – Old Dominion (Songwriters: Brad Tursi, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Zach Crowell)
3. “For The Both of Us” – Dan + Shay (Songwriters: Andy Albert, Dan Smyers, Jordan Reynolds)
4. “I Tried A Ring On” – Tigirlily Gold (Songwriters: Josh Jenkins, Kendra Jo Slaubaugh, Krista Jade Slaubaugh, Pete Good)
5. “Love You Back” – Lady A (Songwriters: Emily Weisband, James McNair, Lindsay Rimes)
6. “Smoke & A Light” – Ole 60 (Songwriters: Jacob Ty Young, Justin Eckerd, Ryan Laslie, Tristan Roby)
7. “Tie Up” – Zac Brown Band (Songwriters: Ben Simonetti, Chris Gelbuda, Jonathan Singleton, Josh Hoge, Zac Brown)
8. “Wanna Be Loved” – The Red Clay Strays (Songwriters: Dakota Coleman, Matthew Coleman)

The Collaboration Song of 2024:
1. “Blackbiird” – Beyoncé, Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts (Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
2. “Can’t Break Up Now” – Old Dominion & Megan Moroney (Songwriters: Emily Weisband, Matthew Ramsey, Tofer Brown, Trevor Rosen)
3. “Chevrolet” – Dustin Lynch feat. Jelly Roll (Songwriters: Chase McGill, Hunter Phelps, Jessi Alexander, Mentor Williams)
4. “Hey Driver” – Zach Bryan feat. The War And Treaty (Songwriter: Zach Bryan)
5. “I Remember Everything” – Zach Bryan feat. Kacey Musgraves (Songwriters: Kacey Musgraves, Zach Bryan)
6. “Mamaw’s House” – Thomas Rhett feat. Morgan Wallen (Songwriters: Chase McGill, Matt Dragstrem, Morgan Wallen, Thomas Rhett)
7. “The One (Pero No Como Yo)” – Carin Leon & Kane Brown (Songwriters: Bibi Marin, Edgar Barrera, Elena Rose, Johan Sotelo, Jonathan Capeci, Julio Ramirez, Kane Brown, Oscar Armando Diaz de Leon)
8. “You Look Like You Love Me” – Ella Langley feat. Riley Green (Songwriters: Aaron Raitiere, Ella Langley, Riley Green)

The Cover Song of 2024:
1. “Blackbiird” – Beyoncé, Brittney Spencer, Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts (Songwriters: John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
2. “Cowboys Are Frequently Secretly Fond Of Each Other” – Orville Peck & Willie Nelson (Songwriter: Ned Sublette)
3. “Dancing with Myself” – Maren Morris (Songwriters: Billy Idol, Tony James)
4. “Jolene” – Beyoncé (Songwriter: Dolly Parton)
5. “Perfectly Lonely” – Parker McCollum (Songwriter: John Mayer)
6. “Sun to Me” – MGK (Songwriters: Zach Bryan)
7. “Take Me Home, Country Roads” – Lana Del Rey (Songwriters: Bill Danoff, John Denver, Taffy Nivert)
8. “Three Little Birds (Bob Marley: One Love – Music Inspired By The Film)” – Kacey Musgraves (Songwriters: Bob Marley & The Wailers)

The Crossover Song of 2024:
1. “Better Days” – Zach Bryan feat. John Mayer (Songwriter: Zach Bryan)
2. “Cowboys Cry Too” – Kelsea Ballerini feat. Noah Kahan (Songwriters: Alysa Vanderheym, Kelsea Ballerini, Noah Kahan)
3. “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Austin Post, Chandler Paul Walters, Ernest Smith, Hoskins, Louis Bell, Morgan Wallen, Ryan Vojtesak)
4. “II Most Wanted” – Beyoncé & Miley Cyrus (Songwriters: Beyoncé, Michael Pollack, Miley Cyrus, Ryan Tedder)
5. “Lonely Road” – mgk feat. Jelly Roll (Songwriters: Bill Danoff, Brandon Allen, Colson Baker, John Denver, Mary Danoff, Nick Long, Steve Basil, Taffy Nivert Danoff, Travis Barker)
6. “Midnight Ride” – Kylie Minogue, Orville Peck & Diplo (Songwriters: Christopher Stracey, Kylie Minogue, Marta Cikojevic, Orville Peck)
7. “Miles On It” – Marshmello & Kane Brown (Songwriters: CASTLE, Connor McDonough, Earwulf, Jake Torrey, Kane Brown, Marshmello, Nick Gale, Riley McDonough)
8. “My Fault” – Shaboozey feat. Noah Cyrus (Songwriters: Bailey Bryan, Collins Obinna Chibueze, Doug Walters, Nevin Sastry, Noah Cyrus, PJ Harding, Sean Cook)

