Pictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, BMG’s Katie Kerkhover, Warner Music Nashville’s Cris Lacy, Red Light Management’s Tom Lord, BMI songwriter Zach Kale, Gabby Barrett, SESAC songwriter Jon Nite, Sony/ATV’s Rusty Gaston, BMI songwriter Emily Landis, Sony/ATV’s Dane Schmidt, SESAC’s Lydia Schultz, BMI songwriter Jim McCormick. Photo: Steve Lowry
Wednesday afternoon (June 23), award-winning country artist Gabby Barrett was finally able to celebrate her two No. 1 breakout hits, “I Hope” and “The Good Ones.”
After having a colossal year of success, the 21-year-old Barrett along with her co-writers Zach Kale (BMI), Jon Nite (SESAC), Emily Landis (BMI) and Jim McCormick (BMI) joined together on the patio at BMI for the first No. 1 party post-pandemic, hosted by BMI’s VP of Creative Clay Bradley and sponsored by Pinnacle Bank.
“The spirit of Music Row is here today, brought to us by two breakout songs written by Gabby, Zach, Jon, Jim, and Emily, published by our friends at Sony and BMG, and released by Warner Brothers Records family—our neighbors on the row,” Bradley said. “Music Row has its own ecosystem, and it’s great to see it in action again!”
“I Hope” songwriters Barrett, Kale, and Nite, first took the stage to commemorate the song’s rise to No. 1. All three co-writers are signed to Sony Music Publishing. The song marks both Barrett and Kale’s first No. ,1 and Nite’s 15th out of a total 16 to date.
Senior Director of Creative Services at SESAC Lydia Schultz congratulated Nite on another hit song. Additionally, Rusty Gaston, CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, helped celebrate the night of firsts, shining a spotlight on the song, originally an independent release, being Barrett and Kale’s first No. 1, and Kale’s first No. 1 as a producer.
“What a great day for us all to gather again! There’s nothing more ‘Nashville’ than for us to gather celebrating songwriters and great songs,” Gaston shared from the stage.”Some of you have heard me say this before, but it’s an absolute miracle to get a song all the way up the chart. There are so many things that need to happen and there’s no amount of man power that can manage what it takes… In this case not just the country chart, but the pop charts and the AC charts where I think [“I Hope”] is still No. 2 this week. It takes a miracle of Biblical proportions!”
Pictured (L-R): SESAC songwriter Jon Nite, BMI songwriter Jim McCormick, Gabby Barrett, BMI songwriter Zach Kale, BMI songwriter Emily Landis. Photo: Steve Lowry
Barrett, Kale, Landis, and McCormick were recognized next for co-writing “The Good Ones.” Landis, signed to BMG, earned her first No. 1 with the track. For McCormick, signed to Sony Music Publishing, the record-breaking hit notched his third No. 1.
Creative Director at Sony Music Publishing Nashville Dane Schmidt; Senior Creative Director for BMG Katie Kerkhover; Tom Lord, Barrett’s manager from Red Light Management; and Executive Vice President of A&R at Warner Music Nashville Cris Lacy also spoke to commemorate the momentous achievement.
“Over quarantine we finished a record and we released a record. It’s hard to imagine that we’re here celebrating it a year after releasing it, and that it was all done in quarantine,” said Lord. “I can’t thank [the team] enough for all of the support that you’ve given. With all of the change and adaptation that Gabby has had to face throughout this year, you have changed her life, you’ve changed Cade’s life, you’ve changed her family’s life, and you’ve changed my life.
“I have to take a moment to thank Gabby for your commitment to this process, for coming to town and pushing me and pushing all of us to be better. We’re better as part of your team and better humans,” Lord summed. “She’s an artist with conviction. She knows who she is and what she wants. That’s a part of her and I don’t expect that to change.”
Pictured (L-R): Jason McColl (Manager, A&R, WMN); Kimmie Trosdahl (Regional Manager, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN); Kristen Williams (SVP, Radio & Streaming, WMN); Michael Chase (National Director, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN); Gabby Barrett; Cris Lacy (EVP, A&R, WMN); Tom Martens (VP, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN); James Marsh (National Director, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN). Photo: Steve Lowry
Lacy took the stage and shared a plethora of record-breaking and history making statistics for Gabby’s two releases. Among the accolades named were Barrett being the first female country artist to top 10 million single week streams at 11.3 million, and her debut album, Goldmine, earning the most first-week debut album streams of any country act in history. Barrett was also named the 2021 ACM New Female Artist of the Year and received 9 all-genre nominations at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, taking home three wins (Top Female Artist, Top Country Song for “I Hope,” and Top Fan-Voted Collaboration for “I Hope” with Charlie Puth). She was named the 2021 iHeart Radio Music Awards Best New Country Artist, won the 2020 CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year for “I Hope,” and was named to Forbes 2021 30 Under 30 list.
