Month: August 2025

Kaitlin Butts is serving up some justice in her brand-new music video for the viral hit “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me).” The rising country/Americana star trades heartbreak for humor in a western-inspired tale that proves she’s the one to call when a woman needs help dealing with a man who’s done them wrong.

Written and conceived by Butts and directed by Chris Beyrooty, the cinematic clip is packed with the same sharp wit Butts exudes throughout the song itself, while taking the storyline to a whole new level.

“Making this music video was something I’ve wanted to do since I put out this album,” shared Butts. “I’ve had the treatment for it since January 2024, when I was writing the videos for ‘Wild Juanita’s,’ ‘Hunt You Down’ and ‘Other Girls.’ When ‘You Ain’t Gotta Die’ started to have its viral moment, I was so excited to create something I’ve had in my head for so long. We looped in director Chris Beyrooty to help me bring it all to life and I could not be more pleased with how it turned out. I took some inspiration from some of my favorite movies, Holes, Django Unchained and Chicago. Expect a little dance with a side of blood, lipstick and justice.”

The video opens with a man seeking refuge in a church, while asking for forgiveness from the pastor as he claims that he has sinned and is now being chased by the devil. Unfortunately, not even the spiritual setting can keep him safe because moments later, a revenge-seeking Butts steps inside ready to let justice take its course.

Without missing a beat, she shoots off the man’s finger then piles him and several other troublemaking men into what’s disguised as an ambulance. Unfortunately for the three men stuck inside, they won’t be getting any help while locked inside the back of the buggy.

One prisoner is lucky enough to make his escape while the other two are knocked out with “Wild Juanita’s cactus juice” which is said to potentially cause “sudden euphoria and temporary loss of consciousness and in some cases, the big sleep.”

The smile never fades from Butts’ face as she sings along to the story that follows her mama’s wise words – “If a man is a problem, take him out of your world/ Leave room for the sunshine and no room for clouds/ Just pretend he’s no longer around.”

She takes that message to heart, while showing off her dance moves in a red mini dress, black boots and a whole lot of attitude At the end of the video, the men finally wake up, only to realize they’ve been stranded in the middle of nowhere, left to think about their actions.

Meanwhile, Butts lets her sass fly on the chorus as she sings, “You ain’t gotta die to be dead to me/ You ain’t gotta die to be dead to me/ Well, you ain’t gotta be six feet deep/ Pushing up daisies up through concrete/ No, you ain’t gotta die to be dead to me.”

@ellalangleymusic1 💋 @kaitlinbutts ♬ You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me) – Kaitlin Butts

“You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)” quickly became a viral trend for both fans an artists to take part in across TikTok and listen to endlessly on streaming platforms. The track is featured on her critically acclaimed album Roadrunner! and has evolved into a major moment in Butts’ rising career.  It’s earned over 123 million TikTok views, 8 million global streams, and prompted thousands of fan-created videos.

Kaitlin Butts is scheduled to perform on stages across the country in 2025 while hitting the road with stars like Lainey Wilson for the worldwide Whirlwind Tour, Molly Tuttle on The Highway Knows Tour, Ella Langley on her Still Hungover Tour. and Flatland Cavalry on their Flatland Forever(more) Tour.

The post WATCH: Kaitlin Butts’ Viral Hit, ‘You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead To Me)’ Gets Cinematic Treatment appeared first on Country Now.

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For Lainey Wilson, staying grounded while navigating a fast-moving music career isn’t always easy, but luckily, she has her fiancé, Devlin “Duck” Hodges to help her remember what truly matters.

“My fiancé Duck reminds me to be human. He definitely helps me keep my feet on the ground. Also just reminds me of what’s important,” she said while reflecting on her journey on an episode of Bobby Bones podcast, Bobbycast.

Never Losing Sight Of What’s Most Important

Wilson knows that her music career won’t last forever and because of that she strives to live in the present and take advantage to all the amazing opportunities she can. At the same time, she’s mindful of taking care of herself and the people around her, and trying to never lose sight of the fact that her personal relationships are just as important.

At the end of the day, the two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year can confidently say that while she’s proud of how far she’s come, she is also her own biggest critic.

“Them people on Facebook ain’t got nothing on me,” she said with a laugh, while referencing the amount of hate she receives online each day. “I’m like, ‘oh, you think you can hurt me? I can hurt myself.’ But I feel like that’s a part of the reason why I am even here is because I have been hard on myself and I’m like, ‘okay, this song is okay, but it’s not what I think it can be’ or ‘that performance was, it did the job, but what can I do to take it a step further?’ And it’s very rare when I walk off the stage and I feel like I did everything how I was supposed to do it.”

