Country Music News

During a recent concert, Gavin Adcock blasted Beyoncé’s Grammy-winning Best Country Album, Cowboy Carter, during an onstage rant. In fan-captured video footage of the incident, the country star takes issue with albums that currently outrank his own on Apple Music’s country albums chart. “One of them’s Beyoncé — you can tell her we’re coming for her f—in’ a–,” Adcock said, before adding, “That sh– ain’t country music and it ain’t ever been country music, and it ain’t gonna be country music.” Adcock took to Instagram on Monday (June 30) to share a video statement clarifying his remarks. “I’m gonna go ahead and clear this up,” he says. “I really don’t believe that her album should be labeled as country music. It doesn’t sound country, it doesn’t feel country, and I just don’t think that people that have dedicated their whole lives to this genre and this lifestyle should have to compete or watch that album just stay at the top, just because she’s Beyoncé.” (Billboard)

After concluding his historic Sphere Las Vegas residency, Kenny Chesney took to Instagram over the weekend to show his appreciation to fans who paid tribute to his late dog, Da Ruba Girl, by wearing t-shirts honoring her at his recent shows. The post features a t-shirt emblazoned with her name, along with the quote, “she’s a very good girl,” with Chesney affectionately captioning the post, “Saw a lot of these shirts in the audience at Sphere in Vegas. Thank you guys for that.” Da Ruba Girl, who passed away in 2022, inspired a fan-favorite song released by Chesney, with proceeds from sales of the track benefiting the Stray Rescue of St. Louis. The song serves as a tribute to the dog’s spirit while also highlighting the work of shelters in rescuing and caring for pets. Fans continue to show support for Da Ruba Girl, as Chesney's merchandise paying tribute to his late dog are currently sold out online. (Holler)

Post Malone, Jelly Roll, and Chandler Walters delighted fans with a lively acoustic rendition of Toby Keith's chart-topping 2002 hit, “Who's Your Daddy,” during a recent stop on Post’s Big Ass Stadium Tour. The video of the performance features Chandler leading on vocals and guitar, with Post and Jelly joining in for the rousing rendition. This collaboration reflects the easygoing camaraderie that the country stars have for each other, while also highlighting each of the artists’ versatility and musical talent. This isn’t the first time that Posty has paid tribute to Keith, as he previously covered “As Good As I Once Was” back in 2023. Jelly and Walters have both been serving as opening acts on the Big Ass Stadium Tour, with Chandler also being part of Post's backing band The Fools For You. The tour is set to hit San Francisco's Oracle Park on Tuesday (July 1). (Holler)

The 2025 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala will take place on October 6 at the Music City Center, and this year’s nominees have just been announced. The 2025 nominees in the Contemporary Songwriters category are Steve Bogard, Shawn Camp, Don Henry, Gordon Kennedy, Tony Martin, Aimee Mayo, Jim Rushing, and Darrell Scott. While the 2025 nominees in the Contemporary Songwriter/Artists category are Jim Lauderdale, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Lucinda Williams, and CeCe Winans. The 2025 class of inductees will eventually feature two contemporary songwriters and one songwriter/artist that will be elected to the hall. Three additional writers, including a Veteran Songwriter, a Veteran Songwriter/Artist, and a Legacy Songwriter, will also be named to the Class of 2025 by a separate body of veteran voters. “Well-deserved congratulations to all the nominees in our contemporary categories,” says NaSHOF Executive Director Mark Ford. “We look forward in several weeks to announcing those who will be inducted this fall as members of our Class of 2025.” (Music Row)

Alex Warren’s “Ordinary” remains at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, as his first career leader adds a fourth week atop the chart. Elsewhere in the Top 10, Cardi B’s new single “Outside” debuts at No. 10, becoming the Grammy-winning rapper's 13th career Top 10 hit. Meanwhile, Morgan Wallen claims his sixth week with at least three simultaneous Hot 100 Top 10s this year, surpassing Kendrick Lamar for the most such weeks in 2025. The country superstar’s duet with Tate McRae, “What I Want,” rises one spot to No. 2, while his single “Just in Case,” remains at No. 4, and “I’m the Problem” moves up one slot to No. 5, as his chart-topping album of the same name spends its sixth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. The rest of the Hot 100 Top 10 features Sabrina Carpenter’s new single,“Manchild,” dropping one spot to No. 3, Kendrick Lamar and SZA’s “Luther” falling one spot to No. 6, Shaboozey’s “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” holding at No. 7, Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With a Smile” remains at No. 8, and Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” stays at No. 9. (Billboard)

