Morgan Wallen Notches Third Week At No. 1 On MusicRow Radio Chart

/by

Morgan Wallen notches a third week at No. 1 on the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart with “Lies Lies Lies”.

The track was written by Jessie Jo Dillon, Josh Miller, Daniel Ross and Chris Tompkins.

In partnership with Hangout Music Festival and AEG Presents, Wallen has announced a three-day Sand In My Boots Festival coming to Gulf Shores, Alabama on May 16–18. The event coincides with the Hangout Festival’s 15 year anniversary and will feature Wallen’s closest friends, favorite artists and musical influences.

“Lies Lies Lies” currently sits at No. 9 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart and No. 5 on the Mediabase chart.

Click here to view the latest edition of the MusicRow Weekly containing the MusicRow CountryBreakout Radio Chart.

Kenny Chesney Celebrates 36th No. 1 Hit ‘Take Her Home’

/by

Pictured (L-R, back row): Sony Music Publishing’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Relative Music Group’s Jesse Matkosky, ASCAP’s Kele Currier, BMI’s Clay Bradley, Warner Chappell’s Christina Wiltshire and Tape Room Music’s Caroline Hodson. (L-R, front row): Buddy Cannon, Zach Abend, Kenny Chesney, Michael Hardy and Hunter Phelps. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

Industry members gathered on the BMI rooftop earlier this week to celebrate Kenny Chesney‘s 36th No. 1 hit “Take Her Home,” written by Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps and Zach Abend, and co-produced by Buddy Cannon.

Kenny Chesney poses with his dog Poncho at “Take Her Home” No. 1 party. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

The lead single from the multi-Platinum entertainer’s Born album, “Take Her Home” makes Chesney the artist with the most Billboard Country chart-toppers. It also serves as Hardy’s 16th No. 1 as a songwriter, Phelps’ ninth and Abend’s first.

The event was hosted by BMI and ASCAP and emceed by BMI’s Clay Bradley. He shared the podium with ASCAP’s Kele Currier, Warner Music Nashville’s Cris Lacy, Sony Music Publishing’s Josh Van Valkenburg, Relative Music Group’s Jesse Matkosky, Warner Chappell’s Christina Wiltshire and Tape Room Music’s Caroline Hodson, who all spoke about Chesney’s commitment to songs and songwriters. Chesney’s dog Poncho was also in attendance for his first No. 1 party.

Sponsored by Studio Bank, the organization made a special donation on behalf of Chesney and the songwriters in support of the Red Cross, benefiting hurricane relief efforts in East Tennessee and North Carolina.

Abend was the first songwriter to take the mic, after he received his custom Taylor 210e DLX guitar from BMI for writing his first hit. He thanked his co-writers and support system.

“I’m extremely grateful to everyone here. Everyone in this room has been so nurturing to me, even if you didn’t know it.”

When Hardy spoke, he shared that it was special to watch the journey of the couple in “Take Her Home” emulate that of Phelps and his wife and daughter. He also shared some special news with the crowd.

“Hunter was really tapped in because of the big pay off in the bridge, where they have a baby girl,” Hardy said. “I think it’s a cool moment that Hunter was experiencing that last year and—I hope I don’t get in trouble for this—but Caleigh and I are pregnant.”

Pictured (L-R): MusicRow’s LB Cantrell, Buddy Cannon, Zach Abend, Kenny Chesney, Michael Hardy, Hunter Phelps and MusicRow’s John Nix Arledge. Photo: Larry McCormack for BMI

“Kenny is the top of the list for every songwriter in town,” Phelps said. “I was sitting in the kitchen when it was first released. I put my phone on the counter and hit play and started tearing up thinking about my journey as a songwriter to getting a Kenny Chesney cut. It’s such a real song from my life, so thank you for that moment.”

Chesney shared his experience of hearing “Take Her Home” as he was finishing his album and hurriedly getting into the studio to cut it.

“One of my favorite things about this town is that you can wake up one morning and hear a song that didn’t exist the day before. A song that could change lives and find commonality among people…and that’s exactly the way ‘Take Her Home’ happened,” he said. “I woke up and got a text from Hardy and I listened to it and it wasn’t a week later that Buddy and I were in the studio.”

