DISClaimer Single Reviews: Travis Denning & Mickey Guyton Share Disc Of The Day

Travis Denning, Mickey Guyton

The sun is shining, and there’s a spring in your step, so the country stars are here to get your feet tapping, too.

New tracks by Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Elle King and a Darius Rucker/Jennifer Nettles collaboration set the pace this week in DISClaimer.

Our male winner of the Disc of the Day prize is Travis Denning, and his winning female counterpart is Mickey Guyton. Each had tough competition via the new tracks by Tim Dugger and Lacy J. Dalton, respectively.

I have no DISCovery honoree this week. But we live in hope.

RYAN CHARLES / “Heartbreak Rodeo”
Writer: Ryan Charles; Producers: Kyle Jefferson/Austin Bianco; Label: River House Artists
– This nasal-sounding rapper is attempting a hip-hop country fusion. I’m not buyin’ it. It takes more than putting on a cowboy hat to be a country artist.

JOSH TURNER / “Heatin’ Things Up”
Writers: Brice Long/Luke Laird/Marv Green; Producer: Kenny Greenberg; Label: MCA Nashville
– Turner dips into his lowest register during his performance of this slow-burn ode to lust. Nice and listenable.

TIM DUGGER / “Man Upstairs”
Writers: Brandon Hood/Josh Thompson/Tim Dugger; Producer: Brandon Hood; Label: Curb Records
– I like the easy-going, kicked-back vibe of this neo-traditionalist’s love song. It has a summertime, front-porch-swing mood that is mighty attractive. The gently persuasive, less-is-more production is perfect.

DARIUS RUCKER & JENNIFER NETTLES / “Never Been Over”
Writers: Darius Rucker/John Osborne/Lee Thomas Miller; Producer: Ross Copperman; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
– The relationship has had its ups and downs, but through it all, they endure. Rucker takes the first verse and his phrasing dominates. Nettles enters, piercingly, then he joins her in a duet. She takes the harmony part, but does some dandy extemporaneous vocal licks, too. Well done, both of you.

ELLE KING / “Baby Daddy’s Weekend”
Writers: Elle King/Nicolette Hayford; Producers: Elle King/Dave Cohen; Label: RCA Records
– King’s on a rompin,’ stompin’ rampage on this rousing, summer-vacation anthem. Her buddies are shouting along while the guitars and drums rock out.

WILLIE NELSON / “Made In Texas”
Writers: Monty Holmes/Shawn Camp; Producer: Buddy Cannon; Label: Legacy Recordings
– Willie turned 91 on Monday. He also released a new track. Drawn from his upcoming album The Border, it’s a jaunty western swinger that has shout outs to Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb and Lone Star Beer. Not to mention the immortal line, “You can always tell a Texan/But you can’t tell him much.” Cool extended guitar workouts flavor the tune. And a good time was had by all.

GRANT GILBERT / “Drunk Since Dallas”
Writers: Forrest Finn/Grant Gilbert/Joe Whelan; Producer: Lukas Scott; Label: River House Artists
– Hillbilly heartache, set to a wildly percolating, bopping beat.

MIRANDA LAMBERT / “Wranglers”
Writers: Audra Mae/Evan McKeever/Ryan Carpenter; Producers: Miranda Lambert/Jon Randall; Label: Republic Records
– It’s a female-empowerment, revenge roar. She always did love to light stuff on fire, but alas, “wranglers take forever to burn.”

TRAVIS DENNING / “Add Her To The List”
Writers: Paul DiGiovanni/Bobby Pinson/Jeremy Stover; Producers: Paul DiGiovanni/Jeremy Stover; Label: Mercury Nashville
– He has run into the ditch, hit dead ends, taken wrong turns and screwed up many, many times. Not the least of the things he wishes he could fix is the relationship. So of all the wrongs he’d make right, you can “add her to the list.” Marvelously well written and performed with verve. This deserves massive airplay.

MICKEY GUYTON / “Scary Love”
Writers: Karen Kosowski/Emma-Lee/Mickey Guyton/Victoria Banks; Producer: Karen Kosowski; Label: Capitol Records Nashville
– Guyton is such an excellent singer. And with a piece of material this strong, she can really raise the rafters. The pounding, throbbing production matches her passionate performance of this inspirational motherhood lyric. The video features beyond-adorable footage of her baby as an infant and as a toddler. Your heart will melt.

