Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS MARCH 29, 2021 | PAGE 1 OF 19 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE
[email protected] Brett Young Escorts When The Truth Comes Out: How Three ‘Lady’ To No. 1 >page 4 New Artists Unveiled Sensitive Realities Connie Bradley How do you reveal something sensitive about yourself to a These three artists aren’t the only country acts who have Remembered stranger who may ridicule you for who you are? made major self-statements in recent weeks. Brothers Os- >page 10 Three newer artists — Ian Munsick, Brooke Eden and Nate borne’s T.J. Osborne came out as a gay man in a Feb. 3 Time Barnes — found themselves in the uncomfortable position of magazine piece. During a Country Radio Seminar panel, Luke addressing difficult personal topics during rollouts of new music Combs addressed old photos that depict him with Confederate in the first quarter of flag imagery, saying he Fair Game: Hunt, 2021. Munsick has a did not think of the red- McBryde, Lambert speech impediment, and-blue X as a racist >page 11 first addressed in symbol at the time the a People magazine photos were taken and story; Eden came out that he no longer con- fully as a lesbian in dones its use. Commercial Country her “Sunroof” video Both Osborne and Is Spot-On after much setup on Combs were widely >page 11 social media; and supported for their po- Barnes announced sitions, though in each on Twitter that he case, the artists are identifies as biracial well established with Makin’ Tracks: MUNSICK EDEN BARNES Callista Clark’s after a Pitchfork story identifiable hits and Mature Debut harshly miscast him major awards.