Author: Lauren Zimmerman

Miranda Lambert and trio Pistol Annies (Lambert, Ashley Monroe, Angaleena Presley) are wrapping a whirlwind 2019 with year’s- and decade’s-best accolades rolling in from multiple media outlets.

Lambert’s latest album Wildcard is lauded as one of the year’s best by critics at Variety, GQ, Billboard, Rolling Stone, Slate, Stereogum, Paste,  Taste of Country, Sounds Like Nashville, The Boot, Saving Country Music, That Nashville Sound, and PopCrush. Album cuts “Mess With My Head” and “Locomotive,” as well as GRAMMY Award-nominated single “It All Comes Out in the Wash” and new radio single “Bluebird,” were named amongst 2019’s most elite by the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Esquire, Stereogum, Sounds Like Nashville, and The Boot . The “country-rock masterpiece” (Rolling Stone) debuted at No. 1 on the BillboardTop Country Albums chart in November, making Lambert one of only two artists to have her first seven albums debut at the chart’s pinnacle.

Proving why she is “the most riveting country star of her generation” (NPR), several of Lambert’s previous works were named the best of the 2010s, including 2011’s Platinum-certified Four The Record; 2014’s GRAMMY, CMA, and ACM Award-winning Platinum; and 2016’s Platinum-certified double album The Weight of These Wings. Triple-Platinum single “The House That Built Me” was named ACM Song of the Decade, andBillboard agreed, dubbing it the Best Country Song of the 2010s.

Meanwhile, Pistol Annies’ GRAMMY Award-nominated 2018 album Interstate Gospel was included on Rolling Stone’s list of the 100 Best Albums of the 2010s and Paste’s 30 Best Country Albums of the 2010s, with “Got My Name Changed Back” included in Billboard’s 35 Best Country Songs of the 2010s. The Annies’ Gold-certified debut album, Hell on Heels, was also named to Billboard’s 25 Best Country Albums of the 2010s andTennessean’s 25 Essential Nashville Albums of the 2010s rankings.

WILDCARD
The Best Albums of 2019 – Variety
21 of Our Favorite Albums That Made 2019 – GQ
The 50 Best Albums of 2019 – Billboard
40 Best Country and Americana Albums 2019 – Rolling Stone
The Best Albums of 2019 – Slate
The 50 Best Albums of 2019 – Stereogum
10 Best Country Albums of 2019 – Stereogum
The 20 Best Country & Americana Albums of 2019 – Paste
10 Best Country Albums of 2019 – Taste of Country
21 Best Albums of 2019 – Sounds Like Nashville
Top Country and Americana Albums of 2019 – The Boot
The Best Mainstream Country Albums of 2019 – Saving Country Music
Best Albums of 2019 – That Nashville Sound
Best Albums of 2019 – PopCrush
54 Best Songs of 2019 (“Locomotive”) – New York Times
50 Best songs of 2019 (“Mess With My Head”) – Rolling Stone
25 Best Country and Americana Songs of 2019 (“Bluebird”) – Rolling Stone
The Best Songs of 2019 (“Mess With My Head”) – Esquire
100 Favorite Songs of 2019 (“Locomotive”) – Stereogum
20 Best Singles of 2019 (“It All Comes Out in the Wash”) – Sounds Like Nashville
Top 10 Country and Americana Songs of 2019 (“Bluebird”) – The Boot

MIRANDA LAMBERT DECADE’S BEST
The 10 Best Albums of the 2010s (The Weight of These Wings) – TIME
25 Best Country Albums of the 2010s (Four The Record) – Billboard
100 Best Albums of the 2010s (Platinum, The Weight of These Wings) – Rolling Stone
25 Essential Nashville Albums of the 2010s (Four The Record) – Tennessean
30 Best Country Albums of the 2010s (The Weight of These Wings) – Paste
200 Best Albums of the 2010s (The Weight of These Wings) – Pitchfork
Best Albums of the 2010s (Platinum) – Uproxx
35 Best Country Songs of the 2010s (“The House That Built Me”) – Billboard

