Alexandra Kay. Photo: Courtesy of 117 Entertainment Group
Over the past few years, TikTok has been a vital piece of the rise and discovery of many independent artists. Bolstered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and many people being forced to quarantine during much of 2020, many artists on TikTok have found their own pockets of success on the app. Some have even signed deals with major labels, agents, publishers, and more.
One of these independent TikTok artists who have seemingly found their groove is country artist Alexandra Kay.
In just a short amount of time Kay has earned 8 million career streams, more than 2 million TikTok followers, and over a million followers across her other social platforms. Along the way, she has also charted a handful of singles on iTunes, made TV appearances on NBC’s The Voice, and secured a starring role in the Netflix Original Series Westside.
Most recently Kay landed an opening spot on Tim McGraw’s spring amphitheater tour and a 3-show run with Tracy Lawrence and Clay Walker in March.
The Illinois native, who auditioned for American Idol in 2011, spent much of her adolescence writing poems. What began as a coping mechanism for becoming a teenager, starting a new school, her first love, her first heartbreak, and everything in between, soon grew into hearing melodies in her head and eventually bloomed into writing songs.
Alexandra Kay. Photo: Curt Simshauser
“It was definitely a coping mechanism. It wasn’t something that I ever thought would be a career for me. That’s for sure,” Kay shares with MusicRow. “When I was younger, I entered into some young authors contests. My short stories were climbing in these contests and winning awards, and that’s when my parents were like, ‘She has a gift for writing.’”
She continues, “You don’t know you can sing until someone tells you you can sing, and it’s got to be somebody that’s not your mom or grandma. When my friends started to tell me that I had a good voice, I started to cultivate that and wonder if I really was a good singer. I started to practice and I would lay on my bed on my stomach and sing the whole Taylor Swift record from top to bottom… That’s when I decided I was gonna do everything that I could to be able to do this for life because I loved it so much.”
Kay’s road to TikTok started pre-pandemic where she posted a few videos that didn’t garner much attention. However, once she began sharing her original songs on the platform, the pieces began to fall into place.
The singer shared her stories behind the songs, as well as her journey of landing a major record deal that didn’t pan out due to creative differences on what songs to release. Deciding to take her songs straight to the fans themselves, Kay shared them on TikTok and quickly earned her first No. 1 song on iTunes thanks to the platform’s endless audience.
“[TikTok] passes the middleman. If you’re thinking about it in a business sense, you’re taking your product directly to the consumer. In the world of music, we didn’t have that opportunity prior to this,” she explains. “You’re getting to do it in a way that can captivate somebody’s attention in a very short amount of time, but then leave them wanting more and make them want to consume it again.
“[Through TikTok] artists have the opportunity to tease things. They get to test things with their fans first. It puts us in control,” she continues. “You get to take something that you’ve created and, without having to put a whole bunch of money into it, you get to just say, ‘What do you think about this?’ The fans, who are the people consuming the music anyways, [can tell you exactly what they think]. That’s absolutely incredible.”
Alexandra Kay. Photo: Curt Simshauser
On top of all of the other successes she saw in 2021, Kay also embarked on the “In Real Life Tour” alongside fellow TikTok artists Cooper Alan and Thomas Mac.
Split into three legs, the first potion of the run started in 200 capacity rooms, which quickly sold out at nearly every stop. With the second leg, the trio went up to 400 capacity venues, and for the third they upped the ante to 800-1000 capacity rooms.
“We were all in label talks at the time because we all had songs that were doing really well. However, we all separately decided, for our own reasons, that we weren’t gonna sign right now and that we were gonna stay independent,” Kay offers. “We started talking about touring because one of the big questions in the industry—and in those meetings—is that you have this following on social media, but are they going to buy tickets? Are they going to come out to see you play?
“We decided to eliminate that question and go figure it out,” Kay shares. “We didn’t know if there were going to be successful moments. We invested a lot of money and a lot of time into it, and we had a lot riding on it. To be able to come out on the other side of [the successful tour] was really wonderful.”
As an artist who has been on both sides of the spectrum—having had a major label deal and now being independent—Kay isn’t naive to the benefits a label can bring, be it financial, networking, or reach. However, she believes that the advantage of being able to make her own decisions regarding her music, touring, and career outweighs the disadvantages.
Alexandra Kay. Photo: Courtesy of 117 Entertainment Group
“The time for independent artists is now and I think it’s because of social media platforms like TikTok,” Kay sums, adding that her advice for indie artists is to do as much as they can on their own, and then build out a team.