Acting As Her Own Biggest Critic

Wilson explained she is always taking mental notes and trying to think about how she can be even better for her loyal fans. There was period of time where she did so many shows in a row that she started to constantly beat herself up, thinking she wasn’t giving her all to the performances. The reality is, she was doing the complete opposite and just wasn’t able to see it. That’s where the support of her other half, Duck, and members of her team play a huge part in helping keep her afloat mentally.

“Duck, Mandelyn, my manager, all of them were like, ‘that was the best show that you’ve ever played.’ Like ‘that one right there is one that you better remember.’ And in my brain and in my heart, I was like, wow, I did not feel that way when I walked off the stage,” Wilson admitted.

Thinking From The Perspective Of A Fan

Part of the reason she finds herself battling so much of the self-inflicted pressures is because she knows what it feels like to be a fan and how much effort it took to attend a show with buying the ticket, the travel, the hotel, and the planning that went into it all.

“If there’s anything that I miss more than anything, it is being a fan out in the crowd. I miss that so much. But when I think about me as a fan, I think about how hard it was for me to buy that ticket and how hard it was for me to get to that show and make the arrangements and buy the hotel room,” she shared. “It’s probably coming from knowing how important those moments were for me, that I put a little bit more pressure on myself. I know that these people had come and worked hard to be there, and they came there to feel something, and I got to make sure that they do.”

Finding Healthy Ways To Manage The Pressure

Lainey Wilson continues to navigate her hectic life by leaning into the support of those around her and taking as much advice as she can from those who have been through it all before. She goes on to say that one of the healthier approaches she’s taken that has made a big impact is following the “80% rule” shared by award-winning artist Melissa Etheridge.

“She said, ‘get out there and instead of giving it 190% and feeling like you have to get up there on the stage and bleed out and just leave it all up there, if you do the 80% rule, it gives you that 20% window and wiggle room to not let yourself down so much.’”

That mindset is now guiding Wilson as she hits the road on her current tour, bringing her best shows directly to fans night after night. The Whirlwind Tour kicked off on August 14 and runs through November with special guests Muscadine Bloodline, Ernest, as well as a rotating lineup of opening acts, Lauren Watkins, Drake Milligan, Maddox Batson, Kaitlin Butts, and Zach Meadows.

The post Lainey Wilson Credits Fiancé Duck Hodges for Keeping Her Grounded Amid Rising Fame appeared first on Country Now.

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Post Malone’s daughter is only three years old, but according to him, she is already developing a taste in music that follows in her dad’s footsteps.

Along with the typical tunes that kids her age gravitate toward, such as the “Pup Pup Boogie” and other “catchy” songs from the children’s show, Paw Patrol, Malone told GQ she has found a love for country music greats like George Strait. She also seems to be drawn to more the traditional instruments that appear in his songs such as the steel guitar, which Malone says he is “pumped about.”

Now that the genre-bending star has fully immersed himself in the country music world, his daughter is getting introduced to other artists in the scene, like Jelly Roll, who joined Post Malone on his co-headlining stadium tour dubbed “Post Malone Presents: The BIG ASS Stadium Tour.”

“Jelly was opening up [on tour] and she went out to watch Jelly and her grandparents asked her, ‘Who’s a better singer, Jelly Roll or your dad?’ She goes, ‘Jelly Roll.’ And I know she’s fu**ing with me,” Malone joked.

Touching On The Realities Of Dad Life

Despite her opinion, the 18-time Grammy nominee didn’t have enough good things to say about his role as a dad.

“She’s just the most beautiful creature to ever have existed on this earth. And I can’t believe that… Well, I don’t deserve something like that, but it’s pretty cool that’s in my life,” he said.

Post Malone has not publicly revealed the name of his daughter. However, it is known that he has honored his little girl, who he shares with his ex-fiancée Jamie Park, by getting her initials, DDP, tattooed on his forehead.

Modeling For The Brand Skims

The “I Had Some Help” singer continued to gush over his love for his little one while taking in the stunning scenery of Utah, where he was doing a photoshoot for his new campaign with Skims.

While on break from the Big Ass Stadium Tour, he took on the modeling gig to showcase the brand’s new collection of men’s underwear, tees, and a heavyweight fleece loungewear. The full collection comes in Post’s favorite print, the Realtree camouflage and will be available for purchase starting Thursday, August 21, on the brand’s website.

Fans got the first look at the campaign when Malone shared select images and clips from his photoshoot, which included horseback riding, fishing, and just enjoying his time in the mountainside setting.

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A post shared by @postmalone

When asked how this opportunity to work with Skims came about, he simply explained that he’s a “Skims man.”

“In Utah, it gets very, very, very cold. And some way or another I found this comforter robe. Whenever I went out to smoke at night, I would always put this on, and it was probably the most comfortable thing I’ve ever worn in my entire life. From there, it just snowballed out of control to the point [where now] I’m naked in the woods. Well, not naked. But you can’t see the underwear anyways. They’re camouflage.”