The New Artist Song of 2024:
1. “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” – Shaboozey (Songwriters: Collins Obinna Chibueze, Jerrel Jones, Joe Kent, Mark Williams, Nevin Sastry, Sean Cook)
2. “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” – Dasha (Songwriters: Adam Wendler, Anna Dasha Novotny, Cheyenne Rose Arnspiger, Kenneth Travis Heidelman)
3. “Betrayal” – Warren Zeiders (Songwriters: Ali Tamposi, Blake Pendergrass, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Justin Ebach, Warren Zeiders)
4. “Bulletproof” – Nate Smith (Songwriters: Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson, Hunter Phelps)
5. “Devil You Know” – Tyler Braden (Songwriters: Graham Barham, Jon Hall, Sam Martinez, Zack Dyer)
6. “Sweet Dreams” – Koe Wetzel (Songwriters: Amy Allen, Gabe Simon, Josh Serrato, Ropyr Wetzel, Sam Nelson Harris)
7. “Tennessee Don’t Mind” – Kameron Marlowe (Songwriters: Charles Kelley, Daniel Tashian)
8. “Wind Up Missin’ You” – Tucker Wetmore (Songwriters: Chris LaCorte, Thomas Archer, Tucker Wetmore)

The Storyteller Song of 2024:
1. “16 Carriages” – Beyoncé (Songwriters: Atia Boggs, Beyoncé, Dave Hamelin, Ink, Raphael Saadiq)
2. “Deeper Well” – Kacey Musgraves (Songwriters: Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, Kacey Musgraves)
3. “Dirt Cheap” – Cody Johnson (Songwriter: Josh Phillips)
4. “Pink Skies” – Zach Bryan (Songwriter: Zach Bryan)
5. “Sorry Mom” – Kelsea Ballerini (Songwriters: Alysa Vanderheym, Hillary Lindsey, Jessie Jo Dillon, Karen Fairchild, Kelsea Ballerini)
6. “The Little Things” – George Strait (Songwriters: Bubba Strait, George Strait, Monty Criswell)
7. “The Man He Sees in Me” – Luke Combs (Songwriters: Josh Phillips, Luke Combs)
8. “Too Good to be True” – Kacey Musgraves (Songwriters: Daniel Tashian, Ian Fitchuk, Anna Nalick, Kacey Musgraves)

The Album of 2024:
1. Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé
2. Deeper Well – Kacey Musgraves
3. Fathers & Sons – Luke Combs
4. Higher – Chris Stapleton
5. Highway Desperado – Jason Aldean
6. Leather – Cody Johnson
7. Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going – Shaboozey
8. Zach Bryan – Zach Bryan

The Music Video of 2024:
1. “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma (From Twisters: The Album)” – Luke Combs
2. “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” – Dasha
3. “Deeper Well” – Kacey Musgraves
4. “I Had Some Help” – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen
5. “Let It Burn” – Shaboozey
6. “Lonely Road” – MGK feat. Jelly Roll
7. “Miles On It” – Marshmello & Kane Brown
8. “Pour Me A Drink” – Post Malone feat. Blake Shelton

The Concert Tour of 2024:
1. “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour” – Luke Combs
2. “Highway Desperado Tour” – Jason Aldean
3. “One Night At A Time 2024” – Morgan Wallen
4. “Shania Twain: Come On Over – The Las Vegas Residency – All The Hits!” – Shania Twain
5. “Stadium Tour” – George Strait
6. “Standing Room Only Tour ‘24” – Tim McGraw
7. “Sun Goes Down 2024 Tour” – Kenny Chesney
8. “The Quittin Time 2024 Tour” – Zach Bryan

JUST IN: Big Loud Records Elevates Eric England

Eric England. Photo: Chris Hornbuckle

Big Loud Records has elevated Eric England to SVP, Insights & Analytics, effective immediately.