Stepping into 2022, Kay has an impressive list of goals, including charting her upcoming full-length album on Billboard, re-releasing her most popular single “How Do We Go” with an undisclosed duet partner, collaborations, and more.
“This year was a dream. That’s really the only way that I can describe it. I’ve gotten to accomplish so many things that I could have only dreamed possible,” Kay expresses gratefully. “Moving into 2022, I want to become a better writer, a better person, and a better performer. This year I’ve been given so many opportunities to grow, so I want to be able to look back in 2022 and realize how much I’ve grown as a human.”
Randall King Views Life Through A ‘Shot Glass’ On New Major Label Debut
/by Lorie HollabaughRandall King. Photo: Yve Assad
Randall King is releasing his major label debut album, Shot Glass, on March 18 through Warner Music Nashville.
The project features 11 tracks, eight of which were co-written by King. King has already given several sneak peaks of the album with previous releases “You In A Honky Tonk,” “Baby Do,” and “Record High.”
Centering around a night out at a bar, each song represents a different point of view of those in the room. Produced by Bart Butler and Ryan Gore, Shot Glass tells the tale that you’re never drinking alone.
“This record is four years in the making, and there are a lot of things I’ve gone through in those years,” shares King. “Heartbreak, love, loss, fear, anger, peace. You hear all of that through this record. It’s a piece of me that I love and can’t wait to share with the world, for it to resonate and hit folks right where they need. There are songs I’ve written over the last five years on this record, some I’ve played out and some nobody has heard yet. I’m excited to drop it and let it off the chain!”
The Texas native released his first major label collection in 2020 with his Leanna EP. Named after his late sister, the EP reflects on King’s personal struggles in early life with depression and OCD, as well as the obstacles he faced after the unexpected loss of his sister. Throughout his career, King has accumulated over 100 million global career streams to date.
Alexandra Kay: ‘The Time For Independent Artists Is Now’ [Interview]
/by Lydia FarthingAlexandra Kay. Photo: Courtesy of 117 Entertainment Group
Over the past few years, TikTok has been a vital piece of the rise and discovery of many independent artists. Bolstered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and many people being forced to quarantine during much of 2020, many artists on TikTok have found their own pockets of success on the app. Some have even signed deals with major labels, agents, publishers, and more.
One of these independent TikTok artists who have seemingly found their groove is country artist Alexandra Kay.
In just a short amount of time Kay has earned 8 million career streams, more than 2 million TikTok followers, and over a million followers across her other social platforms. Along the way, she has also charted a handful of singles on iTunes, made TV appearances on NBC’s The Voice, and secured a starring role in the Netflix Original Series Westside.
Most recently Kay landed an opening spot on Tim McGraw’s spring amphitheater tour and a 3-show run with Tracy Lawrence and Clay Walker in March.
The Illinois native, who auditioned for American Idol in 2011, spent much of her adolescence writing poems. What began as a coping mechanism for becoming a teenager, starting a new school, her first love, her first heartbreak, and everything in between, soon grew into hearing melodies in her head and eventually bloomed into writing songs.
Alexandra Kay. Photo: Curt Simshauser
“It was definitely a coping mechanism. It wasn’t something that I ever thought would be a career for me. That’s for sure,” Kay shares with MusicRow. “When I was younger, I entered into some young authors contests. My short stories were climbing in these contests and winning awards, and that’s when my parents were like, ‘She has a gift for writing.’”
She continues, “You don’t know you can sing until someone tells you you can sing, and it’s got to be somebody that’s not your mom or grandma. When my friends started to tell me that I had a good voice, I started to cultivate that and wonder if I really was a good singer. I started to practice and I would lay on my bed on my stomach and sing the whole Taylor Swift record from top to bottom… That’s when I decided I was gonna do everything that I could to be able to do this for life because I loved it so much.”
Kay’s road to TikTok started pre-pandemic where she posted a few videos that didn’t garner much attention. However, once she began sharing her original songs on the platform, the pieces began to fall into place.
The singer shared her stories behind the songs, as well as her journey of landing a major record deal that didn’t pan out due to creative differences on what songs to release. Deciding to take her songs straight to the fans themselves, Kay shared them on TikTok and quickly earned her first No. 1 song on iTunes thanks to the platform’s endless audience.
“[TikTok] passes the middleman. If you’re thinking about it in a business sense, you’re taking your product directly to the consumer. In the world of music, we didn’t have that opportunity prior to this,” she explains. “You’re getting to do it in a way that can captivate somebody’s attention in a very short amount of time, but then leave them wanting more and make them want to consume it again.
