Carrie Underwood Adds New 2024 Dates To ‘Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency’

Carrie Underwood has added 18 new dates to her “Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency” for 2024.

Exclusively designed for the state-of-the-art venue, Underwood’s residency has garnered rave reviews and sell-out runs since its premiere in December 2021. She kicked off her 2023 run of shows in June and added three more December datesTickets and a limited number of VIP packages and upgrades to the new set of performances go on sale this Monday (Sept. 18). For more information, click here.

Additionally, Underwood joined NBC’s Today show this morning for a live performance at Today Plaza as part of the Citi Concert Series. Her Denim & Rhinestones (Deluxe Edition) album is set for release on Friday, Sept. 22, and features six new tracks, including her current single “Out Of That Truck.”

“Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency” New Dates: 
March 2024: 6, 8, 9, 13, 15, 16
May 2024: 22, 25, 26, 29, 31
June 2024: 1
Aug. 2024: 14, 16, 17, 21, 23, 24

Tiera Kennedy Signs With Hill Entertainment Group, WME

Pictured (L-R): Hill Entertainment Group’s President/CEO Greg Hill, Client Coordinator Palmer Heath and Director of Business & Client Development Kodi Chandler, Tiera Kennedy, WME’s Partner Risha Rodgers and Agent Carter Green

Rising singer-songwriter Tiera Kennedy has signed with Hill Entertainment Group for management, and WME for global representation in all areas.

Kennedy will be managed by Kodi Chandler, Greg Hill and their team, and represented by WME’s Risha Rodgers and Carter Green.

The Alabama native recently offered a taste of her upcoming debut project with her new single “Jesus, My Mama, My Therapist” via The Valory Music Co., out now. Kennedy is currently putting the finishing touches on her forthcoming full-length debut, and as the host of Apple Music Country’s The Tiera Show, she puts her stamp on the genre daily.

Having landed on several of 2022’s most impressive Artist to Watch Lists, including CMT’s Listen Up, MusicRow’s Next Big Thing and Pandora’s Country Artist to Watch, Kennedy took her songs on the road, opening for artists including Kelsea Ballerini and Danielle Bradbery, while playing festivals across the country.

Grand Ole Opry Honors Johnny Cash’s Life & Legacy

John Carter Cash, Ana Cristina Cash, Joseph Cash, The Gatlin Brothers, Jamey Johnson and The Tennessee Four performing “Daddy Sang Bass” during “Opry Honors Johnny Cash.” Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

The Grand Ole Opry celebrated the life and legacy of Johnny Cash on the 20th anniversary of his passing on Tuesday night (Sept. 12).

The special evening of “Opry Honors Johnny Cash” included tribute performances by his son John Carter Cash, Ana Cristina Cash and Joseph Cash as well as artists who have been influenced by his work including Rodney Crowell, Erin Enderlin, The Gatlin Brothers, Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson and William Beckman.

The Tennessee Four—made up of Cash’s oldest grandson Thomas Gabriel on vocals and musicians who played with Cash including Paul Leim (drums), Kerry Marx (guitar) and Dave Roe (bass)— also took the stage, making their Grand Ole Opry debut.

Rodney Crowell performing during “Opry Honors Johnny Cash.” Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

Chris Janson and Jamey Johnson performing an acoustic duet of “Sunday Morning Coming Down” during “Opry Honors Johnny Cash.” Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

Luke Bryan Looks Back On His Career & 30 No. 1 Hits

Pictured (L-R): Cindy Mabe/Chair & CEO, UMG Nashville, Luke Bryan, Kerri Edwards/KP Entertainment. Photo: Alan Poizner

Industry members gathered at Brooklyn Bowl earlier this week to celebrate country superstar, Luke Bryan.

The five-time Entertainer of the Year recently notched the milestone of 30 No. 1 hits. First topping the charts in 2009 with “Do I,” Bryan has changed the sound of country music in the last 15 years.

The occasion served as a celebration of Bryan’s life and work. So many executives and peers that helped his record-breaking career take shape were in attendance, and Bryan thanked a lot of them by name, telling funny stories about their time together. In short, it was a love fest.

