Country Update BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS JULY 13, 2020 | PAGE 1 OF 20 INSIDE BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE [email protected] Rhett’s ‘Light’ Shines Sunday Drive Launches New Part Of >page 4 Artistic Journey For Brett Eldredge Edison Issues Media Wakeup Call “Sometimes you gotta lose yourself to find your way back home.” rock, traditional pop and modern country, but the frame around it >page 10 That line from “Paris, Illinois,” the closing number on Brett has a classic air, matching a journey he took leading into the proj- Eldredge’s new album, Sunday Drive, is a familiar sort of prod- ect that involved temporarily shutting off social media, spend- igal journey. It harks back a bit to Miranda Lambert’s “The ing time alone and using meditation to generate more calmness House That Built Me,” which went in his life. Adkins: ‘Tell Jesus to No. 1 10 years ago, the same “We created the space to allow I Said, “Hey” ’ summer that Eldredge’s first sin- myself to sing and to tell these >page 11 gle, “Raymond,” was released to stories,” he says. “It feels more re- country radio via PlayMPE. laxed. It feels at home, like I just “Raymond” leaned on El- belonged in this spot, and when I dredge’s personal history, inspired sing it, it feels like that, too. And not Kip Moore by his grandmother’s battle with that the other stuff doesn’t, but it Goes ‘Wild’ On ABC Alzheimer’s disease. And Sunday really has been a profound expe- >page 11 Drive, released July 10, similarly rience for me in getting that space tugs on his own life as he intention- and telling these stories.” ally embraces a more transparent The “other stuff” did well for Makin’ Tracks: approach to his art at the start of Eldredge. Beginning with his Runaway June’s his second decade in the national third single, 2012’s “Don’t Ya,” ‘Rich’ Single spotlight. Sunday Drive is, he says, he reeled off nine top 10 singles >page 17 “a game-changer,” and that’s not on Country Airplay in 10 tries, just hyperbole or salesmanship. with each of those tracks going The 12-song project employs old- gold or platinum. Some of those school influences — Van Morri- tracks — particularly “Lose My Country Coda: son, The Band, Stax Records and ELDREDGE Mind,” “Somethin’ I’m Good At” Greenwood’s Jackson Browne — with material and “Love Someone” — were built ‘Dixie Road’ that mines his personal experiences, be it the uncertain ending on pop components, sometimes pushing boundaries and often >page 20 to a seminal relationship in the first single, “Gabrielle” (No. 42, using the drum and keyboard programming that has become de Country Airplay), or the specific image of pumping gasoline on rigeur for current mainstream country. Spring Street in the plot of “Magnolia.” But, befitting the serenity he discovered during his break Eldredge’s voice carries its familiar ring of soul, heartland from the cultural treadmill, he sought a back-to-basics change NOIRE GREG BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE JULY 13, 2020 | PAGE 2 OF 20 of pace with this project. He enlisted Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk, the duo that produced Kacey Musgraves’ Golden Hour, to co-write and co-produce most of Sunday Drive, seeking a fresh outlook to his sound. They holed up in Tashian’s converted garage, The Royal Plum, to develop the album’s personal material in seclusion. “They create so differently than anybody I’ve created with,” says Eldredge. “It was out of my comfort zone at first, but that’s exactly what I was looking for. I was trying to create and see the world through different eyes a little bit, or see how I can create a little bit different. These guys are the guys to do it.” Underscoring just how much they avoided comfort zones, Sunday Drive is not only a departure for Eldredge, but it’s also a different sound from the ex- perimental tones on Golden Hour, a sign that no one in the core creative circles was resting on his most familiar laurels. “After Golden Hour, the expectations are high both for me personally and Gabby Barrett (bottom) performed “I Hope” during the July 9 episode of from others,” says Fitchuk. “To have Brett’s project kind of come on the heels syndicated TV show Live With Kelly and Ryan, hosted by Kelly Ripa and of that felt very free to be myself.” Ryan