LACY J. DALTON / “What Don’t Kill Ya!”
Writer: Lacy J. Dalton; Producer: Jimmy Norris; Label: StarVista Music
– To the accompaniment of a bluesy, twanging track, veteran Dalton struts through this slice of outlaw wisdom. No matter the difficulty you face in your life, face it and you’ll survive. Punchy and potent. One of the most charismatic voices in this genre still has the goods. And how.

TERRI CLARK & BEN RECTOR / “Now That I Found You”
Writer: J.D. Martin/Paul Begaud/Vanessa Corish; Producer: Terri Clark; Label: Universal Music Enterprises
– Clark’s album of celebrity duets drops on May 31. Titled Take Two, it includes her collaborations with Lainey Wilson, Kelly Clarkson, Carly Pearce (”Girls Lie Too”), Cody Johnson, Ashley McBryde (”Better Things to Do”), Lauren Alaina and more. Clark is in fine voice on this swoon-y ballad. Rector doesn’t have her magnetism, but is an able duet foil on the romantic, melodic reinterpretation of her 1998 hit.

Megan Moroney Slates Anticipated Sophomore Album For July

Megan Moroney’s Am I Okay?. Photo: CeCe Dawson

Country breakout star Megan Moroney has revealed that her sophomore album, Am I Okay?, will release on July 12 via Sony Music Nashville/Columbia Records. The project follows her blockbuster debut album Lucky.

Moroney, who recently surpassed a billion total global streams across all platforms, will share a taste of the album on Friday (May 3) with new track “Indifferent.” Other songs on the tracklist include “No Caller ID” and “28th Of June,” with the rest of the tunes having not been announced.

 

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Am I Okay? finds Moroney sharpening her penmanship and sharing more of her personal story, digging deeper into the sound that has earned her the nickname “emo cowgirl.” The album was produced once again by Kristian Bush, who has helmed production for all of her work.

With hits including double-Platinum, No. 1 breakout single “Tennessee Orange,” her cheeky “I’m Not Pretty” and her reflective “Girl In The Mirror,” Moroney recently emerged as the most-nominated female artist at the 2024 ACM Awards with six nods. She is up for Female Artist of the Year, New Female Artist of the Year, Song of the Year (“Tennessee Orange”), Visual Media of the Year (“Tennessee Orange”) and Music Event of the Year (“Can’t Break Up Now,” her collaboration with Old Dominion) at the show on May 16.

My Music Row Story: SESAC’s Scott Jungmichel

Scott Jungmichel

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.

Scott Jungmichel serves as President & COO for SESAC Performing Rights. In this capacity, Jungmichel is charged with overseeing Writer/Publisher Client Services, Licensing, Royalty Administration, Corporate Development, Research & Analysis as well as administrative functions.

A 28-year veteran of SESAC, he previously served as CIO.  In that role, Jungmichel managed technology infrastructure, IT operations as they pertain to internal systems and projects, and deployed new technology to streamline business processes. He also focused on the requirements of internal employees and business units while ensuring ongoing operations and overall security measures. Before acting as CIO, Jungmichel spent over 10 years as the SVP of Royalty Distribution & Research Services, including Content Registration and Optimization, Royalty Administration, A/V Client Services and Research & Analysis.

Jungmichel holds a BBA degree in music business and management with a minor in business administration from Belmont University.  He is also a member of the Leadership Music Class of 2022.

MusicRow: Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the Nashville area. We moved from Atlanta when I was really young. The real estate agent took my dad out to Brentwood and said, “You want to be here.” So that’s where I grew up.

Pictured (L-R): Malcolm Hawker, John Josephson and Scott Jungmichel. Photo: Courtesy of Jungmichel

What were you into as a kid?

A mix of music and sports. Basketball was my main sport, and I played baseball.

On the music front, I was into a little bit of everything. I wouldn’t say I had a musical family—my family didn’t play instruments—but there was always music around. My parents would play Elvis, Willie Nelson, Charlie Rich and even big band music. I was listening to the Grease soundtrack and Kiss.

I started playing music in fourth grade with the trumpet. That morphed into being in a rock band playing bass guitar in high school. I started really getting into music at that point, but I didn’t realize there was a music business. Once I found out there was a business, I decided to [pursue that] and go to Belmont.

