Sheryl Crow
It is time for the streaming services to provide more service.
Week after week, I get these tracks, devoid of songwriter, producer, publisher and sometimes even label credits. Back when the NSAI was formed, one of the organization’s early goals was to get record companies to include songwriter’s names on albums. It succeeded. Now perhaps it is time for a new campaign.
This week’s releases include two tunes from Hollywood actors that added some zip to the listening session. So did the debut single from Filmore, who wins the DisCovery Award.
There’s no denying that the Disc of the Day is the shattering, emotional “Redemption Day,” revived as a collaboration between the late Johnny Cash and its composer, Sheryl Crow.
LOCASH/One Big Country Song
Writers: Jesse Frasure/Ashley Gorley/Michael Hardy; Producers: Corey Crowder/Tyler Hubbard; Publishers: 2018 Songs of Roc Nation Music (BMI) admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Telemitry Rhythm House Music (BMI) admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Round Hill Songs II (ASCAP), Caleb’s College Fund (ASCAP) admin by Round Hill Songs II, Relative Music Group (BMI) admin by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing.; Wheelhouse/BBR
-Sounds like a weekend to me. Bop along.
TENILLE ARTS/Call You Names
Writers: Tenille Arts/ James T. Slater; Producers: Alex Kline; Publishers: none listed; Reviver
– Just in time for Mother’s Day, Tenille gives a lilting shout-out to her mom, citing her clashes as a kid and her appreciation as an adult. Imaginatively written and winsomely sung.
DAVID LEE MURPHY/No Zip Code
Writers: David Lee Murphy/Shane Minor/Jesse Murphy; Producers: Kenny Chesney/Buddy Cannon; Publishers:2015 Old Desperados, LLC / N2D Publishing Company, Inc. (Adm. By Carol Vincent and Associates, LLC) (ASCAP); Sony/ATV Tree Pub. / Code Six Charles Music (BMI); Murphy’s Pub, LLC (Adm. By Carol Vincent and Associates, LLC) (BMI); Reviver/Blue Chair
– A stomping, thumping dream of freedom with plenty of electric guitar. It’s a fantasy about living out in the middle of nowhere with no news from the outside world ever seeping in.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Southbound
Writers: Carrie Underwood/David Garcia/Josh Miller; Producers: David Garcia/Carrie Underwood; Publishers: Carrie-Okie/Universal/Brentwood Benson/D Soul/Capitol CMG/Jack 10/Songs of the Corn/Warner-Tamerlane, BMI/ASCAP; Capitol Nashville
– I don’t understand why you would “process” and auto-tune the vocals of a singer this good. The track sounds busy, and the song comes across as a generic party tune.
FILMORE/Slower
Writers: Filmore/Justin Ebach/Steven Dale Jones; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Curb
– Refreshingly different, with intimate, warm vocals and a crunchy production featuring banjo beats, echo effects, bouncy tempo, cool empty spaces and shuddering guitars. Forward-thinking country-pop.
CARTER WINTER/Before You
Writers: Carter Winter/John Gurney/Taylor Phillips; Producer: Noah Gordon; Publishers: Roc Nation/Lookout Music/Warner-Chappell; BMI; Average Joe’s
– He’s a really strong vocalist who shines in this acoustic setting. The romantic ballad should set female hearts a-flutter. Extremely promising.
THE CADILLAC THREE/Crackin’ Cold Ones With Boys
Writers: Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray Caldwell, Neil Mason, Jefferson Brown, Benjamin Dunn, Chris Grainger, Brandon Wootten; Producer: Dann Huff; Publishers:2018 Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Songs For Buddy. All rights o/b/o Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing and Songs for Buddy administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219./ Lauren Leigh Music (ASCAP)./ Revelry Music / Mason Gannon Music / Kobalt Music Copyrights SARL (BMI). Administered by Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing./ Jefferson Brown (BMI)./ Benjamin Dunn./ Unique Dilemma Music (ASCAP)./ Brandon Wootten (ASCAP); Big Machine
– Solid, meat-and-potatoes rock music. With its rumbling backbeat, beer-soaked lyric and catchy hooks (dig that “aaahhh!” at the end), this could be country’s Song of the Summer.
