Photo: Natalie Maines/Twitter
Fourteen years after the release of their last album Taking the Long Way in 2006, the Dixie Chicks will soon be returning with new music.
The trio has been teasing a new single, “Gaslighter,” in recent weeks, and announced the tune will officially drop March 4. A snippet of the song was posted online, offering the following song lyrics: Gaslighter, I’m your mirror/standing right here until you can see how/ you broke me, yeah I’m broken/still sorry and still no apology.
It remains to be seen whether the song will be played on—or even serviced to—country radio, given the group’s contentious history with the radio format.
The Dixie Chicks, who first launched their career in Texas, were ousted from country radio in the lead-up to the War on Iraq in 2003, after Maines criticized then-sitting President George W. Bush during a concert in London, saying, “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence. And we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.”
The trio’s song “Travelin’ Soldier,” which had been sitting atop the country music charts at the time, was pulled from country radio stations’ playlists, sending the song plummeting in the wake of Maines’ comments. Some country stations encouraged public burnings of Dixie Chicks albums, and the trio received death threats. A few hundred protesters in Bossier City, Louisiana gathered to destroy Dixie Chicks albums with a large tractor.
In 2006, the group released Taking the Long Way; the album, along with its single “Not Ready To Make Nice,” earned multiple Grammy honors in 2007, including overall Album, Song and Record of the Year, as well as Best Country Album and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. However, “Not Ready To Make Nice” peaked in the 30s on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. Other songs released following “Travelin’ Soldier,” such as “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)” and “I Hope” failed to reach the Top 40 on the chart. Taking the Long Way would ultimately go on to earn 2x multi-platinum status, though far short of its predecessor, 2003’s Home, which earned 6x multi-platinum status.
The reaction from country listeners and country radio to Maines’ comments has had long-lasting ramifications for aspiring country artists in the years following. In her recent documentary Miss Americana, country darling-turned-pop icon Taylor Swift said, “Part of the fabric of being a country artist is, ‘Don’t force your politics on people. Let people live their lives.’ That is grilled into us. Throughout my whole career, label executives and publishers would just say, ‘Don’t be like the Dixie Chicks.’ And I loved the Dixie Chicks.”
It was Swift who ushered the Dixie Chicks back on to the country charts late last year, releasing the somber track “Soon You’ll Get Better,” with the Dixie Chicks on harmonies. The song is included on Swift’s latest album Lover, and entered the Top 10 on the Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart in September 2019, becoming the Chicks’ first entry on the chart since the George W. Bush controversy.
In October, Maines was a guest on the podcast Spiritualgasm, where she said the Dixie Chicks were working on an upcoming fifth album, also tentatively titled Gaslighter. During the podcast, Maines noted that they have been working with producer Jack Antonoff on the album; Antonoff also worked on Swift’s Lover album. She also said a 2020 tour was in the works. Over the past week, Maines has posted photos and videos, offering early looks at an upcoming music video for “Gaslighter.”
Taylor Swift Is IFPI’s Global Recording Artist of 2019
/by Lorie HollabaughTaylor Swift has been named the world’s best-selling recording artist of 2019 by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the organization that represents the recorded music industry worldwide. This is the second time Swift has won the award, as she also received the accolade in 2014.
Swift had another hugely successful year in 2019, releasing her seventh studio album, Lover, in August. The album debuted at No. 1 in more than 10 countries and reached three million album equivalent sales worldwide by the end of its first week of release. Three singles were released from the album last year, including “ME!” featuring Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, “You Need To Calm Down,” and the title track, “Lover.” “ME!”opened at number one on the global Spotify charts.
“Taylor Swift is the epitome of a truly global star,” said Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI. “She continues to grow as an artist and maintains an incredibly strong connection with her fanbase, whilst continuing to evolve her sound with each album. It is a pleasure to be able to present her with the Global Recording Artist of the Year award for the second time.”