Storme Warren served as the emcee for the event. He let the crowd know that Bryan was in prestigious company as a 30-time chart-topping artist, joining the ranks with such legends as George Strait, Ronnie Milsap, Conway Twitty and Alabama.

Luke Bryan, Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott. Photo: Alan Poizner

Bryan’s longtime partner in crime, KP Entertainment’s Kerri Edwards, spoke about her journey with Bryan from her days of booking his calendar at Roger Murrah‘s publishing company to stewarding him to superstardom.

“I could not be more excited to be here celebrating this moment with this artist, and everything that his been accomplished not only through his hard work, but by the hard work of many of you in the room,” Edwards said.

To honor Bryan’s 30 No. 1 hits, some artists came out to congratulate their friend. Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood from Lady A performed “Do I,” before Dierks Bentley gave a hilarious performance of “Play It Again.” Bentley turned his appearance into a full-blown Luke Bryan roast, tallying their No. 1 hits and playfully making fun of the entertainer. Bryan ate it up.

Up next was Marty Raybon of Shenandoah, a long-time musical hero to Bryan, who performed “Fast.” The final surprise performer was good friend Jason Aldean who sang Bryan’s “Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye.”

When Bryan got up to the podium to speak, he let us know it was going to take him a while. He generously thanked so many industry members for their contribution to his career.

Bryan also thanked the songwriters who had helped him reach the milestone, calling out frequent collaborators Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip, Ashley Gorley, Rodney Clawson and more, as well as his longtime co-writer and producer, Jeff Stevens, and his son Jody Stevens. Bryan also thanked the songwriters for the hits that didn’t make it to the top of the charts, hilariously recalling how they should count in the tally.

“There’s a beauty to me writing a song every now and then that I love, and then leaning on Nashville to send me their songs that they love. That’s where I love to be in life,” Bryan shared. “As long as I’m focusing on trying to be important and relevant in music, I will always lean on the songwriting community more than ever.”

He added, “It’s one of the most beautiful, organized machines in this whole world, watching the Nashville songwriting community write songs that change people’s lives and help country music fans through the good times and the bad times.”

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s LB Cantrell, Luke Bryan with his MusicRow No. 1 Challenge Coins, MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson. Photo: Alan Poizner

Bryan closed out the performances singing “Country On,” his 30th No. 1 hit.

During his career, Bryan has amassed a total of 21.7 billion global streams, 11.5 million global album sales and 52 million track sales worldwide. He is the most digital single RIAA certified country artist of all time with 83 million units and 15.5 million album certified units for a total of 98.5 million. He was recently presented with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award in recognition of his standing as one of the most streamed artists in SoundExchange’s 20-year history.

Bryan has won more than 50 major music awards, including five wins as Entertainer of the Year. Additional awards include six recognitions as a CMT Artist of the Year, NSAI Artist/Songwriter of the Year, the first-ever recipient of the ACM Album of the Decade Award for Crash My Party, seven CMT Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards and four American Music Awards.

On Nov. 8 Bryan and NFL superstar Peyton Manning will return to host The 57th Annual CMA Awards to be broadcast live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena 8:00-11:00 PM/EST on ABC. In 2024, Bryan will once again return as a celebrity judge alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie for their seventh season on ABC’s American Idol.