KIEFER SUTHERLAND/This Is How It’s Done
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; BMG
– I dig the neo Johnny Cash rockabilly groove. The “Young Guns”/”Designated Survivor”/”Lost Boys”/”24” actor has a cool, growly singing voice, and it sounds like this band really kicks ass, live. Good job, Mr. President.
DENNIS QUAID & THE SHARKS/Out Of The Box
Writers: none listed; Producers: Dennis Quaid & Jamie James; Publishers: none listed; Omnivore
– This is the title tune of the debut album by this “Day After Tomorrow”/”Footloose”/ “The Right Stuff”/”Far From Heaven”/”Breaking Away”/”Vantage Point”/”Frequency” actor. I still haven’t forgiven him for that horrendous job of portraying Jerry Lee Lewis in 1989’s Great Balls of Fire. But here he demonstrates that he is a more than passable roots rocker.
SHERYL CROW & JOHNNY CASH/Redemption Day
Writers: Sheryl Crow; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Warner/Chappell, BMI; Valory Music Co.
– Powerfully moving and spiritually haunting. A quietly devastating masterpiece. An anthem for our times, delivered by two titanic musical forces. It’s only a matter of time before this gifted woman joins Cash in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I know Johnny would be awfully proud and pleased with this collaboration. Also: Can we begin talking about a Video of the Year award for Shaun Silva?
New Willie Nelson Project ‘Ride Me Back Home’ Coming June 21
/by Jessica NicholsonLegacy Recordings is set to release Willie Nelson‘s upcoming album Ride Me Back Home on June 21.
The album’s title track, co-written by Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Sonny Throckmorton along with his daughter Debby, as well as Lucinda Hinton and Joe Manual, examines horses and their spirituality.
“Sonny lives right by Willie’s Luck studio,” longtime friend/producer/musical compadre Buddy Cannon pointed out. “He said he wrote that song because he was over there and saw Willie’s horses. I don’t even know if Willie knows that or not.” The horses to which Cannon refers are a group of more than 60 that Willie has adopted over the years, rescuing them from the slaughterhouse and giving them a home on his “Luck” ranch. This project marks the 13th album Cannon has produced for Nelson in little more than a decade. The album also debuts three new tracks co-written by Nelson and Cannon, including “Come On Time,” “One More Song to Write,” and “Seven Year Itch.
Elsewhere on the project, Nelson covers Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are,” Mac Davis’ “It’s Hard To Be Humble” (with Lukas Nelson and Micah Nelson), and Guy Clarks “Immigrant Eyes” and “My Favorite Picture of You.”
He also revisits “Stay Away From Lonely Places,” a song Nelson first penned and recorded as part of his 1972 album The Words Don’t Fit the Picture.
“I’m the biggest Willie Nelson fan there is, and I thought I knew every song that he ever did. But I had never heard that song. It sounded totally new to me,” said Cannon, who encouraged Nelson to include the song on the new album. “He’s a born troubadour. It’s the greatness: That early genius that was him and his songs is still there.”
Willie Nelson – Ride Me Back Home
Peter Frampton To Receive Music Biz Chairman’s Award
/by Lorie HollabaughPeter Frampton is being honored by the Music Business Association with its Chairman’s Award for Sustained Creative Achievement at the Music Biz 2019 Awards & Hall of Fame Dinner on May 7. The awards are part of the Music Biz 2019 Conference set for May 5-8 at the JW Marriott in downtown Nashville.
“We could think of no artist more deserving of an award for sustained creative achievement than Peter Frampton, who has fashioned a storied career through his solo efforts, co-founding of a supergroup and his extraordinary collaborations with fellow industry legends,” commented Music Biz Chairman Steve Harkins. “This will be the third time Peter has graced the Music Biz stage; once in 1977 to honor his landmark live record Frampton Comes Alive!, again as part of the 2006 Universal Music Showcase, and this year to rightfully honor him as a music industry icon and a true bastion in the history of Rock music.”
The prestigious Chairman’s Award for Sustained Creative Achievement recognizes artists and innovators who have achieved the highest levels of continued artistic achievement in the music industry. Past recipients include Nile Rodgers, Reba McEntire, The Doobie Brothers, Lionel Richie, Cyndi Lauper, Garth Brooks, Chicago, Kool & The Gang, Liza Minnelli, Fleetwood Mac, Kenny Rogers, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Nat King Cole, Santana, Lena Horne, and Benny Goodman, among many others.