PISTOL ANNIES
100 Best Albums of the 2010s (Interstate Gospel) – Rolling Stone
25 Best Country Albums of the 2010s (Hell on Heels) – Billboard
25 Essential Nashville Albums of the 2010s (Hell on Heels) – Tennessean
30 Best Country Albums of the 2010s (Interstate Gospel) – Paste
35 Best Country Songs of the 2010s (“Got My Name Changed Back”) – Billboard

Lambert will welcome 2020 by kicking off her Wildcard tour with special guests Cody Johnson and LANCO. Tickets are available now at mirandalambert.com.

Arista Nashville’s latest signing Adam Doleac released the track, “Neon Fools,” today. This sultry ode to love that’s a bad idea was written by Andy Skib, Thomas Finchum and Doleac, “Neon Fools” is available HERE.

Preceding his debut single, “Famous,” which officially impacts country radio on Mon., Jan. 13, “‘Neon Fools’ is about two people who are well aware of the consequences they’re in, but don’t care,” explains the Mississippi-born singer-songwriter. “This song is exactly what it is: Giving in to each other romantically, not because it’s right, but because of how right it feels.

He continues, “I think it’s safe to say that many of us have allowed the neon setting of a crowed club to fool us into getting involved in situations. And when folks hear this track, wherever it takes them, I hope they love it.”

Billboard has confirmed that Sony Music Nashville is the 2019 Top Country Label. As reported in the Dec. 9 issue of Billboard Country Update, currently posted on Billboard.com and soon to be in print in the Billboard 2019 Year In Music issue dated Dec. 21, below is the final list of No. 1 and Top 10 country chart year-end positions that SMN has achieved as compiled from Nov. 25, 2018 through Nov. 16, 2019 weekly charts. Top Country Label
Sony Music Nashville

Top Country Artists 
1 – Luke Combs
3 – Kane Brown 
8 – Maren Morris

Top Country Albums Artists 
1 – Luke Combs
2 – Kane Brown 
10 – Maren Morris

Top Country Albums
1 – Luke Combs This One’s For You
3 – Kane Brown Experiment
6 – Kane Brown
10 – Maren Morris GIRL

Top Country Albums Imprints 
1 – Columbia Nashville
7 – RCA Nashville

Top Country Artists – Female 
1 – Maren Morris
5 – Miranda Lambert

Top Country Artists – Male 
1- Luke Combs
2 – Kane Brown 

Hot Country Songs Artists
1 – Luke Combs
3 – Kane Brown 
7 – Maren Morris

Hot Country Songs Labels
1 – Columbia Nashville
3 – RCA Nashville

Country Airplay Artists 
1 – Luke Combs
5 – Kane Brown

Country Digital Song Sales Artists 
1 – Luke Combs
5 – Kane Brown

Country Streaming Songs Artists 
1 – Luke Combs
3 – Kane Brown

Top Country Artists – Duo/Group
4 – Old Dominion 
5 – Brooks & Dunn

Top New Country Artists
2 – Matt Stell 
4 – Ryan Hurd

Hot Country Songs
4 – Luke Combs “Beautiful Crazy”
5 – Luke Combs “Beer Never Broke My Heart”

Hot Country Songs Imprints
8 – RCA Nashville 
9 – Columbia Nashville

Country Airplay Songs
2 – Luke Combs “Beautiful Crazy”
5 – Luke Combs “Beer Never Broke My Heart”

Country Airplay Imprints
7 – RCA Nashville

Country Airplay Labels
2 – Columbia Nashville 
4 – RCA Nashville

Country Digital Song Sales
4 – Luke Combs “Beautiful Crazy”
6 – Luke Combs “Beer Never Broke My Heart”
​​​
Country Streaming Songs
2 – Luke Combs “Beautiful Crazy”
7 – Kane Brown “Heaven”
9 – Luke Combs “She Got The Best Of Me”

Top Country Albums Labels
2 – Sony Music Nashville

Top Country Albums Distributors
2 – Sony Music
Sony Music Nashville scored 12 No. 1 year-end positions, 50% of 24 charts.