“[Through TikTok] artists have the opportunity to tease things. They get to test things with their fans first. It puts us in control,” she continues. “You get to take something that you’ve created and, without having to put a whole bunch of money into it, you get to just say, ‘What do you think about this?’ The fans, who are the people consuming the music anyways, [can tell you exactly what they think]. That’s absolutely incredible.”
Alexandra Kay. Photo: Curt Simshauser
On top of all of the other successes she saw in 2021, Kay also embarked on the “In Real Life Tour” alongside fellow TikTok artists Cooper Alan and Thomas Mac.
Split into three legs, the first potion of the run started in 200 capacity rooms, which quickly sold out at nearly every stop. With the second leg, the trio went up to 400 capacity venues, and for the third they upped the ante to 800-1000 capacity rooms.
“We were all in label talks at the time because we all had songs that were doing really well. However, we all separately decided, for our own reasons, that we weren’t gonna sign right now and that we were gonna stay independent,” Kay offers. “We started talking about touring because one of the big questions in the industry—and in those meetings—is that you have this following on social media, but are they going to buy tickets? Are they going to come out to see you play?
“We decided to eliminate that question and go figure it out,” Kay shares. “We didn’t know if there were going to be successful moments. We invested a lot of money and a lot of time into it, and we had a lot riding on it. To be able to come out on the other side of [the successful tour] was really wonderful.”
As an artist who has been on both sides of the spectrum—having had a major label deal and now being independent—Kay isn’t naive to the benefits a label can bring, be it financial, networking, or reach. However, she believes that the advantage of being able to make her own decisions regarding her music, touring, and career outweighs the disadvantages.
Alexandra Kay. Photo: Courtesy of 117 Entertainment Group
“The time for independent artists is now and I think it’s because of social media platforms like TikTok,” Kay sums, adding that her advice for indie artists is to do as much as they can on their own, and then build out a team.
Stepping into 2022, Kay has an impressive list of goals, including charting her upcoming full-length album on Billboard, re-releasing her most popular single “How Do We Go” with an undisclosed duet partner, collaborations, and more.
“This year was a dream. That’s really the only way that I can describe it. I’ve gotten to accomplish so many things that I could have only dreamed possible,” Kay expresses gratefully. “Moving into 2022, I want to become a better writer, a better person, and a better performer. This year I’ve been given so many opportunities to grow, so I want to be able to look back in 2022 and realize how much I’ve grown as a human.”
Manager, Agent & Promoter Randy Jackson Passes
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Randy Jackson & Glen Campbell. Photo: Courtesy of Absolute Publicity
Longtime Nashville & Texas music manager, agent and promoter Randy Jackson passed away on Dec. 21 in Alpine, Texas. He was 75.
Jackson began his career as a talent agent for the Hubert Long Agency and later worked with Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty until becoming the road manager for Johnny Rodriguez.
Pictured (L-R): Earl Campbell, Randy Jackson, and Charley Pride. Photo: Courtesy of Matt Stevens
He went on to work as an agent for Charley Pride at the Chardon Agency in Dallas. While there, Jackson discovered new talents including Neal McCoy and Janie Fricke. Jackson went on to manage Fricke and they eventually married.
He later married Sherry Jackson, and returned to his college alma mater, Sul Ross University in Alpine, where he and Sherry tutored the football athletes while supporting the Lobos football team.
Throughout his career, Jackson produced and promoted concerts throughout Florida and Texas. Jackson’s final concert was only three days before he passed as Asleep at the Wheel played a sold out show at the Cailloux Theater in Kerrville, Texas.
Memorial arrangements have not been shared at this time.
The 64th Grammy Awards Postponed Due To COVID Surge
/by Lydia FarthingThe Recording Academy has postponed The 64th Grammy Awards due to rising concerns surrounding the COVID-19 Omicron variant. The show was originally set to take place on Jan. 31 at Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center) in Los Angeles. Details regarding a rescheduled date have not yet been announced.
“After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Show,” the organization says in its official statement. “The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music’s Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon.”
This postponement marks the second consecutive year that the Grammy Awards have been postponed because of the pandemic. Last year’s show, also originally set for Jan. 31, was rescheduled to take place on March 14 due to a spike in COVID cases in LA.
This year’s Grammy nominations were announced on Nov. 23, with Chris Stapleton and Mickey Guyton both sporting three nominations each, and Jimmie Allen seeing the only all-genre nomination from a country artist. In the Americana space, Brandi Carlile earned a whopping five nominations and Yola came out with two nods. For a full list of this year’s nominees, click here.
