Day: September 17, 2025

Nate Smith says he’s done hiding who he is and is now stepping fully into his career living authentically. The moment that changed everything came over the weekend in Chicago, when he put on a “Make America Great Again” hat on stage, a gesture that gave him an overwhelming sense of patriotism.

Sharing a video on social media, Smith reflected on that moment and how it shifted his perspective:

“I just wanted to say thank you for all the love on the post that I just posted, you know which post I’m talking about. Truthfully, that was the proudest moment of my entire career so far. Not even a question…because being on stage in Chicago, getting handed that hat, being able to put it on, being able to live fully authentic to who I am in front of everybody just felt right and it felt good and felt free. And I’ll tell you what, I’ve never felt more spirit of America, spirit of patriotism in my entire life than I did on that stage. It was unbelievable. And I just want to say thank you for that,” he shared. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nate Smith (@natesmith)

“I also want to say, I don’t know why it’s been so scary to just be who you are at all times. Why is it so scary to be like, ‘yep, I voted for Trump.’ Cool. ‘Yep, I’m a conservative.’ Cool. Yep. I think what happened to Charlie Kirk is wrong. And anybody who says that it’s okay, you suck. Why is that such a hard thing to say on a public forum? It’s not. It’s not. So I think everything that happened in the world recently just changed my whole entire perspective where I’m like, ‘I just don’t even care anymore.’ I’m just going to live my full authentic self and I found new fans. I’m so thankful for you guys.”

Smith went on to share his hope for the country: “I really believe that America is going to come into an incredible moment…where faith is going to just be the big thing. People are going to come to Jesus in droves. People are going to start figuring out all this crazy stuff.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nate Smith (@natesmith)

Smith initially reflected on the moment in an Instagram post, sending thoughts and prayers to Charlie Kirk and his family following his assassination. 

“This week was one none of us will ever forget. Continue to join me in prayer for the Kirk family. America truly is grieving. However, what I witnessed over the last few days I’ve seen a strength in America that moves me to tears,” he wrote. “I’ve seen a boldness and a courage, and an unapologetic approach to standing firm on the side of truth. America is alive and well friends. Let’s continue to make it great again.”   

In the days after Kirk’s death, numerous country artists, including Jason Aldean, Morgan Wallen, Jamey Johnson, and Justin Moore, have expressed condolences online and from the stage.

The post Nate Smith Addresses His ‘MAGA Post,’ Promises To Be His ‘Full Authentic Self’ Moving Forward appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Cody Johnson has never been one to hold back when it comes to sharing his opinions, his feelings, or his love for the United States of America. And if you’ve ever seen him live, you know he often uses his platform to express his patriotism.

That’s exactly what happened on September 12, 2025, during his concert in Lincoln, Nebraska. In the midst of a heavy week, marked by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a school shooting in Colorado, and the 24th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Johnson paused his set to deliver a heartfelt message of unity.

Performing the first of two sold-out nights at Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Texas native spoke directly to the crowd before leading them in a powerful performance of “God Bless America,” a moment that appeared to bring him to tears.

The speech was captured on TikTok, giving fans everywhere a chance to witness Johnson’s emotional tribute.

This is my microphone. I bought this microphone and I have the right to say whatever I want to on it. I’m sick of division. I’m sick of it. I’ve been watching it for five years. Five years ago in 2020, social media and news and politics tried to divide us all on a lot of things. They tried to divide us over vaccines, over masks, over public, or what do you call it, social distancing. I never once did that, by the way. Never took a vaccine, never wore a mask. I just stayed at home. They tried to divide us on race, on gender, on how you voted. All those things are American rights. And I want to tell you right now, I’m sick… after the things that have happened this week. I’m not even going to go into it. That’s not why you came here. But I’m sick and tired of division. I’m sick and tired of living where people think it’s okay to hate somebody so much over something that they have to do something stupid.

@laurenbro1 Cody Johnson gets emotional during his speech & sings God Bless America night 1 in Lincoln. 🇺🇸 #cojo #charliekirk #usa ♬ original sound – lauren✨

I’ll say this, the week and the day, and the year, all that, Dr. Martin Luther King got shot was one of the worst days in American history. And I think this week we’ve seen another day like that. And I’m going to tell you right now, I’m not doing division anymore. I’ll always stand on this stage and say, I believe in Jesus. I’ll always stand on this stage and I’ll say, the only reason we’re free in this country is because men and women gave their life. Do you know why? It’s okay to disagree with each other in this country? This is what they try to tell you. ‘You don’t agree with him. So now y’all got to hate each other or you don’t agree with her. And now we have to hate each other.’ Lemme tell you something, the reason it’s okay to disagree with someone in this country and still love them anyway, no matter the circumstances, it’s because before most of us were born, an American soldier died for our freedom to disagree with each other. 