England joined the label in September of 2021 and established the Insights & Analytics department as VP. His team is at the helm of the independent label’s data-forward methodology implemented across the roster and its releases. With a PhD from Virginia Tech, England previously spent time at Ohio State University, The Kraft Heinz Company and Mars Petcare before entering the music industry.

“Eric and his team’s strategic implementation of data throughout every aspect of our business over the last three years has amplified our success immensely,” share Big Loud COO Austen Adams and CEO/Partner Seth England. “His innovative, outside perspective on our industry makes Big Loud better, and we’re honored to continue growing with him.”

“Big Loud’s ingenuity and originality have made a significant impact on the industry,” says England. “I’m grateful for the past three years of growth and collaboration, and I look forward to continuing this journey together.”

Luke Combs Enters Top 10 On MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

Luke Combs. Photo: Zack Massey

Luke Combs has re-entered the top 10 on this week’s MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Sitting at No. 9 this week, Combs is credited as a songwriter on “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma,” “Guy For That” and “Remember Him That Way.” 

Zach Bryan remains in the No. 1 spot for the fifth consecutive week with “28,” “American Nights,” “Bass Boat,” “Better Days,” “Nine Ball,” “Oak Island,” “Pink Skies,” “Sandpaper” and “The Way Back.” Ashley Gorley stays at No. 2 with “Bulletproof,” “Cowgirls,” “I Am Not Okay,” “I Had Some Help,” “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” “Whiskey Whiskey” and “Young Love & Saturday Nights.”

Josh Phillips (No. 3), Chris Stapleton (No. 4) and Jessi Alexander (No. 5) round out this week’s 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.

Applications Now Open: MusicRow’s 2024 Publisher Company Directory

Applications are now open for the company directory in MusicRow‘s upcoming Publisher Issue. Companies can apply for inclusion through Friday, Aug. 23. Previously included companies will be solicited separately.

Along with the directory with contact information for Nashville’s publishing community, the issue also features exclusive editorial content focused on this essential segment of the music business.

To submit your company for consideration, complete and submit this form.

For questions, please contact the MusicRow team at directory@musicrow.com.

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Keith Urban Talks ‘Following The Muse’ Ahead Of New Album ‘High’ [Interview]

Keith Urban

In 2022, four-time Grammy winner Keith Urban was working on a new album. It was to follow 2020’s The Speed of Now Part 1 as his 13th studio project.

He was also on a world tour at the time. In order to keep the album on track, Urban set up a rigorous schedule of returning to Nashville soon after a show, working on the record and going back out. He was even going to call it 615 because of his dedication to getting home and working on the collection.

What Urban found with the new schedule, however, was stress and creative limitations, which was not conducive to making an album. So, he decided to scrap 615.

“I’ve never had a theme or a concept for an album ever. Every album I’ve ever made has been very loose in a lot of ways,” Urban tells MusicRow. “Dann Huff, who’s made so many of them with me, would testify that we may have a plan to record a song one day and I might get to the session and say, ‘I’m not really in the mood for this song. I feel like this one might be better.'”

Urban’s spontaneity when in the studio has lended itself to the diverse range of projects he’s put out, with his catalog including records that have bluegrass roots as well as some that are more experimental and some that are straight-up country. While that musical ambiguity has likely been a big part of Urban’s over two decades of hits, he shares that he felt he needed a change in his process when making the forthcoming album.

“My records can go in all kinds of musical places, like [my 2018 album] Graffiti U. There’s a lot of stuff on Graffiti U that I don’t know what genre it is or what style it is. Depending on the listener, you could call it diverse or completely scattershot,” Urban says. ” I thought if I gave myself a framework to work in that it might give me more focus musically, and it might give me more continuity on an album.

“What I discovered was that framework did give me continuity, but the continuity actually ended up sounding linear, so all the songs were a bit too much the same,” he explains. “Because I was touring at the time, I would come home from tour and record one song. Maybe a month later I’d record another one and then two weeks later I’d record another one. Each one individually felt and sounded really good, but when I put them together as an album and tried to sequence them, I realized I was missing all the other extra colors, adventurousness and spirit.”