Pictured (L-R): Diana Akin Scarfo, Jack Harlow, Sam Kling and Scott Jungmichel. Photo: Courtesy of Jungmichel

Tell me about your time at Belmont.

It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. Bob Mulloy was running the program at that time. There were internship opportunities because he was really big on internships. All that stuff was important [in order] to see how the business really functions. I interned at MCA Records for a while. I was primarily in the Marketing department and worked there for a few semesters, which I enjoyed.

What happened after graduation?

I didn’t find a job. [Laughs] My wife was a year behind me, so she was still in school. She went to Belmont too. So I actually went back to Belmont and completed the requirements to get a business management degree. I was also working at a record store. Then I answered an ad and started at SESAC.

What was SESAC like when you joined?

From 1930 until the end of 1992, SESAC was literally a family-owned business. It was started by Paul Heineke. SESAC was sold at the end of 1992, and I started soon thereafter, but it still felt like a family-run business at the time. The transformative stuff hadn’t really started.

Scott and Denise Jungmichel. Photo: Courtesy of Jungmichel

I began in the Licensing department, and was working in the broadcast area focused on television and radio stations. When they sold, you had to contact them and get the transfer of ownership and make sure that they get relicensed essentially, so I did that for about a year. Then a job opened up in the international royalties area, but at that point, it wasn’t really a full-time job at SESAC, so I was filling my time doing other stuff as well.

You really got to experience the growth of SESAC, having been there for so long. How did the company transform in the beginning of your tenure?

The first thing was a technological shift, to create some infrastructure. That was obviously a change. Then there was a bit of a philosophy change on how to run the business and how to take this family-owned company and grow it. Not too long after that, we signed Bob Dylan and Neil Diamond. That was the catalyst for additional growth because those are significant catalogs. From that point on, we had a template to grow the business. We’ve gone through a couple of ownership changes and expanded beyond performing rights with the SESAC Music Group concept. It’s exciting.

As far as being there that long, I didn’t have to move. Everything sort of changed around me—either I was changing what I was doing or there were ownership changes, which always creates some new opportunities and ways to do things differently—so I didn’t have to go anywhere. I had plenty of variety.

Scott Jungmichel and composer Jonathan Wolff. Photo: Courtesy of Jungmichel

You’ve had so many roles at SESAC. How do you explain what you do now as President & COO?

It’s really looking after the three departments that make PROs unique: Licensing, Client Services or Writer/Publisher Relations and Royalty Distribution. Those departments have to work in sync because one can’t exist without the other. If you don’t have writers and publishers, you can’t license anything. You don’t get writers and publishers unless your royalty distributions are efficient, accurate and pay competitively. A normal day for me is a little bit of each of those.

What would you say is your favorite part?

I don’t know if I have a favorite part. I came up doing royalty distribution, so that’s the piece that I’m the most comfortable with. That’s still kind of fun—it’s a little bit of a puzzle.

I’m dating myself, but I started pre-internet. We had radio, local and network television stations and cable. Now we’re dealing with billions of lines of data, and trillions of performances with Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and all the other stuff. There’s a different kind of intensity to that than there is in the other performance categories, not that the others can’t get intense. [Laughs] Distributions are like a quarterly sprint.

Pictured (L-R): John Josephson, Scott Jungmichel and composer Devin Powers. Photo: Courtesy of Jungmichel

Have you had any mentors along the way?

I’ve been mentored by everybody I’ve interacted with in one way or another, whether it’s all the bosses I’ve had or colleagues. You pick up different pieces of their styles. It’s good to have a toolbox like that, because you have to pull out different things at different times.

What are some of the tools or strengths that you lean on the most in your day to day?

There’s that analytical side of me. I approach things from a very pragmatic, analytical way. I’m also pretty even-keeled—nothing’s going to get me too high and nothing’s going to get me too low.

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

Work hard. I know that sounds simple and obvious, [but] find something that you love, get in there and work hard. If you work hard, you’ll get noticed. You’ve also got to have a tinge of luck. There’s a little bit of making your own luck, but things have to happen. You can only control what you can control, and then you just have to be ready when an opportunity comes up.