Jess Anderson Exits Big Loud

/by

Jess Anderson. Photo: Brayln Kelly Smith

Jess Anderson is exiting her position as Sr. Director of Media at Big Loud for an undisclosed opportunity. Her last day was today (Oct. 17).

Working with the Big Loud roster since late 2018, Anderson came in-house with the label in 2021 and helped create its internal publicity department when she became Director, Media Relations in 2022. Over her tenure with Big Loud, she’s led and assisted on campaigns ranging from Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album, Hardy’s A Rock and The Mockingbird & The Crow, Ernest’s Flower Shops: The Album and Nashville, Tennessee, Stephen Wilson Jr.’s Søn Of Dad, Charles Wesley Godwin’s Family Ties, the Hixtape franchise to introductory campaigns for Dylan Gossett, MacKenzie Porter, Lauren Watkins, Kashus Culpepper and many more.

Prior to joining Big Loud, Anderson spent time at Sweet Talk Publicity, The Press House and Big Machine Label Group. The Tulsa native is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, part of The Nashville Briefing‘s 2024 30 Under 30 class and MusicRow‘s 2024 Next Big Thing Industry Directory.

Big Loud is now hiring for a VP-level media professional. Click here to see the application.

CRS 2025 Unveils Expanded Digital Music Summit Agenda

/by

The Digital Music Summit (DMS) will return to Country Radio Seminar (CRS), bringing an expanded lineup of panels and events aimed at integrating the digital and radio worlds to the 2025 installment, taking place Feb. 19–21.

This year, DMS content will pivot from a one-day program and will now be incorporated across the entire CRS schedule, featuring panels, networking opportunities and artist spotlights.

DMS will also bring back the “Cycle of A Song” series, which highlights tracks from three different artists spread over the three days of the seminar. This series showcases the journey of a song from creation to chart success, offering insights into the lifecycle of music.

For the second consecutive year, CRS will host the “Y’all Means All: Diversity Breakfast,” an event designed to inspire attendees to promote diversity within their organizations. The War And Treaty will appear as panelists, with more artist announcements to follow.

CRS 2025 will also debut an all-new morning session, “Ask Me Anything: Speed Dating with DSPs.” This breakfast event gives attendees the opportunity to ask representatives from major streaming platforms any questions they may have. Structured in a “speed dating” format, attendees will rotate through two-minute conversations to ensure a direct personal exchange of insights about data, back-end portals and more.

CRS 2025 DMS-Focused Panels:

“Streaming 101: Everything You Want To Know”: This session aims to be an evolution of past streaming discussions, diving deeper into the business structures of streaming platforms, free vs. premium tiers and demystifying key myths. The panel will cover the current state of country music streaming and share best practices for labels, managers and marketing teams.

“Teamwork Makes The Dream Work”: Capitalizing on the country moment in streaming, country music is experiencing unprecedented growth, with cross-genre collaborations, joint ventures, and major labels expanding into Nashville. This session will explore how the country genre reached this moment, how DSPs are handling the cross-genre boom as well as what the future holds for labels, artists and DSPs alike, with a focus on working together to sustain this momentum.

“Why Can’t We Be Friends? The Label, Radio, and Streaming Relationship”: In this conversation, panelists will examine the current relationship between streaming, radio and labels, addressing the challenges and opportunities for increased collaboration. Attendees will gain insights into the differences in timelines between streaming and radio as well as the strategies labels use to navigate both spaces.

“Sustaining Momentum: How To Turn Moments Into a Career”: This session will focus on the strategies and tools needed to maintain momentum for country artists, especially when working singles at country radio for extended periods as well as how to build a sustainable career in today’s music landscape.

On The Row: Dylan Marlowe Displays Songwriting Skills With Debut Album

/by

Dylan Marlowe. Photo: Jacob Powers

The name Dylan Marlowe seems to be frequently found on the playlists of country music lovers these days with popular tunes like “Record High” and “Boys Back Home (feat. Dylan Scott),” leading him to amass over 312 million global career streams as an artist in addition to scoring a No. 1 as a songwriter with Jon Pardi‘s “Last Night Lonely.”

