Country Update

Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS APRIL 8, 2019 | PAGE 1 OF 24 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected] George Strait Is Still Urban, Musgraves, Dan + Shay: Past And The King >page 4 Present Co-Exist In 54th ACM Awards Dan + Shay’s Billboard Nominations If awards shows are supposed to provide a good overview of got checked. Kacey Musgraves, whose Golden Hour propelled >page 10 where a particular genre stands, the 54th annual Academy of her to album and female artist of the year, dedicated her second Country Music Awards met the challenge on April 7. victory to “any woman, girl — or anybody, really — that is maybe Country’s redneck core? By opening with the Florida being told that her perspective or her style is too different to Georgia Line/Jason Aldean work.” New female artist winner Garth, Vince collaboration “You Can’t Hide Ashley McBryde sang about Ready Benefits Red,” ACM producers checked overcoming those negative voices >page 12 the lyrical box, and by closing in an acoustic rendering of “Girl with George Strait’s “Every Little Goin’ Nowhere.” And Little Big Honky Tonk,” they checked the Town addressed the attitudes sonic box, too. that hold women back in “The Whitley, Daniels The increasing acceptance of Daughters,” a piece that combs On Exhibit R&B tones? Check. Male artist those psychological hurdles so well >page 12 of the year winner Thomas that many females in the audience Rhett tossed slinky pop into the — and Dierks Bentley, too — were proceedings with “Look What caught on camera crying. Makin’ Tracks: God Gave Her,” and Kane Brown Urban joined the Universal Music Group Nashville In some ways, the 54th awards Brad Paisley’s teamed with R&B vocalist Khalid party at the Skyfall Lounge at the Delano after found the ACM pressing the reset ‘My Miracle’ in a mashup of their hits “Good As winning the ACM’s entertainer of the year award. button. Musgraves ended Miranda >page 19 You” and “Saturday Nights.” He’s shown with UMGN president Cindy Mabe Lambert’s nine-year stranglehold Country’s communal nature? and wife Nicole Kidman. on female artist, Urban concluded Check again. Rhett said during his Aldean’s three-year reign as acceptance speech that he was friends with all of his fellow entertainer, and Dan + Shay snipped Brothers Osborne’s streak Country Coda: male-artist nominees. Keith Urban made a point before he of duo victories at two in a row. Thompson Square claimed his entertainer of the year honor to embrace the three In fact, only Old Dominion repeated a 2018 victory, with Circled No. 1 competitors in attendance (Aldean, Luke Bryan and Chris its second group of the year honor announced an hour prior to >page 24 Stapleton). And Dan + Shay — an act founded on harmony and the telecast. Chris Janson’s “Drunk Girl” was tabbed video of collaboration — swiped three trophies in the first 54 minutes: the year at the same time. Hours earlier, Brothers Osborne’s duo of the year and single and song of the year, for “Tequila.” collaboration with Bentley, “Burning Man,” picked up music Awareness of the idiom’s female problems? Yeah, even that event of the year. BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 8, 2019 | PAGE 2 OF 24 Several batons were figuratively passed along the way. Brooks & Dunn, who won new duo or group of the year in 1992, sang their breakout hit, “Brand New Man,” with this year’s new male victor, Luke Combs. Eric Church gave tacit badass approval to McBryde by sharing the stage with her for a swampy version of his Desperate Man album-opener “The Snake.” And Strait, who won artist of the decade in 2009, bestowed the 2019 version of the award — now named after late ACM producer Dick Clark — on Aldean. In the process, Strait noted the changing country terrain: “New artists, new sounds, new ways to listen to the songs.” The new generation of artists clearly has a different mind-set, musically and/or culturally, than many of its predecessors. LOCASH held a listening party in Nashville for its new album, Brothers. New duo or group winner LANCO From left: LOCASH’s Chris Lucas; Billboard executive editor, West bounced and thumped its way through Coast/Nashville Melinda Newman; LOCASH’s Preston Brust; and BBR its just-released anthemic single, “Rival.” Music Group executive vp Jon Loba. Openly gay Shane McAnally claimed songwriter of the year in the days leading up to the ceremony, while confirmed lesbian Brandi Carlile joined Bentley on the bluegrass-flecked “Travelin’ Light.” McANALLY Despite the new attitudes and new stylistic alterations, the ACM’s overview captured plenty of moments that demonstrate country’s continuity. “That’s the reason I wear the cowboy hat right here,” said Aldean, pointing