CMA Reveals Ballot Schedule For 2024 Awards

The Country Music Association (CMA) has revealed the 2024 CMA Awards ballot schedule. The 58th annual CMA Awards will take place in Nashville this November.

The eligibility period for all awards is July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. The nomination ballot, along with instructions, will be emailed to CMA members in good standing on July 8. This ballot will close on July 17 at 6 p.m. CST.

On Aug. 6, members will receive the second ballot. Voting on this ballot will close on Aug. 20 at 6 p.m. CST. The final nominees in all 12 categories will be announced in late summer.

The final round of voting to determine the winners will take place from Oct. 1 through Oct. 29.

All voting will take place online and will be tabulated by Deloitte.

For voting eligibility, you must apply for CMA membership by June 1.

Additionally, applications for the 2024 CMA Broadcast Awards for Broadcast Personality, Station, and National Broadcast of the Year are now open through June 30 at 5 p.m. CST. Entries for these awards must reflect performances and events from June 1, 2023 through May 31, 2024.

CMA Industry Honors nominations are also open now through July 14.

Luke Combs Breaks More Attendance Records

Luke Combs plays Beaver Stadium at Penn State University in University Park. Photo: David Bergman

Country mega-star Luke Combs performed to record-breaking crowds during the first three weekends of his 2024 “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” stadium tour.

Combs achieved the highest single-night and two-night attendance at Milwaukee’s American Family Field with a combined 90,828 attendees. He earned the highest two-night attendance at Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium with 99,671 attendees and the highest-selling and highest-grossing concert at University Park, Pennsylvania’s Beaver Stadium with 73,339 attendees.

Luke Combs plays Beaver Stadium at Penn State University

“We are happy to share American Family Field has reached new attendance records with Luke Combs’ ‘Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour.’ The combined Friday and Saturday shows exceeded previous total attendance record for back-to-back concerts at the ballpark, set in 2023,” says Jason Hartlund, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer of the Milwaukee Brewers. “Moreover, Combs performance on Saturday surpassed the previous ballpark attendance record for one show, selling 44,752 tickets. It is clear that Wisconsin loves a good stadium tour and Luke Combs certainly delivered in every way possible.”

Pete Guelli, the Chief Operating Officer of the Buffalo Bills, says, “The Buffalo Bills are grateful to Luke Combs and his Bootleggers for visiting us for two incredible concerts at Highmark Stadium. As the first artist in nearly 40 years to play back-to-back nights at our stadium, Luke created magical memories for concertgoers in Buffalo as part of the second stop of his ‘Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old Tour.’ Reminiscent of a late-season Bills game, the cool April temperatures only added to the atmosphere of Luke’s shows, as proven by the nearly 100,000 fans in attendance.”

Furthermore, Dr. Patrick Kraft, Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics at University Park’s Beaver Stadium, adds, “What a terrific night in Beaver Stadium with Luke Combs and his ‘Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old’ tour! The fans packed the stadium and brought great energy all night long. This record-breaking night added another storied chapter in the history of Beaver Stadium and we look forward to many more events like this in the future!”

Combs will continue his “Growin’ Up and Gettin’ Old” tour through this summer. He also leads the nominees for the upcoming 59th Annual ACM Awards with eight nominations.

Weekly Register: Shaboozey Rises To No. 1 On Country Streaming Songs Chart

Shaboozey. Photo: Daniel Prakopcy

Shaboozey‘s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” rises to No. 1 on the country streaming songs chart this week with 20 million new streams, adding to 32 million ATD, according to Luminate data.

Zach Bryan and Kacey Musgraves‘ “I Remember Everything” moves down to No. 2 with 16 million streams, adding to 688 million ATD, and Beyoncé‘s “Texas Hold ‘Em” shifts to No. 3 with 12 million new streams, adding to 211 million ATD. Bryan’s “Something In The Orange” bides at No. 4 with 11.1 million streams, adding to 1.36 billion ATD, while Morgan Wallen‘s “Last Night” falls to No. 5 with 11 million new streams, adding to 1.34 billion ATD.

On the country albums chart, Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter remains at the top with 66K in total consumption (11K album only/68 million song streams). Wallen’s One Thing At A Time follows at No. 2 with 64K (1.3K album only/80 million song streams), and his Dangerous: The Double Album continues at No. 3 with 37K (333 album only/47 million song streams). Bryan’s self-titled project persists at No. 4 with 35K (2.8K album only/42 million song streams), while his American Heartbreak holds No. 5 with 27K (766 album only/35 million song streams).