Among other accomplishments, Barrett holds the top two most streamed female country songs of 2021 with “I Hope” and “The Good Ones;” she is the first solo female to take a debut single to No. 1 on country radio since 2017; and the first female to take her first two radio singles to No. 1 on the Hot Country charts, where “I Hope” reigned at the top for an impressive 27 weeks. “I Hope” was also No. 1 on Hot AC for four weeks as well as No. 25 on Billboard‘s Top 100 songs of the year. Meanwhile, “The Good Ones” was No. 1 on Billboard Airplay for three weeks, a Billboard Hot Country No. 1 for four weeks, and the winner of the 2021 CMT Female Video of the Year.
To cap off the night’s event, Barrett took the stage to give her own special thanks to her team, songwriters, producer, family, industry colleagues, supporters, and God, who have helped shoulder her throughout the last two years of her journey.
“Everyone has been so unbelievably supportive and kind to me since I’ve been in Nashville,” said Barrett. “I really have to thank the Lord Jesus above for his graciousness, for shedding his blood for me and allowing me to do this as a job. It’s unbelievable and it’s more than I deserve.
“It takes a village! So many people have made my life here,” summed Barrett. “I’m so excited to be making country music in this generation right now, so thank you very much.”
Vincent Neil Emerson Releases Rodney Crowell-Produced Debut
/by Lorie HollabaughVincent Neil Emerson records his self-titled album at Sound Emporium Studios. Photo: Hannah Diane
Singer-songwriter Vincent Neil Emerson has released his self-titled album today, June 25 on La Honda Records and Thirty Tigers. The project includes his latest single, “High On Gettin’ By,” which follows the previously released tracks “Learnin’ To Drown” and “Texas Moon.” Emerson entered the studio with legendary Texas icon Rodney Crowell, who produced the self-titled project.
“I got drawn into this project as a producer because I was immediately drawn to the poetry of the songs that Vincent writes,” says Crowell. “To me, it’s in that Texas folk-singer tradition of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Ray Wylie Hubbard, myself and Steve Earle. When I heard Vincent’s songs, I said, ‘I get this. I understand it. I want to be a part of this.’ It’s really exciting to me that there’s another generation coming up with the sensibilities of really good, strong language and a respect for the tradition of poetic folk-singing and songwriting.”
Vincent Neil Emerson with producer Rodney Crowell at Sound Emporium Studios recording his self-titled album. Photo: Hannah Diane
Album opener “Texas Moon” is an ode about looking forward to returning home from the road, but always having the itch to get back on tour once you’re back, praised by MusicRow’s Robert K. Oermann as “an enchanting bluegrassy blend of rippling acoustic guitars, fiddle and banjo… highly promising.” Meanwhile, Emerson’s first release from the project, “Learnin’ To Drown,” is a raw song he wrote to confront his feelings about his father’s suicide. Allowing himself to reveal some of the most intimate details of his life was a scary yet freeing prospect for Emerson, an authentic torchbearer of the Texas songwriter tradition. “Learnin’ To Drown” earned placements on Spotify’s flagship Americana playlist, Indigo, Emerging Americana, Fresh Folk and Apple Music’s Best New Songs.
“’High On Gettin’ By’ was one of the first songs I wrote for this record, if not the first song. It’s one of those that just kind of came out very free flowing and naturally,” shares Emerson. “I wrote it at a time in my life where I felt like everything was falling apart. I didn’t know what to do, so I started writing. This song probably means the most to me out of all the songs on the album, because it’s a blessing to be where I am right now.”
Vincent Neil Emerson Track List:
1. Texas Moon
2. Debtor’s Blues
3. High On The Mountain
4. Learnin’ To Drown
5. Ripplin’ And Wild
6. Durango
7. The Ballad Of The Choctaw-Apache
8. White Horse Saloon
9. High On Gettin’ By
10. Saddled Up And Tamed
Parker McCollum’s ‘Gold Chain Cowboy’ Slated For July 30
/by Lorie HollabaughParker McCollum will release his major label debut album, Gold Chain Cowboy, on July 30 via MCA Nashville.