Seacrest. Eldredge, in fact, even steered his partners away when their instincts began to venture down that Golden Hour road. “Anytime Ian or I would try to play a synthesizer or use a drum machine or any kind of modern weaponry — we’re both very fond of that stuff — Brett just had such a clear idea in his mind that he didn’t want anything like that on this record,” recalls Tashian. “His North Stars were [artists] like Van Morrison. He kept telling me about this Van Morrison record that he loved.” Eldredge lived out that “find your way back home” line with his team, bring- ing both producers and his manager, Q Prime South founder John Peets, back to Paris, Ill., to get a feel for the small-town scenery and Midwestern values that formed the foundation of Eldredge’s development. “The beautiful tomatoes that his aunt was growing — I’ve never tasted a to- Songwriter Josh Mirenda (“Somewhere on a Beach,” “They Don’t mato like that,” says Tashian. “This is the heartland of America. This is where Know”) signed a recording deal with Average Joes. From left: it all springs from.” Average Joes vp A&R Forrest Latta and owner Colt Ford, Mirenda Having tapped into Eldredge’s geographical well, the entourage moved away and Deluge Management president Chris Alderman and associate from Nashville and instead employed Shirk Studios in the heart of Chicago to Megan Bocklage. record Sunday Drive. They built the tracks with Eldredge, Tashian and Fitchuk playing and singing in the same room — no isolation booths — requiring them to be in sync on the performances. The attitude matched one of the goals El- dredge picked up from his downtime: to live in the moment as much as possible. And ultimately that’s what Sunday Drive accomplishes. It wears a common- man wardrobe with elegance, celebrating a more innocent time when Eldredge could experience the world as it happened without concern for ticket sales, fan bases or social engagements. The title track completes the prodigal journey, placing a young man on old familiar roads back home, engaging with his parents in their later years, much as he engaged in his first single with his grandmother. But this full-circle mo- ment is also likely the beginning of a new phase of artistic maturity. “This feels like my zone,” says Eldredge. “Like I found my home in Members of The Desert City Ramblers, Brian McComas (left) and Bart the music.” Walker, performed for Billboard Nashville staff in a July 10 Zoom visit. BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRILJULY 113,3, 2020 | PAGE 4 OF 1920 ON THETHE CHARTSCHARTS JIMJIM ASKERASKER [email protected] [email protected] ThomasSamHunt Rhett’s’s Southside All-Star Rules ‘Light’ Top C Shines;ountry AlbuWilliems; Brett Nelson Young Scores ‘Catc Toph’-es 10 Fifth Album Airplay Leader;In TravisRecord Denning Seventh Makes Decade History SamThomas Hunt Rhett’s second’s “Be astudio Light” full-length, (Valory), featuring and first Reba in over McEntire five ,years, Hillary Southside Scott, salesJuly 6, (up his 21%) biggest in the single, tracking “The week. Devil On Went Country Down Airplay, to Georgia” it hops by 18-15 The (11.9 Charlie mil- (MCAChris TomlinNashville/Universal and Keith Urban Music, entersGroup Nashville),the top 10 debutsof Billboard at No.’s 1 onCountry Billboard Air’s- lionDaniels audience Band impressions, (Epic), reenters up Hot 16%). Country Songs at No. 24. It became Daniels’ Topplay Country chart dated Albums July 18,chart rising dated 12-10. 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It follows freshman LP ‘BONES’ BEST IN STREAMS MarenYoung’s Morris first ’of “The six chart Bones” entries, (Columbia “Sleep NashWith-- MontevalloMcEntire, which tallies arrived her 37th at Country the summit Airplay in No top- 10, the most among women ville) rules Hot Country Songsout for You,” a 19th reached week, tying No. 2Leroy in December Van Dyke 2016.’s “Walk He vemberand the 2014eighth-best and reigned sum amongfor nine all weeks. artists, To dating date, to the chart’s January 1990 On By” (1961-62) for the fifth-longestfollowed with reign the since multiweek the chart No. became 1s “In anCase all-en You- Montevallolaunch. (George has earned Strait 3.9 leads million with units, 61 top with 10s.) 1.4 It’s her compassingDidn’t genre Know” survey (two in weeks, 1958.