MacKenzie Porter Shares Six Years Of Confessions On Debut Album [Interview]

MacKenzie Porter. Photo: Bree Marie Fish

Country singer-songwriter MacKenzie Porter has been making waves in the industry since she started her career in Canada.

After some success up north, the Big Loud singer cemented her success in the U.S. with her hit duet with Dustin Lynch “Thinkin’ Bout You,” which spent six weeks at No. 1. Now she’s ready to make an even bigger splash with her debut album Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart, which released on Friday (April 26). Prior to its release, Porter took some time to speak with MusicRow about how the record came to be.

Born and raised in Alberta, Canada, Porter cut her teeth there before heading to Nashville. “I started playing songs up in Canada. I’ve had a lot of success up there and the goal was always to come down and have a single at U.S. radio, but also build this other fan base at the same time,” shares Porter.

“I feel like I’ve learned so many things through touring and radio up there that now I feel really equipped with the tools [I needed] go into my first record here,” Porter expresses about her move to the U.S. country scene.

While up in Canada, Porter saw not only the growth of her Canadian fan base, but also that the U.S. “Because streaming services are worldwide, I have been able to build both [fan bases] simultaneously.”

When discussing the making behind the project, Porter describes it as six years in the making. “Six years ago is roughly when I signed my record deal. A lot of it at the beginning was developmental. I was trying to get into the best writing rooms and figure out what my sound was and what my brand was.

“At the same time, I was also doing a lot of acting,” she says, referring to her time on the television show Travelers where she played the main role of Marcy Wharton. “I was on a TV show for three years that took up a lot of my time, so I was filming that for five months out of a year and trying to develop [as an artist] at the same time.”

While filming took up a lot of her time, Porter was able to discover her artistry slowly, and felt ready to introduce herself musically when the television project ended.

“I say six years because that’s when I started writing for my debut record, even though there was no [intention to write an album then],” she says. “It was all just writing towards who am I and what my sound is as an artist.”

Reflecting on that time writing for her sound, she revealed that some songs from that time made it onto this record, but she also found inspiration in the studio while recording.”I would say the majority [of the songs] are newer, but there’s a couple that just lived in my catalog that I would come back to all the time, such as ‘Sucker Punch.’”

The album includes a total of 19 tracks, with Porter as a co-writer on nine of those. Working with a host of her frequent writing partners, such as Parker Welling, Lydia Vaughan, Luke Niccoli and more, the album features vulnerable lyrics and clever lyrical hooks such as “Pay Me Back In Change,” “Strong Things,” “Foreclosure” and more. She also introduces newer writer Emma Klein, who solo-penned “Pay Me Back In Change.”

YouTube video

Picking the title of the record, Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart, was an easy choice for Porter. The songs show someone’s journey through life, cultivating from her own experiences.

The message I want to get across is in life we all have these experiences, whether it’s actual heartbreak in a relationship, work heartbreak, family heartbreak or whatever your situation may be. You always feel a little broken from different situations that you had envisioned to go a different way in your head, and overall that builds who you are as a person,” Porter reflects. “All of these songs are like little moments of heartbreak for me that have really built who I am proud to be today and that was the whole meaning of the record.”

Sonically, Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart bridges the gap between country and pop, but as Porter points out, there is plenty of fiddle, mandolin and banjo. She calls it a, “new age, young, honest sound.”

When asked about a hidden gem on the record, Porter pointed out that she was most excited for listeners to hear “Coming Home To You,” the one love song on the record.

I’m in this phase of life where [that song] really hits home for me,” she says. “I think people in the same phase of life that I’m going through will also really relate to it.”

YouTube video

Porter’s most vulnerable track on the project, “Nightingale,” was a song she wrote for herself about her journey in the industry.

When I first moved to Nashville, I was so confident in myself, my story and my ability to write. I would just go up to anybody and say, ‘You should give me a record deal because I’m awesome,'” she quips. “After years of hearing ‘no’ a million times, there were moments where I had lost that. I don’t want to be like that—I want to be the girl who is totally carefree and has no doubt in her mind. I wrote ‘Nightingale’ to myself to keep singing, keep writing your songs and have no fear in this industry.”

