Country Update
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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. They are >page 16 as just another white male in a sea of good-ol’-boy country already associated with a specific persona, and their large fan singers. The Pitchfork story was later amended. bases that are prone to support them were likely to see these In each case, the artists and their teams have faced a di- new developments as one facet of the act’s larger personality. lemma: How truthful should you be? When is the appropriate Munsick, Eden and Barnes are lesser-known figures, and Country Coda: time and method to make the reveal? And how do you walk the their individual traits may have a larger sway in creating their Sylvia’s ‘Drifter’ line between using a sensitive issue to demonstrate your relat- public personalities moving forward. Thus, the timing and >page 19 ability versus turning it into the primary way you’re portrayed? approach are crucial. “I don’t think any of us who are just being real about our lives “If you do it too early and then you make it like a playing card, are wanting these pieces of us that are fragile and vulnerable then that’s when people can turn it around on you and say, ‘Oh, to be used as gimmicks,” says Eden. you’re just using that to your advantage,’ ” says Munsick of his MYERS. JASON BARNES: FAIRCHILD, FORD EDEN: GREYWOOD. MUNSICK: BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 29, 2021 | PAGE 2 OF 19 speech issues. “I don’t want people to think that I’m doing that, so I just feel like slowly easing into it.” Munsick, whose debut album, Coyote Cry, arrived on Feb. 26, kept his im- pediment quiet enough that some of his fans are only finding out about it now after following him for eight years on social media. Even his wife, Not a Public Figure Management CEO/executive creative director Caroline Rudolph, was barely aware of it because Munsick is so at ease with her. But as they began to have meetings around town, he stammered more often in board rooms. Executives generally overlooked it, though they would ask Rudolph about it separately. Their response was invariably favorable, but she began studying the career of Mel Tillis, a Country Music Hall of Fame member who disarmed audiences by poking fun at his own speaking difficulties, which were offset Matt Stell (left) visited with CMT host Cody Alan on March 24 in by his word-perfect performances. conjunction with the premiere of his “That Ain’t Me No More” music “People find it endearing,” says Rudolph, “or they like when people over- video. come hurdles to succeed.” Some issues of sensitivity, including speech impediments and race, are quickly apparent as the artist meets the public in person. Thus, a delay has limitations. When RCA released Charley Pride’s 1965 debut single, for ex- ample, the label shipped it to radio stations without the then-standard glossy publicity photo. That allowed time for programmers to evaluate him objectively before they discovered that he was African American, a shocking development at the time. More recently, in the cases of Darius Rucker an d Jimmie Allen, a photo accompanied their initial press materials, and the reveal was completed. By contrast, sexual orientation is a topic that is easier to hide, which also complicates the decisions about when — or if — that trait should be revealed. Eden had been silenced for years about her sexuality by executives who are no longer part of her team. The road to disclosure was difficult: Some people in the music business knew, many did not, and when entering a room, she found herself trying to remember who fit into which circle and wondering if someone else had clued anyone into her secret. PATTON TRAE Additionally, she began a relationship with Hilary Hoover, depicted in the Dan + Shay members Dan Smyers (center) and Shay Mooney (right) will “Sunroof” video. Eden asked Hoover, who was living as an openly gay woman, serve as guest mentors for Blake Shelton’s team as NBC’s The Voice to go back into the closet in many situations, and it created tension for much begins the season 20 battle-round segment of the competition on of their five years together. Eden developed ulcers, and her doctor convinced March 29. her to take time off from touring to heal. Eden increasingly referred to gay issues and causes on social media on her way to coming out, a move that reached its ultimate expression when she kissed Hoover at the end of the colorful “Sunroof” video, released March 5. As a result, Eden feels better prepared than ever to move forward with her career. “I think that you make your best art when you’re able to be your best self, and my best self is being me,” she says. “I’ve mostly seen a stronger connec- tion with my fans because there’s no more wall there — there’s no more, ‘This is 90% of me, but I have to hold this 10% back of me.’ There’s no more of that.” Barnes’ reveal as biracial was the most awkward. Quartz Hill had shown video profiles of the Michigan native during virtual introductions with radio and other media that included a Black man in a segment about his family. Rissi Palmer (right) visited on March 22 with CBS This Morning host When asked, Barnes identified the man as his stepfather. His bio also noted Gayle King about returning to the Grand Ole Opry stage for the first that Barnes’ grandfather was a Mississippi sharecropper who was friends with time in 13 years. B.B. King. Those all served as hints about his ethnicity, though Barnes is light- skinned enough to be presumed Caucasian, and while some of his biographical elements fit Black culture, they can also apply to a white man. The Pitchfork writer had not been privy to a virtual introduction, and when the story pre- sumed him to be Caucasian, Barnes’ mom sent him a copy of the piece. He felt compelled to take a stand, embracing his biracial heritage. The situation deprived him of the ability to choose when he would fully reveal that piece of his story, though he addressed it with a certain grace. “I grew up in a racially diverse family — in a home where I didn’t have to put a color on anybody’s face,” he tweeted. “My Granddad Willie always taught me not to judge people by the color of their skin but by their heart and their character.” Quartz Hill and its corporate partner, The Orchard, declined to make Barnes or his executive team available for comment. “We were always transparent about Nate’s background,” the label said in a statement. “We support him completely, especially in his personal and family life. We will continue to follow his lead.” Ultimately, the acts are unable to control how the audience reacts to the things that make them different. But in the age of social media, fans increas- PHOTOGRAPHY DAVIS JASON ingly expect a relationship with the artists they admire, and relationships John Rich (right) welcomed surprise guest Meat Loaf during a March generally work better when both sides are being honest. 27 event at Rich’s Redneck Riviera Nashville bar, where he announced “We’re not here for headlines,” says Eden. “We’re here for life, and for real the formation of Redneck Spirits Group and a new partnership with stories and for authenticity.” Louisville-based Bonavita Beverage Group. BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE MARCH 29, 2021 | PAGE 4 OF 19 ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] Brett Young’s ‘Lady’ Tops Country Airplay: ‘This One Will Always Have A Massive Piece Of My Heart’ Brett Young achieves his sixth total and consecutive No. 1 on Billboard’s BARRETT’S RECORD RUN Gabby Barrett’s debut hit, “I Hope” (Warner Country Airplay chart as “Lady” (Big Machine Label Group) ascends from the Music Nashville/WAR), departs the airplay-, sales- and streaming-based Hot runner-up spot on the April 3-dated list.