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8 New Must-Hear Country Songs: Carly Pearce, Chris Stapleton, Brad Paisley, Dan Tyminski & More
In this week's stack of new country releases, Carly Pearce welcomes Chris Stapleton on a scorching breakup ballad, Tim McGraw and Brad Paisley further tease upcoming albums with new tracks, while Dan Tyminski offers his first full-fledged bluegrass album in over a decade.
Carly Pearce feat. Chris Stapleton, "We Don't Fight Anymore"
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The devastatingly deep, bone-cutting honesty in Pearce's album 29: Written in Stone, which centered on the dissolution of her marriage and a painful divorce, elevated Pearce's career and acclaim as an artist and writer — catapulting her into the realm of multi-award winner, earning accolades from the Grammys, CMAs and ACMs. On her latest, written with Shane McAnally and Pete Good, Pearce returns to the realm of heartache, though this time, focusing on the slow dulling of love rather than a sharp slice of any betrayal.
"We don't cuss and we don't care enough to even hate," she sings, her lead vocals accented by in-demand collaborator Chris Stapleton's harmonies, followed by stirring vocal give-and-take. Though fans undoubtedly hoped for more of a true duet between these two superb vocalists, their harmonies wring out every bit of desperation and regret etched in the lyrics.
Brad Paisley, "So Many Summers"
On his latest release, and in anticipation of his upcoming album Son of the Mountains, Paisley returns to classic form on "So Many Summers," which he wrote with Ross Copperman and Lee Thomas Miller. This song turns the party vibes and good times up to 10, while offering a steady reminder to wring joy out of every moment while you can — "You only get so many summers." Paisley is no stranger to blending up-tempo fare with keen lyrics, whether assessing the evolution of global culture on "American Saturday Night" or technological advances on "Welcome to the Future." But here, he offers the kind of enduring country music fare that steadfastly touches a vein with listeners—most recently with songs such as Texan Cody Johnson's smash 2022 hit, the CMA Award-winning "'Til You Can't," and Tim McGraw's "Standing Room Only" (not to mention's McGraw's 2004 signature "Live Like You Were Dying").
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Tim McGraw, "Hey Whiskey"
Speaking of McGraw, his latest release from his upcoming 17th studio album Standing Room Only, this surefire future Country Music Hall of Famer again asserts his penchant for top-shelf songwriting — this time courtesy of Brad Hutsell, Joel Hutsell and The Warren Brothers (Brad and Brett Warren).
McGraw's voice is at once mellow and filled with dignified regret, as he chronicles the downward spiral of a young man who increasingly devotes his weekends to liquor to the point of dependency, until reaching an unmistakable realization that he relinquished a storied romance in the process.
Naomi Cooke Johnson, "Girls of Summer"
In 2011, George Strait earned a hit with a track that espoused, "I ain't here for a long time/ I'm here for a good time." Former Runaway June lead singer Naomi Cooke Johnson offers her own take on this notion, as she officially makes her solo bow on BBR Music Group/Stoney Creek Records. In "Girls of Summer," she smartly retains the carefree, female empowerment sentiments that were so prominent in the Runaway June hit "Buy My Own Drinks," while elevating it extra confidence, her purring voice painting vignettes of girls who "show off tanlines just to tease," girls whose photos are still hidden in the cowboy hats of the guys they left long before the summer days were over.
Cooke Johnson co-wrote the song with Jason Duke and Jacob Durrett, with Durrett also producing the track.
Dan Tyminski, God Fearing Heathen
Tyminski issues his first bluegrass album in 15 years, following detours into more roots-oriented lanes with 2017's Southern Gothic, and last year's Tony Rice tribute project One More Time Before You Go. He offers a stellar bluegrass revision of "Hey Brother," his 2013 collaboration with the Swedish DJ Avicii. Meanwhile, he teams with Luke Dick (Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves) and Jaida Dreyer to pen "Never Met a Stranger," a delightful tribute to the freewheeling life of a musician.
But not all of these top-shelf tracks are so light-hearted; he delves into the story of a PTSD-suffering military veteran on "Silence in the Brandy," and on the title track, muses that heaven is "for the losers and winners/ the hard-livin', God-fearin' heathens like me." The album closes with "Ode to Jimmy," a rollicking bluegrass scorcher feting Bluegrass Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Martin. Throughout the collection, Tyminski and his band offer expert instrumentation to further elevate this well-crafted set to tracks, spearheaded by Tyminski's raw, yet smoothly superb, lead vocals.