When looking at all the writing credits on the record, Lainey Wilson‘s name definitely pops out on “Chasing Tornadoes.”

My producer Joey Moi sent me that song one day,” Porter shares. “It was before the record was finished, we were looking for the next single and I loved the energy of it. I didn’t really have anything that sounded like that or had that kind of energy. I’m a big fan of Lainey, but it felt like a song that felt like me too.”

The project wraps up with the title track “Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart.” Porter felt that it was a perfect way to wrap up the album because of the very last line of the song, “Maybe this love will put back the parts because nobody’s born with a broken heart.”

“It gives this hopeful outro to the entire thing. Even though the songs are about heartbreak, I’m a very positive person. I can be so upset about something and then the next day, I get back up and try again. That’s how I wanted to make sure I left the audience—knowing that I feel that way and that’s how they should feel in life in those situations too.”

Porter also shared that the meaning of the project changed during the creation process, when she found out she was pregnant with her first child.

“Now [the title] means another thing. My daughter [was] born so perfect and she’s going to experience a bunch of things in life that are probably going to chip away at her little heart,” Porter shares. “It will be good for her. It will show her that she went for it in life, she took risks and she loved people—and maybe they didn’t pan out the way she wanted, but that is a beautiful thing too because it’s always better to go for something and fail than not go at all.” 

Porter is gearing up to take her new music out on the road this year, with scheduled festival appearances and headlining dates across the U.S. and Canada. She will also serve as support on select dates of Parker McCollum‘s “Burn It Down Tour.”

She is most excited to play up-tempo tracks “Rough Ride For A Cowboy,” “Have Your Beers” and more to amp up the crowd during her set. She also will share some acoustic, honest moments with the crowd with tracks such as “Pay Me Back In Change,” “Confession” and “Coming Home To You.” With her eyes on the road, Porter can’t wait to see how fans resonate with Nobody’s Born With A Broken Heart.

Josh Phillips Tops MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart

Josh Phillips

Josh Phillips has claimed the No. 1 spot in this week’s MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart. Phillips’ only entry on the chart, “Dirt Cheap,” is solo-penned and recorded by Cody Johnson.

Ashley Gorley is No. 2 this week with “Bulletproof,” “Cowgirls,” “This Town’s Been Too Good To Us,” “World On Fire” and “Young Love & Saturday Nights.” With “Bulletproof,” “Chevrolet” and “Take Her Home,” Hunter Phelps sits at No. 3 this week.

Jessie Jo Dillon (No. 4) and Rocky Block (No. 5) round out the top five this week.

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.

Stagecoach Hosts Sold-Out 2024 Weekend [See Photos]

Reba McEntire & Miranda Lambert. Photo: D. Ernst, Courtesy of Stagecoach

Indio, California hosted a sold-out crowd for the three-day country music festival Stagecoach. One of the biggest country music festivals in the nation, the event also was livestreamed via Amazon Music the entire weekend.

Eric Church. Photo: J Mulka, Courtesy of Stagecoach

Eric Church was the first of the weekend’s headliners. Church gave fans a soulful, intimate performance, complete with a 16-person choir. Jelly Roll also performed on the Mane Stage, where he brought out T-Pain for a special performance. Other Friday (April 26) performers on the Mane Stage included Elle King, Hailey Whitters, Josh Abbott Band, Josh Ross, Ben Burgess and Lauren Watkins.

Jelly Roll was not the only one to bring out a friend to the stage, as Paul Cauthen brought out Lana Del Rey during his Palomino stage set. Legendary rock band Nickelback performed the Late Night in Palomino set, after Dwight Yoakam, Carin León and more treated the crowd to daytime sets. Diplo’s HonkyTonk also saw appearances from Cheat Codes, Young Gravy, Dixie D’Amelio, Maddie & Tae and more.

On Saturday (April 27), Tanner Adell, Casey Barnes, Kylie Morgan, Tenille Townes, Maddie & Tae, Ernest and Willie Nelson & Family all took the stage before Post Malone gave his set of country covers. During the set, he brought out Brad PaisleySara Evans and Yoakam. Miranda Lambert then took the stage to close out the night, giving a taste of her upcoming single “Wranglers,” and bringing out icon Reba McEntire.