So, with a collection of songs ready to be track listed, Urban called it off.

“I felt like I punched myself in the stomach,” he admits. “It would’ve been so much easier to say, ‘Look, there’s four really good songs on this album. You only need four good songs on an album. Let’s put it out, hit the road and keep the machine going.’ But I just couldn’t do it.”

The tracks that Urban couldn’t part with were “Messed Up As Me,” “Break The Chain,” “Daytona” and “Heart Like A Hometown.” With them, he started anew and took the guard rails off the creative process that has built his career. The first song Urban made after going back to the drawing board was “Chuck Taylors.” Written with Jerry Flowers, Chase McGill and Greg Wells, the unreleased tune exudes charisma with a fun ’80s feel.

“If that song is bristling with exuberant energy and excitement, it’s because I felt I’d released myself from this structure, and I was free to do whatever the hell I wanted to do. That song was so liberating,” Urban says. “The very next day we wrote ‘Straight Line.’ I felt like I had just been let out of a cage.”

Balancing unleashed creativity and being a hit artist with a business to maintain can be a difficult tightrope to walk. With his recent introspection on his album-making process, he has found there’s only one way to balance it.

“Following the muse,” Urban notes. “That might sound hippie-dippie to a lot of people, but it has never let me down. It may not be the result I was expecting, but in the long run, I’ve never been let down by following and trusting my muse.

“The only time it’s ever gone awry is when I’m [too focused on] doing it a certain way, and then it doesn’t seem to flow. The music has to tell me where to go. If I could have talked to those four songs that I took off 615, I would have said, ‘You guys seem to be really clear on where I should go. What songs would you like around you on the album?’ They would have said, ‘You already know. Just get in the studio and start playing.'”

With that in mind, he crafted eight more tracks that paint a complete picture of the muse he followed. Urban has released a handful of the tunes, including the buoyant “Straight Line,” the tormented “Messed Up As Me,” the rollicking “Wildside” and the endearing “Heart Like A Hometown” as well as the groovy collaboration with Lainey Wilson “Go Home W U.”

As for the unreleased tracks, his fans should know that they are worth the wait, as the much-anticipated project is some of his best work yet.

615 felt like a lot of songs. This one feels like a bigger excavation and capturing of my life,” Urban sums. “I’m excited for people to hear it.”

His next studio album, High, is set for release on Sept. 20 via Capitol Records Nashville.

Justin Moore Tops The MusicRow Chart With ‘This Is My Dirt’

Justin Moore reaches the No. 1 spot on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart this week with “This Is My Dirt.”

The track was released as a single in 2023 and was written by Moore, Paul DiGiovanni, Randy Montana and Jeremy Stover.

Recently, Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders celebrated the multi-Platinum country artist Moore with the unveiling of a 10-foot roadside sign to enter the city of Poyen.

“This is My Dirt” currently sits at No. 12 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 11 on the Mediabase chart.

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

LAST DAY: Voting For 36th Annual MusicRow Awards Ends TODAY

Today is the last day to vote for the 36th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank. Ballots can be cast until 5:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Aug. 9.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Tuesday, Aug. 27. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a subscriber here.

Click here to view the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Nominees for the MusicRow Awards are determined by a committee. For the categories of Breakthrough Songwriter and Breakthrough Artist-Writer, outside nominations are also considered. For the Male and Female Songwriter of the Year categories, nominees are based on data from MusicRow’s Top Songwriter Chart. All nominations are based on projects that were active between the period of June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024.

Top 10 Album All-Star Musician Awards for Bass, Drums, Engineer, Fiddle, Guitar, Keyboards, Steel, and Vocals will also be announced on Tuesday, Aug. 27, recognizing the studio players who performed on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart during the eligibility period.

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Randall King ‘Wails To The Heavens’ On New Single

Randall King. Photo: Yve Assad

Today’s DISClaimer includes entries from the farthest ends of country’s audio spectrum, from bluegrass to pop.

The bluegrass world is bringing us a couple of cover tunes, Rhonda Vincent’s take on “Wagon Wheel” and Bill Taylor’s version of “Roll Me Away.” Of the two, Taylor’s re-imagining of Bob Seger is the cooler track. In fact, it wins him a DISCovery Award. Also: I love the name of his band, The Appalachian Heatherns.