On Thursday (June 25), Gavin Adcock announced the details of his upcoming third full-length album, Own Worst Enemy, which is set to be released on August 15 via Warner Music Nashville. The rising country star also shared the newest single from the 24-track project, “Last One To Know,” which joins the previously released tracks “On One,” “Morning Bail,” “Need To,” “Never Call Again,” and “Unlucky Strikes.” "Over the last 4 years I’ve spent my life writing, traveling, and trying to find time to breathe," Adcock captioned his post. "Through the happiness, hard times and self destruction I’ve found the best part of my job is letting out music for my fans. I can’t thank y’all enough for sticking with me for this long." Adcock is set to open two nights of Morgan Wallen’s I’m The Problem Tour in Miami on July 11-12, along with his own headlining dates on his Need To Tour throughout the summer and fall. (Holler)

Before he even played a note, Morgan Wallen already made history by becoming the first artist to secure a second show at Madison, Wisconsin’s 76,000-capacity Camp Randall Stadium. The chart-topping country superstar played two sold-out shows at the massive venue on Saturday and Sunday night (June 28-29) as part of his I’m The Problem Tour. To mark the occasion, Wallen brought out his special guest opening acts during Saturday’s show, as Miranda Lambert joined him for a stirring duet on his 2024 Country Airplay No. 1 hit, “Cowgirls,” while Ella Langley sang Tate McRae's part on Wallen’s Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping duet, "What I Want." Following Wallen’s historic two-night stand at Camp Randall Stadium, his I’m The Problem Tour continues with two shows at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, on July 11-12, with Lambert set to open the first night along with rising country star Gavin Adcock, while Brooks & Dunn are set to kick off the second night. (Taste of Country)

Zach Bryan performed his biggest headlining shows of his career over the weekend at London’s Hyde Park, playing to 65,000 UK country music fans during two sold-out shows on Saturday and Sunday night (June 28-29). During his Saturday performance, Bryan debuted a brand new song he had written only four days earlier, “Streets of London,” which he plans on releasing on Monday (June 30). “We love you, London,” Bryan announced from the stage. “This is a dream come true for me.” In addition to the performance of his latest track, the set also featured standouts like “Oklahoma Smokeshow,” “Dawns,” “Heavy Eyes,” and “Open the Gate,” along with a duet with opener Dermot Kennedy on “Hey Driver,” as well as a surprise collaboration with a fan from the audience on “Heading South.” Bryan shared a clip capturing the set-closing fireworks display, captioning the post, “Biggest headlining show to date. I love you Hyde Park and I love you London, thank you so much.” (Holler)

Corey Kent claims his first career No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart with "This Heart." The track jumps up two places to reach the top spot on the strength of 27.9 million audience impressions over the past week, up 16% from the previous seven days. The song, co-written by Thomas Archer, Blake Bollinger, Jacob Hackworth, and Michael Tyler, and produced by Chris Farren, is from Kent’s album Black Bandana, released in September 2024. “This Heart” marks Kent’s first No. 1 following three Country Airplay entries, with “Wild as Her” hitting No. 3 in May in 2023, and “Something’s Gonna Kill Me” reaching No. 40 in January 2024. “I couldn’t be more proud of ‘This Heart.’ It is everything that I love about country music,” says Kent, a former contestant on The Voice back in 2015. (Billboard)

Morgan Wallen’s I’m the Problem spends a sixth straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. I’m the Problem earned 177,000 units over the past week, netting the largest total for an album in its sixth week on the chart since Adele’s 25 earned 363,000 in its sixth week in January 2016. Three new releases debut in the current Billboard 200 Top 10, as Benson Boone’s American Heart lands at No. 2, marking his highest-charting album and biggest week of his career, while Karol G notches her third career Top 10 album with the No. 3 arrival of Tropicoqueta, and the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack enters at No. 8, becoming the first soundtrack released in 2025 to reach the Top 10, and the highest-debuting soundtrack of the year. The rest of Top 10 is filled out by all former No. 1 albums, as SZA’s SOS holds at No. 4, Wallen’s One Thing at a Time remains at No. 5, Sabrina Carpenter’s Short n’ Sweet stays at No. 6, Kendrick Lamar’s GNX rises one spot to No. 7, Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album is steady at No. 9, and PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake’s $ome $exy $ongs 4 U sticks at No. 10. (Billboard)