Over in the Palomino tent, Charley Crockett, Leon Bridges and more warmed up the crowd before the late net set from Diplo, where he brought out Elle King, Hardy and Shaboozey. The Chainsmokers made their Stagecoach debut in front of a packed crowd at Diplo’s HonkyTonk, before Brandi Cyrus, Backwoods Barbie and DJ Rick Dominguez closed out the night.

Morgan Wallen. Photo: Courtesy of Stagecoach

Sunday (April 28), the last day of the festival, wrapped up with headliner Morgan Wallen on the Mane Stage. During his set, Wallen brought out Post Malone for their new collaboration “I Had Some Help.” Before Wallen came on, the crowd saw a performance from Hardy, where he brought out special guest Renee Blair. Bailey Zimmerman, Megan Moroney, Nate Smith, The War & Treaty, Ashley Cooke, Willie Jones and Dylan Schneider also all took the Mane Stage on Sunday.

Clint Black took on the Palomino tent during the day before The Beach Boys and Wiz Khalifa closed out the weekend. The Beach Boys brought out special guests John Stamos and Mark McGrath. Wiz Khalifa then brought out his friends Benji and Joel Madden of Good Charlotte. In Diplo’s HonkyTonk, the DJ brought out Marshmello and Cloonee for back-to-back sets, before Vavo and DJ Slim McGraw closed out the night.

Celebrity chef Guy Fieri once again brought Flavortown to Stagecoach. He was joined for cooking demonstrations by Jelly Roll, Cauthen, Black, Diplo, Rashad Jones, Chris Conger, Hardy and Zimmerman throughout the weekend.

T-Pain and Jelly Roll. Photo: J. Bernstein, Courtesy of Stagecoach

Lana Del Rey and Paul Cauthen. Photo: J Mulka, Courtesy of StageCoach

Brad Paisley and Post Malone. Photo: D Becerra, Courtesy of Stagecoach

The Chainsmokers and Shaboozey. Photo: M McDonald. Courtesy of Stagecoach

Renee Blair and Hardy. Photo: M McDonald, Courtesy of Stagecoach

Megan Moroney. Photo: A Casiano. Photo: Courtesy of Stagecoach

CMT Showcases Rising Female Star-Power At City Winery

Pictured (L-R, back row): Chapel Hart, Clare Dunn, Roberta Lea, Twinnie. (L-R, back row): Kylie Frey, Stephanie Quayle, HunterGirl, Priscilla Block, Leslie Fram, Abbey Cone. Photo: Gina Di Maio

CMT held their latest Next Women of Country showcase Wednesday night (April 24) at City Winery Nashville. Co-hosted by CMT’s Leslie Fram and UMG Nashville artist Priscilla Block, the evening featured performances from Abbey Cone, Chapel Hart, Clare Dunn, HunterGirl, Kylie Frey, Mackenzie Carpenter, Reyna Roberts, Roberta Lea, Stephanie Quayle and Twinnie. Block, along with Grammy-winning artist and CMT Next Women of Country mentor Colbie Caillat, also treated the crowd to a special performance.

Roberta Lea. Photo: Gina Di Maio

When welcoming the crowd, Fram shared, “We’ve been doing these Next Women of Country shows here at City Winery [for a while now] and they’ve been amazing to us. Everyone here is supporting women and female artists. That’s why we keep getting bigger and bigger.” 

Block, an alumni of the CMT Next Women of Country program, shared some words about her journey in Music City. “I’ve been in Nashville for 11 years now,” she said.You hope one day you can come here, be recognized by the industry [and selected as a] CMT Next Women of Country. It’s taken some time to get here, but I’m so thankful for the journey.”

Fram and Block then welcomed the first round of performers on stage, consisting of Carpenter, Roberts, Twinnie, Lea and Dunn. Each singer performed two songs each, and shared a little bit about their journey with the audience.

Up first was Carpenter, who has found great success as a songwriter in Nashville with cuts by Megan Moroney, Lily Rose and more. She reflected on her journey and told the story of getting her record deal with The Valory Music Co.

Carpenter’s first song, “Huntin’ Season,” got the crowd warmed up for the night. She also performed a love ballad dedicated to her husband called “Only Girl.” Carpenter shared she has new music on the way, and is performing at Stagecoach, opening for Cole Swindell and has some upcoming headlining dates in her home state of Georgia.