He penned all 10 songs on the project, produced by Jon Randall, including his Platinum-selling No. 1 hit “Pretty Heart,” and his latest song on country radio “To Be Loved By You.”
McCollum shares songwriting credits with Randall, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Randy Montana, Rhett Akins, Miranda Lambert, Tony Lane and more on the new project. The album’s newest release, “Rest of My Life,” is available everywhere today (June 25).
Gold Chain Cowboy Track Listing:
1. Wait Outside – Parker McCollum, Jon Randall, Randy Rogers
2. Dallas (Featuring Danielle Bradbery) – Parker McCollum, Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers
3. To Be Loved By You – Parker McCollum, Rhett Akins
4. Drinkin’ – Parker McCollum, Lee Miller
5. Falling Apart – Parker McCollum, Miranda Lambert, Jon Randall, Randy Rogers
6. Heart Like Mine – Parker McCollum, Tony Lane, Ben West
7. Why Indiana – Parker McCollum, Erik Dylan, Randy Montana
8. Rest Of My Life – Parker McCollum
9. Pretty Heart – Parker McCollum, Randy Montana
10. Never Loved You At All – Parker McCollum, Corey Crowder, Brian Kelley
Gary Allan Makes Long-Awaited Return With ‘Ruthless,’ Eight Years In The Making [Interview]
/by LB CantrellGary Allan. Photo: Eric Adkins
Country music renaissance man Gary Allan released his long-awaited new album Ruthless today (June 25).
The 13-track project finds Allan tapping into the eclectic and tender-hearted themes ever-present in his prior releases, and settling into his ‘80s and ‘90s influences. He co-produced Ruthless with some of the minds behind his acclaimed breakout album Smoke Rings In The Dark, Mark Wright and Tony Brown, in addition to Jay Joyce and Greg Droman.
The tracklist, a sequence he has been collecting for eight years, reads like a who’s who of Music Row, with writers Jim Beavers, Sarah Buxton, Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon, Ryan Hurd, Matt Warren, Josh Kear, Hillary Lindsey, Shane McAnally, the late busbee, and more.
Allan recently spoke with MusicRow about Ruthless, making sad songs, and the last 25 years.
MusicRow: The first thing I noticed about Ruthless is there’s a lot of outside cuts, with 12 of the 13 songs. When did you start collecting these songs?
Allan: I have been collecting these songs over the past eight years. The album is an accumulation of three separate projects. One I did with my engineer Greg Droman and my road band–that’s like the “Little Glass of Wine” and “What I Can’t Talk About.” I did another project with Jay Joyce and the label didn’t really hear it. That was right in the middle of the “bro country” thing. We all decided we should just drag our feet until this goes away a little bit. And then the third time we did it was when I felt that ’90s trend coming back. I thought, let’s go get the whole crew that played on the Smoke Rings In The Dark album, and I’ll get Tony Brown and Mark Wright, and that was where these last batch came from.
The cool thing is I had eight years of songs that I had collected and you’re right, it’s probably the least [amount of songs I’ve co-written that] I’ve ever had on the record, but I just tried to be honest with myself. I wore out all those songs if my house, and those were the 13 that spoke to me the most.
“Waste of A Whiskey Drink” is the leading single for the project. What compelled you to this song when you heard it?
It’s tongue-in-cheek, it just made smile. I think we’ve all sat down at a bar with somebody and said, “Man, you don’t want none of that. That’s a waste of a whiskey drink and a big heartache coming if you get involved.”
Speaking on heartache, you have mastered that over the years with some of your biggest songs telling the story of heartache or love gone wrong (see “Watching Airplanes,” “Life Ain’t Always Beautiful,” “Best I Ever Had”). Do you feel like that’s what you’re known for now?
Yeah, that’s all my favorite stuff. I’ve been called the master of misery and there are all kinds of quotes from different magazines about my writing. With “Every Storm (Runs Out of Rain)” I learned from Hillary [Lindsey] how you can write a sad song but still write every line to be positive. But sad songs have always been my favorite stuff. I’ve always loved the “He Stopped Loving Her Today” and the album cuts on records. Even my favorite artists [put out a lot of sad songs.] I have always been blown away that [artists like] Merle Haggard weren’t playing the AT&T Center.
