Country Update
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Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS FEBRUARY 3, 2020 | PAGE 1 OF 23 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected] Pardi Parlays No. 1 They Won’t Be Held Down: Three Women >page 4 Succeed Creatively In A Tough Country Climate KUZZ Bakersfield Abuzz In ACMs >page 12 The best revenge, it has been said, is a life well lived. with contemporary production techniques and phrasing. That mentality likewise applies to country music, where radio Alexander’s and Harrison’s timing underscored the the un- gatekeepers’ amply documented dismissal of female acts could derdog nature of their efforts. Alexander played and discussed have encouraged many women to simply pack their guitar cases all eight songs on Decatur County Red at a listening party for in- Dan + Shay’s and head back to whatever small town they first called home. siders and media on Jan. 14. Two days later, Harrison held an al- “Florida T” Instead, some bum-release concert >page 14 women are flourish- at Nashville’s 3rd & ing creatively in the Lindsley. Just hours midst of the persistent after Harrison’s per- neglect, and their ef- formance, TBS’ Full Troy Gentry: forts might well influ- Frontal With Saman- Flipped Off, ence a trend or two in tha Bee lampooned Not Forgotten the genre’s evolution. terrestrial country CLARK HARRISON ALEXANDER >page 14 Three artists who radio for its underrep- are rolling out new resentation of women projects in the coming months — Brandy Clark, Kree Harrison in a sketch titled “Sexism in Country Music,” placing an embar- Jessi Alexander Makin’ Tracks: It’s and songwriter (“I Drive Your Truck,” “Turnin’ rassing industry issue on national TV. Chris Bandi, “Man” Me On”) — brushed off the uphill battle to fashion works that are Female artists who were driven only by market considerations personal, emotional and compelling. And, even if gatekeepers would likely not invest the time, money and emotion required for >page 20 choose to ignore them, it won’t be for poor performances: Their an album in such a negative atmosphere. But Clark, Alexander work fits snugly within the boundaries of commercial sound. and Harrison ambitiously pursued their passions, driven more Clark’s Your Life Is a Record (due March 6, Warner), features by the work than by an unpredictable reception. Country Coda: a trim, four-piece band with horn and string arrangements “It’s just in me to make music, and I’m going to find a way Oaks Find “Daylight” that lend elegance and warmth to songs about separation. and find an audience,” says Clark. “I put my [first] album out at At No. 1 Alexander’s Decatur County Red (due March 27, Lost Creek) the end of 2013, and so we’re five years, six years into this, and >page 23 embraces the singer’s Jackson, Tenn., roots, building on a I have found an audience that sustains what I do.” honky-tonk foundation while folding in other genres indige- A part of her audience has been generated by radio and stream- nous to the region like Stax-bred soul, blues and Southern rock. ing platforms, and she readily agrees that those outlets have had And Harrison’s Chosen Family Tree (due June 12, One Vision) an impact. balances the melodic ethos of 1960s and ’70s arrangements “There is a power in SiriusXM, or terrestrial radio, or Spotify,” BARLOWE KRISTIN ALEXANDER: PHELPS. CHRIS CLARK: BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 3, 2020 | PAGE 2 OF 23 she says. “The places where I sell the most tickets are the places where those outlets play me the most.” But Clark has still developed audiences in other markets. She benefits from some attention for her songwriting, as a co-author of Miranda Lambert’s “Ma- ma’s Broken Heart,” Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow” and The Band Perry’s “Better Dig Two.” Musgraves brought publicity through mentions in interviews and on social media, and additional awareness came through a key opening slot on a Jennifer Nettles tour. Harrison established herself nationally as a contestant on American Idol, earning high praise from then-judge Keith Urban and building sustained in- terest in the process. “I was in their living rooms every week, so we got to know each other real well,” Dustin Lynch played “Ridin’ Roads” in a guest role on ABC’s Good she says of the Idol base. “They know my blood type, probably, at this point.” Morning America. He’s flanked by co-hosts Ginger Zee (left) and Robin Alexander has released two previous albums and garnered award nomina- Roberts. tions as a writer, particularly for the Miley Cyrus pop hit “The Climb.” She has also done some tours as a writer, including a few