Luke Bryan’s 30 career No. 1 singles:
“Country On” – Written by: Mark Nesler, David Frasier, Mitch Oglesby, Styles Haury 12-12-22
“Buy Dirt” – Written by: Josh Jenkins, Jacob Davis, Jordan Davis, Matt Jenkins 1-24-22
“Waves”- Written by: Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd, Chase McGill 8-30-21
“Down To One”- Written by: Dallas Davidson, Justin Ebach, Kyle Fishman 3-1-21
“One Margarita” – Written by: Michael Carter, Matt Dragstrem, Josh Thompson 7-6-21
“What She Wants Tonight”- Written by: Luke Bryan, Ross Copperman, Hillary Lindsey, Jon Nite 3-31-20
“Knockin’ Boots”- Written by: Hillary Lindsey, Gordie Sampson, Jon Nite 9-9-19
“What Makes You Country”- Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley 2-27-19
“Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset”- Written by: Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd, Chase McGill 9-10-18
“Most People Are Good”- Written by: David Frasier, Ed Hill, Josh Kear 3-26-18
“Light It Up”- Written by: Luke Bryan, Brad Tursi 12-11-17
“Fast”- Written by: Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson, Luke Laird 4-3-17
“Move” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Michael Carter, Jay Clementi 11-7-16
“Huntin’, Fishin’, And Lovin’ Every Day” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 6-20-16
“Home Alone Tonight” – Written by: Jody Stevens, Cole Taylor, Jaida Dreyer, Tommy Cecil 2-1-16
“Strip It Down” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Jon Nite, Ross Copperman 10-19-15
“Kick The Dust Up” – Written by: Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley 8-3-15
“I See You” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Ashley Gorley, Luke Laird 2-2-15
“Roller Coaster” – Written by: Michael Carter, Cole Swindell 10-6-14
“Play It Again” – Written by: Dallas Davidson, Ashley Gorley 5-19-14
“Drink A Beer” – Written by: Jim Beavers, Chris Stapleton 2-3-14
“That’s My Kind of Night” – Written by: Dallas Davidson, Chris DeStefano, Ashley Gorley 10-21-13
“Crash My Party” – Written by: Rodney Clawson, Ashley Gorley 7-1-13
“Only Way I Know” – Jason Aldean, Feat Luke Bryan 2-4-13
“Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens, Shane McAnally 11-5-12
“Drunk On You” – Written by: Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear 6-4-12
“I Don’t Want This Night To End” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins, Ben Hayslip 1-16-12
“Someone Else Calling You Baby” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Jeff Stevens 2-13-11
“Rain Is A Good Thing” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Dallas Davidson 7-11-10
“Do I” – Written by: Luke Bryan, Dave Haywood, Charles Kelley 12-13-09

Big Loud Records Expands To Australia & United Kingdom

Brianne Deslippe. Photo: Ryan Emberley

Big Loud Records has expanded into new territories, adding offices and label managers in London, U.K. and Brisbane, Australia. This bolsters its already established base in Toronto, Canada.

Industry executives Cayleigh Shepherd and Johnno Keetels have been tapped as label managers in the U.K. and Australia, respectively. On the Canadian team, Big Loud has elevated Justin Clark to Manager, National Promotion/Associate Label Manager for the territory.

“We started in year one with our Canadian office, and it has been a long-term goal of ours to have direct Big Loud representation in both Australia and the U.K.,” shares Seth England, Big Loud CEO/Partner. “We waited for the best strategic time, but now makes the most sense with how we’ve grown as a company. We continue to keep an eye on other emerging markets as well.”

All three label managers report to two-time CCMA Industry Person of the Year and SVP, Global Marketing & Strategy Brianne Deslippe.

Brisbane local Keetels joins Big Loud following stops at Warner Music Australia and most recently a 10-year run at Universal Music Australia in the Media & Editorial department. London-based Shepherd transitions from U.K.-based imprint Snakefarm Records, where she worked as a Marketing Manager for five years after a tenure with its parent company, Spinefarm Records, a subsidiary of Universal U.K. Clark started with Big Loud in 2020, contributing to and leading innovative promotion strategies on the international team and directly supporting Deslippe.

“There is so much growth potential in these markets, I feel like we’ve just scratched the surface,” says Deslippe. “For a long time, I was the only international team member having moved to Nashville from Canada, but I’ve always been made to feel like a valued member of the core team. I’m excited to pay this sentiment forward and invite some more unique and different voices to the table.”

“Getting these international pipes, if you will, set up now, has never been more important or timelier for us,” adds England. “This is the next logical step; be ready for the ones to come and stay prepared for the ones we have.”

Hozier & Maren Morris Team For ‘CMT Crossroads’

Hozier and Maren Morris are the latest artists set to appear on the CMT Crossroads franchise.