Swift is the recipient of the seventh IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, which reflects an artist’s worldwide success across digital and physical music formats, from streams to vinyl. Previous recipients of this prestigious award also include One Direction (2013), Adele (2015), Drake (2016 & 2018) and Ed Sheeran (2017).
The IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award and Top 10 chart measures consumption across all formats (including streaming channels, digital and physical album and singles sales) and all countries. It is weighted based on the relative value of each method of consumption.
IFPI Top 10 Global Recording Artists of 2019
1.Taylor Swift
2. Ed Sheeran
3. Post Malone
4. Billie Eilish
5. Queen
6. Ariana Grande
7. BTS
8. Drake
9. Lady Gaga
10. The Beatles
Cody Johnson Celebrates Gold Status For “With You I Am”
/by Jessica NicholsonCody Johnson and Shelby Kennedy (VP, Entertainment Relations TuneCore)
Cody Johnson, who is a current ACM New Male Artist of the Year nominee ahead of the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards, is celebrating Gold status from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Johnson’s song “With You I Am” —which he released independently, before striking a joint venture deal between his own COJO Music and major label Warner Music Nashville in 2018— has earned the download and streaming equivalent of 500,000 units. The track was the lead single from his 2016 album Gotta Be Me, which he released on COJO Music and distributed via TuneCore. Though Johnson released the single and album without a national radio campaign, Gotta Be Me landed at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
His first album released via COJO Music/Warner Music Nashville, Ain’t Nothin’ To It, earned Johnson his first No. 1 album on the country albums chart. The album produced the 2018 single “On My Way To You,” which has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.
He is currently opening for Miranda Lambert’s headlining tour, in addition to his own sold-out gigs.
Rhonda Vincent Invited To Join Opry Family
/by Lorie HollabaughJeannie Seely with Rhonda Vincent. Photo: ©Grand Ole Opry/ Chris Hollo
Rhonda Vincent was surprised on stage at the Grand Ole Opry this weekend by Opry member Jeannie Seely with an invitation to become an Opry member. She will be officially inducted into the Opry family on March 24.
Vincent had just performed her 2019 bluegrass chart-topper “Like I Could,” (a tune co-written by Seely), and was truly surprised upon being invited, reacting by twice asking Seely if she was serious. Vincent then replied, “100% percent yes. Oh my gosh! I grew up listening to the Opry. Thank you dear God!”
Following the invitation, Seely welcomed several of the Opry’s women of country to the stage, including Sharon and Cheryl White, Connie Smith, and Vincent to perform “Those Memories” center stage in the Opry’s circle.
“Throughout her award-winning career, Rhonda has always made time to visit us at the Opry,” said Opry Vice President and Executive Producer Dan Rogers. “She is a force of nature on stage, and a friend to fellow artists and fans alike behind the scenes. Her songs have a home among the many styles of music we celebrate at the Opry for the rest of her career.”
Pictured (L-R): Rhonda Vincent, Sharon White, Jeannie Seely, Cheryl White, & Connie Smith. ©Grand Ole Opry/ Photo By: Chris Hollo
Dixie Chicks’ New Song “Gaslighter” Coming March 4
/by Jessica NicholsonPhoto: Natalie Maines/Twitter
Fourteen years after the release of their last album Taking the Long Way in 2006, the Dixie Chicks will soon be returning with new music.
The trio has been teasing a new single, “Gaslighter,” in recent weeks, and announced the tune will officially drop March 4. A snippet of the song was posted online, offering the following song lyrics: Gaslighter, I’m your mirror/standing right here until you can see how/ you broke me, yeah I’m broken/still sorry and still no apology.
It remains to be seen whether the song will be played on—or even serviced to—country radio, given the group’s contentious history with the radio format.
The Dixie Chicks, who first launched their career in Texas, were ousted from country radio in the lead-up to the War on Iraq in 2003, after Maines criticized then-sitting President George W. Bush during a concert in London, saying, “Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, this violence. And we’re ashamed the president of the United States is from Texas.”