Built on classic country and tinged with rock, his musical stylings have been heard on tour with Dan + Shay, Cole Swindell, Hardy and Brantley Gilbert, among others, as well as on collaborations with Avery Anna, Kasey Tyndall, Yung Gravy and most recently Riley Green. Their tune “Stick to My Guns” appears on Marlowe’s recently-released debut album, Mid-Twenties Crisis, alongside “Boys Back Home” and 13 other tunes co-penned by the Sony Music Nashville songsmith.

Pictured (L–R): MusicRow’s Liza Anderson and LB Cantrell, Dylan Marlowe, MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson, Madison Hahnen and John Nix Arledge

He stopped by the MusicRow office last week to play a few tunes from the project and detail his writing process and journey thus far.

The Statesboro, Georgia native’s sound is influenced by pop-punk bands in addition to American rock groups, including Blink-182 and Weezer, and country stars like Eric Church.

“My dad was a drummer in a rock band and my mom was always listening to country music when I was growing up, so I think that’s where some of my [multi-genre] combination comes from,” shared Marlowe. “A lot of my melodies are inspired by pop-punk music. As [my band and I] played more live shows, I realized that I wanted to dig deeper into that kind of sound but also wanted to stay true to myself, which to led my music to evolve into what it is now.”

He began playing guitar and honing his craft when he was a senior in high school. After spending a year in college and some time working for his father, Marlowe made the move to Music City and connected with Dallas Davidson through fellow Georgia native Trea Landon, leading him to sign a publishing and artist development deal with Play It Again Music in 2020. He then co-wrote “Last Night Lonely” with Jimi Bell and Joe Fox, and later inked his record deal.

Marlowe dropped his debut EP, Dirt Road When I Die, in 2023 and embarked on his headlining run of the same name earlier this year after supporting Hardy’s “The Mockingbird & The Crow Tour.” He plans to hit the road again in 2025 to bring his new music to fans across the nation.

Dylan Marlowe & MusicRow’s Sherod Robertson

Marlowe treated the MusicRow team to several Mid-Twenties Crisis numbers that could potentially make the setlist, starting with the clever “Heart Brakes,” which he co-penned with Jordan Minton and Lindsay Rimes. He then moved into one of his favorites from the collection, “Hang It Up,” written with Tyler Chambers.

“The record is so dynamic to me,” Marlowe noted. “It’s got some slower country songs and some punkier country songs.”

He continued with “Shop Radio,” a tune he penned alongside Chambers and Johnny McGuire that was inspired by a radio in his dad’s utility shop that has remained on the same country-rock station. “It’s probably still on to this day,” he joked.

Marlowe then concluded with the adorable “Deer on the Wall,” which he wrote with Zach Abend and Seth Ennis about he and his wife’s differing home decor taste—further putting his creative and clever writing on full display.

Marlowe will kick off the “Mid-Twenties Crisis Tour” at the Gramercy Theatre in New York City on Jan. 23.

Industry Ink: Koe Wetzel, Jeannie Seely, CMHOFM, More

/by

Koe Wetzel Celebrates Platinum & Gold Certs

Pictured (L-R): Columbia Records’ Alexa Zeliger, Floating Leaf Entertainment’s Jeb Hurt, Columbia Records’ Drew Schieffelin & Peter Gray, Koe Wetzel, Columbia Records’ Ben Maddahi, Floating Leaf Entertainment’s Cody Maldonado, Columbia Records’ Sarah Pfeiffer & Karissa Keller. Photo: Trevor Lamb, Motion Theory Media

Koe Wetzel’s “Damn Near Normal World Tour” wrapped its U.S. leg last weekend, and prior to the sold-out stateside finale, Wetzel was presented with three plaques celebrating the Platinum certification of his current single “High Road” as well as the Gold certification of hits “Sweet Dreams” and “Creeps.”