Chicago-Based Alt-Rock Artist Letdown. Signs With Big Loud Rock
/by Lorie HollabaughLetdown.
Alt rock artist Letdown. has signed with Big Loud Rock, the new alternative/rock imprint of Big Loud Records. His new single, “Empty,” is available now on all digital platforms.
The project is helmed by Chicago-based musician Blake Coddington, who in 2020 released his debut single, “Spotlight.” Several singles, over 10 million streams, and 500,000 TikTok followers later, Coddington is gearing up for a number of releases throughout 2022 and beyond.
“Letdown. is the perfect act to join the Big Loud Rock family,” shares Greg Thompson, president of Big Loud Rock. “The music is incredible, the lyrics are thoughtful, and the potential is unlimited. We are proud to be a part of Blake’s journey.”
“I struggle a lot with my mental health, it’s tough for me to put a smile on for everyone else,” Coddington explains. “I write music not only as therapy for myself but for others who feel they are spread too thin, falling short or just not good enough.”
Round Hill Music Acquires Niko Moon’s Publishing Rights
/by LB CantrellNiko Moon. Photo: Matthew Berinato
Round Hill Music has announced the acquisition of hit country songwriter Niko Moon‘s publishing rights, via its Round Hill Music Royalty Fund Limited.
The deal encompasses 29 compositions written for artists, including the Zac Brown Band.
As a songwriter, Moon has penned hits such as the Zac Brown Band’s “Homegrown,” “Keep Me in Mind,” and “Loving You Easy,” as well as Rascal Flatts’ “Back To Life” and Bentley’s “Gone.” He was named Songwriter of the Year at the 2021 SESAC Nashville Awards.
In 2021, the RCA Nashville recording artist achieved his first No. 1 hit as an artist with his 2x-Platinum debut single “Good Time”—which is not included in the Round Hill deal.
Josh Gruss, Founder and CEO of Round Hill Music, says of the deal, “Niko is a much sought after songwriter and an acclaimed performer in his own right. His unique gift and authentic love of music marks him out an elite talent among his peers.”
Moon adds, “I am so happy to be doing this deal with Round Hill. I wanted these songs to go to an organization that values the music as much as I do, and Round Hill is definitely that place.”
Weekly Register: ‘Fancy Like’ Closes Out 2021 Atop Country Streaming Songs Chart
/by Lydia FarthingWalker Hayes. Photo: Robert Chavers.
Arguably one of the biggest country music commercial successes of 2021, Walker Hayes‘ “Fancy Like” ended the year in the top spot on the country streaming songs chart. Last week (ending on Dec. 30), the single earned 7.3 million streams, pushing the track to 296 million streams RTD.
“All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” (Taylor Swift) falls to No. 2, adding 7.3 million streams, while “Thinking ‘Bout You” (Dustin Lynch & Mackenzie Porter) rises to third with 5.7 million streams and “Buy Dirt” (Jordan Davis & Luke Bryan) fall to fourth with 5.5 million. Ending the year on a high note, Kane Brown‘s “One Mississippi” jumps into the top five, garnering 4.8 million streams.
Swift ends the year at the top of the country albums chart with Red (Taylor’s Version) adding 47,000 in total consumption (21,000 album only/32 million song streams). Morgan Wallen‘s Dangerous: The Double Album follows in second, gaining 43,000 in total consumption (2,400 album only/50 million song streams). Burl Ives‘ Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer follows in third with 26,000 in total consumption, Brenda Lee‘s Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree comes in fourth with 23,000, and Bobby Helms‘ The Classic Years 1956-1962 seals the top five with 21,000.
Conner Smith To Drop Six-Song Collection, Including Viral Hit ‘I Hate Alabama’
/by Lorie HollabaughConner Smith will release his six-song debut Didn’t Go Too Far next Friday (Jan. 14) via The Valory Music Co. The new collection of songs features his current single “Learn From It” and viral hit “I Hate Alabama.”
Produced by Zach Crowell, Smith co-wrote four of the six tracks on Didn’t Go Too Far, and is the only writer on opening track “College Town.”
“These past 6 months have been a wild ride and started off my career in a way I could only have dreamed of,” says Smith. “Didn’t Go Too Far is the next step for me. This group of songs really gives listeners a look into my world and my roots. I can’t wait to show fans more of who I am as a writer and a performer throughout this year.”
Smith began writing at just 6 years old and signed to BMI at age 9 with original material before collaborating with songwriters Ashley Gorley and Crowell while still in high school. He spent his teen years as a student in the morning and a working songwriter in the afternoon before landing his deal with The Valory Music Co.