Leading the most year-end charts this year, River House Artists/Columbia Nashville’s Luke Combs topped eight charts, including Top Country Artists, Top Country Artists – Male, Hot Country Songs Artists, Country Airplay Artists, Country Digital Song Sales Artists, Country Streaming Songs Artists, Top Country Albums Artists and Top Country Albums for his Double Platinum certified This One’s For You.

Columbia Nashville’s Maren Morris takes the No. 1 position for 2019 Billboard Top Country Artists – Female.

Columbia Nashville, one of Sony Music Nashville’s three country imprints, tops two year-end charts, Hot Country Songs Labels and Top Country Albums Imprints.

Mitchell Tennpenny, who was named this morning as a performer for the Country Radio Broadcasters (CRB) 2020 New Faces of Country Music®Show, is revealing a second leg to his headline ANYTHING SHE SAYS TOUR . Special guests include RCA Nashville rising duo Seaforth (Tom Jordan, Mitchell Thompson) and Arista Nashville’s Adam Doleac. The first leg wraps this weekend after a run of sold out dates including the finale show at Webster Hall in New York City and the tour opener in Nashville, where Mitchell was presented with an RIAA Double Platinum® certification plaque for his No. 1 debut single “Drunk Me.” Tickets on sale starting Friday, Dec. 13 at  10am local time with a pre-sale open to Mitchell’s “Night Owls” fan club members tomorrow HERE

“One of the greatest things about this particular tour is the reception of the music from the fans,” said Tenpenny. “There is nothing more satisfying and humbling then when your fans are singing back lyrics to your own songs. This happened the first night in Nashville and I actually forgot a lyric because I was so moved. I’m so thrilled to be continuing this tour!”

Tomorrow Dec. 10 Mitchell is also launching his M10 Days of Christmas Giveaways through Dec. 20 giving away 10 of his favorite things. Among them a guitar, bomber jacket, Big Green Egg, fly fishing rod, Eno Hammock, custom Weather Guard truck box and more. Stay tuned to Tenpenny’s socials for more information on how you can enter. Fans who enter for each of the 10 giveaways will be eligible to win a pair of tickets and meet & greets to the 2020 headlining tour date of their choice.
Mitchell’s current single “Anything She Says” featuring Seaforth, from which the tour is aptly named, has reached over 16 million streams and climbing, hit No. 1 on the countdown on SiriusXM’s The Highway and has garnered exposure at key radio stations. The song was penned by Mitchell, Tom Jordan, Mitch Thompson, Andy Albbert, and Jordan Schmidt. Stream it now HERE .

ANYTHING SHE SAYS TOUR
Jan. 17 St. Louis, MO *
Jan. 24 Ft. Worth, TX *
Jan.25 Tuscaloosa, AL
Jan. 29 Detroit, MI
Jan. 30 Springfield, IL
Jan. 31 Grand Rapids, MI *++
Feb. 1 Bloomington, IN
Feb. 28 Oxford, MS
Feb. 29 Starkville, MS
Mar. 5 Columbus, OH++
Mar.7 Rootstown, OH++
* on sale now
++Adam
Seaforth on all dates except++

Country music superstar Brad Paisley’s first ever network variety show, Brad PaisleyThinks He’s Special, aired Tuesday night on ABC with 6.3 million viewers and was the most watched show on ABC for the evening, according to Nielsen. 

Viewers took to social media in support of the engaging show. Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special had over 390,000 social interactions across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, according to Nielsen Social Content Ratings.

Executive produced by Sony country music superstar Brad Paisley, the hour-long program showcased the energy of Music City from Nashville’s historic War Memorial Auditorium through a combination of Paisley’s signature humor, unexpected surprises, heartfelt pieces and rousing musical performances. Special guests on the show included country sensation Kelsea Ballerini, iconic musical group Hootie & The Blowfish, GRAMMY®-nominated multiplatinum powerhouse trio Jonas Brothers, host of ABC’s “The Bachelor” franchise Chris Harrison, NFL legend Peyton Manning, superstars Tim McGraw and Darius Rucker, seven-time GRAMMY Award-winning country superstar Carrie Underwood and more. 

“Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special” was produced by Sony Pictures Television. Paisley, Jane Mun, RAC Clark, Bill Simmons and Kendal Marcy served as executive producers. 

Rising country star Jameson Rodgers has announced his headlining GREW UP IN THE COUNTRY TOUR 2020, set to kick off Feb. 14 in St. Louis, MO. The 18-city trek wraps with a hometown show for Rodgers at The Lyric Theatre in Oxford, MS, which he previously sold out in 2018.  

“2019 has been a whirlwind year for me, signing a record deal with RiverHouse/Columbia, opening for my brother Luke Combs on his sold out arena tour all year, playing the Stadium at CMA Fest, launching my first single ‘Some Girls’ to country radio, and so much more,” said Rodgers. “The band and I are so grateful for getting to make a lot of new fans this year and we’re looking forward to playing some longer sets and a lot of new music from my debut album. I’ve asked some of my favorite artists/friends to tag along and I’m really excited for the GREW UP IN THE COUNTRY TOUR next year.”

Supporting Rodgers on select dates are Hunter Phelps, Drew Parker, Jordan Rowe, and Sarah Allison Turner. Pre-sale opportunities begin now (12/3), with members of Rodger’s newly-launched fan club The Neighborhood gaining priority access. Tickets will go on sale to the general public Friday (12/6). Limited VIP upgrade packages including an acoustic performance, meet & greet, photo with Rodgers and more will be available on select dates throughout the spring.

Rodgers’ debut single “Some Girls” is heating up at radio and the Vevo DSCVR artist also celebrated his first songwriting No. 1 with the Gold-certified hit “I Don’t Know About You,” recorded by Chris Lane. The in-demand singer/songwriter also has a cut on Jason Aldean’s just-released album 9 (“Camouflage Hat”) and co-wrote Florida Georgia Line’s latest Platinum-certified radio single “Talk You Out of It.”

GREW UP IN THE COUNTRY TOUR 2020
Feb. 14 – Saint Louis, MO / Delmar Hall^
Feb. 28 – Columbia, MO / The Blue Note*
Feb. 29 – Fayetteville, AR / George’s Majestic Lounge*
March 5 – Statesboro, GA / The Blue Room*
March 6 – Sarasota, FL / White Buffalo Saloon*
March 13 – Springfield, MO / Midnight Rodeo*
March 14 – Des Moines, IA / Wooly’s*
March 20 – Lancaster, PA / Chameleon Club#
March 21 – Boston, MA / Brighton Music Hall#
March 22 – Uncasville, CT / Mohegan Sun Wolf Den&
March 25 – New York, NY / Mercury Lounge#
March 26 – Washington, DC / Union Stage#
March 27 – Warrendale, PA / Jergel’s Rhythm Grille#
March 28 – Rootstown, OH / The Dusty Armadillo#
April 17 – Athens, GA / Georgia Theatre+
April 18 – Starkville, MS / Rick’s Café+
April 23 – Nashville, TN / Exit/In+
April 24 – Oxford, MS / The Lyric Oxford+

*Drew Parker
#Hunter Phelps
+Jordan Rowe
^Sarah Allison Turner
&Free Show

RECORDS/Arista Nashville breakthrough entertainer Matt Stell officially impacts country radio today with his new single “Everywhere But On,” garnering 56 combined adds on Billboard and Country Aircheck/Mediabase stations. The most-added song this week, “Everywhere But On,” is the title track of Stell’s debut EP (listen HERE ) and the name of his first headline tour which kicks off January 24 (dates listed below). The new single was co-written by Matt Stell, Paul Sikes and Lance Miller and produced by Ash Bowers and Stell.