Pecos and the Rooftops (feat. Kolby Cooper), "Memories"
Texas band Pecos & the Rooftops — which includes vocalist/guitarist Pecos Hurley, guitarists Brandon Jones and Zack Foster, bassist Kalen Davis and drummer Garrett Peltier—previously released their EP Red Eye in 2020 and earned a platinum-certified hit with "This Damn Song." They return with their debut major label Warner project, The Album, which includes this collaboration with Kolby Cooper.
"Memories" finds Hurley and Cooper trading defiant, growling vocals over thrashing, furious guitar work, as the song muses over being on the better side of an imminent breakup, guaranteeing an ex-lover will remember them at every vulnerable moment.
Taylor Austin Dye, "Bible Belt"
Of late, a few artists including Jelly Roll and Pillbox Patti have become known for crafting country songs that shed light on the struggles, hopes and dreams of an often-overlooked segment of America — those who live in some of the most poverty-stricken places, where addictions and overdoses are a part of life. Kentucky native Taylor Austin Dye offers her own keen-eye perspective with "Bible Belt," which, on its full-throttle, rock-soaked surface would seem another run-of-the-mill, radio-aimed track.
But lyrically embedded is a tale of poverty and the hard choices made to ensure a woman's survival, as chronicled through the eyes of her daughter, who watches as her mother navigates cycles of drugs and sex work to cope and live among the slim economic prospects and abundant despair in rural Appalachia. "Born into this fire/ Don't wanna die here," she sings, embodying both the unflinching perspective born of a lifetime of poverty but also a merciless determination to rise above and chase a dream of a more stable life. Dye wrote the song with Nicole Croteau and Chris Utley, with Rob Pennington.
The Watson Twins, Holler
Identical twins Chandra and Leigh Watson hail from Kentucky, and issued their largely pop-positioned first project Southern Manners in 2006. While their previous albums have housed country-leaning moments, the duo's latest album, Holler, delves deeper into their Kentucky roots, most notably on the saloon sizzling shuffle of "Two Timin'," while on the barroom-ready "Honky Tonk Heart," the twins lend their electrifying harmonies are embedded with grunge-edged guitars, spritely piano. Throughout the project, they deliver each track with a steely confidence, an abundance of handclaps and folk-pop sensibility.
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Morgan Wallen Donates $100K To Chicago Youth
Morgan Wallen is giving back to America's youth. During his recent two-day tour stop in Chicago, at Wrigley Field, he took some time backstage to help some kids in the Chicago area.
There were local high school kids on hand when Wallen and his charity presented a check in the amount of $100K to the Chicago Park District to assist in the revitalization of South Chicago's Bessemer Park baseball field. The Morgan Wallen Foundation combines Morgan's love for sports, music and community.
One of the reasons Morgan Wallen's charity is giving back and helping revitalize baseball fields is because Morgan Wallen was well on his way to becoming a professional baseball player, but his ascent to the top was halted due to an injury.
Wallen's donation of $100,000 will be combined with a $150,000 donation from Chicago Cubs Charities to enhance the park.
"We are pleased that the Morgan Wallen Foundation is working with the Chicago Park District to enhance our Diamond Project commitment to Bessemer Park to completely renovate a baseball diamond," said Keri Blackwell, deputy director of Cubs Charities. "The goal of our Diamond Project is to help improve the quality, safety, and accessibility of playing fields across Chicago, and this donation will support a significant upgrade to the field for the benefit of South Chicago's youth and families."
Wallen has donated a lot of money to charities since his racist slur scandal in early 2021. He fulfilled his pledge to donate 500K to Black organizations last year (2022), and the donating is still going strong. He started the Morgan Wallen Foundation back in 2021 to help ensure that young people could have access to the same opportunities he had in the areas of sports and music.
Morgan Wallen's 'One Night At A Time' album has spent more weeks atop the billboard all-genre charts for more consecutive weeks than any other artist in over a decade. The 'One Night At A Time World Tour' is slated to run all the way through October.
Evan Paul is the host of Taste of Country Nights, a syndicated radio show heard on more than 120 country radio stations nationwide, every night from 7PM to midnight. He plays the best new country music and interviews today's top stars, like Luke Combs, Miranda Lambert, Dan + Shay, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Chris Stapleton, Lady A, Morgan Wallen, + more!
