Day: November 19, 2025

In just a few short years, Megan Moroney has established herself as one of country music’s sharpest lyricists. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

The rising country newcomer’s CMA debut has him feeling the nerves — and he tells us why that’s exactly what makes it all worth it. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Minka Kelly didn’t see that Dan Reynolds question coming — and her reaction during a live interview might say more than her words. Continue reading…

​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

This year marks a huge milestone for Old Dominion as they celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album Meat and Candy and they’re taking the CMA Awards stage to honor it in a big way.

Much like 2023’s album, the group shared plans to take the audience down “Memory Lane” by performing a medley of their hits including “Break Up With Him,” “Memory Lane,” “One Man Band,” “Hotel Key,” and “Snapback.”

Reflecting on their decision to honor their career in this way, Old Domination stated, “We are celebrating 10 years of success in this band and our first album came out 10 years ago, so it’s going to be a collection of some of the big hits and just try to carry the audience through a little ride down memory lane.”

The 2025 CMA Awards is a fitting night to commemorate this moment in their career as the band is a seven-time reigning CMA Vocal Group of the Year winner and is up for the chance to take home the trophy once again this year. They are vying for the win against Lady A, Little Big Down, Rascal Flatts and The Red Clay Strays.

“That is wild…the fact that we could make it eight is pretty crazy,” noted lead singer Matt Ramsey.

Just a few days before the 59^th Annual CMA Awards, the “Miss You Man” singers were honored for preserving Nashville’s musical heritage and making meaningful contributions through their songs. As a result of their dedication to the city and the genre, they received a star on the Music City Walk of Fame.

Vince Gill was on hand to induct Old Dominion, who has earned the title of a hit-making group after racking up nine No. 1s and a plethora of major award wins. Liz Rose also was among this year’s inductees, as well as Charley Pride who received the honor posthumously.

“It was weird. We found out about it when we were in Europe and so things were just kind of all over the place,” they admitted while looking back on the moment they received the news. “We were just trying to keep our heads up straight. We got it and we’re like, yeah, cool. We can do this date. But we didn’t think about it until we got there and we were like, whoa, this is legit.”

Adding to their string accomplishments this year, the group also dropped their sixth studio album, Barbara, back in August. The 13-track project marks a new chapter for the band. Calling it their “most personal album to date,” they lean into their emotional sides across the songs to deliver guitar-driven tunes and heartfelt storytelling.

Old Dominion is also set to continue their How Good Is That World Tour through stadiums and arenas into mid-2026.

The post Old Dominion Talks Meaningful CMA Awards Performance and 10-Year Milestone appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Tucker Wetmore is stepping into a pretty special CMA Awards week. This year, he’s up for his first New Artist of the Year nomination and he’ll be hitting the CMA stage for his debut performance. Plus, he told Country Now that he plans to have a very special guest joining him on the red carpet to help celebrate the milestone night.

The rising star also revealed that he is practically in disbelief of the fact that he’s gotten to the point in his career that he is now being recognized among his peers on such a big night in country music.

“It doesn’t feel real, honestly. I feel like I’m dreaming. I keep pinching myself. But no, it’s such a blessing. It’s such an honor,” he admitted humbly.

Along with competing in the category alongside Stephen Wilson Jr., Ella Langley, Shaboozey and Zach Top, Wetmore is also on the star-studded lineup of acts set to perform at Bridgestone on Wednesday night.

He revealed that he is “feeling all the emotions,” including the nerves and excitement as he prepares to showcase his top-charting hit, “Wind Up Missin’ You” in front of not only fans at home, but some of the biggest names in the genre who will be present in the audience.

“Definitely a little nervous. There’s a lot of big names and cool people out in that crowd, so I hope I do alright…but it should be fun.”

Before he hits the stage, the Washinton native will turn heads on the red carpet with his mom by his side. The mother and son walked the red carpet at another major award show earlier this year, and since this is yet another big night in his career, Wetmore wanted to take the opportunity to share it with one of his biggest supporters.

“I got my mom coming again…I don’t get to see her too often and this is kind of like the moment where I get to share it with her. And so I’m going to take that,” he explained.

Wetmore’s latest nomination follows the release of his record-breaking debut album What Not To, which made history as the biggest country album debut from a new artist in 2025. Standouts on the track list includes two back-to-back Platinum songs “Wine Into Whiskey” and 2X Platinum “Wind Up Missin’ You” which was also his first No. 1 at Country radio.