The new episode was filmed in front of a live audience at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena, and reunites the Irish singer-songwriter with Morris following their first collaboration in 2019 when they released a version together of Morris’ crossover hit “The Bones.”

The show has the pair swapping stories and performing on each other’s most-celebrated songs, including Hozier’s “Take Me to Church,” “Work Song,” and two releases off his newest album, “Eat Your Young” and “All Things End.” They will also perform Morris’ “The Bones,” “My Church,” “Girl” and her brand new single, “The Tree.”

CMT Crossroads: Hozier & Maren Morris premieres with a special one-hour presentation on Sept. 22 at 9 p.m. CT, with an immediate encore at 10 p.m. CT, and on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 11 CT. It will also air live on Sept.r 23 on CMT.com, CMT VOD and the MTV app (CMT Crossroads), with subsequent premieres on CMT Music and MTV Live.

“Getting to share songs with Maren Morris for CMT Crossroads was a uniquely rewarding and fun experience,” says Hozier. “I’ve often felt a great deal of kinship between her work and my own. Getting to explore that and work alongside someone so outrageously talented was a joy. There were moments on that stage that I got to be a musician, a performer, collaborator and an audience member to Maren’s beautiful new music all at once.”

“Hozier is such a necessary artist to these times,” shares Morris. “He meets every moment with tenderness, clever wit and a strong moral stance for what is right. I’ve loved becoming friends with him over the years and I truly consider him to be one of the best of our generation. It was so much fun to collaborate again.”

Dan + Shay Slate ‘The Heartbreak On The Map Tour’ For 2024

Dan + Shay. Photo: Robby Klein

Dan + Shay have announced their 2024 “Heartbreak On The Map Tour,” kicking off in February. Ben Rector and Hailey Whitters will support the duo on the dates.

The tour will make stops in Austin, Oklahoma City, Knoxville, Kansas City, Chicago, Nashville and more before wrapping in Boston on April 14. Artist pre-sale tickets go on sale beginning Sept. 19, and additional pre-sales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale Sept. 22. Fans can pre-register here until Sept. 18 to receive their early ticket access code.

The 19-city tour aptly receives its title from “Heartbreak On The Map,” the third song on the duo’s fifth studio album, Bigger Houses out tomorrow, Sept. 15 via Warner Music Nashville. The long-awaited new music follows the duo’s record shattering, multi-award-winning, Platinum album, Good Things.

In the 10 years since they formed, Dan + Shay have garnered more than 11 billion career streams globally, multiple international No. 1 singles and 49 total RIAA Platinum and Gold certifications in the U.S. alone.

BBR Music Group Promotes Lauren Crawford, Hillary Borden & Hayley Irvine

Pictured (L-R): Lauren Crawford, Hillary Borden and Hayley Irvine. Photos: Kevin Grace

BBR Music Group/BMG Nashville has elevated Lauren Crawford to Director of Marketing, Hillary Borden to Sr. Manager of Marketing and Hayley Irvine to Manager of Marketing.

Crawford, now head of the department, will lead the label’s marketing team and its initiatives as well as continue to manage artist projects such as Jason Aldean, Dustin Lynch and Jelly Roll, while also overseeing the rest of the roster. She joined the label from Capitol Christian Music Group, where she handled projects for artists such as: Chris Tomlin, Cody Carnes, Kari Jobe, We The Kingdom and more. Prior to Capitol, she worked for Nashville’s annual Pilgrimage Music Festival, driving its marketing initiatives and overseeing the festival’s administration.

Borden joined BBR Music Group as Marketing Manager. In her new role, she will continue to manage artist projects, create marketing plans, streamline advertising initiatives and coordinate with all departments on artist release plans and strategies. Borden came to the label from The Bobby Bones Show, where she served as a producer, booking artists for the show and writing the weekend show, Country Top 30.

Irvine joined BBR Music Group as Manager of Recorded Finance. Going above and beyond the scope of her job duties, Irvine’s devotion to the label’s roster solidified her as the right teammate to transition into this artist-relations role, serving as a needed addition to the marketing team. Upon arriving in Nashville, Irvine came straight to the label after a short stint working in finance at Vaco.