See Inside Morgan Wallen's Recently Sold Nashville Home Morgan Wallen has sold his Nashville home for $835,000. The country singer sold his home for a $135,000 profit five months after being filmed on his driveway using the N-word. The 4-bedroom, 3-bathroom house is a two-story house near Nashville's 8th Ave. It's over 2,700 square feet. Redfin confirmed the house sold on July 8, 2021, less than one month after it was listed. Crazy Country Facts From the Year You Were Born Stacker compiled a list of noteworthy milestones from each year of country music history, using a variety of news articles, historical resources, and more. Country Music's 30 Best Revenge Songs, RankedThey say that revenge is a dish best served cold, but we say that revenge is a dish best served country! Here are the 30 best country songs about bringing the hurt to somebody who did you wrong.
Chris Stapleton And Morgane Stapleton's Relationship Timeline
Chris Stapleton and his wife Morgane met in 2003 when they were both working as songwriters at neighboring music publishing companies. "I kinda did stalk him. A little bit," Morgane told Paste Magazine in 2015. "I was friends with his song-plugger and I would go hang out in her office, like, every day," she added.
Shortly after meeting, Chris and Morgane teamed up romantically and professionally, falling in love and working together in the music industry.
While most people recognize Chris as a country music superstar, some may not realize that Morgane is also a talented songwriter who works with her husband daily and even sings backup for him on tour.
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Chris and Morgane Stapleton's relationship through the years.
2003: Chris and Morgane meet in Nashville Chris and Morgane Stapleton. Rick Diamond/GettyThe two first met while working as songwriters in Nashville. Morgane admitted to the Washington Post in 2015 that she would sit in her friend's office at Sea Gayle Music, waiting for Chris to arrive.
"We'd hear the jingle of his keys as he walked down the hall, and we knew he was coming to play us whatever new song he had written," she told the newspaper.
Chris later asked Morgane to write a song with him, which became their first date. Although Morgane admitted, "We didn't get much writing done that night."
October 27, 2007: Chris and Morgane get marriedChris and Morgane exchanged vows on Oct. 27, 2007 – four years after first meeting. In 2016, the country artist revealed to Rolling Stone that Morgane secretly engraved the words "You Are My Sunshine" inside his wedding band prior to the big day.
"That's our story," he said.
2009-2011: Chris and Morgan expand their family Chris and Morgane Stapleton. Morgane Stapleton InstagramThe couple welcomed their first child, a son named Waylon, in 2009. A few years later, Morgane gave birth to their second child, a daughter named Ada.
November 14, 2015: Morgane joins Instagram and posts a photo with ChrisAlthough Chris and Morgane are fairly private when it comes to their personal lives, they aren't shy about showing their affection for one another publicly. Morgane's first Instagram post in 2015 was a black-and-white photo of her and her husband backstage at a show. She didn't include a caption, letting the photo speak for itself. The songwriter uploaded the photo six months after the release of Chris' first studio album, Traveller.
2016: Chris and Morgane launch a charitable fund Chris and Morgane Stapleton. Rick Diamond/GettyThe couple started a charity in 2016 as a way to give back to their community. Called Outlaw State of Kind, the charitable fund "supports a variety of causes that are close to their heart."
February 1, 2016: Chris says wife Morgane is his "sounding board"About a year after releasing his first album, Chris spoke to PEOPLE about his wife.
"I don't give my wife any credit. She's earned every bit of it," he said. "She's the sounding board for everything. She's a highly intuitive, wonderfully decisive and creative person. As a joke, I say that she has great taste in everything but men."
April 19, 2016: Chris and Morgane travel to Hawaii together Morgane and Chris Stapleton. Morgane Stapleton InstagramThe pair took a vacation to Hawaii together, getting some much-needed R&R after several months of performing. Morgane shared a photo of her and her husband on the beach with the caption, "Aloha y'all."
July 4, 2016: Chris and Morgane perform for the troops at Fort BraggIn 2016, Chris was offered an opportunity to visit North Carolina's Fort Bragg on the Fourth of July and perform for the troops stationed at the United States Army base.
"I can't think of a more appropriate thing to do," he told PEOPLE. "No one who lives in the United States of America doesn't owe these guys a debt of gratitude. Anything we can do to honor them is a real treat to get to do."