The chart-rising country act also recently announced his next headline run in 2026 dubbed, The Brunette World Tour. Named after yet another fan-favorite track, the 22-stop run will launch on February 12 in Boston, MA and continue through April with stops across the U.S., EU and UK. Wetmore will be joined by special guests Dasha, Carter Faith and Jacob Hackworth for select dates.

Additionally, he’s been tapped to serve as support for Jordan Davis’ Ain’t Enough Road Tour in March for a run of shows across Australia and New Zealand.

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This trek down under is going to be particularly special for Tucker Wetmore because while he has performed live all across the nation, he has yet to make his way to his Australian fans.

“I mean, I feel like I’ve already been all over the world, but there’s definitely some spots that I haven’t hit yet, like Australia, and that’s been a dream of mine to go check that place out. And the fact that I get to go and sing songs at the same time, that’s just an absolute dream come true. But Australia is such a huge market for us. I think Melbourne’s our second biggest market.”

Prior to catching him on the road, fans can see Wetmore’s can’t-miss performance on the 59^th CMA Awards on Wednesday night. Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the star-studded event will be broadcast live from Bridgestone Arena at 8:00–11:00 PM/ET on ABC, with next-day viewing available on Hulu. 

The post Tucker Wetmore Opens Up About Plans To Share His Big CMA Awards Night With His Mom [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Drew Baldridge and his wife Katherine are celebrating some very exciting news. Today, they shared an exclusive announcement with PEOPLE, revealing they are expecting their second child. The couple, who are already parents to almost 3-year-old son Lyric Lee Baldridge, will welcome another baby boy in the spring of 2026.

“We’ve always dreamed of having a couple of kids, and we feel so blessed to be adding another little one to our family.”

While Katherine playfully pointed out that this news means she will officially be “outnumbered” by the boys in her life, she also noted that the most important thing to her is that their baby is healthy.

“I was already outnumbered by boys, but now it’s official,” she said with a laugh. “All I want is a healthy baby and knowing that Lyric will get to be a big brother makes this even more special.”

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The country star and his other half got married in May of 2021at Saddle Woods Farm in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. They welcomed their first son a week after his due date on Monday, Dec. 19, weighing 7 lbs., 8 oz., and measuring 19 inches.

Reflecting on their journey together, Drew previously stated, “We started talking about starting a family and a life together, and we knew we needed to take this next step so we could make that happen.”

“Katie makes me a better man,” he added. “She reminds me to put others first and to love with a bigger heart. I really can’t picture my life without her anymore and I know if she wasn’t in it, I’d feel empty.”

Becoming a parent has further allowed Baldridge to lean into his softer and more emotional side when it comes to songwriting. His newest release, “Deserve Her,” proves that as it offers an important message for both boys and girls about

“It talks about knowing a woman’s worth and that you can’t just ‘want her’, but you gotta ‘Deserve Her.’ The second verse might be one of my favorite verses I’ve ever written. The words are so powerful and I hope millions of people get to hear this message.”

With a new addition on the way, Drew Baldridge is also looking ahead to an exciting year for his music. He plans to release new tracks faster than ever and is gearing up for international performances, including dates in Australia as part of Jelly Roll’s Down Under 2025 Tour.

He will also embark on his first-ever headline tour across the UK and Europe, marking a dream come true moment in his career.

A full list of dates can be found on Baldridge’s official website.

The post Drew Baldridge And His Wife Reveal They Are Expecting Baby No. 2 appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Riley Green is feeling grateful and honored as he heads into the 2025 CMA Awards a four-time nominee and a highly anticipated performer.

The country act, alongside fellow Alabama native Ella Langley, is up for Single, Song, and Music Video of the Year for their hit collaboration “You Look Like You Love Me.” The pair is also nominated for Musical Event of the Year for “Don’t Mind If I Do.”

For someone who has been watching “Country Music’s Biggest Night” for about as long as he can remember and going from a fan at home to being a big part of the show is something Riley Green will never take for granted.

When asked if the shock of his multiple nominations has settled in yet, Green honestly told Country Now, “Not really.”

He continued, “I mean it’s something that you grew up watching and still being just a big fan of country music, it’s such a cool thing to be able to go to these award shows to be nominated and getting to perform, it’s going to be great.”

Fans were very excited to learn that the Alabama native will be taking the stage at Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 19 to perform his chart-tipping, self-written hit, “Worst Way.” Although, he joked that there are no plans to recreate the steamy music video live on stage.

“I mean it would be hard to top that one…my mom’s gonna watch,” he joked, referring to the sexy scenes of the visualizer.

Green stated that his mom won’t be joining him on the red carpet this time around, but he is confident that she will have a good seat in the house.