I’ve always viewed myself as like the guy in the bar or part of the bar band because that’s always been my favorite stuff. For instance, “A Little Glass Of Wine,” is an old Jesse Winchester song. I got turned onto him by songwriters Odie Blackmon and Jamie O’Hara. Jamie use to tell me that was his all-time favorite writer and that made me go and buy all of his stuff.
“What I Can’t Talk About” has such a great lyric. “That’s why I sing about what I can’t talk about.” What was your reaction when you heard that hook?
I thought that was my next big single. I cut that eight years ago. When you go in and you cut in the studio, in your head, you have the two or three songs that are the singles. I was so confident that I started cutting songs like “Little Glass Of Wine.” When I turned it in, they were like, “Man, I just think that’s too negative.” In hindsight, that was the beginning of the “bro country” thing. My manager talked to me about this a little bit. He said, “We just didn’t feel like you were going to fit into the current format, so eventually we started just dragging our feet.”
You are a co-writer on “Pretty Damn Close.” Tell me about writing that one.
To me it’s like a George Strait song. That’s all I heard when we were writing it and that’s all I hear still when I listen to it. That “Something about her spinning around with the glitter in her hair,” just feels super ’80s and ’90s. I missed that. I miss writing with guitars. To me, that’s my favorite part about the ’90s sounds is the melodies and I think that’s what we’re lacking most right now.
Why did Ruthless stick out as the track from which you should title this project?
For me, I’m still a little kid looking at the shelf. So I always try to think of what looks cool on the shelf, so “Gary Allan – Ruthless” says “He’s gonna be here no matter what, he’s going to make it through this.”
You’re celebrating the release of Ruthless with a special performance tonight (June 25) at Assembly Hall in Fifth + Broadway. Have you gotten to play much recently now that the pandemic restrictions are lifting?
This will be my fifth show back. We had 462 days between shows, not that I was counting. It feels so good to be back.
It’s been 25 years since your first album Used Heart For Sale. What are some of the biggest things you’ve learned about yourself since then?
Just do what you do. That’s probably the hardest thing about being around for a long time is not to get jaded every time it takes a left turn. Even if you think [what the music industry is doing] sucks, you can’t go, “This sucks.” You have to go, “How do I sit in this?” I had the hardest time with the “bro country” thing, I didn’t like it. I didn’t understand it. But what I learned the most is don’t let other people define what you’re good at, what you’re awesome at, or what you feel good about. Just go do your thing and let the chips fall.
Victoria Shaw, Cooper Alan Form Cooped Up Records
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (back row, L-R): Victoria Shaw (Cooped Up Records), Cooper Alan (Cooped Up Records), Meredith Billings (of Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC). (front row): Cooper Alan. Photo: Aaron Crisler/Conduit Media
Country artist Cooper Alan and hit songwriter/industry member Victoria Shaw have partnered to form Cooped Up Records. Based in Nashville, Alan is also the first signee to the new independent label.
Alan, born and bred in North Carolina, spent 4 years at UNC Chapel Hill where he and his friends soon became the go to band for great music and high energy, all-night performances. After graduation, Alan moved to Music City where he had the luck of meeting Shaw, hit songwriter and producer with credits for Garth Brooks, Ricky Martin, and Lady A to name few, who quickly signed him to a publishing deal.
At the beginning of quarantine, Alan decided to introduce his music to social media’s country music lovers, who like him, were “cooped up” at home. 14 months later, he has amassed over 3.4 million TikTok followers, over 250k Instagram followers, three No. 1 singles on the iTunes Country/all genre charts, and over 35 million digital streams, along with charting on the Billboard Country streaming charts. Alan’s singles include “Climate Change,” “15 to 12,” and his newest release “Colt 45 Country Remix” featuring Rvshvd, which is available now on all digital platforms.
“Cooped Up Records couldn’t be more excited to have Cooper Alan as our first signing,” says Shaw, Co-CEO of Cooped Up Records.
Alan, the other Co-CEO of Cooped Up Records jokingly adds, “Signing him was a no brainer.”
Alan kicks off the In Real Life Tour in Memphis, Tennessee on July 7. He will perform alongside fellow TikTok artist Alexandra Kay. Five of the nine shows will also feature up-and-coming special guest Thomas Mac. Dates are below and tickets are available here.