The singer-songwriter recently made the Artists To Watch 2022: The Pandora Ten list, the only country act named to the all-genre roundup.
1. “College Town” (Conner Smith)
2. “Learn From It” (Conner Smith, Daniel Ross)
3. “Didn’t Go Too Far” (Conner Smith, Matt Dragstrem, Matt Jenkins)
4. “Take It Slow” (Conner Smith, Ryan Hurd, Mark Trussell)
5. “I Hate Alabama” (Nick Columbia, Drew Green, Hunter Phelps, Lee Starr)
6. “Somewhere In A Small Town” (Conner Smith, Zach Crowell, Hunter Phelps)
Cledus T. Judd Returns With New Team & Tour For 2022
/by Lorie HollabaughCledus T. Judd. Photo: Bruce Royal
Cledus T. Judd has added new representation in management, booking and publishing coming into the new year. He has signed with Charles Dorris‘ DR Artist Management, Wasserman Music for booking, and Jay DeMarcus‘ Red Street Publishing.
Judd burst on the scene in the late ‘90s with a series of parodies of the biggest names in country. He translated his comedy success to radio, selling over two million records and scoring numerous accolades and video hits in the process. He starred on CMT’s Most Wanted Live for two years, co-hosted USA’s Nashville Star with Leann Rimes, and starred on VH1’s hit reality show Celebrity Fit Club. He has toured with Brooks & Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Toby Keith and others, and had songs cut by Montgomery Gentry, Rascal Flatts, Brantley Gilbert and more.
“I have been friends with Cledus for many years and I’m super excited to call him an official [Red Street Publishing] writer! For every funny parody Cledus has written there are some of the most insightful, deep, honest lyrics I’ve ever heard,” shares DeMarcus. “I’m excited to be a part of this next chapter in his songwriting career.”
“With a name that is known literally to millions because of a talent that is truly unique, it was an easy decision to sign Cledus for management,” adds Dorris, partner of DR Artist Management. “There is an exciting ‘organic resurgence’ occurring that we are helping to bolster. We are seeing his original fans and their children, now grown, gravitate to a ‘trusted friend’ in Cledus for entertainment.”
“I grew up watching ‘T’ on CMT over my morning pre-bus stop bowl of Frosted Flakes, so to welcome him to our roster brings it very much full circle,” comments Nate Ritches, VP/Agent, Wasserman Music. “We are excited to see what is next for Cledus’ career, as his catalog resurges with an entirely new audience.”
Judd will release his new comedy song and companion video, “Old Man Rap,” in the coming weeks, and will be going on the road this year on his “This Judd’s 4 U” tour.
Garth Brooks Adds San Diego Date To Stadium Tour Run
/by Lydia FarthingOver the last few months, country music legend Garth Brooks has been rolling out tour dates speckled across the country for his “Garth Brooks Stadium Tour.”
Brooks just announced that he will visit San Diego’s Petco Park on March 5. This show will be the only “Stadium Tour” date on the West Coast. Tickets will go on sale beginning Friday, Jan. 14 at 12 p.m. CT.
The award-winning entertainer will also take the stage for a special one man show for two back-to-back nights on Feb. 4 and 5 at Las Vegas’ Dolby Live at Park MGM.
“I look forward to celebrating my birthday early that weekend in Vegas,” shares Brooks, who turns 60 on Feb. 7. “Getting to sing and hear everyone singing is my favorite thing.”
In addition to his Vegas and San Diego dates, Brooks will make his first visit to Orlando’s Camping World Stadium on March 26, which also marks his first performance in Orlando in over five years and his only “Stadium Tour” appearance thus far in the state of Florida.
The 7x CMA Entertainer of the Year will also make a trek to Fayetteville, Arkansas, for his first show at the Razorback Stadium on April 23. The next weekend, he will also make his first ever stop at Baton Rouge’s Tiger Stadium on April 30.
Brooks first launched his stadium tour in March of 2019 and has since broken stadium attendance records at every stop on the tour so far. The tour will close out with four dates at Dublin, Ireland’s Croke Park on Sept. 9, 10, 11, and 16.
For ticket information for the upcoming dates, click here.
“Garth Brooks Stadium Tour” Dates:
Feb. 4-5 – Las Vegas, NV – Dolby Live at Park MGM
March 5 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park
March 26 – Orlando, FL – Camping World Stadium
April 23 – Fayetteville, AR – Razorback Stadium
April 30 – Baton Rouge, LA – Tiger Stadium
Sept. 9 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park
Sept. 10 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park
Sept. 11 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park
Sept. 16 – Dublin, Ireland – Croke Park