Yes, every one of our walks is different. Every one of our backgrounds is different. We all have different trials, we all have different things that bring us down. But there are three things that bind us together no matter what. No matter who’s an idiot, who wants to do something stupid, no matter who’s complaining, no matter who’s telling you that this country’s going down the tube, there’s three things that still matter. And if you believe in ’em, they’re this simple: red, white, and blue. 

So tonight I want to do something out of unity… Gentlemen, if you’d remove your cover, we’re going to sing a song together out of unity and not division tonight.

The emotional moment culminated in a full-venue singalong, with the crowd joining in before erupting into chants of ‘USA’ that echoed throughout the arena. 

The post WATCH: Cody Johnson Calls for Unity in Powerful Speech, Leads Emotional ‘God Bless America’ Performance appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Years after captivating audiences as Juliette Barnes on the hit ABC series Nashville, Hayden Panettiere is reflecting on the show’s legacy and reveals if she’d return for a reboot now that it’s finding a whole new generation of fans on Netflix.

The series chronicling the drama within Music City premiered on ABC on October 10, 2012, and ran for six seasons. In 2018, it moved to CMT, where its final episodes aired, wrapping up with the series finale on July 26 after a total of 124 episodes. All six seasons are now available for streaming on Netflix, offering longtime fans the chance to relive the storylines and new fans to discover it.

“People really, really loved that show,” Panettiere told Glamour. “They loved the human stories, the fact that it gives you kind of a peek into this Hollywood life. It was a show that resonated with so many people, and I love hearing about how my character impacted people in general, but especially women and young women going through the tumultuous stuff that Juliet constantly had to deal with.”

The now 36-year-old began her role on the show in her early 20s and remained until the very last episode aired. By then, she was 28 years old. Panettiere said it means a lot to know how many people loved the show and have remained loyal over the years. With its resurgence on Netflix, she expressed her hope that it reaches just as many fans and even admits she might revisit it herself alongside viewers.

“I’ve heard from a lot of fans who are bummed the show didn’t even go longer. We had six great years, but people really, really loved that show…I feel like it definitely resonated with people. So I get a lot of love from that. I would love for Nashville to eventually come back.”

When asked if she would ever be open to appearing in a reboot of the show, the actress confidently stated “absolutely.”

“I’m not sure what I would want it to look like. I’d have to sit with that question for a second, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” she said. “I’ve been on shows where the first season was amazing and then the second season really wasn’t up to snuff. I feel like Nashville stayed very steady throughout the entire six years, and the storylines just continued to get juicier and juicier. They never ran out of material.”

Panettiere goes on to say that throughout her time on the show, her character Juliette Barnes endured a lot of experiences similar to her real life. So if she were to reprise her role, she expects that Barnes’ life would never have a dull moment. Along with the acting, she claims that it would be “really fun” to get to explore the music aspect of the show again too.

“I mean, it was a dream job in that way. I got to do more than acting. I need to explore my love for music and specifically country music. So yeah, fingers crossed. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

She also credits country music’s widespread popularity as a reason Nashville continues to capture audiences. Panettiere recognizes that just like genre, the depth of the show’s storytelling and its emotional resonance is a huge draw to fans.

“I think it’s the biggest genre of music in the world, and it goes back to people. The fans are incredibly loyal. They’re ride or die for entire careers,” she shared. “Another thing I love about country music is that it tells stories. Most of the songs have these incredible stories behind them, and they go for the heart. There’s a song for every mood that you’re in. It’s an incredible genre of music with very loyal fans.”

Nashville isn’t the only on-screen role that has given Panettiere such a successful career. She first appeared on camera at 11 months old and continued to work consistently with various projects and films including the Bring It On film series, Scream, The Forger and more.

After Nashville wrapped in 2018, she took the time for her first real break. Panettiere is now set to return to acting in addition to producing on the upcoming psychological thriller film Sleepwalker.

“It was the first time in years that I felt my confidence had completely come back,” she says of the movie.

Moving forward, she shared her goals of one day directing various genres of films and is preparing for the release of her new memoir titled Scream And Break Free: Addiction, Trauma, and How the Cheerleader Saved Herself. The book, which is expected to cover topics including her battle with addiction, postpartum depression, and trauma, as well as moments from her career, is set to be published in 2026.

“I think people will be really surprised when they read all about my life and maybe the picture they painted of me in their heads is not quite accurate. I’m really excited about it. I’m also, of course, terrified. It’s my whole life on a silver platter, but I’m happy about it and I pray that it’s going to help a lot of people,” she shared of the project.

The post Hayden Panettiere Hints At ‘Nashville’ Return As Series Finds New Life On Netflix appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now