Chart Action: Brantley Gilbert And Friends Earn Most Added Distinction
/by Alex ParryBrantley Gilbert‘s new single with Hardy and Toby Keith dominated the most added lists on the Billboard, Mediabase, and MusicRow radio charts this week. “The Worst Country Song Of All Time” gained 141 cumulative adds across all three country charts.
The song also achieved the highest debut across the charts landing at No. 32 on Billboard, No. 44 on Mediabase, and No. 58 on MusicRow. Gilbert penned the single with Hardy, Hunter Phelps, and Will Weatherly.
“Hardy threw the idea on the table, and he said, ‘Guys, I know this is crazy, but I had a title I put down in my phone: ‘The Worst Country Song Of All Time,’” Gilbert elaborates. “We all laughed it off because obviously it was a joke. Then we all were throwing out lines we thought were funny. The next thing you know, we’ve got this song written, and the rest is history in the making.”
Chris Tomlin Teams Up With Tyler Hubbard, Jimmie Allen, Russell Dickerson On Summer EP
/by Lorie HollabaughChris Tomlin has revealed the track list and special guests for his upcoming Chris Tomlin & Friends Summer EP, due out July 2.
Produced by Corey Crowder, the EP includes three new songs featuring Florida Georgia Line‘s Tyler Hubbard who also served as executive producer, Jimmie Allen, and Russell Dickerson. The project also contains two previously-released tracks featuring Dickerson, Florida Georgia Line, and Thomas Rhett from Chris Tomlin & Friends, his No. 1 debuting album released last year.
The 2020 project currently has over 150 million global streams and featured two songs that placed in Spotify’s Viral 50. The album included Tomlin’s second longest running No. 1 song, “Who You Are To Me” featuring Lady A, that topped the charts for six consecutive weeks.
Chris Tomlin & Friends Summer EP Track List:
1. Good To Be Loved feat. Tyler Hubbard – Chris Tomlin, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, Blessing Offor
2. Talk To Him feat. Russell Dickerson – Chris Tomlin, Russell Dickerson, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, Ashley Gorley
3. Love People”feat. Jimmie Allen – Chris Tomlin, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, Dave Barnes
4. Thank You Lord feat. Florida Georgia Line & Thomas Rhett – Chris Tomlin, Thomas Rhett, Tyler Hubbard, Corey Crowder, David Garcia
5. Sing feat. Russell Dickerson & Florida Georgia Line – Chris Tomlin, Corey Crowder, Brian Kelley, Tyler Hubbard, Cary Barlowe
Luke Bryan Holds Top Position On MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart
/by Alex ParryLuke Bryan’s “Waves” occupies the No. 1 position for a second week on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart. In April, the single swept that charts as the most added and highest debut for its impact week debuting at No. 35 on the MusicRow Chart.
“Waves” was written by Zach Crowell, Ryan Hurd, and Chase McGill. The song also appears on the deluxe version of Bryan’s album Born Here Live Here Die Here.
As recently announced, his new docuseries examines Bryan’s life as he experiences the ups, downs, triumphs, and tragedies of his successful career. Luke Bryan: My Dirt Road Diary will premiere on Aug. 6 via IMDb TV, Amazon’s premium free streaming service. Click here to watch a preview.
Click here or above to view the latest edition of The MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.
Trace Adkins Celebrates 25 Years With Star-Studded New Album ‘The Way I Wanna Go’
/by Lorie HollabaughTrace Adkins has announced plans to release his 13th studio album, The Way I Wanna Go, Aug. 27 on Verge Records distributed by ONErpm. Filled with all-star collaborations from Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Pitbull, Melissa Etheridge, Keb’ Mo’, Snoop Dogg, and Stevie Wonder on harmonica, the album’s lead anthem, “Where The Country Girls At,” featuring Bryan and Pitbull, is available now.
To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Adkins’ debut LP, Dreamin’ Out Loud, the new project will feature 25 songs that touch on all aspects of Adkins’ career all steeped in the diverse sound of his Louisiana upbringing. Songwriters contributing to the album include Kendell Marvel, Dan Auerbach, Jonathan Singleton, TJ and John Osborne, Randy Montana, Zach Crowell, and many more. The project was produced by Mickey Jack Cones and Derek George, with some production credits going to the late Kenny Beard, a friend of Adkins.
“I don’t know where my place is gonna be when the history of what I did is written,” Adkins says of his 25-year legacy. “But 90 percent of the time, I said what I wanted to say and stuck to my guns and did what I wanted to do… And, this album is as good as anything I’ve ever done.”