“Everywhere But On” is the singer/songwriter’s follow-up to his Gold-certified multi-week No. 1 airplay smash “Prayed For You.” On the Billboard Country Airplay chart, “Prayed For You” is the ONLY debut artist single to top the chart in 2019. In addition to holding No.1 for two consecutive weeks on Billboard, Stell’s hit topped the Country Aircheck/Mediabase Airplay chart as well. 

This weekend, Matt Stell’s “Prayed For You” topped another chart, as the music video achieved No. 1 on CMT’s Hot 20 Countdown (stream HERE). Penned by Stell, Ash Bowers, and Allison Veltz, “Prayed For You” has exceeded 135 million streams.

Matt Stell Everywhere But On Tour
Featuring Chris Bandi and Ray Fulcher 
(exceptions noted)

1/24—San Diego, CA—Moonshine Flats

1/25—San Bernardino, CA—The Brandin’ Iron

1/30—Des Moines, IA—Wooly’s

1/31—Sioux City, IA—Anthem At The Hard Rock

2/1**—Dubuque, IA—Q Casino

2/6*—Milwaukee, WI—The Rave II

2/7*—Chicago, IL—Joe’s Bar

2/8*—Minneapolis, MN—Wild Greg’s Saloon

2/13—Louisville, KY—Mercury Ballroom

2/14*—Warrendale, PA—Jergels

2/15*—Rootstown, OH—Dusty Armadillo

2/27—Pensacola, FL—Wild Greg’s Saloon

2/28—Macon, GA—Crazy Bull

2/29—Savannah, GA—Saddle Bags

3/6—Ft. Myers, FL—The Ranch

3/11—New York, NY—Gramercy Theatre

3/12—Salisbury, MD—Blue Ocean Music Hall

3/13—Foxborough, MA—Six String Grill & Stage

3/14**—Portland, ME—Aura

3/18—Grand Rapids, MI—The Intersection

3/19—Ft. Wayne, IN—The Clyde

3/20—Columbus, OH—The Bluestone

3/21—Binghampton, NY—Touch Of Texas

3/28***—Biloxi, MS—IP Casino Resort & Spa

The College Football Playoff (CFP) today announced a lineup of multi-platinum national recording artists that will perform at AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! (January 11-12) and the Capital One Stage at Allstate Championship Tailgate Plaza (January 13). The free concerts will take place in New Orleans’ Woldenberg Park leading up to the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship, set for Monday, January 13, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

All told, the announced acts have sold nearly 120 million records worldwide and represent eclectic musical influences, including pop, rap, R&B, rock, country and New Orleans-inspired jazz. For the first time in the six-year history of the College Football Playoff National Championship, three of the weekend’s musical acts hail from the host region. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are set to take the stage at AT&T Playoff Playlist Live!, Tim McGraw will headline the Capital One Stage at Allstate Championship Plaza, and Lauren Daigle will perform the national anthem prior to kickoff of the national championship game.

The fun starts on Saturday, January 11, with the opening of Allstate Championship Tailgate Plaza, the gathering place for fans who want to experience extreme tailgating throughout the College Football Playoff National Championship weekend.

Located at Jax Brewery Lot/Woldenberg Park, the location will also serve as ESPN’s New Orleans home for its live broadcasts.

The weekend’s initial needle-drop takes place on the AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! stage on Saturday, January 11 with performances by two-time Grammy Winner H.E.R., rap icon Nas and multi-platinum Sony recording artist, MAX. The music continues Sunday, January 12, with chart-topping superstar Meghan Trainor, British Indie Pop favorites Bastille and Rolling Stone “must see act,” Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. Gates for AT&T Playoff Playlist Live! will open at 4 p.m. CT each day, and fans will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Tune-in to watch the live stream performances online via AT&T Twitter.

