 Fellow GRAMMY Award winners and Texas natives Miranda Lambert and Leon Bridges join forces to deliver an enchanting duet, with “If You Were Mine” set for release next Tuesday, June 6, across all major digital platforms. Pre-save HERE.
The heartfelt collaboration produced by Jon Randall sees Lambert and Bridges celebrating the objects of their affection from a distance, contemplating how they would cherish and treasure their beloved if fate ever granted them the opportunity. Together, the gifted singer-songwriters seamlessly fuse their unique musical styles, as Lambert’s powerful and emotive storytelling blends perfectly with Bridges’ velvety timelessness, creating remarkable vocal chemistry that will resonate with fans across genres. “I have been a big fan of Leon for a while because he is very authentic as an artist and I love his music. I wrote this song with Ashley Monroe and Jesse Frasure, specifically with Leon in mind,” shares Lambert of the longing ballad of unrequited love. “Since we are both from Texas, we threw in a few Texas references, of course – the Frio River being one. When we finished this song, we sent it to Leon in hopes that he would want to collaborate and we were so glad that he said yes. I have really enjoyed getting to know him and I’m happy to have him as a new friend.” “I was humbled to have Miranda ask if I’d join her on this beautiful duet she wrote,” adds Bridges. “Getting in the studio with her in Nashville to sing this song together was magic. There’s nothing better than two Texans on one mic!” The release is the first glimpse at new music from Lambert, who has recently teased “some fun collaborations up my sleeve,” since her critically acclaimed and GRAMMY-nominated album, Palomino, celebrated by Variety for cementing her place as “the best ambassador country has to the world.” Lambert also recently added New York Times best-selling author to her impressive list of titles with debut book “Y’all Eat Yet?” available everywhere now and will return to Las Vegas for the next round of her Velvet Rodeo residency shows in July following a Nissan Stadium performance as part of CMA Fest next Friday, June 9. Bridges is currently in the studio working on his fourth LP for Columbia Records while touring throughout the summer and fall of 2023. For more information about Lambert and Bridges, including upcoming projects and performances, please visit their respective websites at MirandaLambert.com and LeonBridges.com.
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 Today singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Caroline Jones, who officially joined Zac Brown Band as the first and only female, released her highly-anticipated third EP, Superpower, of which she penned and produced all but one cover, while also performing a long list of instruments.
Superpower features five tracks that embody grit and resilience, and showcase a wide range of unique influences from Country to Pop to Bluegrass. The creation of Superpower has deep roots in the Nashville creative community, as it was co-produced at the iconic Blackbird and Castle Recording Studios alongside celebrated industry veterans Ric Wake (Whitney Houston, Celine Dion) and Brandon Hood (Brett Eldredge, Rascal Flatts, Sam Hunt), and includes features and credits from respected artists like Vince Gill, Alyssa Bonagura, Pete Good, and Brandon Ratcliff. "‘Superpower’ is really about maturing and growing up, and realizing that some plans that you had didn't go the way that you thought," says Jones. "But you do have those moments of self-doubt and feeling like a failure, and it's just part of being human and it's especially part of this industry. …I remember saying, you know, ‘I'd rather struggle in music my whole life than do anything else.’ And that's really like the mission statement of ‘Superpower’ is. And you have to be grateful to have a career in music. And I certainly am." All five tracks are artistically different enough to showcase Jones’ wide range of musicianship, but equally explore main themes of relationships and self-empowerment. The EP kicks-off with the electrifying, hooky melodies in “Lawless,” and leads into her new focus track, “Normal Person,” a sassy, tongue-in-cheek song that features a relatable play-on-words that pokes fun at marriage. Jones continues to explore life through her surprise instant-grat ballad, “Superpower,” a brutally honest autobiographical story of her career going through waves of victory and disappointment and never giving up. From there, she moves to the only cover on the album, a deep and spiritual song from folk supergroup Cry, Cry, Cry titled “By Way of Sorrow,” featuring one of her musical heroes, Vince Gill. The project closes out with previously released “Keep It Safe” ft. Alyssa Bonagura, a 90’s Country-Pop sounding track that explores the butterfly feeling at the early stages of a relationship. Stream here: https://music.empi.re/superpowerep Author - Nicole Marchesi Photos - Getty Images The 58th Academy of Country Music Awards took place Thursday in Frisco, Texas to a packed stadium. The night was hosted by Dolly Parton for the second time in a row and Garth Brooks, making his hosting debut. Garth’s opening monologue consisted of him naming all-male ACM country icons, which was only partially saved by his introduction of Dolly Parton. “But the king of country music is a female! Give it up for G.O.A.T.” he said as Parton herself walked on stage with a real life goat. Instantly Parton got the crowd laughing by making a joke about being Garth and Trisha’s hall pass, “I know why you're doing that ‘G.O.A.T.’ thing! I think it stands for ‘Garth Organized a Threesome.'” Overall, the hosts bounced jokes off of each other well and were champions of those performing and awarded, even when they didn't show up.