From way over on the pop side, we have Maren Morris and Shelby Lynne. Both have left country music far behind, but are making extraordinary records nonetheless.

From somewhere down the middle of the country music world we have our Disc of the Day award winner. It’s Randall King and his “I Could Be That Rain.”

BILL TAYLOR / “Roll Me Away”
Writer: Bob Seger; Producer: Randall Deaton; Label: Lonesome Day Records
– I have always been a huge Bob Seger fan. So are the folks gathered on the new, multi-artist album Silver Bullet Bluegrass. This hearty, chesty baritone has one of the collection’s standout tracks, an exhilarating ride on wheels of fleet picking and close harmony singing. It feels like a splash of mountain spring water on your face. And it turns out that Seger’s 1983 rock classic sounds simply splendid in a bluegrass setting. Appalachia meets Motor City. Enthusiastically recommended.

MAREN MORRIS / “I Hope I Never Fall In Love”
Writers: Delacey/Evan Blair/Lucy Healey/Maren Morris; Producer: Evan Blair; Label: Columbia Records
– This echoey, throbbing, bittersweet ballad has a lovely ‘60s pop vibe. The luscious melody is bolstered by a thumping backbeat, ringing guitar and ghostly female vocal harmonies. It’s drawn from her upcoming pop EP Intermission, due Aug. 12.

RANDALL KING / “I Could Be That Rain”
Writers: Brian Fuller/Mason Thornley; Producers: Jared Conrad, Randall King; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– It is one of the great mysteries of our time why this superb vocalist is not yet a country superstar. As always, he delivers the goods. This time, he rides atop a cool rhythm pattern and some crashing guitars as he wails to the heavens. So nice I played it twice.

PHIL VASSAR & JEFFREY STEELE / “Like A Man’s Supposed To”
Writers: Jeffrey Steele/Phil Vassar; Producers: Jeffrey Steele, Scott Baggett; Label: 3 Ring Circus Records
– These two dudes are multiple award-winning troubadours. As a team, they sound like real brothers. This mid-tempo track has a retro, blue-eyed-soul flavor, punctuated by organ and sax blasts.

GREYLAN JAMES / “Who Broke Up With You”
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Brad Clawson/Greylan James; Producers: Brock Berryhill, Greylan James, Jason Massey; Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment
– It starts out kinda dull, but when he kicks into the hooky part, the thing takes off. The gist of it is that the guy who broke up with her must have been out of his mind. The production churns along nicely as he unspools his observations.

MEGAN MORONEY / “Hell Of A Show”
Writer: Megan Moroney; Producer: Kristian Bush; Label: Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records
– He treats her mean, but she has to hide her heartbreak because the show must go on. Anyone who has had to smile in spite of pain can relate to this tiny gem. It is performed with just a simple acoustic guitar accompaniment to her aching vocal delivery. The brief, tender little heartbreaker is the closing track on her brilliant new sophomore album Am I Okay?

JETT HOLDEN & CASSADEE POPE / “Karma”
Writer: Jett Holden; Producer: Will Hoge; Label: Black Opry Records
– This one is a darkly sinister rocker with a rapid-fire vocal delivery. He sings splendidly, Pope adds a perfect vocal assist, and the production kicks butt. Like many beginning country songwriters, he is overly word-y. But there is real promise here.

SHELBY LYNNE / “Gone To Bed”
Writers: Ashley Monroe/Burt Bacharach/Hal David/Karen Fairchild/Shelby Lynne; Producers: Ashley Monroe, Gena Johnson, Karen Fairchild, Shelby Lynne; Label: Monument Records
– Lynne’s first album in nine years is an audio pop wonderland. Its single starts off with an extended, spoken-word heartbreak meditation, followed by a dreamy, airy tune in an electronic soundscape. Titled Consequences of the Crown, the collection drops on Aug. 16. Throughout the project, she is utterly fascinating.

DILLON JAMES / “River Black”
Writers: Dan Alley/Dillon James/Jason Gantt; Producer: Paul DiGiovanni; Label: Buena Vista Records
– The title tune of this guy’s debut EP is a bluesy country rocker with a stately, stomping pace. Moody and intense.