Preparing With Fried Chicken

In order to prepare for the shots that left little to the imagination, Malone revealed his strategy was to eat some southern comfort food in hopes of bulking up a bit.

“Just a lot of fried chicken. I tried to bulk up a little bit. But it didn’t work.”

This is the first underwear campaign Malone has ever been a part of and he admitted it was “terrifying.”

“I’ve never done anything like that. It’s like a Sasquatch sighting, essentially, is what it feels like. Everyone’s going to call it in to the cops and say, ‘We saw Bigfoot out here.’ Or, Averagefoot. Sorry,” he joked.

Nonetheless, he also noted that the experience overall was “amazing.”

“It’s awesome. It’s comfortable. It’s really just an amazing deal. I’m really happy and really honored to be a part of this campaign and project.”

Returning To The Road

Beginning tomorrow, August 21, Post Malone will leave the stunning Utah scenery behind and head to Europe for the next leg of his trek.

“We’re going to be doing that a whole lot more, but this time in Europe. Jelly [Roll, his tour opener] has quickly become the closest buddy I got, and he’s just such a stud. I’m so blessed and so honored he’d come out again. That makes me happy.”

A full list of Post Malone’s upcoming stops in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, England and more can be found HERE.

The post Post Malone Gushes Over His 3-Year-Old Daughter’s Growing Love For Country Music appeared first on Country Now.

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Riley Green is teasing another brand-new song off his forthcoming Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) project that is guaranteed to have you in your feels.

On Wednesday, August 20, the Alabama native surprised fans by previewing a nearly one-minute recording of an aching ballad titled “Make It Rain” that shows off his softer side. This isn’t the first time Green has previewed this particular track.

Before he started playing it during his live shows this summer, Green took to Instagram in February to share a video of him delivering the tune while strumming on his acoustic guitar. His latest post was slightly more elevated on the production end, signaling it is finally ready for the August 29 release.

His rugged vocals will hit listeners right in the heart as he tenderly paints the picture of someone who can easily cause the hurt, but when it comes to getting his love interest back, he falls short. The haunting melody offers a nostalgic sound with the delicate guitar strums moving in smooth motions alongside Green’s gut-wrenching storyline.

He sings, “I can make it rain/ I can make her tears fall down/ Take everything you used to be and leave it puddled up on the ground/ I can make it flood and watch it wash all away/ Take all our love and pour it down the drain/ Yeah I can make it rain/ I can make it rain.”

In the next and final line of lyrics that the preview offers, we hear Green admit, “I can’t make her stay/ And I can’t make her take me back/ I can’t make her miss me/ No I can’t do none of that.”

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A post shared by Riley Green (@rileyduckman)

Fans were clearly in favor of “Make It Rain” the first time he posted about it and the response was no different the second time around.

“Yassss sad country music 😍”

“Freaking king, man! Never misses!✌️”

“🔥🙌❤️ This is the @rileyduckmanmusic 🎶 that I love..”

“I swear…..this guy keeps putting out hits.”

“Make It Rain” will appear on the deluxe edition of the RIAA Gold-certified LP as one of six brand-new songs. With these additions, the 2024 collection will be complete with 24 total tracks.

In addition to “Make It Rain,” the project will offer two collaborations including “Cowboy As It Gets” featuring Randy Houser, and the heartfelt duet “I Just Need You” with rising artist Hannah McFarland.

He once again digs into heartbreak on “What Am I Supposed to Do Now,” celebrates his inner outdoorsmen on “Bet They’re Biting,” and tips his hat to the country legends who shaped him with “One to Willie.”

Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) Tracklist:

1. “That’s A Mistake”

2. “Change My Mind”

3. “Reel Problems (featuring Luke Bryan)”

4. “Turnin’ Dirt”

5. “Jesus Saves”

6. “Too Early To Drink”

7. “Pick A Place”

8. “Way Out Here”

9. “Waitin’ All Day”

10. “Chip Off The Ol’ Block”

11. “Alchohall Of Fame”

12. “Rather Be”

13. “Good Morning From Mexico”

14. “Torn” 

15. “Damn Good Day To Leave”

16. “Looking Back On This”

17. “Don’t Mind If I Do (featuring Ella Langley)”

18. “Worst Way”

19. “Make It Rain”

20. “Cowboy As It Gets (featuring Randy Houser)”

21. “I Just Need You (featuring Hannah McFarland)”

22. “What Am I Supposed To Do Now”

23. “Bet They’re Biting” 

24. “One To Willie” 

Earlier this year, Riley Green launched his Damn Country Music Tour in Canada. He will make his way from stage to stage through November, with stops in major cities including New York, Chicago, and Boston, plus a few dates in the UK in September.

A complete list of shows can be found on his website.

The post Riley Green Previews Heartbreaking New Track ‘Make It Rain’ From Upcoming Deluxe Album appeared first on Country Now.

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