 

Jeannie Seely Gets Her Own Street Near The Opry

Pictured (L-R): Darren Jernigan, Dan Rogers, Heidi Campbell, David Bone, Jeannie Seely, Gene Ward and Mark Ezell. Photo: Chris Hollo / Grand Ole Opry

Jeannie Seely has received her own Jeannie Seely Interchange, with road signs now officially in place near the Grand Ole Opry House.

Recently, following her 5,381st performance on the Opry, Seely was called back to the stage for a special presentation made by Mark Ezell, Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, along with TN State Senator Heidi Campbell and TN State Representative Darren Jernigan, where a replica of the sign stating “Grand Ole Opry Star Jeannie Seely Interchange” was then displayed for the Opry audience to see.

 

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Hosts Concert and Conversation: Night Train to Lovenoise

Pictured (L-R, back row): Bryant Taylorr, NMAAM Curator Dr. Bryan Pierce, music journalist and Nashville Public Radio’s “Making Noise” series host Jewly Hight, Ann McCrary of the McCrary Sisters, Joey Richey, Lovenoise founder Eric Holt, Frank Howard, Alfreda McCrary of the McCrary Sisters, Levert Allison, Regina McCrary of the McCrary Sisters, James Moon and Vice President of Museum Services Michael Gray. (L-R, front row): Elijah “DD” Holt, Ca$h K and William Davenport. Photo: Courtesy of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum hosted a free concert and conversation that looked at the evolution of the city’s Black music scene through the point of view of musicians from different generations.

The program, “Night Train to Lovenoise: A Generational Journey of Black Music in Nashville,” included a panel discussion with music journalist and Nashville Public Radio’s “Making Noise” series host Jewly Hight; Lovenoise founder Eric Holt and musicians Frank Howard, Regina McCrary, Joey Richey and Bryant Taylorr. Following the conversation, Levert Allison, Ca$h K, William Davenport, Howard, the McCrary Sisters and Richey performed with a house band led by Elijah “DD” Holt.

 

BMI Rocks Austin City Limits Festival 2024

Braxton Keith performs on the BMI Stage at 2024 ACL Fest. Photo: Erika Goldring for BMI

The BMI Stage concluded its 21st year at 2024 Austin City Limits Music Festival this past weekend (Oct 11-13), with performances from affiliates Amira Elfeky, Braxton Keith, Bre Kennedy, The Droptines, Emei, Emily Nenni, Hudson Ingram, Jon Muq, JORDY, Vanilla Is Black and Whokilledkenny.

 

Appalachian Allies To Aid Hurricane Victims With Benefit At The Bijou

Appalachian Allies will hold a benefit concert on Oct. 27 at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee featuring Adeem the Artist, Andy Wood, Darrell Scott, Jerry Douglas, Larkin Poe, R.B. Morris and Sarah Jarosz to support crucial flood relief efforts in Eastern Tennessee. Funds raised will go directly to the affected communities thanks to the incredible efforts of the East Tennessee Foundation, a Knoxville-based nonprofit committed to helping communities recover and rebuild after the devastating impacts of Hurricane Helene.

Sadie Bass Inks With Sony Music Publishing & One4 Entertainment

/by

Pictured (L-R): Emma Kyes, Tom Luteran, Sadie Bass, Brian Wright and Rusty Gaston.

Singer-songwriter Sadie Bass has signed a global publishing deal with Sony Music Publishing Nashville and One4 Entertainment’s Brian Wright.

“I am so unbelievably grateful to be writing for Sony Music Publishing,” shares Bass. “It’s an absolute honor to have my music in the hands of people who make me feel seen and heard. I’m excited to keep growing as a songwriter and pour my heart into every lyric. THANK YOU.”

Since moving to Nashville in 2020 from her home state of Michigan, Bass has seen a steady rise in her career. She has held support slots for Brantley Gilbert, Thomas Rhett, Hank Williams Jr. and more. She also been seen on lineups for Rock The Country, Carolina Music Festival, Tortuga and Faster Horses, among others. Additionally, she was featured on season 22 of The Voice and was crowned the season 4 winner of Hunting for Love or Likes on the Outdoor Channel.

