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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Month: November 2025
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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
With so many menu items, it’s easy to forget things when shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. Here is what one former grocery worker says people most often forget. Continue reading…
The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Kameron Marlowe is turning up the heat with the release of his brand-new single, “Fire On The Hillside.”
The fierce tune follows a scorned lover who learns that his partner has been unfaithful. In a small town where word spreads fast, the rumors prove true when he returns home and can smell another man’s cologne lingering in the air.
As expected, the betrayal hits hard. Instead of suffering in silence, he decides to “light it up and burn it down,” both figuratively and possibly literally.
“Light it up and burn it down/ Leave nothing but some ashes on the ground/ Hell, you might even see it from the state line/ Tonight I’m gonna start me a fire on the hillside,” he sings on the fiery chorus.
“‘Fire on the Hillside’ is about what happens when a small-town rumor gets out of control,” Marlowe explains. “Where I’m from, folks talk and sometimes that talk burns hotter than any match. It’s a story about heartbreak, anger, and letting the smoke roll on something you can’t take back. I wanted it to feel like you could smell the diesel and hear the crackle before it all goes up.”
Marlowe wrote the song alongside producer Austin Goodloe and Carson Wallace. Sonically, “Fire On The Hillside” pushes Marlowe into heavier territory with guitar-driven production, though his signature baritone voice remains front and center.
Known as one of the strongest live vocalists in Nashville, Marlowe admits this track marks new territory for him but says he’s ready for fans to hear what he’s been working on.
“It’s definitely a little different than what people are used to. It’s going to be rocking,” he shared while speaking with Country Now at the BMI Country Awards on Tuesday. “I’m putting out some heavier music, and I’m excited about it. It’s in my roots and something I’ve always wanted to explore. I’ve touched on it before with songs like “Burn ’Em All,” but I’ve switched producers and I’m really honing in on a sound that I’m excited about.”
The powerhouse vocalist paired the song’s release with a new music video that brings the storyline to life. Click below to watch.
Marlowe recently wrapped his headlining Seventeen Fall Tour, where he entertained thousands across 13 shows throughout the U.S. and Canada. Looking ahead, he’ll join Luke Bryan’s 2026 Crash My Playa lineup and make his return to C2C next spring with performances in the U.K., Germany, and the Netherlands.
The post Kameron Marlowe Burns Down Heartbreak in Explosive New Song ‘Fire On The Hillside’ appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Nate Smith and Tyler Hubbard have teamed up to put the excitement and party sound back into country music with their new collab, “After Midnight.” Within just one week, the track made a huge impact, earning Smith the second biggest impact date of his hitmaking career with 60 first-week stations and landing a spot in the Top 2 most-added tracks this week.
Even before it officially dropped, fans were buzzing for the arena-ready anthem. It was penned by 23x hitmaker Tyler Hubbard alongside Corey Crowder and Casey Brown (who also produced), but as Hubbard admitted to Country Now, he heard Smith’s vocals on the track from day one and knew he had to pitch it.
Smith fell in love with the song and when the time was right, he tapped the “5 Foot 9” singer to help him heat things up with the tune.
“Tyler sent it over to me maybe a year ago and I loved it right away, but I just wasn’t sure when to put it out,” Smith admitted. “And then we just sort of talked about maybe doing it as a collaboration and Tyler said, ‘let’s do it.’ So we did it.”
Hubbard shared that “After Midnight” came together with his co-writers during a “pretty regular” writing session in Nashville. However, he knew this particular song had something special to it.
“It came together pretty quick. Not all days happen like that in Nashville,” he pointed out. “We knew we had a special one. We’ve had a lot of fun kind of just building the demo out that day. And by the end of the day, we knew we had a fun one. I literally heard Nate’s voice on it from the beginning. I was like, ‘I got to send this song to Nate,’ sent it right to him. Then a lot of time went by and then he hits me back later. He’s like, ‘Hey, that song you sent me back in the day, I really love it. I’d love to put it out.’”
In Nashville, “timing is everything” and it seemed as if the stars aligned for this one.
“I’ve always loved this song, believed in this song and to have him put it out when he did, and was able to invite me to stay on it, the timing was just perfect,” he added. “So yeah, this song has already got a beautiful life and I’m glad we get to rock this thing together.”
Now, it’s rising up the rankings of country radio, giving listeners everywhere the full experience of the first collaboration between Hubbard and Smith. “After Midnight” finds them turning up the heat with lyrics that blend the intimate feel-good vibes of a campfire with friends with an energy big enough to fill a stadium.