Frampton just announced the Peter Frampton Band will release its new album entitled All Blues on June 7 via UMe. Recorded with his longtime touring band, made up of Adam Lester (guitar/vocals), Rob Arthur (keyboards/guitar/vocals) and Dan Wojciechowski (drums), the album is a collection of Frampton’s favorite blues classics.
In February, Frampton made public his diagnosis of Inclusion Body Myositis (IBM) which has prompted him to announce his retirement from regular touring at the end of this year. His retirement will come at the conclusion of “The Peter Frampton Finale – The Farewell Tour” which will run across the U.S. and Canada from June through mid-October.
Old Crow Medicine Show’s Chance McCoy Readies Solo Debut
/by Lorie HollabaughChance McCoy
Chance McCoy is releasing his debut solo single “No One Loves You (The Way That I Do)” today (April 26). Best known as a member of the Grammy-winning Americana group Old Crow Medicine Show, the song is the first peek into his upcoming debut album set to release later this year.
“I came up with the lick down in Muscle Shoals in the middle of the night at a friend’s cabin on the lake. My son had his guitar tuned all crazy, I couldn’t sleep so I snatched it off the couch and came up with the lick. It was meditative, just rocking back and forth on my bed playing that figure on the acoustic. The lyrics are written about my time as a white water guide out west. They’re all true except the romance. I had to make that part up because I was lonely as hell back then. I was sleeping in the back of my truck. All I cared about was being on the river, riding those waves,” said McCoy.
Multi-instrumentalist McCoy’s debut album is set to drop this Fall. “People know me as a folk musician, but I’m expanding my creative horizons and blazing some new trails with this album,” said McCoy of the new project. “Wandering’s what I do.”
Taylor Swift Delivers New Single, Music Video For “ME!” Featuring Brendon Urie
/by Jessica NicholsonBrendon Urie and Taylor Swift on the set of “ME!” Photo: Instagram / Taylor Swift
The old Taylor Swift has returned to the phone. At midnight, the pop superstar returned with her pastel-drenched, dance-filled video for her new single, “ME!”. The song is an anthem of self-love, while the video finds Swift collaborating with Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie. “ME!” follows the dark, sarcastic, edgy themes of her 2017 album reputation, which found Swift further incorporating elements of EDM and hip-hop into her lyrically-rich pop confections. The introduction to the new music video shows a snake, much like the ones that surrounded the reputation imagery and tour, poof into a cloud of smoke and butterflies.
The announcement follows days of carefully coordinated clues, along with the words “4.26.” On Thursday (April 25), Swift appeared at a butterfly mural in downtown Nashville to greet fans. Minutes before her arrival, Swift posted a video on her Instagram, where she confirmed that she had commissioned the mural, created by Kelsey Montague, to help announce her new music. Last night, she appeared with GMA’s Robin Roberts during the NFL Draft, which aired on ABC, to announce she would drop a new single and music video for “ME!” at midnight.
Robin Roberts and Taylor Swift on the ABC set during the 2019 NFL Draft. Photo: Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images
The video for “ME!” takes cues from Old Hollywood films, as the Swift and Dave Meyers-directed clip begins with Urie and Swift as a couple in the midst of an argument, before eventually giving way to a technicolor spectacle filled with white clouds, shimmering hearts, pastel clothing, and Swift in a cotton-candy colored dress that seems to melt into a waterfall. The video ends in a colorful paint party for two, as Swift and Urie sing and dance in the street as gallons of paint fall around them. The video even features a framed photo of The Dixie Chicks, as Swift delivers the line There’s a lot of cool chicks out there.
Within two hours, the video had earned 10 million views on YouTube, as of this writing, the video has earned 21 million YouTube views. Friday morning (April 26), it was also announced Swift will open the Billboard Music Awards with a rendition of “ME!” with Urie.
Weekly Chart Report (4/26/19)
/by Alex ParryClick here or above to access MusicRow’s weekly CountryBreakout Report.
