Parker McCollum. Photo: Jim Wright

Parker McCollum has racked up his fourth consecutive No. 1 with his hit, “Burn It Down,” which tops both the Billboard Country Airplay and Mediabase/Country Aircheck charts this week.

Written by McCollum, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna and Liz Rose, “Burn It Down” is the smoldering track from his most recent album, Never Enough, and follows the album’s first single, the heartbreaking and vulnerable “Handle On You,” which also reached the No. 1 spot. The rising star’s other No. 1s include “Pretty Heart” and “To Be Loved By You.”

McCollum took the stage at the 2024 CMT Music Awards with special guest Brittney Spencer to perform “Burn It Down.” He recently announced 13 additional stops on his current “Burn It Down Tour,” taking him to the west coast and some of the biggest venues in the country.

Newly Added Tour Dates:
9.13.24 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
9.14.24 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
9.19.24 – Portsmouth, VA – Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion
9.20.24 – Simpsonville, SC – CCNB Ampitheatre at Hertiage Park
9.21.24 – Orlando, FL – Addition Financial Arena, University of Central Florida
9.27.24 – Evansville, IN – Ford Center
9.28.24 – Springfield, MO – Great Southern Bank Arena
10.10.24 – Washington, D.C. – Theater at MGM National Harbor
10.11.24 – Boston, MA – MGM Music Hall at Fenway
10.12.24 – Philadelphia, PA – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
10.24.24 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center
10.25.24 – San Diego, CA – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre
10.26.24 – Stateline, NV – Tahoe Blue Event Center

Miranda Lambert. Photo: Tyler Conrad

Miranda Lambert is returning to the road following the conclusion of her “Velvet Rodeo” Las Vegas Residency for a series of one-off dates across the country this summer.

Along with headlining sets at Stagecoach, Rock the Country, Calgary Stampede and Under the Big Sky, as well as a three-night stand at Whitewater Amphitheater in her home state of Texas, and more, Lambert is adding six shows throughout July, August and September spanning from coast to coast. Tickets to the newly-added dates go on sale to the general public this Friday, April 12 via MirandaLambert.com.

“I’ve been touring since I was 19 years old, so it was nice to step away from the road for a bit and settle into Vegas,” reflects Lambert. “That gave us time to miss touring though, so I cannot wait to get back out there on Elvira, my home away from home, and visit the fans across the country that we haven’t seen in a while.”

Lambert’s “Velvet Rodeo” kicked off at Planet Hollywood’s Bakkt Theater in September 2022, spanning 48 total shows in 18 months. During that time, she also released cross-genre collaborations with both Leon Bridges and Enrique Iglesias, while taking time to write and record new music, launch her own label imprint, Big Loud Texas, and release her book, Y’all Eat Yet?

Upcoming Miranda Lambert Concert Dates:
April 19 – Ashland, Ky. || Rock the Country Festival
April 27 – Indio, Calif. || Stagecoach Festival
May 24-26 – New Braunfels, Texas || Whitewater Amphitheater
June 8 – Mashantucket, Conn. || Foxwoods Resort Casino
July 5* – Hinckley, Minn. || Grand Casino Hinckley
July 12 – Calgary, Alberta || Calgary Stampede
July 13 – Whitefish, Mont. || Under the Big Sky Festival
July 17* – Paso Robles, Calif. || California Mid-State Fair
July 20* – Lincoln, Calif. || Thunder Valley
July 27 – Anderson, S.C. || Rock the Country Festival
Aug. 17 – Springfield, Ill. || Illinois State Fair
Aug. 24 – Houston, Texas || Chris Stapleton’s All-American Road Show
Aug. 30* – Canandaigua, N.Y. || Constellation Brands Marvin Sands
Aug. 31* – Atlantic City, N.J. || Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Sept. 27* – Gautier, Miss. || The Sound Amphitheater

*on sale April 12; all others on sale now

Little Big Town and Sugarland. Photo: Becky Fluke

Little Big Town‘s Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Phillip Sweet and Jimi Westbrook and longtime friends/collaborators Sugarland joined forces on Sunday night’s CMT Music Awards to world premiere their new song “Take Me Home.”

Originally written and released by Phil Collins in 1985, the fresh rendition served as a homecoming of sorts for the two country giants, as they last shared the CMTMA stage in 2008 for a rendition of “Life In A Northern Town.”

They are taking the fun on the road as well, as they’ll also embark on the new “Take Me Home Tour” together with support from The Castellows beginning Oct. 24 in Greenville, South Carolina. The trek will visit Boston, Pittsburgh, Austin, Fort Worth, Biloxi and more through mid-December, before concluding Dec. 13 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The closing night is a special Nashville homecoming for the band, as it’ll be their first show in town since 2017’s iconic sold-out, 10-night residency at the Ryman Auditorium.

Various ticket pre-sales for the “Take Me Home Tour” will run throughout the week, ahead of the general sale beginning on Friday, April 12 at littlebigtown.com.