The song opens with Smith painting a lively scene of the fun that ensues after the clock strikes midnight, like solo cups getting flipped, girls breaking out their dance moves and more, leading to a field being turned into the ultimate party spot. Hubbard jumps in, bringing his own adrenaline charged sound, and together they hit the chorus that hits as big and exciting as the night at hand. Between the infectious, sing-along ready lyrics and sizzling guitar riffs, the track acts as the perfect soundtrack for late-night memories.
“Something good always happens after midnight/ Gettin’ loud a little later just hits nice/ Whoever said it doesn’t musta never done it right/ Yeah, something good always happens after, happens after midnight It happens after midnight,” they sing.
Smith noted that the song’s explosive energy was something he was excited to build, because in his opinion, it’s an element to country music that he feels is missing from the scene right now.
“What happened to party country? You know what I mean? I think that’s what this song does,” said the multi-platinum chart-topper.
Hubbard agreed with Smith, adding, “Let’s bring the party back. It’s time to party in country music again.”
The song’s narrative is further elevated by the fiery music video directed by Jeff Johnson and Kaiser Cunningham. Viewers see the pair of country stars host their own small-town party, welcoming a group of close friends to hangout around a rowdy bonfire, where a bit of trouble and chaos makes for the best kind of fun.
To celebrate the early success of the release, Tyler Hubbard and Nate Smith shared an invite to fans via social media, telling them to head downtown for a pop-up event at Mel’s Drive-In Nashville. Fans listened and headed to the recently opened restaurant located just off Broadway, where they found the singers taking over the diner to serve early midnight snacks to some lucky customers. The event featured a specialty “After Midnight” menu for one-night-only that included a half-priced pancake special, milkshakes, specialty cocktails and more.
“We’re hanging out with people, we’re hanging out with fans, and we’re hanging out with just awesome folk of Nashville,” Smith explained during a brief break from his serving duties. “We’re just serving pancakes that say ‘After Midnight,’ we’re serving macaroni and cheese, which is my favorite food group of all time…we’re just hanging out and having a blast.”
“After Midnight” follows a string of past collaborations for Smith, who previously worked with HARDY on “Nobody Likes Your Girlfriend,” Avril Lavigne on “Can You Die From a Broken Heart” and the No.1 Dance hit “I Like It” with Alesso.
The “Whiskey On You” singer is currently bringing his high-energy catalog to cities across his North American headline run. Next year, he will return to the road with Jason Aldean as direct support for the next leg of his FULL THROTTLE TOUR in 2026.
The post Nate Smith and Tyler Hubbard Bring the ‘Party Back’ To Country Music With ‘After Midnight’ appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Parmalee is opening a new emotional chapter with the release of “How Do I Let You Go,” their most vulnerable song to date.
Known for their upbeat, feel-good hits, the group takes a deeply personal turn, drawing from the real-life loss of the fathers of frontman Matt and drummer Scott Thomas, as well as guitarist/pianist Josh McSwain. The heartfelt tune captures the pain of grief and the longing for just one more moment with the ones who meant everything.
Lead singer Matt Thomas spoke openly with Country Now about writing the song and the story behind it earlier this week while backstage at the CMA Awards. He explained that the song came from a deeply personal writing session with Parker Welling and co-producers Casey Brown and David Fanning.
“We were talking in the room that day about…one of my co-writers had just, he knew we had went through a lot of death earlier in our life in a period of years. Me and Scott lost our dad, and Josh lost his dad. Scott and I lost our best friend in our early twenties and we all lost several friends together. Suicide. We’ve been through some heavy stuff,” he shared honestly. “And we didn’t bring that to Nashville. It just all happened before we got here. So when we got here, we were just writing happy songs and doing fun stuff for the most part.”
Wanting to dig deeper than ever before, Thomas and his co-writers thought about those they’ve lost along the way and what they would say to them now if they could speak to them.
“We really, especially having our dads in mind because we played in their bands growing up and they started us in music and they never got to see us have any success. It was always struggle. And so it’s kind of a note to them saying, ‘Hey, wish you were here. We miss you. We’re okay, but we know you’re looking from the best seat in the house and we love you but damn, I wish you were here,’” he explained.
This comes to life in the chorus, which goes, “You’re supposed to be here now/ More than a memory/ Was it all in my head/ Feels like a real bad dream/ I thought I had more time/ It hurts like hell that I don’t/ How do I say goodbye/ How do I let you go.”
This may very well become one of Parmalee’s most important songs, one that resonates with anyone who has ever loved and lost someone they wish they could share just one more day with.
The post Parmalee Get Personal on Heartbreaking New Song, ‘How Do I Let You Go’ appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Jason Aldean has unveiled the cinematic, emotionally charged video for “How Far Does a Goodbye Go,” starring him alongside his wife Brittany.