November 10, 2016: Chris and Morgane appear on The Tonight Show for the first time Andrew Lipovsky/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via GettyChris and Morgane made their first appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and performed their rendition of "You Are My Sunshine." Morgane sang lead on the song, allowing Chris to put his guitar skills on full display.
October 30, 2017: Morgane reveals she and Chris are expecting twins Morgane and Chris Stapleton. Morgane Stapleton InstagramThe country couple try to shield their children from the spotlight as much as possible, although they did share their baby news on social media in 2017. Already parents to a daughter, Ada, and a son, Waylon, Chris and Morgane were overjoyed to be adding to their family.
"14 years, 2 babies, & 2 more on the way. Happy 10-year anniversary babe! You make my whole world go round," Morgane captioned an Instagram photo.
News of twins was unexpected for Chris and Morgane.
"I think I laughed for about 20 minutes straight when they told us. I was just shocked," Chris told Today's Willie Geist. "I didn't know what else to do … I was in shock. Shocked is the only word," he later added.
November 8, 2017: Chris and Morgane walk the red carpet at the CMA Awards Morgane and Chris Stapleton. Taylor Hill/FilmMagicMorgane showed off her baby bump at the 2017 CMA Awards. She chose a long-sleeved floral dress for the event.
January 28, 2018: Chris and Morgane attend the Grammy Awards Morgane and Chris Stapleton. Dimitrios Kambouris/GettyAround her third trimester, Morgane walked the red carpet with her husband at the Grammy Awards. She wore a long red multi-layer gown with a pair of gold flats.
February 27, 2018: Chris and Morgane appear in GQ StyleChris and Morgane were included in GQ Style's feature titled "15 Living Legends of Country Music."
"You do the work and you put your head down and you keep doing the work. And when you're done doing that work, you go do some more work," Chris told the outlet.
April 15, 2018: Chris and Morgane welcome twin boys Morgane Stapleton and the twins. Morgane Stapleton InstagramTheir twins were born a little earlier than expected — and their arrival was announced by country music superstar Reba McEntire. It all happened at the 53rd Academy of Country Music Awards when Chris won album of the year. McEntire accepted the award on Chris' behalf and shared the news that the twins had been born.
"Those little rascals came a little bit early ... Hot off the press! … Twin boys," she said, sharing that the couple was home in Nashville with the new additions.
Two days later, Morgane shared the first photo of the twins.
"Thank you for all the love! We're so grateful to finally be home with our sweet family. We would like to say a special thank you to all the incredible nurses & doctors at Centennial Women's & Children's Hospital in Nashville. At more than a month early, we had a week-long stay in the nicu & the incredible people there kept our boys healthy & happy. Words cannot express our gratitude for you all & what you did for our family. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you," she captioned an Instagram post.
The couple have chosen to keep the twins' names private.
November 2, 2018: Chris announces Morgane is pregnant againJust seven months after welcoming twins, Chris shared that he and Morgane were expecting their fifth child. The announcement came during a performance at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
"Some of you may know that we have four children," the musician said. "We just had twins, about seven months ago. Now there's four for us, but we're gonna make it five!"
November 14, 2018: Chris thanks Morgane while onstage at the CMAsChris took home the award for male vocalist of the year at the CMAs and spoke about his family in his acceptance speech.
"I'm real proud of this award. I want to thank my kids who put up with me being gone quite a bit and not always being as good of a dad as I would always like to be," he said.
"I love you so much … you share me with all these people and I appreciate it. I want to thank my wife for always being my rock and taking care of me and helping me find the right thing to be and the right thing to do," he added.
February 14, 2019: Morgane shares a photo of her and Chris on Valentine's Day Chris and Morgane Stapleton. Morgane Stapleton InstagramMorgane shared a throwback photo of her and Chris from when the pair first started dating.
"I can't remember when you weren't my world (or when your hair was this short). Happy ♥️ day my love," she captioned the post.
February 10, 2019: Chris and Morgane walk the red carpet at the Grammy AwardsThe couple made another appearance at the Grammy Awards in 2019. Morgane showed off her baby bump on the red carpet and told PEOPLE that she was due in the spring.
May 2019: Chris and Morgane welcome their fifth child The fifth Stapleton child. Morgane Stapleton InstagramChris and Morgane became parents for the fifth time around Mother's Day in 2019.
"The most perfect Mother's day … I wish all you mama's the happiest of days today," Morgane captioned a photo of her newborn gripping her finger.