The night went on with Cole Swindell and Jo Dee Messina performing “Heads Carolina, Tails California” which he then won two awards for, gracefully thanking Messina for making the song a hit originally. Other standout performances include New Female Artist of the Year, Hailey Whitters, who performed her first radio single “Everything She Ain’t” with champion Nicolle Galyon admiring from the side. Her southern charm and grinning smile made everyone a fan that night. Miranda Lambert won for most intricate set design. Performing her song “Carousel”, Lambert appeared in a stunning feathered dress on top of a fog filled stage, surrounded by various carnival pieces. Carly Pearce joined Trisha Yearwood to perform numerous hits including “Wrong Side of Memphis”, “XXX’s and OOO’s” and our favorite “She’s In Love With The Boy”. Together they had the crowd singing and dancing along, especially Caylee Hammack who later appeared on stage for a performance of “Bonfire At Tina’s”. The Lindeville crew included Ashely McBryde, Brandy Clark, Pillbox Patti, Caylee Hammack, and John Osborne on guitar. It was clear they were having a blast and it was even better without the swear words getting bleeped, thanks Amazon! Special shoutout to Ed Sheeran for making an appearance with Luke Combs. The two superstars gave a stripped down performance of “Life Goes On” off of Sheeran’s new album. A crowd favorite and the standout of the night was Lainey Wilson. The “Country With a Flair” singer took home four trophies including Female Artist of the Year. Her acceptance speech was inspiring, recognizing those who paved the way for her and being a role model to those who will follow. “I’m up here because of y’all, because of people like Dolly Parton, pavin’ the way,” Wilson began. “Everybody in this category didn’t just wind up there by happenstance, they worked their fingers to the bone. They have put the blood, sweat, tears, and years into this… For the little girls watching this, it stands for hard work. If you’re gonna be a dreamer, you better be a doer.” She also took home the awards for Album of the Year (Bell Bottom Country), Visual Media of the Year, and Music Event of the Year with Hardy for “Wait In The Truck”. Wilson made a surprise appearance joining labelmate Jelly Roll on stage before performing “Grease”. Showing off her dance moves, Wilson brought the heat! The crowd was disappointed by Male Artist of the Year winner Morgan Walllen not attending and performances by Bailey Zimmerman and Jordan Davis didn’t make up for it either. The biggest surprise was Chris Stapleton winning Entertainer of the Year. It was clear by his acceptance speech that Stapleton was just as surprised as we were. Luckily Dolly Parton saved the night once again with her rockstar debut of “World On Fire.” Accompanied by dancers, flames, and a dramatic skirt that covered the entire stage, Parton proved she was indeed the G.O.A.T. Touching on the important message behind the song, she said, “This is a song I felt very inspired to write. I think it speaks about everything and to everyone this day and time. I hope it is something that will touch you and maybe touch enough people to want to make a change for the better.” What did you think of the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards? Let us know!  Loretta Lynn’s family and estate will release a new book she completed just before her passing; A SONG AND A PRAYER, on May 23, 2023 from Worthy Books.
“Originally slated to come out in December, mom worked all summer to complete this book. It was so important to her because she had never devoted an entire book to her faith. Mom was always open about her faith but it was a deeply personal matter to her, one in which we knew at the core was the most important thing in her life. Her passing has made this project all the more special to us and we know her fans will feel the same way,” said her daughter Patsy Lynn Russell. It’s been over sixty years since the late Loretta Lynn first rose to stardom, transforming from a coal miner’s daughter to the Queen of Country Music. Loretta knew she was blessed—to record music, to sing her songs to such great crowds, and to write books. Her final offering, A Song and A Prayer, is a collection of prayers combined with song lyrics inspired by her songwriting sessions with fellow hit songwriter and co-author, ordained minister Dr. Kim McLean. “My writing sessions with Loretta were inspired by our friendship and faith,” said Kim. “She always told me we need to ‘write it the way we say it,’ and these are the things she felt were important to say. It is a capstone project, and a culmination of her wholehearted, unapologetic love of God, of people, and of life. We were similar in many ways and connected on a soul level, but her fans know that’s the only way Loretta ever connected – heart to heart. We laughed all the time when we wrote, sometimes argued, then laughed again. This book came about so naturally. Loretta said this project was special to her, and I’m honored to be her collaborator and friend. She was such an inspiration.” This volume will become a cherished companion for Loretta Lynn fans and readers everywhere as they strive to live each precious moment to the fullest and happiest. Through A Song and A Prayer, readers of all faiths and walks of life will have the opportunity to bask in a month’s worth of spiritual encouragement from Loretta’s own resilient faith. In a busy world, Loretta’s lyrics and prayers remind readers that God loves them more than they could imagine.  Singer/songwriter Karissa Ella continues her upward trajectory while solidifying her status as one of country music’s most promising up-and-coming artists with her latest single, “White Dress Worthy,” available everywhere now.
In tandem with the single release, Ella also announced that her new EP, It’s Personal, will be released on June 23. In “White Dress Worthy” – which she penned with her mother, Lori Haasz – Ella reflects on both the excitement and inherent pressure that inevitably comes with the stage of life she’s currently navigating, one in which many of her peers are getting married, starting families and buying homes. “White Dress Worthy” serves as a gentle bit of advice to not give into that pressure by rushing into things or settling for anything less than someone who makes you feel like you’re on top of the world. Listen to “White Dress Worthy” here. “Writing with my talented mom is always a special experience but on this one, it really allowed me to approach the song’s message from a mother’s point of view,” says Ella. “With wedding season fast approaching, the song is a reminder that it’s totally okay to wait for the right one and make sure your partner truly is white dress worthy before you say ‘I do.’” The new single follows the March release of Ella’s energetic, good-time anthem “Well Tequila.” Both tracks will be included on the upcoming EP, a collective that showcases Ella’s infectious hooks and gorgeous, soaring vocals on material that is decidedly personal to her in numerous ways. “The EP is definitely going to be a blend of the nostalgic and reflective, with songs that cover everything from my favorite spirit to my hometown, and my personal relationships,” Ella adds. “I think it will give listeners a whole new understanding of me as both an artist and an individual, and I’m really excited for folks to hear it!” For more information, please visit karissaella.com |