“Last night felt like a real homecoming for us and a full circle moment,” says Little Big Town. “When we toured with Sugarland last, we would all be backstage harmonizing different cover songs to try and surprise the audience every night.  There’s something about this song that feels so nostalgic of that time. It really is like coming home. The ‘Take Me Home Tour’ feels like a celebration of being a band for 25 years and we’re so excited to throw this party with our great friends Sugarland. We’ll both be playing all our biggest hits and then some. Can’t wait to see everyone!”

“Take Me Home Tour” Dates:
October 24 – Bon Secours Wellness Arena – Greenville, SC
October 25 – PNC Arena – Raleigh, NC
October 26 – Nationwide Arena – Columbus, OH
October 31 – TD Garden – Boston, MA
November 1 – PPG Paints Arena – Pittsburgh, PA
November 2 – KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY
November 7 – Target Center – Minneapolis, MN
November 8 – Fiserv Forum – Milwaukee, WI
November 9 –  Van Andel Arena – Grand Rapids, MI
November 14 – T-Mobile Center – Kansas City, MO
November 15 – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center – Sioux Falls, SD
November 16 – Vibrant Arena at The MARK – Moline, IL
November 21 – Moody Center – Austin, TX
November 22 – Dickies Arena – Fort Worth, TX
November 23 – BOK Center – Tulsa, OK
December 11 – Mississippi Coast Coliseum – Biloxi, MS
December 12 – Gas South Arena – Duluth, GA
December 13 – Bridgestone Arena – Nashville, TN

Photo: Robby Klein

Since becoming the first contestant to win American Idol with original music in 2021, country artist Chayce Beckham has proved that staying true yourself as well as writing about and recording what’s real to you will always resonate with others and cultivate connection in various ways. Today (April 5), he released his debut album, Bad For Me, which is a testament to just that—exploring personal themes of substance abuse, guilt and remorse. Prior to its release, Beckham took some time to speak with MusicRow about how Bad For Me came to be.

Beckham is credited as a writer on nine of the candid collection’s 13 tracks, three of which he penned solo. The self-written trio includes “23,” the hit he performed on the singing competition that recently became his first No. 1 at country radio. The Platinum-certified tune’s accompanying visual is nominated for Breakthrough Male Video of the Year at the 2024 CMT Music Awards, taking place this Sunday (April 7). The singer-songwriter notes that the vision he had for the “23” video really came to life throughout its creation process.

“I didn’t want it represent just me in particular. The kid in the video is a younger version of me, but he’s also a version of so many other young men out there that are in similar situations. I’m really proud of it,” he says. “I try to make everything as authentic as possible, and I hope that by making that character [ambiguous], it makes more people feel something.”

Apart from “23,” the album was produced by Bart Butler, and includes lead track “Devil I’ve Been,” redolent number “Everything I Need” and smooth-sounding “Whiskey Country,” all of which Beckham co-wrote with John Pierce and Lindsay Rimes. The other two solo-writes, “Mama” and “Drink You Off My Mind,” were inked before Beckham entered the spotlight. Inspired by a wide range of influences across genres, the Apple Valley, California native always wanted to pursue music and taught himself how to play guitar. He started a band and began writing at the age of 19. He feels it’s easier to take risks when he writes alone, but has learned so much through collaborating with others. “You have to be open to writing different ways with other people in order to get some really cool songs.”

While Beckham genuinely loves every song on the album, one of his favorites is a co-write with Scooter Carusoe, “If I Had A Week,” which closes the project. “It’s a really special and true song about me being out here in Tennessee and missing my family,” he says. When came to crafting Bad For Me, Beckham had a lot of creative control and was able curate a soundtrack for “everyday people who are dealing with a lot.”

“I want to talk about stuff that’s relatable. I think a lot of people have this [idea] that their favorite artists or public figures have it all figured out, but everyone is human. We all hit bumps in the road, and for me, it’s those parts of life that make the good times stand out more.”

After he heard single “Waylon In ‘75,” written by Jon Randall, Brett James, Parker McCollum and Lee Thomas Miller, he knew he wanted to cut it due to its boldness. “It’s a little reckless and it’s high-energy, but it’s also real and raw. The first line definitely caught my attention, and I think the audacity of the song is something to be admired.”

One eye-catching title on the track listing is “Glitter,” inked by Joey Hendricks, Mark Trussell and Natalie Hemby, which Beckham says embodies everything he loves about country music with its steel guitar and melody while still being unique and interesting. The title track is another outside cut written by Joe Fox, Randy Montana and Tyler Chambers. The song’s honest, human elements about having the wherewithal to know what’s bad for you really spoke to Beckham and made him want to record it. In the end, he felt like “Bad For Me” summed up the relatability the record radiates.

“I hope that people relate to this album, and it gives them a little bit of comfort along with some rowdiness and fun,” he shares. “The whole message for me is don’t beat yourself up too bad, we’re all just people and we all have our faults.”

Beckham is currently on his “Bad For Me Tour,” and will join Luke Bryan for the “Mind Of A Country Boy Tour” this summer as well as McCollum for the “Burn It Down Tour” this fall.