Exclusive limited-edition merchandise including a commemorative 25th anniversary personalized platinum plaque, autographed CDs and cowboy hats, and virtual Meet & Greet experiences are available to preorder from Adkins’ official online store.
Adkins has already shared early tracks, like “Empty Chair” and “Heartbreak Song,” from the new album as he looks back on his career which began in 1996. Since then, he’s sold over 11 million albums, charted over 20 singles, earned top awards, and garnered over two billion streams.
1. Where I Am Today – Mark Holman/ Rhett Akins/ Dallas Davidson/ Ben Hayslip
2. Heartbreak Song – Greg Crowe/ Johnny Garcia/ Adam Wood
3. Where The Country Girls At (feat. Luke Bryan & Pitbull) – Monty Criswell/ Derek George/ Michael White
4. Cadillac’n – Kendell Marvel/ Dan Auerbach/ Paul Overstreet
5. Finding My Groove – Dan Smalley/ Casey Beathard/ Houston Phillips
6. Cowboy Boots and Jeans – Jim Beavers/ Lindsay Rimes/ Jonathan Singleton
7. Live It Lonely – Kelsey Hart/ Kyle Schlienger
8. Love Walks Through The Rain (feat. Melissa Etheridge)” – Mickey Jack Cones/ Marla Cannon-Goodman/ Kelly Archer
9. Honey Child – Monty Criswell/ Robert Counts/ Jimmy Ritchey
10. It’s A Good Thing I Don’t Drink – Kerry Kurt Phillips/ Jamie Teachenor – produced by Mickey Jack Cones/ Kenny Beard
11. Jesus Was A Hippie – Monty Criswell/ Randy Montana
12. Memory to Memphis (feat. Keb’ Mo’ & Stevie Wonder on harmonica) – Monty Criswell/ Derek George/ Curt Chambers
13.You’re Mine – Mickey Jack Cones/ Steven Dale Jones
14. The Way I Wanna Go – Barry Dean/ Troy Verges/ TJ Osborne/ John Osborne – produced by Jon Coleman
15. It All Adds Up To Us – Trace Adkins/ Kenny Beard/ Matt Nolan
16. If I Was A Woman (feat. Blake Shelton) – Trace Adkins/ Sherrié Austin/ Jeff Bates/ Kenny Beard – produced by Mickey Jack Cones/ Kenny Beard
17. Got It Down – Craig Wiseman/ Brandon Kinney
18. Careful Girl – Monty Criswell/ Tony Lane/ Brice Long
19. Empty Chair – Lance Miller/ David Frasier/ Lonnie Fowler
20. Cowboy Up – John Pierce/ Tony Lane/ Jordan Walker
21. Somewhere In America – Jon Nite/ Hunter Phelps/ Michael Hardy/ Zach Crowell
22. So Do The Neighbors (feat. Snoop Dogg – Monty Criswell/ Derek George/ Shane Minor/ Calvin Broadus
23. I Should Let You Go – Monty Criswell/ Tim Mensy
24. Low Note – Monty Criswell/ Derek George/ Michael White
25. Welcome To – Craig Wiseman/ Jacob Rice/ James McCormick
Music Row Is Back: Gabby Barrett Celebrates Two Breakout Hits At No. 1 Party
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R): BMI’s Clay Bradley, BMG’s Katie Kerkhover, Warner Music Nashville’s Cris Lacy, Red Light Management’s Tom Lord, BMI songwriter Zach Kale, Gabby Barrett, SESAC songwriter Jon Nite, Sony/ATV’s Rusty Gaston, BMI songwriter Emily Landis, Sony/ATV’s Dane Schmidt, SESAC’s Lydia Schultz, BMI songwriter Jim McCormick. Photo: Steve Lowry
Wednesday afternoon (June 23), award-winning country artist Gabby Barrett was finally able to celebrate her two No. 1 breakout hits, “I Hope” and “The Good Ones.”
After having a colossal year of success, the 21-year-old Barrett along with her co-writers Zach Kale (BMI), Jon Nite (SESAC), Emily Landis (BMI) and Jim McCormick (BMI) joined together on the patio at BMI for the first No. 1 party post-pandemic, hosted by BMI’s VP of Creative Clay Bradley and sponsored by Pinnacle Bank.