RHONDA VINCENT / “Wagon Wheel”
Writers: Bob Dylan/Ketch Secor; Producer: Rhonda Vincent; Label: Upper Management Music
– The Queen of Bluegrass drops her new Destinations and Fun Places collection tomorrow (Aug. 9). She has already issued her covers of “Please Mr. Please” and the IBMA award-nominated “City of New Orleans” as teasers for the album. Now the Opry star is taking on the Darius Rucker/Old Crow Medicine Show hit with a soprano vocal harmony by Alison Krauss. Vincent and her band The Rage take an extended instrumental ride toward the song’s finale, extending the single to seven minutes in length. This is the oft-played song’s sweetest version yet.

REDFERRIN / “Just Like Johnny”
Writers: Blake Redferrin/Micah Wilshire; Producers: Jake Saghi, Micah Wilshire, Redferrin; Label: Warner Music Nashville
– The reason he is “just like Johnny” is that he is deeply into substance abuse. He cautions her that he “ain’t nowhere close to walking that line.” He loves her, but thinks he will always hurt her, let her down and put her through misery…. and that he will never change. Depressing yet compelling.

JOE ELY / “Driven To Drive”
Writer: Joe Ely; Producer: Joe Ely; Label: Rack ‘Em Records
– Some 23 albums into his career, this Americana stalwart is issuing a “road” album that celebrates the freedom of the highway. This propulsive country-rocker sets the mood.

Ella Langley Shows Boldness & Authenticity On Debut Album ‘Hungover’ [Interview]

Ella Langley. Photo: Caylee Robillard

Rising country star Ella Langley delivered her much-anticipated debut album on Friday (Aug. 2) via Columbia Records/SAWGOD. The 14-track effort titled Hungover proved to be a fantastic display of the young artist’s boldness and creative assuredness, featuring unique songs that show off Langley’s roots and vision.

Included on Hungover are the previously-released fan-favorites “Nicotine” and “Paint The Town Blue” as well as her and Riley Green‘s viral hit “You Look Like You Love Me.” It follows Langley’s debut EP, Excuse The Mess, which garnered the singer-songwriter early acclaim with tracks like “Country Boy’s Dream Girl,” “Could’ve Been Her” and the CMT Music Award-nominated “That’s Why We Fight” featuring Koe Wetzel.

Concurrently with her debut album, Langley is also turning heads with “Strangers,” her duet with Kameron Marlowe. The single recently earned 36 first-week adds during its impact week at country radio.

Prior to Hungover‘s release, she sat down with MusicRow to chat about the project. While she shared the backstories of some of the tunes, her skin was inked with a few more tattoos to mark the occasion.

“All my tattoos mark memories of certain things. I got a feather when my EP came out, and I got another one the first time I was published in the New York Times,” she shares as her tattoo artist begins prepping her skin for the new ink. To commemorate the release of her debut album, she’s chosen to get a small fractured heart on one arm and lyrics from “Broken In” on another.

It’s a good choice, as the tune is definitely a stand-out on the record. Written by Langley with Ian Christian and Jordan Fletcher, the song is about the value of going through trials, and is one of two acoustic tracks on the album.

“‘Broken In’ is one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written,” Langley says. “I kept it acoustic because I couldn’t stop listening to the guitar/vocal from the write. I just love the acoustic tracks on the record. I’ll put acoustic tracks on every body work I ever put out.”

Langley’s assuredness has been critical to her success. After listening to the 25-year-old’s songs or hearing her talk about her vision, it’s clear that she sees boldly following her muse as the only way to be an artist, despite the risks of being too different.

On Hungover, Langley sings about love gained and love lost in a bar room, giving into the pull of an old flame, telling off a cheater, moving onto the next and more. There’s tunes about the demons we all face, the death of a loved one and even a mysterious story-song. Sonically, it’s country as cornbread. Her Alabama twang comes through strong, glittering with charm. Producer Will Bundy turns all the quintessential country knobs that complement Langley’s voice so well, but also leaves space for her to truly grab the listener with her lyrics.

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“When I moved here, my goal was to write my tail off. That’s what I did,” she says. “This record was really written from ages 21 to 25. I was very precious with a lot of my songs, I wanted to make sure that I understood me as an artist before I tried to present myself to the world.

“My music is just raw and real,” she adds. “I write music that I want to listen to. I didn’t know my record was supposed to sound a certain way—it’s just real life.”