The Black Keys’ New Album ‘Let’s Rock’ Coming In June
/by Jessica NicholsonTHE BLACK KEYS. Photo: Alysse Gafkjen; Courtesy Q Prime
The Black Keys will return with their ninth studio album, Let’s Rock, on June 28 via Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch Records.
The project, which marks their first in five years, features the previously-released single “Lo/Hi” as well as “Eagle Birds,” which debuts today. The Black Keys’ 31-city city North American tour begins Sept. 23.
The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach says, “When we’re together we are The Black Keys, that’s where that real magic is, and always has been since we were sixteen.”
Let’s Rock was written, tracked live, and produced by Auerbach and Carney at Easy Eye Sound studio in Nashville and features backing vocals from Leisa Hans and Ashley Wilcoxson. “The record is like a homage to electric guitar,” says Patrick Carney. “We took a simple approach and trimmed all the fat like we used to.”
The Let’s Rock Tour will hit cities including Chicago, Nashville, New York, Los Angeles, and Austin (full dates below). Special guests Modest Mouse will provide support on all dates, and Shannon & The Clams, Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, *repeat repeat, and Jessy Wilson will each open select shows on the tour.
Let’s Rock Track Listing:
1. “Shine A Little Light”
2. “Eagle Birds”
3. “Lo/Hi”
4. “Walk Across The Water”
5. “Tell Me Lies”
6. “Every Little Thing”
7. “Get Yourself Together”
8. “Sit Around And Miss You”
9. “Go”
10. “Breaking Down”
11. “Under The Gun”
12. “Fire Walk With Me”
DISClaimer: Sheryl Crow, Johnny Cash Lead With “Redemption Day”
/by Robert K OermannSheryl Crow
It is time for the streaming services to provide more service.
Week after week, I get these tracks, devoid of songwriter, producer, publisher and sometimes even label credits. Back when the NSAI was formed, one of the organization’s early goals was to get record companies to include songwriter’s names on albums. It succeeded. Now perhaps it is time for a new campaign.
This week’s releases include two tunes from Hollywood actors that added some zip to the listening session. So did the debut single from Filmore, who wins the DisCovery Award.
There’s no denying that the Disc of the Day is the shattering, emotional “Redemption Day,” revived as a collaboration between the late Johnny Cash and its composer, Sheryl Crow.
LOCASH/One Big Country Song
Writers: Jesse Frasure/Ashley Gorley/Michael Hardy; Producers: Corey Crowder/Tyler Hubbard; Publishers: 2018 Songs of Roc Nation Music (BMI) admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Telemitry Rhythm House Music (BMI) admin by Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp. (BMI), Round Hill Songs II (ASCAP), Caleb’s College Fund (ASCAP) admin by Round Hill Songs II, Relative Music Group (BMI) admin by Songs of Kobalt Music Publishing.; Wheelhouse/BBR
-Sounds like a weekend to me. Bop along.
TENILLE ARTS/Call You Names
Writers: Tenille Arts/ James T. Slater; Producers: Alex Kline; Publishers: none listed; Reviver
– Just in time for Mother’s Day, Tenille gives a lilting shout-out to her mom, citing her clashes as a kid and her appreciation as an adult. Imaginatively written and winsomely sung.
DAVID LEE MURPHY/No Zip Code
Writers: David Lee Murphy/Shane Minor/Jesse Murphy; Producers: Kenny Chesney/Buddy Cannon; Publishers:2015 Old Desperados, LLC / N2D Publishing Company, Inc. (Adm. By Carol Vincent and Associates, LLC) (ASCAP); Sony/ATV Tree Pub. / Code Six Charles Music (BMI); Murphy’s Pub, LLC (Adm. By Carol Vincent and Associates, LLC) (BMI); Reviver/Blue Chair
– A stomping, thumping dream of freedom with plenty of electric guitar. It’s a fantasy about living out in the middle of nowhere with no news from the outside world ever seeping in.
CARRIE UNDERWOOD/Southbound
Writers: Carrie Underwood/David Garcia/Josh Miller; Producers: David Garcia/Carrie Underwood; Publishers: Carrie-Okie/Universal/Brentwood Benson/D Soul/Capitol CMG/Jack 10/Songs of the Corn/Warner-Tamerlane, BMI/ASCAP; Capitol Nashville
– I don’t understand why you would “process” and auto-tune the vocals of a singer this good. The track sounds busy, and the song comes across as a generic party tune.
FILMORE/Slower
Writers: Filmore/Justin Ebach/Steven Dale Jones; Producer: none listed; Publishers: none listed; Curb
– Refreshingly different, with intimate, warm vocals and a crunchy production featuring banjo beats, echo effects, bouncy tempo, cool empty spaces and shuddering guitars. Forward-thinking country-pop.
CARTER WINTER/Before You
Writers: Carter Winter/John Gurney/Taylor Phillips; Producer: Noah Gordon; Publishers: Roc Nation/Lookout Music/Warner-Chappell; BMI; Average Joe’s
– He’s a really strong vocalist who shines in this acoustic setting. The romantic ballad should set female hearts a-flutter. Extremely promising.
THE CADILLAC THREE/Crackin’ Cold Ones With Boys
Writers: Jaren Johnston, Kelby Ray Caldwell, Neil Mason, Jefferson Brown, Benjamin Dunn, Chris Grainger, Brandon Wootten; Producer: Dann Huff; Publishers:2018 Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing / Songs For Buddy. All rights o/b/o Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing and Songs for Buddy administered by Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 424 Church Street, Suite 1200, Nashville, TN 37219./ Lauren Leigh Music (ASCAP)./ Revelry Music / Mason Gannon Music / Kobalt Music Copyrights SARL (BMI). Administered by Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing./ Jefferson Brown (BMI)./ Benjamin Dunn./ Unique Dilemma Music (ASCAP)./ Brandon Wootten (ASCAP); Big Machine
– Solid, meat-and-potatoes rock music. With its rumbling backbeat, beer-soaked lyric and catchy hooks (dig that “aaahhh!” at the end), this could be country’s Song of the Summer.
KIEFER SUTHERLAND/This Is How It’s Done
Writers: none listed; Producer: none listed; Publisher: none listed; BMG
– I dig the neo Johnny Cash rockabilly groove. The “Young Guns”/”Designated Survivor”/”Lost Boys”/”24” actor has a cool, growly singing voice, and it sounds like this band really kicks ass, live. Good job, Mr. President.
DENNIS QUAID & THE SHARKS/Out Of The Box
Writers: none listed; Producers: Dennis Quaid & Jamie James; Publishers: none listed; Omnivore
– This is the title tune of the debut album by this “Day After Tomorrow”/”Footloose”/ “The Right Stuff”/”Far From Heaven”/”Breaking Away”/”Vantage Point”/”Frequency” actor. I still haven’t forgiven him for that horrendous job of portraying Jerry Lee Lewis in 1989’s Great Balls of Fire. But here he demonstrates that he is a more than passable roots rocker.
SHERYL CROW & JOHNNY CASH/Redemption Day
Writers: Sheryl Crow; Producer: none listed; Publishers: Warner/Chappell, BMI; Valory Music Co.
– Powerfully moving and spiritually haunting. A quietly devastating masterpiece. An anthem for our times, delivered by two titanic musical forces. It’s only a matter of time before this gifted woman joins Cash in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. I know Johnny would be awfully proud and pleased with this collaboration. Also: Can we begin talking about a Video of the Year award for Shaun Silva?
HARDY, Filmore Kick Off BMI’s Rooftop On The Row Summer Series
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured: BMI’s Branden Bosler and Josh Tomlinson, Filmore, HARDY and BMI’s MaryAnn Keen gather for a photo before Rooftop on The Row. Photo: Nathan Zucker
BMI kicked off the third season of its Rooftop on the Row Summer concert series Tuesday night (April 23) with performances by up-and-comers HARDY and Filmore.
Hosted by BMI with the support of sponsors George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, NASH FM 103.3 and 95.5 NASH ICON, Music Row’s tastemakers and industry professionals enjoyed a set from HARDY that included his rowdy debut single “Rednecker” as well as an acoustic snippet of the current Blake Shelton single “God’s Country,” one of the five tracks HARDY has written on this week’s airplay charts.
Filmore closed out the night with his single “Slower,” which just went for radio adds this week. Before signing with Curb | Word Entertainment in late 2018, Filmore was the only independent artist to ever be the face of the Hot Country playlist on Spotify. “Slower” has been featured on Apple Music’s New Country playlist and has has garnered over 26 million streams on Spotify to date.
Both artists are set to appear at the upcoming 24th annual Key West Songwriters Festival Presented by BMI in May.
Big Loud Records / Tree Vibez Music Artist HARDY (Photo: Nathan Zucker)
CURB Records Recording Artist Filmore (Photo: Nathan Zucker)
JUST IN: Annual MusicRow Awards Expand To War Memorial In June
/by Sherod RobertsonMusicRow Magazine announces the expansion of its 31st Annual MusicRow Awards, set for an invitation-only gala at Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium on June 26.
Tables with premium seating and individual seats can be purchased below.
Supporting Sponsor of the event is Vaden Group | Elliott Davis. Partner level sponsors include Ram Trucks and City National Bank. For sponsorship opportunities, contact Sherod Robertson at srobertson@musicrow.com or 615-499-5418.
The 2019 event also sees the expansion of new categories for MusicRow Subscribed Members to vote on. The Discovery Award, for the first time, recognizes top new developing artists. Male and Female Songwriter of the Year categories honor success during the eligibility period using data from MusicRow‘s Top Songwriter Chart to select nominees. Artist of the Year is an all-encompassing award to spotlight outstanding achievements by a Nashville artist. Additionally, MusicRow has added Label of the Year and Talent Agency of the Year.
Totaling 11 categories in all, other awards include Producer of the Year, Song of the Year, Breakthrough Artist of the Year, Breakthrough Songwriter and Breakthrough Artist-Writer.
MusicRow will also honor the Top 10 Album All-Star Musicians Awards at the event, recognizing the studio players who played on the most albums reaching the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country Album Chart during the eligibility period. Honors will be presented for guitar, bass, drums, fiddle, keyboards, steel, vocals and engineer categories.
The historic War Memorial Auditorium, one of the early homes of the Grand Ole Opry and where U.S. Presidents such as John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon have delivered speeches, was built in 1925 and remains one of Nashville’s most elegant and revered buildings.
MusicRow Subscribed Members will receive invites for complimentary balcony seating. Floor seating upgrades (both tables and individual seats) will be available exclusively using MusicRow‘s official checkout form below. Purchased tables include premium floor seating.
Full list of Award Categories:
CATEGORY 1—PRODUCER OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 2—LABEL OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 3—TALENT AGENCY OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 4—BREAKTHROUGH SONGWRITER
CATEGORY 5—BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST-WRITER OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 6—MALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 7—FEMALE SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 8—SONG OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 9—DISCOVERY AWARD
CATEGORY 10—BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST OF THE YEAR
CATEGORY 11—ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Taylor Swift Makes Surprise Appearance At Nashville Mural
/by LB CantrellTaylor Swift posing in front of her commissioned mural in Nashville. Photo: Instagram / Taylor Swift
Hours before her teased date for new music, Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at the Gulch in Nashville today (April 25).
Fans speculated that a new butterfly mural in the popular Nashville shopping district was connected to the singer, after Swift’s social media reflected similar imagery of pastels, butterflies and flowers. A swarm of fans and media started gathering at the site of the mural, painted by well-known muralist Kelsey Montague, before 9 a.m. on Thursday (April 25.)
“Everybody thinks it’s fake, they think it’s one of their theories,” Swift said in an Instagram story uploaded minutes before her arrival on site. “Did I put it up? Yeah!” she said to her dad sitting in the back seat of the vehicle.
“We’ve commissioned this butterfly mural to be painted on a wall in Nashville and put clues about the song and the new music in the mural,” she said. “So I’m going to go show up.”
The mural has painted hearts, flowers, rainbows and cats within the butterfly wings. Montague added the word “ME!” in between the wings while fans were on-site.
While there, Swift told fans to watch ABC tonight (April 25) for another surprise. Swift later posted a photo on her Instagram, captioned: “So… @kelseymontagueart helped me pull off the best surprise clue reveal today in Nashville!! Thank you to everyone who showed up, I’ve never been more proud of your FBI level detective skills. Next clue: I’ll be joining the magnificent @robinrobertsgma for a chat tonight on ABC live from Nashville.”
The upcoming project will be Swift’s first with Universal Music Group, after signing with them in November 2018.