toward Strait’s western-bred visage. Strait invoked Johnny Cash imagery in the onstage backdrop during his performance of “God and Country Music,” Bryan threaded a reference to The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishin’ in the Dark” in the chorus of his “Knockin’ Boots,” and Urban’s trip to the podium Jake Owen visited Cumulus’ syndicated The Ty Bentli Show at the Nash was accompanied by the strains of “Coming Home,” his pop-tinged 2018 campus on April 1. From left: Bentli, Owen and Bentli Show co-hosts single built around a reworked version of the key riff in Merle Haggard’s Tricia “T.J.” Jenkins and Chuck Wicks. classic “Mama Tried.” Stapleton’s stripped-down performance of “Simple Song” — delivered with folky acoustic guitar and a retro stand-up bass — reshaped a classic country theme, holding love and family up as the solution to the ailments of modern life: a lack of time, a lack of money, bad habits and bad health. And Reba McEntire provided the ultimate continuity, hosting the awards for the 16th time. She had at least five costume changes, with a bright purple model adding to the night’s colorful presentation. Bryan wore gold lamè in his front-row seat, Jimmie Allen hailed ACM Lifting Lives in a scarlet suit, Lady Antebellum’s Charles Kelley turned heads in Pepto-Bismol pink, and Lindsay Ell walked the pre-show carpet in fluorescent yellow. That level of flash owes a subtle debt to the rhinestone cowboys of old, who glittered in shiny Nudie suits even as they pledged allegiance to simple ideals. Loretta Lynn (center) was the guest of honor at a sold-out 87th birthday As much as the sounds, the spectacle and the changing culture in the 54th party on April 1 at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena featuring loads of ACMs might shock those who participated in the first version, the 2019 overview stars. She’s pictured backstage with daughter Patsy Russell and Lynn’s showed country is still, in its way, carrying on at least some of its family traditions. former publicist, The Brokaw Company co-owner David Brokaw. ACM COURTESY MCANALLY: Saving SFX? Bankrupt dance promoter targets Randy Phillips as CEO Song of the Summer? Not So Fast... AVAILABLE Sia ends Drake’s 10-week reign atop Hot 100 FREE ACCESS THE TO CURRENT BILLBOARD BEST IN MUSIC. SUBSCRIBERS NASHVILLE ISSUE 2 016 A DIGITAL VERSION OF EVERY ISSUE, FEATURING : Make Amerıca COVER STORIES . SPECIAL REPORTS . REVIEWS . INTERVIEWS Blake Again EVENT COVERAGE & MORE SHELTON shoots straight on his heartbreak: ‘I was at rock bottom’ August 6, 2016 | billboard.com MIKE DUNGAN leads Music Row’s 50+ most powerful players KACEY, MAREN and country’s rising female stars talk Tomato-gate and Hillary GARTH BROOKS on besting U2’s box-office record: ‘I’d like it for country music’s sake’ BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 8, 2019 | PAGE 4 OF 24 ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER [email protected] Strait’s Honky Tonk Time Machine Debuts At No. 1; Ballerini Brings Women Back To Country Airplay Top 10 George Strait extends his record for the most No. 1s in the five-decade history by solo women hit that level of the chart: Morris’ “I Could Use a Love Song” of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart as the King of Country logs his 27th and Ballerini’s “Legends,” which both reached No. 1. The same stretch a year leader with the debut of Honky Tonk Time Machine (MCA Nashville/Universal before yielded three top 10s by females: Carrie Underwood’s “Dirty Laundry,” Music Group Nashville) on the list dated April 13. He continues to widen the the No. 1 “Road Less Traveled” by Lauren Alaina and Ballerini’s “Yeah Boy.” gap between the acts tied for the second-most No. 1s, Garth Brooks and Willie Nelson, each with 17. LUCKY SEVEN Luke Combs’ “Beautiful Crazy” (River House/Columbia Honky Tonk Time Machine starts with 51,000 equivalent album units Nashville) rules Country Airplay for a seventh week (38.6 million, down 4%). earned in the United States in the week ending April 4, “Crazy” is now tied for the second-longest rule in the according to Nielsen Music — the largest week of 2019 history of Country Airplay, which launched in 1990. It for any country album. With 44,000 of the sum in album matches Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” sales, the set also scores the biggest sales week of the (2004), Kenny Chesney’s “There Goes My Life” (2003- year for a country title. 04), Darryl Worley’s “Have You Forgotten?” (2003) and The album is Strait’s first new studio effort since Chesney’s “The Good Stuff” (2002). 2015’s Cold Beer Conversation, his most recent No. 1 Only one week stands between Combs’ fifth leader on the chart.

Load more