“Each of these women are a force,” says JoJamie Hahr, EVP, BMG Nashville. “They seamlessly lead artist projects with passion, intensity, organization, and creativity. Lauren is the perfect lead for this highly motivated, well-rounded group with her attention to detail, marketing smarts and strategic thinking. Hillary adds an important dimension to the team with her vast country radio knowledge, and Hayley’s finance experience further solidifies the department.”

All will be reporting to Hahr. Crawford can be reached at lauren@bbrmusicgroup.com, Borden can be reached at hillary@bbrmusicgroup.com and Irvine can be reached at hayley@bbrmusicgroup.com.

Reservoir Signs Multi-Genre Songwriter Steph Jones

Pictured (L-R): Reservoir’s Golnar Khosrowshahi, Steph Jones, Reservoir’s Donna Caseine and Steph Jones Management’s Rhea Pasricha

Reservoir Media, Inc. has signed a publishing deal with multi-genre songwriter Steph Jones for her future work.

The Los Angeles-based creator has co-written tracks for some of the industry’s biggest names, collectively garnering billions of streams. Jones has contributed to several No. 1 albums, including “People You Know” from Selena Gomez’s Rare, “Look At Us Now” from Celine Dion’s Courage, “Happy” from P!nk’s Hurts 2B Human, “Polaroid” from Keith Urban’s The Speed of Now Part 1 and “Roaring 20s” from Panic! At The Disco‘s Pray for the Wicked. She has also collaborated with Little Big Town, Mickey Guyton, Blackpink, Maisie Peters and more.

Most recently, Jones co-wrote several singles for Sabrina Carpenter, including Platinum-certified “Nonsense” from her album Emails I Can’t Send. She also co-wrote Kelsea Ballerini’s Platinum-certified, 2021 ASCAP Country Award-winning song “Hole in the Bottle” as well as “Lottery (feat. Lu Kala)” by rapper-singer Latto.

“Among the industry’s circles, Steph Jones is the name on everybody’s lips. Having success across multiple genres, her star burns brighter every day, and her writing continues to impress artists, listeners and industry experts alike. We are so happy to be supporting her career and helping her leverage opportunities to create more incredible songs,” says Donna Caseine, Reservoir Executive Vice President, Global Creative Director.

“I’m so excited to partner with Donna and the Reservoir team for this next chapter of my career,” says Jones. “The work that they do truly honors the songwriting craft and community, and I’m looking forward to accomplishing a lot of great things together.”

Kelsea Ballerini Performs At The VMAs, Covers ‘TIME100’

Kelsea Ballerini covers TIME. Photo: Caroline Tompkins

Kelsea Ballerini celebrated several milestones this week. In addition to turning 30, the country star made her MTV Video Music Awards debut and was one of three chosen to cover the TIME100’s Next List.

At the VMAs, Ballerini performed the song “Penthouse” from her lauded Rolling Up The Welcome Mat project. In addition to performing beautifully, the star had a stunning moment at the crescendo of the song, when her flowing white dress suddenly became a black gown for the grand finale.

YouTube video

For TIME, Ballerini graces the cover of select magazines alongside NFL quarterback Jalen Hurts and chef Mory Sacko. Listed under the heading “Artist,” Ballerini was selected for a list that includes medical leaders, advocates, politicians, athletes, academics, writers, scientists, chefs, politicians, innovators and technological groundbreakers.

Country music icon and a personal hero to Ballerini, Shania Twain, wrote an inclusion essay for the magazine. She writes, “I remember thinking back then how talented she was as a songwriter at such a young age. She’s an old soul in many ways. As a veteran songwriter, I’m always looking for authenticity, and I’m really inspired by clever songwriting—songwriting that is not only thought-provoking and meaningful but most of all original. Kelsea writes with all those qualities. She isn’t afraid to be vulnerable and really brave in her songwriting.”

Piling on the good news, Ballerini also just announced her first major arena concert at Knoxville’s Thompson-Boling, the one-night-only “The Homecoming Show.”