The trio’s song “Travelin’ Soldier,” which had been sitting atop the country music charts at the time, was pulled from country radio stations’ playlists, sending the song plummeting in the wake of Maines’ comments. Some country stations encouraged public burnings of Dixie Chicks albums, and the trio received death threats. A few hundred protesters in Bossier City, Louisiana gathered to destroy Dixie Chicks albums with a large tractor.
In 2006, the group released Taking the Long Way; the album, along with its single “Not Ready To Make Nice,” earned multiple Grammy honors in 2007, including overall Album, Song and Record of the Year, as well as Best Country Album and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. However, “Not Ready To Make Nice” peaked in the 30s on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart. Other songs released following “Travelin’ Soldier,” such as “Godspeed (Sweet Dreams)” and “I Hope” failed to reach the Top 40 on the chart. Taking the Long Way would ultimately go on to earn 2x multi-platinum status, though far short of its predecessor, 2003’s Home, which earned 6x multi-platinum status.
The reaction from country listeners and country radio to Maines’ comments has had long-lasting ramifications for aspiring country artists in the years following. In her recent documentary Miss Americana, country darling-turned-pop icon Taylor Swift said, “Part of the fabric of being a country artist is, ‘Don’t force your politics on people. Let people live their lives.’ That is grilled into us. Throughout my whole career, label executives and publishers would just say, ‘Don’t be like the Dixie Chicks.’ And I loved the Dixie Chicks.”
It was Swift who ushered the Dixie Chicks back on to the country charts late last year, releasing the somber track “Soon You’ll Get Better,” with the Dixie Chicks on harmonies. The song is included on Swift’s latest album Lover, and entered the Top 10 on the Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart in September 2019, becoming the Chicks’ first entry on the chart since the George W. Bush controversy.
In October, Maines was a guest on the podcast Spiritualgasm, where she said the Dixie Chicks were working on an upcoming fifth album, also tentatively titled Gaslighter. During the podcast, Maines noted that they have been working with producer Jack Antonoff on the album; Antonoff also worked on Swift’s Lover album. She also said a 2020 tour was in the works. Over the past week, Maines has posted photos and videos, offering early looks at an upcoming music video for “Gaslighter.”
Ty Bentli Exits Cumulus
/by Jessica NicholsonTy Bentli
Ty Bentli has exited Westwood One/Cumulus to take a role outside of radio. According to a spokesperson for Cumulus, co-hosts Chuck Wicks and Tricia “TJ” Jenkins will take over the hosting reins.
“We wish Ty all the best in his new endeavors,” said a spokesperson for Cumulus.
Bentli joined what was then called America’s Morning Show in 2016. The show was later rebranded as Ty, Kelly & Chuck, before becoming The Ty Bentli Show after Kelly Ford exited in 2018.
Bentli’s career has also included stops at CHR and AC stations in Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and New York.
Marcie Allen Is In Discussions To Sell MAC Presents
/by Jessica NicholsonMarcie Allen
MAC Presents President/founder Marcie Allen is currently in discussions to sell the company, a rep has confirmed to MusicRow Magazine.
The agency has brokered and executed programs for clients including Sony, Southwest Airlines, YouTube, Microsoft, Verizon, AT&T, Delta, and artists including The Rolling Stones, John Mayer, John Legend, Imagine Dragons, Keith Urban, Lady Antebellum, Kelsea Ballerini, and more.
“I started MAC Presents in 2004 on my dining room table in Nashville, TN,” Allen says in a statement provided to MusicRow Magazine. “My goal was to create an agency that connected artists, brands and fans around the world. Since the inception of MAC, I have been extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with many of the world’s leading artists and brands alike. Over the years, I have had several inquiries from companies who were interested in MAC and the great success that we have experienced. After 25 years in the music business, I have decided to listen to the inquiries in greater depth to see if the timing is right for the next chapter as part of a larger company.
“Losing my father last year forced me to take some time for self-reflection and have discovered that in addition to building my business, I also want to focus my efforts on helping the next generation of female leaders in the music industry. As a pioneer of music brand partnerships, I am proud of the career and the company I have built and am excited for what the future holds.”