On Thursday (June 26), Scotty McCreery was named the host of a new monthly show on SiriusXM's Prime Country, where he will showcase his favorite country hits and deep cuts from the 1980s and 1990s. The show, which premieres on July 5, will feature handpicked songs by McCreery from artists like Garth Brooks, George Strait, Randy Travis, Kathy Mattea, Patty Loveless, and Ronnie Milsap, with each episode also spotlighting live Opry performances from that era. McCreery, a Grand Ole Opry member, aims to share his passion for country music history while occasionally featuring his own music “because – hey! It’s my show!,” and welcoming in guest artists to share conversations. “I love country music from every decade, but the country music of the ’80s and ’90s is probably my favorite era of music,” McCreery says in a statement. “I’m excited to put a spotlight on the songs and performers I grew up listening to that helped shape the artist I am today.” (Billboard)

Luke Combs and his wife Nicole celebrated their son Tex's 3rd birthday with a NASCAR-themed party inspired by Dale Earnhardt Sr. The party featured a balloon-filled wall with "Tex's Third Lap", a winner's podium and a chair that featured a photo of the late racing icon, a play area with racing stripes, a "No. 3" car design, and a “fueling station” with beverages and snacks for the kids, which included cookies shaped like Earnhardt's iconic car and racing flags. Nicole shared an Instagram video capturing the racing-inspired decorations, while captioning the post, “some details from Tex’s birthday ♥️🏁 guess who picked the theme lol.” The post includes comments from Combs' "Backup Plan" duet partner Bailey Zimmerman, who wrote “Would kill for you to throw me a bday party like this,” along with supportive responses from Dale Earnhardt Jr., and from Richard Childress Racing (Earnhardt Sr.’s longtime racing home) who wrote, “Solid choice!” (Billboard)

During an interview prior to his 2025 CMA Fest appearance, BigXthaPlug revealed details of his highly-anticipated upcoming country project. The crossover artist shared the title of the EP, I Hope You're Happy, and disclosed that it will include his viral hit, “All The Way” with Bailey Zimmerman, and the newly announced track, “Home,” featuring Shaboozey, that drops on Friday (June 26). This marks BigXthaPlug’s second collaboration with the “A Bar Song (Tipsy)” hitmaker, following their 2024 link-up, “Drink Don't Need No Mix,” which was featured on Shaboozey’s Billboard Top 5 hit album, Where I've Been, Isn't Where I'm Going. The Texas rapper also revealed that 5-time CMA Award-winner Ella Langley will also be featured on his project. “You got Jelly Roll. You got Post Malone. You got Bailey Zimmerman, Shaboozey, that's a brother of mine, Ella Langley, you got a lot of people on there,” BigX teased. “So definitely be on the lookout for that.” No official release date has been announced for the EP. (Holler)

Lainey Wilson celebrates her musical influences with the newly-released, Apple Music Sessions EP, recorded in London. The transatlantic collection features covers of The Beatles classic, "Come Together," and Lewis Capaldi's "Someone You Loved," as well as a reimagined version of her Whirlwind standout, "Devil Don't Go There." Wilson was inspired to cover the Beatles by a recent recording session. “Last year when we were here [in London], we got to record a song at Abbey Road, and just really felt that energy in the building,” Wilson recalls. “And just trying to wrap your head around how influential The Beatles really are and what they have done to every single genre.” Wilson's Capaldi cover came about after she watched the recent film about the Scottish singer, How I’m Feeling Now. "I watched his documentary and it really inspired me to see how he works,” she says. “He fights for that creativity, which I love." Wilson’s EP became available for streaming on Tuesday (June 24). (All Country News)