“The spirit of Music Row is here today, brought to us by two breakout songs written by Gabby, Zach, Jon, Jim, and Emily, published by our friends at Sony and BMG, and released by Warner Brothers Records family—our neighbors on the row,” Bradley said. “Music Row has its own ecosystem, and it’s great to see it in action again!”
“I Hope” songwriters Barrett, Kale, and Nite, first took the stage to commemorate the song’s rise to No. 1. All three co-writers are signed to Sony Music Publishing. The song marks both Barrett and Kale’s first No. ,1 and Nite’s 15th out of a total 16 to date.
Senior Director of Creative Services at SESAC Lydia Schultz congratulated Nite on another hit song. Additionally, Rusty Gaston, CEO of Sony Music Publishing Nashville, helped celebrate the night of firsts, shining a spotlight on the song, originally an independent release, being Barrett and Kale’s first No. 1, and Kale’s first No. 1 as a producer.
“What a great day for us all to gather again! There’s nothing more ‘Nashville’ than for us to gather celebrating songwriters and great songs,” Gaston shared from the stage.”Some of you have heard me say this before, but it’s an absolute miracle to get a song all the way up the chart. There are so many things that need to happen and there’s no amount of man power that can manage what it takes… In this case not just the country chart, but the pop charts and the AC charts where I think [“I Hope”] is still No. 2 this week. It takes a miracle of Biblical proportions!”
Pictured (L-R): SESAC songwriter Jon Nite, BMI songwriter Jim McCormick, Gabby Barrett, BMI songwriter Zach Kale, BMI songwriter Emily Landis. Photo: Steve Lowry
Barrett, Kale, Landis, and McCormick were recognized next for co-writing “The Good Ones.” Landis, signed to BMG, earned her first No. 1 with the track. For McCormick, signed to Sony Music Publishing, the record-breaking hit notched his third No. 1.
Creative Director at Sony Music Publishing Nashville Dane Schmidt; Senior Creative Director for BMG Katie Kerkhover; Tom Lord, Barrett’s manager from Red Light Management; and Executive Vice President of A&R at Warner Music Nashville Cris Lacy also spoke to commemorate the momentous achievement.
“Over quarantine we finished a record and we released a record. It’s hard to imagine that we’re here celebrating it a year after releasing it, and that it was all done in quarantine,” said Lord. “I can’t thank [the team] enough for all of the support that you’ve given. With all of the change and adaptation that Gabby has had to face throughout this year, you have changed her life, you’ve changed Cade’s life, you’ve changed her family’s life, and you’ve changed my life.
“I have to take a moment to thank Gabby for your commitment to this process, for coming to town and pushing me and pushing all of us to be better. We’re better as part of your team and better humans,” Lord summed. “She’s an artist with conviction. She knows who she is and what she wants. That’s a part of her and I don’t expect that to change.”
Pictured (L-R): Jason McColl (Manager, A&R, WMN); Kimmie Trosdahl (Regional Manager, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN); Kristen Williams (SVP, Radio & Streaming, WMN); Michael Chase (National Director, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN); Gabby Barrett; Cris Lacy (EVP, A&R, WMN); Tom Martens (VP, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN); James Marsh (National Director, Radio & Streaming Promotions, WMN). Photo: Steve Lowry
Lacy took the stage and shared a plethora of record-breaking and history making statistics for Gabby’s two releases. Among the accolades named were Barrett being the first female country artist to top 10 million single week streams at 11.3 million, and her debut album, Goldmine, earning the most first-week debut album streams of any country act in history. Barrett was also named the 2021 ACM New Female Artist of the Year and received 9 all-genre nominations at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards, taking home three wins (Top Female Artist, Top Country Song for “I Hope,” and Top Fan-Voted Collaboration for “I Hope” with Charlie Puth). She was named the 2021 iHeart Radio Music Awards Best New Country Artist, won the 2020 CMT Breakthrough Video of the Year for “I Hope,” and was named to Forbes 2021 30 Under 30 list.
Among other accomplishments, Barrett holds the top two most streamed female country songs of 2021 with “I Hope” and “The Good Ones;” she is the first solo female to take a debut single to No. 1 on country radio since 2017; and the first female to take her first two radio singles to No. 1 on the Hot Country charts, where “I Hope” reigned at the top for an impressive 27 weeks. “I Hope” was also No. 1 on Hot AC for four weeks as well as No. 25 on Billboard‘s Top 100 songs of the year. Meanwhile, “The Good Ones” was No. 1 on Billboard Airplay for three weeks, a Billboard Hot Country No. 1 for four weeks, and the winner of the 2021 CMT Female Video of the Year.