“Sadie’s unique background, unstoppable determination, and God-given talent sets her up for surefire success. I am inspired by her drive to win every day,” says Sony Music Publishing Nashville VP, Creative Tom Luteran.

Sony Music Publishing Nashville CEO Rusty Gaston adds “Sadie’s artistry is captivating – her songs and performances demand attention. We are excited for the big future she has ahead.”

Bass has been writing and recording new music that will be released in early 2025. She is also featured on Styles Haury’s new track “Camo,” available tomorrow (Oct. 18).

DISClaimer Single Reviews: Jelly Roll’s Vocal Is Full Of ‘Gripping Passion & Believability’

/by

Jelly Roll. Photo: Eric Ryan Anderson

In these troubling times, the country stars are offering comforting messages this week.

To varying degrees, Tim McGraw, Jelly Roll, Dolly, Reba, Tanya and Bailey Zimmerman are all singing of hope and empowerment. Among them, Jelly Roll has the outstanding effort and wins the Disc of the Day prize.

I was thunderstruck by the vocal quality of Taulia Lave, who is a complete unknown to me. He easily wins the DISCovery Award du jour.

TAULIA LAVE / “Modern Day Cowboy”
Writers: Errol Collier/Taulia Lave; Producer: Austin Stanley; Label: Country Boy Records
– The production perks up your ears from the first deep-bass notes. Then the man begins to sing and OMG. Gorgeous voice. Gorgeous tempo track. This is packed with audio dynamics—steel, percussion, twang guitar, propulsion, echo. Lave, known as “Big T” is a Samoan with a voice of satin. He hails from Hawaii, a state whose natives have always included many great vocalists. Take it from me, this man is one of them.

REBA McENTIRE / “Happy’s Place”
Writers: Carole King/Doug Sisemore/Reba McEntire; Producer: Doug Sisemore; Label: Rockin’ R Records
– This rhythmic bopper is the theme song from the Hall of Famer’s new NBC sitcom, which premieres tomorrow (Oct. 18). She invests it with plenty of energy. The instrumental break is a bland disappointment. The writer credits are newsworthy.

WARREN ZEIDERS / “You For A Reason”
Writers: Alex Maxwell/Rivers Rutherford/Warren Zeiders; Producers: Ross Copperman, Warren Zeiders; Label: Warner Records
– The love didn’t last, but he has no regrets. CMT award winner Zeiders is such a strong vocalist, and sings this ballad with loads of heart.

KELSEA BALLERINI / “First Rodeo”
Writers: Alysa Vanderheym/Hillary Lindsey/Jessie Jo Dillon/Karen Fairchild/Kelsea Ballerini; Producers: Alysa Vanderheym, Kelsea Ballerini; Label: Black River Entertainment
– This is a soft-focus, pastel watercolor of sound. Ballerini dials it down to a whispery, conversational delivery while the dreamy ballad swirls in gentle washes around her. Lovely listening.

TIM McGRAW / “People Like Us”
Writers: Scooter Carusoe/Tom Douglas; Producers: Byron Gallimore, Tim McGraw; Label: Big Machine Records
– Very uplifting. McGraw sings a lyric that offers unity, hope and heart. We’re all in this together, and if we want to build a better tomorrow we have to do it in brotherhood. This guy has always been a champion song magnet.

KASHUS CULPEPPER / “Out Of My Mind”
Writers: Brian Elmquist/Kashus Culpepper; Producer: Brian Elmquist; Label: Big Loud/Mercury Records
– This has a cool, unusual sound with multiple tempo and chord changes. I don’t hear it as “country,” however.

BAILEY ZIMMERMAN / “Holding On”
Writers: Austin Shawn/Blake Whiten; Producer: Austin Shawn; Label: Warner Music Nashville/Elektra Entertainment
– The vocal sounds very “processed” in this plodding ballad. The production is a dense sounding onslaught of electronics. Pass.