On Tuesday (June 24), Ella Langley took to Instagram to reveal the official release date for her upcoming single, "Never Met Anyone Like You," which is due out this Friday (June 27). Langley has been teasing her new track on social media over the past few weeks, building fans’ anticipation for its eventual release. Langley co-wrote “Never Met Anyone Like You” with HARDY and Jordan Schmidt, with the track set to usher in the next creative chapter for the “you look like you love me” hitmaker. This news has excited Langley's dedicated fanbase, who are already speculating that the song is about her collaborator and rumored love interest, Riley Green. In addition to the new track, Langley just announced the final dates on her headlining Still Hungover Tour, with the 7-show run finishing with a two-night stand at the legendary Ryman Auditorium on November 6 and 7. (Holler)

In a new interview with People, Lady A's Charles Kelley credits his wife Cassie for inspiring his latest solo album, Songs for a New Moon, as well as being “the reason that I got sober.” Kelley’s sobriety journey began three years ago, when he entered rehab for alcohol addiction, forcing Lady A to postpone their Request Line Tour. The 16-track album reflects the couple’s personal journey through heartfelt songs like "Can't Lose You," while celebrating their strengthened relationship on tracks like "Can't Be Alone Tonight" and "Never Let You Go." As they anticipate the birth of their second child this fall along with their 16th wedding anniversary, Kelley highlights the album's theme of gratitude and resilience in overcoming tough times together. “We've lived a lot of life,” Kelley says of his relationship with Cassie. “It was nice to be able to have a record from top to bottom about that.” (People)

Tim McGraw has been forced to back out of his scheduled performance at a concert in Colorado next month due to his ongoing recovery from back surgery. Country group Cross Canadian Ragweed will take his place at the Last Cowboy Standing event on July 21 in Fort Collins, with Jon Pardi still set to headline on July 22. "[Cross Canadian Ragweed] is back together and ready to bring the house down in an unforgettable night of world-class music and the greatest bull riding on earth. You won't want to miss it,” reads a statement from PBR CEO Sean Gleason, who added, "We're sending our very best to Tim for a quick recovery and hope to see him at a future PBR event." Ticket holders have the option of requesting a full refund. (People)

LeAnn Rimes recently experienced an unexpected dental mishap during a concert in Washington. In an Instagram post, Rimes, 42, recounted the incident, explaining that while performing her hit "One Way Ticket," she felt something pop in her mouth and realized her dental bridge had fallen out. Rimes said she "panicked" at first, but then decided to be transparent with the audience, telling them exactly what had happened. For the remainder of the show, Rimes had to continuously push her teeth back into place while singing, including during her performance of "Can't Fight the Moonlight," when her teeth fell out again. She later joked with fans, saying, "The front row, get ready for something to fly out. If you catch them, please return them." Rimes emphasized the importance of staying composed in the face of on-stage mishaps, encouraging other performers to not feel ashamed when unexpected events occur. (Us Weekly)

Brandon Lake's new album, King of Hearts, achieves numerous Billboard chart milestones this week. The record debuts at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart, while also premiering at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 tally, marking the 35-year-old singer/songwriter’s first career Top 10 entry on the chart. In addition to those accolades, King of Hearts also debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums charts, Lake’s first time topping those tallies as well. The 16-song set, which was released on June 13, garnered 37,000 equivalent album units, with 20,000 in album sales, in the United States, with both figures marking weekly bests for Lake. His current success also extends to his singles as well, with his Jelly Roll collaboration, "Hard Fought Hallelujah," topping multiple charts and receiving radio play across multiple genres, including country, rock, and alternative. (Billboard)

Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance at a benefit concert in Nashville on Tuesday night (June 24), with the music superstar performing "Shake It Off" on an acoustic guitar at the 1,200 capacity Brooklyn Bowl. The impromptu performance took place at the end of Kane Brown's set, stunning the audience and delighting fans who had gathered for the 'Tight Ends & Friends' charity event, which was hosted by Swift's boyfriend, Travis Kelce. Swift used a guitar she borrowed from Chase Rice, who performed earlier that evening, playing a stripped-down version of her lead single from her Grammy-winning album, 1989. She took a moment mid-song to praise Brown’s contribution to her performance, “Honestly, have you ever seen a tambourine played like this? This is fantastic work over here by Mr. Kane Brown.” Brown later shared a photo of him with Swift and Kelce on Instagram, joking in the caption, “When you think you’re the special guest BUT you’re not 😂.” This impromptu performance marks Swift's first live appearance since The Eras Tour wrapped up in December. (Variety)