Before performing, Roberts was asked about how she landed on Beyoncé‘s “Blackbiird.” Roberts shared how she always believed it would happen. “In November of last year, I said, ‘God, can you please put me on a song with Beyoncé next year?’ I know that sounds pretty wild,” she admitted. “Here we are six months later and thankfully my prayers have been answered.” Roberts played the title track of debut album Bad Girl Bible, and an up-beat, catchy breakup anthem “Another Round.”

Twinnie. Photo: Gina Di Maio

Originally from the U.K., Twinnie now resides in Nashville full-time. While reflecting on her path to Music City, she recognized fellow performer Lea for her help in the journey.

I was coming back and forth for seven years, as I was with a label here at the time. I actually have to thank Ms. Roberta,” she said, addressing her. “I came to your release party and met Jamey Johnson. I sent him music and he made it happen. It’s just a true testament to how people have really shown up for me.” Twinnie’s first song was the sassy ballad “Girl In Your Songs.” She closed with a show of her powerful vocals on “Last Song.”

Up next was Lea, who has seen support from big artists such as Brandi Carlile and Allison Russell. When Fram asked about her sound, Lea shared, “Someone once told me [I sound like] ‘country neo-pop with a delicious folky flair,'” she said. “Music is an art. Art has multiple colors and multiple expressions, and that’s the way music should be.”

Lea released her debut album Too Much of a Woman in 2023, and her first song of the night was the album’s girl power anthem”Girls Trip.” She then finished her set off with another track from the record, “Dinner, Sunset, Nina Simone.”

Dunn was the final performer in the round. “I’ve been fortunate to be in the right place at the right time and fall into some cool stuff,” she shared with the crowd, adding that she got to tour with Bob Seger. She opened up her performance slot with sentimental track “Out of the Blue,” and closed round one with “Wasn’t Looking.”

Before the next round of performers from the CMT Next Women of Country Class of 2024, co-host Block returned to the stage to bring out Caillat, this year’s Next Women of Country mentor.

Priscilla Block and Colbie Calliat. Photo: Gina Di Maio

Caillat sang her hit song “Bubbly,” before turning it back over to Block for her current radio single “Good On You.” The crowd roared in admiration of the women.

The second round of performers included Next Women class-members Frey, Chapel Hart, Quayle, HunterGirl and Cone. First up was Frey, who has had 10 No. 1 hits on Texas radio.

Frey kicked off the round with her dynamic track “So You Think You Want A Cowboy?” and then shared emotional ballad “Woman Outta Love,” which dropped today (April 26). She spoke about growing up near Texas, which aided her in her journey to radio success in the Lone Star state.

Trio Chapel Hart received a big look in 2022 on America’s Got Talent, and have been building their momentum ever since. The three reflected on when they first showed up to the AGT set, “We were not ready for TV, but the minute that we started singing, every person that was there was [excited]. It was a moment of validation for us.” Chapel Hart shared their upcoming single “Perfect For Me” before going into fan-favorite “This Girl Likes Fords,” which they first debuted on AGT.

Quayle was up next. She got to share the exciting news that she is now a published author, with her book Why Do We Stay?: How My Toxic Relationship Can Help You Find Freedom due out on April 30. Quayle opened up her performance with “Charmed,” before sharing the powerful song she wrote to encapsulate her book, “Why Do We Stay?”

American Idol alum HunterGirl was next up. It’s scary sometimes just putting it all out there,” she shared about songwriting. “But with releasing my song, ‘Ain’t About You,’ I found that being as honest as possible—saying all the scary things about yourself—resonates more than the picture-perfect life.” She sang two unreleased tunes, “Clockwork” and “Bad Boy.”

Chapel Hart. Photo: Gina Di Maio

Closing out the night was Cone, who marked 10 years in Nashville this year. “I moved here when I was 16. I was lucky enough to get a publishing deal that young. I signed my first record deal a month before the pandemic,” she shared. “I ended up leaving the record label at the beginning of last year and have been a fully independent artist since then. It has been better for my creativity and also for my career. I had the biggest song I’ve ever had as an independent artist.”

Cone then shared her vulnerable track “Talk of the Town,” before closing the night with “If You Were a Song,” which currently has 16 million Spotify streams.