When asked how she has been able to stay true to herself in the industry, Langley recalls something she’s learned from a hero.

“Everyone’s journey is so different. There’s not a rule book, but I look up to people like Dolly Parton who has gotten every bit of what she’s ever wanted out of her career. It feels like it’s not for anyone other than herself. She obviously cares about her fans, but you can tell that she’s doing this because she’s always wanted to. Lainey Wilson is another one who has done that.”

Riley Green & Ella Langley. Photo: Caylee Robillard

Langley’s boldness has already begun to pay off. Along with Green, she is enjoying the success of “You Look Like You Love Me,” a witty song with recitation in the verses that harkens back to the good ole days in country music. The track has garnered over 80 million streams and more than a billion plays on TikTok.

“I wrote that song with Aaron Raitiere. He asked me how my love life was going and I said, ‘Aaron, I’m at the point where if they look like they love me, I get the hell out of there.’ He said, ‘That’s a great title, but what if we wrote it a nice way?’

“A year later in a different write, I was wanting to write a funny song that I could play when no one is listening at Live Oak, so we brought that song back up. It was written as a joke. We laughed the whole time we wrote it.”

After a work tape was made for “You Look Like You Love Me,” Langley’s team member Mya Hansen caught on to its charm and potential.

“Mya kept trying to get me to put it in the Dropbox link to send it to the label. I said, ‘Mya, that song is a joke. I’m drunk and I’m ready to leave?‘” Langley sings the line with a laugh. “She sent it in the Dropbox link for the album anyway and everyone freaked out. Everyone loved the shitty work tape with the giggling and ridiculousness.”

Langley asked Green to write a verse and sing on it with her when she decided to cut the song. She says the acceptance of “You Look Like You Love Me” spurred her onward towards staying true to herself. “Now more than ever I’m trying to create things that are different not just for the fans, but for me,” she says. “I’m just trying to do stuff that people haven’t heard.”

Another stand-out on Hungover is “Cowboy Friends.” Written by Langley with Joybeth Taylor, Lydia Vaughan and Austin Goodloe, the song sounds like a tear-in-your-beer farewell at the start, but it turns into a shuffling good time as Langley sings, “I wont have no trouble rounding up the next one when this ends. I’ve got me more than a few cowboy friends.”

“We were in the middle of writing another song and were screwing around and talking. I said, ‘Joybeth, you know I’ve got a few cowboy friends.’ We immediately paused and wrote the ‘Cowboy Friends’ chorus.”

On another interesting track, “Girl Who Drank Wine,” Langley tells the tale of a mysterious maiden who wanders in, steals a cowboy’s heart and disappears. She says she was inspired to write the tune while traveling through Wyoming on the Jon Pardi tour.

“I woke up one morning and opened the window of the sprinter van and a black stallion was [running alongside us]. It was the most majestic shit I’ve ever seen,” Langley quips. “I was done writing for the album but I started humming that little melody and the story just popped in my head. I have a very vivid imagination—I was homeschooled for six years.

“I love story songs,” she adds. “It’s something that country music has somewhat gotten away from, but it’s such a pinnacle in country music. I want to bring it back.”

“Better Be Tough” is another highlight on the album. Written with Bundy, Brett James and Erik Dylan, it gives the phrase, “if you’re going to be dumb, you better be tough,” another meaning.

“I’ve heard that phrase my whole life. One of the girls that works with us broke her foot and I said it to her. All of a sudden it clicked in my brain that [we could write it] about a guy cheating. If you’re going to be stupid enough to do that to me, [you better watch out],” Langley says. “Plus, I don’t have a crazy-girl song and I had to have one for the first record I’m putting out as a female country artist.”

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When it comes to the title track, Langley says she thinks it embodies Hungover in full.

“It represents the songs that I have been writing for the past four or five years, this era of my life from 21 to 25. How many different ways can you be hungover?” she sums. “It shows the artist I want to be, raw and real. This is a safe place to enjoy the one ride we get in this life.”

With her album out in the world and two fresh tattoos, Langley is now bringing her new tunes on the road. She opens for Morgan Wallen this weekend at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium before hitting a few fairs and festivals to finish out the summer, and is certain to make plenty more fans in her wake.