To cap off the night’s event, Barrett took the stage to give her own special thanks to her team, songwriters, producer, family, industry colleagues, supporters, and God, who have helped shoulder her throughout the last two years of her journey.
“Everyone has been so unbelievably supportive and kind to me since I’ve been in Nashville,” said Barrett. “I really have to thank the Lord Jesus above for his graciousness, for shedding his blood for me and allowing me to do this as a job. It’s unbelievable and it’s more than I deserve.
“It takes a village! So many people have made my life here,” summed Barrett. “I’m so excited to be making country music in this generation right now, so thank you very much.”
Brian Kelley Tells His Beach-Side Story On Debut Solo Project ‘Sunshine State Of Mind’ [Interview]
/by LB CantrellBrian Kelley. Photo: Ben Christensen
Brian Kelley, one half of the wildly successful country duo Florida Georgia Line, exudes happiness when talking about his debut solo album Sunshine State Of Mind, out today (June 25).
Kelley and FGL partner Tyler Hubbard revealed they would be releasing solo music in January of 2021. In March, Kelley announced his solo music venture, Nashville South Records, would be partnering with Warner Music Nashville to support an upcoming project.
Shortly after, Kelley released BK’s Wave Pack, a four-song collection that set the tone for his solo music that was clearly influenced by his upbringing in Florida. “Beach Cowboy” instantly became the buzzed-about track, with its surf guitar swagger and amusing lyrics that have you picturing Kelley “going John Wayne on these waves.”
Sunshine State Of Mind, with its whopping 17 tracks, finds Kelley really leaning in to his admiration for his home state, with songs about boating, fishing, and being by the water throughout.
“Besides my wife, Florida is probably my greatest muse,” says Kelley, who has called Florida home since 2016. “I love my home state. It’s a beautiful place. It’s got a lot of wonder, a lot of mystery, a lot of history. It’s very special to me.”
It was after Kelley wrote “Boat Names,” the album’s opening track, with Parker Welling and Casey Brown when he knew he was making a solo record.
“I wrote that the day before my birthday, and I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t show up for that day and didn’t write that song. That song was the guiding light. It was the anchor and the whole direction I needed for this project that kicked it all off. Once that song was written it really gave me a confidence to push forward and chase another crazy dream rather than just be comfortable with where I’m at in life.
“That little bit of un-comfortability—you could call it fear—I felt like that was a door that God had opened that I needed to run through. It was an opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of having this solo outlet.”
Kelley had been saving ideas for a solo project for years. When the creative faucet opened, the music flowed. “The majority of the titles and songs on this album, except for probably two, were my ideas and my titles. I don’t say that to boast, just to say that I was on a mission and I knew where I wanted to go.”
“Say The Word,” a hazy, beachy love song co-written with Corey Crowder, Chris Loocke, Blake Redferrin and Joe Clemmons, features Kelley’s rich vocal in the spotlight on lyrics about shrimp boats and the Bahama breeze.
“When it came to [recording these songs] I think I found my lead voice,” Kelley says. “It was very important to me that that it sounded like me. It’s my most authentic self, with my voice on this project. It took a lot of hard work, and I’ve learned a lot over the years. I’m super thankful that I got to work with Joey Moi. I learned a ton from him.”
“By Boat,” co-written with Jimmy Robbins and Nicolle Galyon, is another tender standout on the collection. “It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve ever written,” Kelley says. “With every song on this album, it didn’t feel like we were just trying to get so many songs for the year and cross it off our list. These are my soul songs, and they mean a lot to me. I’m very diligent and intentional with every line, melody, and vocal lick that I do. Every co-writer was living these songs out with me. We’re living them out together and they became our songs.”
But Sunshine State Of Mind isn’t just beachy love songs, though there are many. In addition to his vibey “Beach Cowboy,” Kelley has some fun with “Party On The Beach” and “Highway On The Water,” a tune about life on the water in which he makes a funny reference that it’s bad luck to bring bananas.
“It’s just a boaters thing. If there are bananas on the boat, they need to get off the boat. Bad things happen with bananas on the boat. It’s just a weird thing.”
Sunshine State Of Mind, with its hazy love tunes, beach party songs, and banana advice, is available everywhere now.