Allen launched her music industry career at Cellar Door Concerts, which is now part of Live Nation. She then joined WME’s Nashville office, before launching MAD Booking & Events in 1999. In 2004, she decided to focus on branding and partnerships and founded MAC Presents in Nashville, before later expanding the company to New York.
Allen’s board memberships include the Country Music Association and Berklee College of Music, among others.
Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen Brew Up Collaborative Return With ‘Hold My Beer Vol. 2’
/by Lorie HollabaughRandy Rogers and Wade Bowen are back at it again with another fun collaboration on Hold My Beer Vol. 2, due out May 8. The buddies returned to the studio to record a 10 track-followup to their fun-filled first joint project from 2015, Hold My Beer Vol. 1, and fan-favorite live album, Watch This.
Available for preorder today (Feb. 28), the 10-track project was produced by Lloyd Maines, and is packed with catchy hooks and standouts like “Rhinestoned,” a clever love-letter to old-school country music (penned by Lori McKenna, Ryan Beaver, Ashley Ray), and the emotional “Ode to Ben Dorcy (Lovey’s Song),” which features the duo’s vocals alongside an unreleased demo by Waylon Jennings. Among the writers contributing to the project are Jon Randall, Jim Beavers, Dean Dillon, Adam Wright, and Buddy Cannon.
“Unlike our first record, which kind of happened out of nowhere, this album was really planned,” explains Bowen. “We made a conscious effort to write for this specific project and also focused on bringing the best outside songs to the table. It was really important for us to be as mindful and purposeful as possible when it came to choosing the songs that made the cut for this volume.”
“Every single song on the album comes from the heart,” Rogers continues. “Some will make you laugh. Others will make you cry…but when it’s all said and done, we just hope the music speaks for itself and reflects the amount of time and love that went into each of these songs, from the melodies to the lyrics. We couldn’t be prouder of this album.”
Rogers and Bowen have offered up the first taste of the upcoming project with the release of “Rodeo Clown,” out today.
HOLD MY BEER, Vol. 2 Track Listing:
1. “AM/FM” (Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Jon Randall, Jim Beavers)
2. “Rodeo Clown” (Chris DuBois, David Lee)
3. “Habits” (Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Jon Randall, Jim Beavers)
4. “Let Merle Be Merle” (Casey Twist, Ross Cooper, Josh Abbott)
5. “Rhinestoned” (Lori McKenna, Ryan Beaver, Ashley Ray)
6. “Ode To Ben Dorcy (Lovey’s Song)” feat. Waylon Jennings and Shooter Jennings (Waylon Jennings)
7. “Mi Amigo” feat. Asleep at the Wheel (Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Jon Randall, Jim Beavers)
8. “This Ain’t My Town” (Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Jon Randall, Jim Beavers)
9. “Warm Beer” (Adam Wright)
10. “Speak to Me Jukebox” (Wade Bowen, Will Knaak)
11. “Her” (Dean Dillon, Buddy Cannon)
12. “Hold My Beer” (Wade Bowen, Randy Rogers, Jim Beavers)
Danny Gokey Announces Better Than I Found It Tour
/by Lorie HollabaughDanny Gokey has announced his Better Than I Found It tour will launch in April. Also featuring Christian radio hitmakers Unspoken and The Young Escape, the tour will visit 18 cities this spring including Augusta, Georgia; Springfield, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas; and more, before wrapping May 17 in Akron, Ohio.
“This tour and the theme behind it is something I’ve been dreaming about and praying into for a long time,” said Gokey. “It’s inspired by one of my song’s lyrics, and something about it keeps resonating with me. When I came off of American Idol, in my exit interview, they asked me what I saw for my future in music. At the time, I didn’t even know what I was really saying, but I said I saw my music as a movement. This phrase, ‘Better Than I Found It’, encapsulates what I want that movement to be. The tour is just the start of activating people to really SEE the world around them and get involved in making it better.”