A month after the birth, the couple revealed the sex of their newborn via Instagram. "Sweet boy … It's hard to believe almost a month has already gone by," she wrote. "Time flies faster than I ever thought imaginable. My heart is so full!"
April 18, 2021: Chris thanks Morgane after winning album of the year at the ACM AwardsChris won album of the year for Starting Over, making it his ninth ACM Award. During his acceptance speech, he thanked his wife.
"We worked really hard to make music. And we think a lot about it," Chris said before thanking Morgane and his album collaborators. "It means a lot. It really does."
October 27, 2021: Chris and Morgane celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary14 years was a big milestone for Chris and Morgane and she didn't let the day go by without sharing a post about their anniversary.
"14 years today. I don't remember much about life before you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for hearing me. Thank you for teaching me. Thank you for respecting me," her Instagram caption read. "Thank you for giving me everything I cherish in this life. I love you more than I'll ever be able to put into words, but I'll spend the rest of my time here on earth trying. Happy anniversary, my love."
March 7, 2022: Chris and Morgane walk the red carpet at the ACM Awards with their two oldest children The Stapletons. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagicChris and Morgane brought their two oldest children, Waylon and Ada, with them to the ACM Awards. Both kids wore black suits as they made their award show debut alongside their parents.
When Chris won the ACM award for male artist of the year, no one cheered louder than his kids.
April 3, 2022: Chris gives his twin sons a birthday shout-out during Grammys acceptance speechThe musician took home a few awards at the 2022 Grammys, but he gave a special shout-out during his acceptance speech for best country album of the year. He revealed that it was his twin son's fourth birthday, saying, "I'm thinking a lot about sacrifices, 'cause I missed out on some of their birthday today."
He continued, "Everybody in this room has made some kind of a sacrifice to be up here doing this, and I don't know what it is for everybody, but I know that it hurts sometimes. But hopefully we're all doing it so we make the world a better place, and the people that live in it will love each other and have a good time together and come together. So thank you so much for this award."
August 24, 2022: Chris and Morgane walk the red carpet at the ACM HonorsChris and Morgane wore matching dark ensembles while attending the ACM Honors at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Morgane wore a black mini dress adorned with fringe while Chris was seen in a dark suit and a cowboy hat. Both accessorized with sunglasses.
October 27, 2022: Chris and Morgane celebrate 15 years of marriageChris, who first met Morgane in 2003, celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary with a post on Instagram.
"15 years. I love you more today than I ever have," he captioned a carousel of images.
Morgane shared an image from their wedding day and wrote: "You're a keeper. Happy 15th, babe!"
December 4, 2022: Chris and Morgane enjoy a musical date nightMorgane and Chris stepped out together to see Harry Connick Jr. In concert.
"CHRISTMAS CAME EARLY! My Christmas present this year was a date night to go see the one and only Harry Connick Jr. In NYC," Morgane shared on Instagram along with a photo of her, Chris and Connick posing backstage.
She then praised the singer and his band, adding, "My cheeks still hurt from smiling so much! We love you Harry!"
January 25, 2023: Chris celebrates Morgane's 40th birthdayMorgane hit a big birthday milestone — and Chris gave her a special shout-out on Instagram.
"Happy birthday to the best partner a man could ask for! Wherever we go you're always my home," he captioned an image of Morgane wearing a cowboy hat and holding a guitar.
May 11, 2023: Chris thanks Morgane during his entertainer of the year speech at the ACM AwardsChris won entertainer of the year at the 2023 ACM Awards. During his acceptance speech, he thanked Morgane and their kids.
"Well, I'm shocked — truly. By any imaginable metric I don't deserve this, but thank you," Chris said to the audience. "I never thought of myself as somebody who'd win this award. I'm so grateful for each and every person who works so hard to make us able to do what we do — my wife Morgane, thank you. I want to say, my kids sitting at home, they give up a lot of my time, a lot of my wife's time so we can do this. This is for them."
June 9, 2023: Chris and Morgane have a heckler removed from their show in MassachusettsWhile performing in Mansfield, Massachusetts, Chris and Morgane encountered a heckler who was loudly booing them from the audience.
"This is silly," Morgane said, before Chris added: "These people paid good money to have a good time. You did too, and if this is what you think is a good time, get the hell out."
The heckler was then removed from the venue by security.
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