“My mom was in my house this weekend in Nashville with her sister and my uncle and they’re all hanging out. I never know what they’re doing. They might have a better seat than me.”

As for what he will be wearing while making his grand entrance to the event, viewers might get to see the country superstar rocking some suspenders. And of course, his look wouldn’t be complete without his signature cowboy hat.

“I tried some stuff on today. I think I’m going to try to make some suspenders work that seems fun.”

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Riley Green joined the latest round of performers announced ahead of the star-studded night. Also on the lineup is Kelsea Ballerini, Brandi Carlile, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, Patty Loveless, Old Dominion, The Red Clay Strays, Chris Stapleton. BigXThaPlug, Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Megan Moroney, Shaboozey, Zach Top, Tucker Wetmore, Lainey Wilson and Stephen Wilson Jr.   

Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the CMA Awards will be broadcasted live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday Nov. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC and is available next day on Hulu. 

Following his big night among his peers of the country music community, Riley Green will deliver his final shows of the year. He is currently set to perform throughout Lincoln, Nebraska, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Little Rock, Arkansas, and more.

He will wrap things up with back to back nights in Las Vegas during the much-anticipated NFR week.

“I’m not a big gambler, but it’s always nice to play Vegas when it’s the NFR,” he said of the upcoming run of shows. “There’s so many country music fans out there. It’s like a real western town takes over Las Vegas. So looking forward to those shows and kind of wrapping the year up and then getting to spend some time at the house with the family a little bit.”

Following his brief break, he will kick off the new year with a trip to Mexico in January for Luke Bryan’s Crash My Playa and then launch his 2026 headlining Cowboy As It Gets Tour.

The post Riley Green On The Honor Of CMA Nominations and Performing ‘Worst Way’ [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Cody Johnson is celebrating a new chapter at home with the arrival of his son, Jaycee Daniel. While catching up with Country Now backstage of the CMA Awards, he opened up about the unique inspiration behind his baby boy’s name.

“So my ranch brand on all my cows and horses, it’s J Bar C brand for his cows and horses. And so when people mispronounce it, they say JC,” he explained. “So I thought, you know what, Kaycee, WY. [It’s] J-A-Y-C-E-E and we decided boy or girl was going to be Jaycee.”

Even though he and his wife Brandi would have been happy regardless of their baby’s gender, the country star admitted he is pretty excited that he finally got to welcome a son. Jaycee joins his siblings Clara and Cori, whom Johnson says are loving getting to take on their big sister roles.

“I kind of have to split my time. I’m like, ‘okay, y’all have had him give him back to dad. I need my time too.’”

The Texas native and his wife first quietly revealed they were expecting earlier this year on the ACM Awards red carpet, where Brandi debuted her baby bump. Later, Johnson confirmed Jaycee’s arrival while co-hosting Country Countdown USA with Lon Helton. This low-key announcement was a fitting way to share the news, considering Johnson tends to keep family matters private and they’ve stayed true to that even as his career rises.

In the midst of all the excitment, Johnson unfortunately endured a medical condition that greatly impacted both his life and career unexpectedly. He told fans via social media that a sinus infection led to his ear drum bursting, causing him to need surgery right away. As a result, he was forced to cancel the rest of his 2025 tour dates.

Although this was disheartening for the singer/songwriter, he shared that in a way, it has almost been a “blessing in disguise” as it has allowed him extra time to spend at home with his family.

Since the healing process is projected to take “many weeks,” he won’t be ready to return to the road, let along sing, while he recovers. That also includes missing out on the chance to perform at the CMA Awards.

“I want to perform. The optics of having an ear injury and not playing the last six shows of the year and then it’s like, ‘well, you can’t perform on national television,’ I’m going, gosh dang it. I wanted to get up there and sing ‘Travelin’ Soldier,’” he said with a sadness in his voice. “But I think that take the athletic approach to it and say, ‘look, the doctor said sit on the bench. So sit on the bench.’”

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The night will still be an exciting one for Cody Johnson as he has received four nominations including his first for Entertainer of the Year.

“Well, that is the stamp of approval…I have said this all day long. Close your eyes, throw a dart at the board, whoever it hits you can come up with a million reasons why they deserve it as much as I do or anybody else. So that stamp of approval is already there. It’s just up to who voted and see whether I get it or not.”

Hosted by Lainey Wilson, the CMA Awards will be broadcasted live from Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Wednesday Nov. 19 (8:00-11:00 PM/ET) on ABC and is available next day on Hulu. 

The post Cody Johnson Reveals The Special Meaning Behind His Son Jaycee Daniel’s Name [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now