JELLY ROLL / “I Am Not Okay”
Writers: Ashley Gorley/Casey Brown/Jason Deford/Taylor Phillips; Producer: Zach Crowell; Label: BBR Music Group
– This is arguably his finest vocal performance to date, full of gripping passion and believability. For troubled souls everywhere: “When it’s all said and done/I am not okay/But it’s all gonna be alright.” This turbulent-but-uplifting track deserves to be a No. 1 record.

DON LOUIS / “Drunk And Alone”
Writer: Don Louis; Producer: Kipp Williams; Label: Money Myers Entertainment/EMPIRE
– They broke up. It sounds like they are both drowning their blues in booze. He at least has the satisfaction of knowing she calls him when she’s loaded and needy. The track bops along merrily, and he sings with fine finesse. I’ve been liking this guy all along, and the hunk is named one of Music City’s Most Beautiful People in the current issue of Nashville Lifestyles magazine.

DOLLY PARTON, MADDIE & TAE, JESSIE JAMES DECKER & CALLIE TWISSELMAN / “Gonna Be You”
Writer: Diane Warren; Producer: Jimmy Robbins; Label: DiNamic/CTK Records
– The massed female voices combine to offer a song of sisterhood. It’s about buddies who will always have your back. Friendship has seldom sounded so downright wise and wonderful. The upbeat anthem is from the soundtrack of the hit comedy movie 80 For Brady, which I also recommend.

HUESTON / “Bottle In My Hand”
Writers: Brandon Sammons/Cory Hueston/Matt Ferranti; Producer: Bsamz; Label: Silver Wings Records
– He has a very ear-catching voice, kinda strangled, soulful and aching. The production is pop, but the lyric of closing a dive bar down and losing it all to alcohol is country all the way.

TANYA TUCKER / “Do We Want To Win”
Writers: Chuck Cannon/Reggie Hamm; Producers: Chuck Cannon, Mark Joseph; Label: TT
– It’s kinda political and also about a relationship. The tempo drags, there’s a whole lotta spoken word passages, and the chorus seems to be the only hook in the song.

Date Announced For Eighth Annual ‘Scott Hamilton & Friends’ Holiday Spectacular

/by

 

Scott Hamilton will host his eighth annual “Scott Hamilton & Friends” celebration of skating and music alongside Matt Iseman on Nov. 24 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena.

The evening will include performances by CeCe Winans, Steven Curtis Chapman, The Isaacs, Gavin DeGraw, Charles Esten and Jason Derlatka, accompanied by band Sixwire.

The show will also feature Olympic, World and National Champion figure skaters, including Olympic Bronze Medalist Jeremy Abbott, two-time Olympian and four-time World Champion Kurt Browning, two-time World Medalists and Olympians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, two-time U.S. National Champion and Olympian Gracie Gold, two-time Canadian National Champion and Olympian Keegan Messing, U.S. National Champion and Olympian Mariah Bell and two-time U.S. National Champion Alissa Czisny. Additionally, social media personality Elladj Baldé will make his fourth consecutive appearance in the show.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, which funds innovative cancer research. Tickets are available now. For more information, click here.

Morgan Wallen To Debut Sand In My Boots Festival In May

/by

Morgan Wallen. Photo: John Shearer

Morgan Wallen, AEG Presents and Hangout Music Festival have announced a new, three-day Sand In My Boots Festival, which will take place May 16–18 in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The curated multi-genre lineup is set to consist of Wallen’s closest friends, favorite artists and the musical influences he has always wanted to perform with. Every performer, activity and experience will be handpicked by the superstar, who shared the news with fans in a video message today (Oct. 17).

YouTube video

“Creating a festival with Morgan has been a dream come true…and some of the most fun I have ever had booking a show! I can’t wait for fans to come and experience one of the most eclectic and electric lineups and on-site experiences the world has ever seen,” says Stacy Vee, Goldenvoice EVP/Stagecoach Producer.

“The opportunity to bring Morgan’s world to life on the beach in Gulf Shores is something very special,” adds Reeves Price, AEG Presents & Hangout Music Festival Producer. “The fact that it coincides with the 15th anniversary of the Hangout Festival only makes it more special. We can’t wait to see everyone back on the beach in May.”

Lineup and ticketing details will be announced soon. For more information, click here.