On Monday, January 13, the stage will be transformed into the Capital One Stage at Allstate Championship Tailgate Plaza.Tim McGraw, one of the best-selling artists in music history, will perform along with iHeart award-winning alt-rock band, Judah & the Lion. Gates will open at Noon CT.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” is slated to be performed by Lauren Daigle prior to kickoff of the CFP National Championship on Monday, January 13 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. In advance of Daigle’s performance, the nation’s colors will be presented by the NAS JRB Joint Color Guard Team New Orleans, including members of the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. As part of the CFP’s salute to the armed forces, the national anthem ceremony will include a live feed from U.S. troops stationed overseas watching the national championship game. Continuing a CFP tradition, drummers from the participating team bands will play side-by-side as the color guard is introduced.

The 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship will take place on Monday, January 13 at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT). The game will air live on ESPN.

Miranda Lambert is nominated for Best Country Song at this year’s 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards, earning a nod for her Top 15 hit “It All Comes Out in the Wash,” which she co-wrote with The Love Junkies (Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose). Meanwhile, Pistol Annies – the superstar trio comprised of Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley – earns a Best Country Album nomination for their third studio LP Interstate Gospel.
 “It All Comes Out in the Wash” is the lead single from Lambert’s critically-acclaimed, No. 1 album Wildcard, which was released Nov. 1. The nod for the “cute-as-hell country bop” (NPR) marks Lambert’s fourth nomination in the category. 

Interstate Gospel arrived in 2018 to rave reviews and was included in “Year’s Best” lists by Esquire, Uproxx, Vulture, Entertainment Weekly, The Ringer, NPR Music, Billboard, and more. Lambert previously won Best Country Album in 2014 for Platinum. The Pistol Annies have been special guests on Lambert’s “Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars” tour throughout the fall. The all-female trek wraps this weekend with shows in Jacksonville, FL, Duluth, GA, and Greensboro, NC. 

About Miranda Lambert: Vanner Records/RCA recording artist Miranda Lambert released her highly anticipated new studio album Wildcard Nov. 1, which includes her latest country radio single, “It All Comes Out in the Wash.” Miranda is currently on her rotating, all-girl “Roadside Bars and Pink Guitars” tour featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Tenille Townes, Caylee Hammack, and the Pistol Annies. Starting in January 2020, she will embark on her Wildcard headlining tour with special guests Cody Johnson and LANCO. 

The most decorated artist in the history of the Academy of Country Music, Lambert is the recipient of more than 70 prestigious awards and special honors: 34 ACM Awards (including 9 ACM Female Vocalist of the Year Awards), 13 CMA Awards (Country Music Association), 2 GRAMMY Awards, the Harmony Award (Nashville Symphony), Artist in Residence (Country Music Hall of Fame), the ACM Gene Weed Milestone Award, ACM Song of the Decade Award, and recently was named 2019 RIAA’s Artist of the Year.  

The celebrated singer/songwriter has released six studio albums that all debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Album Charts, including the critically acclaimed double record The Weight of These Wings (2016),Platinum (2014), Four The Record (2011), Revolution (2009), Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2007) and Kerosene (2005). In addition, she released three albums with her trio, the Pistol Annies. 

Her clothing and cowboy boot collection, Idyllwind, is a private-label brand sold at all Boot Barn stores nationwide.www.idyllwind.com

Miranda’s MuttNation Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit, is celebrating its 10th Anniversary. Since its inception in 2009, MuttNation has raised over $3.9 million in support of its mission to promote the adoption of rescue pets, support animal shelters across the country, advance spay & neuter, and assist with the transport of animals during times of natural disaster. www.muttnation.com

About Pistol Annies: Combining the talents of acclaimed country forces of Miranda Lambert (Lone Star Annie), Ashley Monroe (Hippie Annie) and Angaleena Presley (Holler Annie), Pistol Annies deliver a high-spirited take on life the way real people live it. Songwriters/vocalists, the Annie collective allows the women the freedom to explore the genre (roots music) beyond their individual careers celebrating friendship, the rough patches and girl power. Having recorded with both the Chieftains and Jewel, their music has also been featured on The Hunger Games: Songs from District 12 and Beyond. They have released three albums, 2011’s gold-certified Hell on Heels, which produced the platinum single “Hell On Heels,” 2013’s Annie Up and 2018’s GRAMMY-nominated Interstate Gospel.