Tickets for all shows on the tour are on sale now at dannygokey.com and awakeningevents.com. Additionally, from now until March 17, fans that purchase early can save 20% on tickets to the tour via the Awakening Events Fan & Listener Appreciation Sale.
Better Than I Found It Tour
*All dates subject to change
4/16 – Augusta, GA
4/17 – Jackson, TN
4/18 – Gadsden, AL
4/19 – Mooresville, IN
4/23 – Springfield, MO
4/24 – Wichita, KS
4/25 – Wichita Falls, TX
4/26 – El Dorado, AR
4/30 – Brandon, MS
5/1 – Van Buren, AR
5/2 – Mountain Home, AR
5/3 – Lafayette, LA
5/7 – Dayton, OH
5/8 – Woodbridge, VA
5/14 – Oak Creek, WI
5/15 – South Barrington, IL
5/16 – Ft. Wayne, IN
5/17 – Akron, OH
Pam Tillis Sets Album Release For April
/by Jessica NicholsonPam Tillis will return with her 11th studio album, Looking for a Feeling, on April 24 via Stellar Cat Records and OneRPM Distribution. The album marks the singer-songwriter’s first solo project since her 2012 release Recollection, though more recently, she issued a pair of projects with Lorrie Morgan, 2013’s Dos Divas and 2017’s Come See Me and Come Lonely.
In the 1990s, Tillis was known for hits with spitfire lyrics and clever story songs such as “Cleopatra, Queen of Denial,” “Maybe It Was Memphis,” and “Mi Vida Loca.” On the new album, she continues that tradition with songs including “My Kinda Medicine,” “Karma,” and “Lady Music.”
“Stylistically, there’s so much here that’s always been a part of me,” she says of the 12-track album. “It’s a story I haven’t told on any of my records so far. I wanted work that’s as close to true and unselfconscious as possible, to provide access to my heart.”
Looking for a Feeling Track List:
1 Looking for a Feeling (Pam Tillis/Waylon Payne)
2 Demolition Angel (Gary Harrison/Matraca Berg)
3 Better Friends (Joe Pisapia)
4 Dolly 1969 (Bob Regan)
5 Last Summer’s Wine (Pam Tillis/Bobby Tomberlin)
6 Lady Music (Pam Tillis/Dale Dodson/Jimmy Ritchey)
7 My Kind of Medicine (Pam Tillis/Don Poythress/Jimmy Ritchey)
8 Dark Turn of Mind (Gillian Welch/David Rawlings)
9 The Scheme of Things Mark Selby (Tia Sillers)
10 Karma (Pam Tillis/Jen Schott)
11 Burning Star (Pam Tillis/Sonny Tillis/Danny Parks/Joe Pisapia)
12 Better Friends -reprise (Joe Pisapia)
Sam Hunt Reveals Track List For ‘Southside’ Album
/by Jessica NicholsonHunt co-wrote every track on the album, and reunited with several writers from his 3x multi-platinum first album, 2014’s Montevallo, including Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne, Matt Jenkins and Zach Crowell. Hunt also welcomes new writers to the fold, including Emily Weisband (who recently released her own pop album), and Josh Thompson.
“Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s” and “Let It Down” feature songwriter and musician Chris LaCorte, who plays guitar for Dustin Lynch and has played guitar on songs for Russell Dickerson.
The album also features “Hard To Forget,” which samples Webb Pierce‘s 1953 song “There Stands The Glass” and gives writer credit to the original song’s writers Audrey Grisham, Russ Hull, and Mary Jean Shurtz.
Hunt currently has the No. 1 song at country radio, with “Kinfolks,” which he co-wrote alongside Osborne, Crowell, and Jerry Flowers.
Hunt will launch his The Southside Summer Tour 2020 later this year with Kip Moore and Travis Denning, as well as ERNEST, also a co-writer on the album’s “Let It Down” and “Breaking Up Was Easy In The 90’s.”
SOUTHSIDE Track Listing: