BigXThaPlug has unveiled the track list for his upcoming country collaboration album, I Hope You’re Happy, due Aug. 22.

BigXThaPlug joined Apple Music in their Los Angeles studio to reveal that Darius Rucker, Jelly Roll, Bailey Zimmerman, Ella Langley, Luke Combs, Shaboozey, Ink, Thomas Rhett and Tucker Wetmore will join him on this record.

Nashville songwriters are also represented on the record, with writing credits from Ben Johnson, Rocky Block, Emily Weisband, Laura Veltz, Dave Cohen and more.

I Hope You’re Happy Track List:
1. “I Hope You’re Happy (feat. Darius Rucker)” (Xavier Landum, Krishon Gaines, Tony Coles Anderson, Charles Nelson Forsberg, Chris Stapleton, Anderson East)
2. “Gone (interlude)”
3. “Box Me Up (feat. Jelly Roll)” (Jordan K. Johnson, Stefan Johnson, Gregory “Aldae” Hein, James Gutch, Stavros Tsarouhas, Xavier Landum, Jason DeFord)
4. “All The Way (feat. Bailey Zimmerman)” (Xavier Landum, Charles Nelson Forsberg, Krishon Gaines, Ben Johnson, KK Johnson, Jenna Johnson)
5. “Hell At Night (feat. Ella Langley)” (Xavier Landum, Ryan Vojtesak, Krishon Gaines, Yuval Haim Chain, Rocky Block, Joybeth Taylor, Ella Langley, Ro’Darrion Harrison)
6. “Gift & a Curse (interlude)”
7. “Pray Hard (feat. Luke Combs)” (Xavier Landum, Luke Combs, Nick Monson, Jon Robert Hall, Mark Nilan Jr., Dave Cohen, Krishon Gaines)
8. “Home (feat. Shaboozey)” (Xavier Landum, Collins Obinna Chibueze, Bryant Taylorr, Scoot Teasley, Krishon Gaines, Tony Esterly, Sean Cook, Dave Cohen, Charles Nelson Forsberg)
9. “24/7 (feat. Ink)” (Xavier Landum, JT Daly, Nick Gale, Krishon Gaines, Hank Compton, Emily Weisband, Ro’Darrion Harrison, Atia Boggs)
10. “About You (feat. Tucker Wetmore)” (Written by: Xavier Landum, Jon Hume, Krishon Gaines, Dave Cohen, Laura Veltz, Jackson Nance, David Ray Stevens)
11. “Long Nights (feat. Thomas Rhett)” (Xavier Landum, Krishon Gaines, Ryan Vojtesak, Bryant Taylorr, Mike Ewing, Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk)

Following the announcement of this year’s nominees for the 37th annual MusicRow Awards, presented by City National Bank, we take a closer look at the Male Artist of the Year category.

This category honors the achievements of a Nashville male artist during the eligibility period.

This year’s winners will be announced online on all MusicRow platforms on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Click here to see the full list of MusicRow Awards nominees.

Winners are determined solely by MusicRow Magazine subscribers. Voting is now open and closes on Aug. 15 at 5:00 p.m. To receive a ballot to vote in the MusicRow Awards, become a MusicRow subscriber here.

Kane Brown started 2025 off with the release of his fourth album, The High Road. Among the album’s track list is the global hit “Miles On It” with Marshmello, and his recently crowned 13th No. 1 radio single “Backseat Driver.” Accompanying the album was his headline arena tour, where he brought his famous live shows to fans across the country. Known for his performance skills, Brown has been a 2x ACM Entertainer of the Year nominee. At the end of 2024, Brown was recognized with People’s Choice Country Awards’ Country Champion Award. Brown has also continued his work with The Boys & Girls Club, and through that has been honored with the Country Radio Seminar (CRS) Humanitarian Award and the Champion of Youth Award from The Boys & Girls Club.

Two-time CMA Entertainer of Year Luke Combs started off 2025 with an induction into the Music City Walk of Fame, and became the first country artist to have two songs reach a billion streams on Spotify. He also was honored as the first country artist to have three RIAA Diamond certified singles. Combs recently notched another No. 1 at country radio with his hit Twisters soundtrack song “Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma.” His 2024 Fathers & Sons album was released with critical acclaim, and takes a look into the emotional bond of fatherhood. Combs had his own exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. He joined forces with Opry Entertainment Group to open his own music venue and bar on Broadway, Category 10, and his touring schedule this year included headline performances at Stagecoach, New Orleans’ JazzFest, Lollapalooza and Boston Calling, as well as Bonnaroo, where he was the first ever country act to headline the festival. Combs also created and headlined “Concert for Carolina” at Bank of America Stadium, raising over $24.5 million for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

Since breaking out with “There Was This Girl” and “I Wish Grandpas Never Died,” Riley Green has continued to embody the rowdy and emotional sides of country music. His third studio album Don’t Mind If I Do was released in October, and set Green on a non stop upward trajectory. The 18-track project includes fan favorites such as “Jesus Saves” and the 2x Platinum “Worst Way,” both of which are solo-penned by Green. The title track, also solo-written, finds Green back with Ella Langley after their monster year off successes with“You Look Like You Love Me,” which gained Green three ACM Awards this past April. He is currently on his own headline “Damn Country Music Tour,” with stops in New York, Nashville, Chicago, Boston and more. Green also recently opened his own bar, Riley Green’s Duck Blind in Nashville’s Midtown, connected to Loser’s Bar & Grill.

Cody Johnson has built up his reputation by gathering a loyal fan base with sold-out shows and consistent streaming numbers. Johnson has cultivated his meaningful discography through releases of Leather Deluxe Edition, Leather, Human The Double Album, A Cody Johnson Christmas, Cody Johnson & The Rockin’ CJB Live and Ain’t Nothin’ To It. His hit single “Dirt Cheap” was awarded Storyteller of The Year at the People’s Choice Country Awards and Song of the Year at the 2025 ACM Awards. Another hit track “The Painter” was awarded as the NSAI 2024 Song of The Year. Throughout his career, Johnson has been named CMT Artist of The Year and won three CMT Music Awards wins, four CMA Awards including Album of The Year (2024) for Leather, and Best New Country Artist at the iHeart Music Awards. Johnson has performed on the Today Show, the Kelly Clarkson Show and the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as well as live TV performances at the iHeart Music Awards, the ACM Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Music Awards, CMT Giants honoring Vince Gill, the CMT Artist of the Year Special and more.

Grammy nominated Nashville native Jelly Roll ended 2024 with the release of his Beautifully Broken album, which topped the Billboard 200 All Genre Chart, the first time in his career. The critically-acclaimed project was accompanied by his sold-out arena tour across the country. The 2024 iHeart Radio awards gave him eight genre-spanning nominations and wins for Best New Country and Pop artist. At the 2025 Grammy Awards, Jelly Roll was nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance with “I Am Not Okay.” Jelly Roll has amassed seven consecutive No. 1s to date at country radio. His hit song “Save Me” spent 28 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart, and is RIAA Platinum certified. Outside of music, Jelly Roll also donated a recording studio at the juvenile detention center he served in as a teen, and released his Save Me documentary.

Tallying a career 18 No. 1 singles at country radio, 19 Billboard Music Awards, more than 190 weeks spent atop Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart, Morgan Wallen continues to push the genre to its limits. Wallen won his first Entertainer of the Year award at the 2024 CMA Awards. His fourth studio album I’m The Problem was released in May. Upon its release, it debuted at No. 1 globally across seven countries. The project has also already had three No. 1s on country radio, including the eight week No. 1 title track. He also broke his own record for the most simultaneous entries in Billboard Hot 100 History, with all 37 songs charting upon release week. His 20 stadium show “I’m The Problem Tour” is currently taking place, and was preceded by his own Sand In My Boots Festival on the shores of Alabama. He also celebrated the release of the project with a show at The Roundhouse in London. Wallen also puts a portion of every ticket sold towards his Morgan Wallen Foundation, which donates funds to youth music and athletic programs.

MusiCares has partnered with Maven Clinic, the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health, to provide eligible music professionals with free access to Maven’s inclusive virtual care and support. The platform offers personalized care across every stage of life, including family planning, fertility, maternity, parenting, mental health and menopause.

MusiCares clients can now access 24/7 support through Maven’s virtual platform, connecting with hundreds of providers across 30 specialties—including OB-GYNs, doulas, pediatricians, career coaches, mental health professionals, nutritionists and more, with care available in 35 languages. Appointments are typically available within an hour, and members are paired with a dedicated Care Advocate who guides them throughout their journey and connects them to in-person resources when needed.

Additionally, members can engage with expert-backed educational content and peer communities tailored to their stage of life and needs.

All virtual care within the Maven app is free to eligible MusiCares clients and available with no limit to the number of sessions. In-app copays and associated costs are fully covered by MusiCares. If a client is referred to an external provider through Maven, discounted rates may be available depending on the region.

“Maven and MusiCares both exist as safety nets for people at crucial points in their lives,” says Theresa Wolters, Interim Executive Director and Vice President of Health & Human Services at MusiCares. “Just as we consider the many overlapping challenges a music professional may face, whether that’s financial hardship, mental health struggles, recovery, or caregiving responsibilities, Maven understands that reproductive health and family building are deeply interconnected with all aspects of a person’s life. This partnership offers care that sees the whole person.

“Too often, family planning resources focus on a single milestone, but real life is far more complex,” she adds. “Our clients are touring parents, caregiving partners, new moms navigating postpartum depression, and seasoned professionals managing perimenopause while working. With Maven, we can now offer continuous, compassionate care that supports them through each chapter of their lives.”

“Reproductive and family health doesn’t exist in isolation—it’s deeply connected to how we live, work, and care for others,” shares Isha Vij, Maven’s SVP of employer growth. “Together with MusiCares, we’re helping people access care that supports not just their health, but their ability to keep creating, performing and showing up in the world.”

Eligible MusiCares clients, including those with at least five years of industry experience or six commercially released recordings or videos, can now access Maven’s network of OB-GYNs, mental health providers, lactation consultants, fertility experts, pediatricians and more through the app.

To apply for Maven services through MusiCares, click here.

Nashville-based VNTG PR has rebranded to Sotis Entertainment Group. Additionally the company now offers full-service artist development centered on management, marketing, touring and branding. The current roster includes Chris Janson, Terry McBride, McBride & The Ride, Trey Calloway, Makenzie Phipps, Will Wesley, Florian Fox, Charlotte Morris, Parrotfish and The Thing With Feathers.

The company started as a boutique firm focused on pop and rock music, but quickly expanded into the country and Americana genres, shifting the company’s focus to artist management and digital strategy.

“We all come to Nashville to chase a dream, and often that dream evolves,” shares Dominick Sotis, Founder of Sotis Entertainment Group. “When I graduated from Belmont, it seemed natural to gravitate towards public relations and social media, but this was in the middle of a pandemic, so being flexible was key to not only thrive, but to survive. I’m excited to usher in the new chapter for Sotis Entertainment Group and continue to evolve! Through management, digital marketing, public relations and booking services, Sotis Entertainment Group prides itself on devising unique growth strategies in all facets of an artist’s career. We help create mutually beneficial relationships between our firm and its artists in which talent, work ethic and character are held in the highest regard.”