performances that pair song- writers with a symphony. A representative declined to make her available for this story, but at her listening party, she indicated that she believed so strongly in the material that she quietly financed the recordings herself. As the Full Frontal piece acerbically suggested, there’s a discriminatory com- ponent to the lack of attention women are receiving at radio. It hasn’t stopped these women from exploring their art, though the phenomenon likely has long- term consequences, underserving potential future artists. “I can’t imagine being who I am and sounding like who I am without having grown up, listening to The Judds on the radio, or Trisha [Yearwood] or Patty [Loveless],” says Harrison, citing a few of her female influences. But her ar- tistic education was not built on a single gender. “I’m so thankful for that and Warner Music Nashville artist Trea Landon visited with KRTY San Jose, Dwight Yoakam and Alan Jackson,” she adds. “I can’t choose, and nobody Calif., staff when he played the Rodeo Club on Jan. 22. From left: KRTY made me feel like I had to, growing up on the radio.” GM Nate Deaton, Landon, KRTY vp sales Tina Ferguson and WMN Meanwhile, the strongest women may be using the rejection to lay a different West Coast manager of radio and streaming Justin Newell. sort of foundation for the future. When country music went into a commercial tailspin in the ’80s, label executives stopped directing their artists toward the crossover target that led them into the doldrums. The creative class, producer Tony Brown (George Strait, Vince Gill) has said, had more freedom to fol- low its gut, and that led to the genre’s next waves: the rise of traditional country artists such as Randy Travis and Keith Whitley, and the introduction of edgy acts Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith, whose branch eventually evolved into Americana. Since females as a gender find themselves in a similar cyclical downturn in country, the most determined are using their freedom to make music that is not tied to typical gatekeeper restraints. It’s tough to know if, and when, one of those unexpected creative choices will break a difficult logjam. “If I was an artist in the top 10 on country radio, I don’t know that everybody Lauren Alaina (center) performed the title track from her Getting Good would go for me having flutes on a song,” says Clark with a laugh. “As women, EP and announced its March 6 release date on the Jan. 27 edition of we do get to paint with a few more colors than most of the guys do. And some of NBC’s Today. She’s accompanied by show host Jenna Bush Hager and that is because our music has to find a little different way.” guest host Jerry O’Connell. MOORE ZOE LYNCH: SECOND ROUND VOTING STARTS TOMORROW SECOND ROUND DEADLINE MONDAY FEB 10 CLICK HERE TO VOTE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 3, 2020 | PAGE 4 OF 23 ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] Jon Pardi Takes ‘Heartache Medication’ To No. 1, Luke Bryan & Jake Owen Hit Top 10, Tanya Tucker Returns Jon Pardi notches his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Heart- He’s the 14th artist to tally at least that many top 10s since the chart began in ache Medication” (Capitol Nashville) rises 2-1 in its 36th week on the list (dated January 1990; George Strait leads with 61. Feb. 8), up 8% to 38.6 million audience impressions in the week ending Feb. 2, Bryan returns to the top 10 after “Knockin’ Boots” became his 21st No. 1 for according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. two weeks in September. Pardi wrote the track with Barry Dean and Natalie Plus, Jake Owen collects his 11th Country Airplay Hemby. It’s the lead single from Pardi’s same-named top 10 as “Homemade” (Big Loud) lifts 12-10 (20.3 mil- album, which debuted at its No. 2 high on Top Coun- lion, up 8%). It follows “Down to the Honkytonk,” try Albums in October. It follows California Sunrise, which reached No. 7 in April 2019, and “I Was Jack which launched atop the list in July 2016, after his first (You Were Diane),” which led the week of Aug. 4, 2018, LP, Write You a Song, debuted and peaked at No. 3 in becoming Owen’s seventh No. 1. February 2014. “It’s great starting up a new decade with a No. 1 GRAMMYS ‘BRING’ BACK TUCKER Fueled by a song,” Pardi tells Billboard. “To have ‘Heartache Med- Grammy Awards spotlight, Tanya Tucker lands her ication’ be so well received by radio, the fans and crit- first Hot Country Songs appearance in nearly 17 years ics has meant so much. Thank you to country radio, as “Bring My Flowers Now” (Tuckaho/Fantasy/Con- everyone at the label, my team and my fans.” cord) arrives at No.