Taking on a retro-inspired, cinematic feel, the video drops viewers into a groovy throwback setting where Jason Aldean and Brittany portray a couple buried in tension and unhappiness. Searching for a way to cope, Aldean turns to his guitar. He’s seen sipping liquor as he writes his feelings onto a napkin, turning them into a set of lyrics that will take him into the studio alongside his bandmates.
With both of them dressed in ‘hipster ’70s-inspired ensembles, Aldean is seen trading puffs of a cigarette with belting out the powerful lyrics that peel back the raw heartache between them. Meanwhile, Brittany spirals into an emotional outburst, throwing things around the room, collapsing onto the bed, and letting her frustration pour out in real time.
She suddenly freezes at the sound of his voice echoing outside her door and with black mascara running down her face, she listens to him sing about the very pain weighing on them both. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to stop her from packing a bag and walking out the door.
Prior to the official release, Jason Aldean teased the video on social media, writing, “We had some fun with this one.”
Penned by Kurt Allison, John Edwards, Tully Kennedy, and John Morgan, “How Far Does a Goodbye Go” follows a man stuck in the uncertainty of a heartbreak he never saw coming. The narrative follows his emotions after learning his partner has left, saying she needs space and is going to her mom’s to clear her head.
At first, she assured him that they would work things out, but “four days and three nights” later, he’s left in silence and nothing but the bottle, a pack of smokes, and his own thoughts. The man lets his emotions run free in the tune while wondering if this time apart is for good or just temporary.
“How far Does a goodbye go/ Is it down to a corner bar/ Or outta town in a getaway car/ If it’s on a map this cowboy’s gotta know/ Is it a couple miles away comin’ up the road or on a midnight train on a runaway track/ How far does a goodbye go/ Till it don’t come back,” he sings on the chorus.
The song matches the retro feel of the video, pulling listeners back to the sounds of the Georgia native’s early hits like “The Truth” and his Wide Open era.
“How Far Does A Goodbye Go” continues to heat up country radio as it rises up the charts. It’s set to appear on Jason Aldean’s brand-new studio album, Songs About Us, arriving April 24. The 20-track collection will also include his three newest releases, “Hard To Love You,” “Lovin’ Me Too Long,” and “Help You Remember” as well as his rendition of David Lee Murphy’s “Dust On The Bottle,” featuring Murphy himself, the title track with Luke Bryan, and a long-awaited duet with his wife, Brittany, titled “Easier Gone.”
The same week that Songs About Us arrives, Aldean and Bryan, will return to their roots to co-headline UGA’s Sanford Stadium.
Beginning January 15, 2026 Jason Aldean will kick off the next U.S. leg of his Full Throttle Tour and then bring the trek across Australia and New Zealand in February.
The post WATCH: Jason Aldean And Wife Brittany Co-Star In Cinematic ‘How Far Does A Goodbye Go’ Music Video appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Mama’s Gun, the iconic sophomore album from neo-soul queen Erykah Badu, is getting two special vinyl reissues in celebration of its 25th anniversary. The first of the vinyl editions is a 2LP set, pressed on Gold Black Ice vinyl. It features alternative artwork, a redesigned gatefold, and a special exclusive lithograph. The second pressing is the newest entry into UMe’s Vinylphyle series. This edition features the album’s first ever hi-res remaster since its original CD release, sourced from the original production tapes. The 2LP, which features new liner notes put together by Badu herself, was cut by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound Nashville and pressed at RTI on 180g Black Vinyl.
As part of the anniversary celebration, Badu also recorded a Mama’s Gun Spotify Session, which is now live. The 50 minute set brings the visionary artist back into the studio to reimagine tracks from the album like “Didn’t Cha Know” and “…& On.” The set also boasts a special appearance from Thundercat on the bass, and sees Badu in conversation with DJ Quik. The session also includes members of Badu’s original Mama’s Gun band.
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Originally released in 2000, Mama’s Gun was acclaimed upon its release and continues to be a favorite among neo-soul fans and artists that have begun creating in the years since. Single “Bag Lady” became Badu’s first top ten single on the Billboard Hot 100, and was also nominated for two Grammy Awards at the 2001 ceremony. In 2002, “Didn’t Cha Know” also received a nomination for “Best R&B Song.”
Reflecting on the album years later in a conversation with Mark Ronson for The Fader, Badu revealed that she really didn’t know that the album would go on to become such a huge deal. “I was real green,” she recalled of recording the sophomore album. “I mean, I just knew what I liked, and I wanted to be around people who supported my will and my ideas and understood them and could complete my musical sentences and tell the same jokes and just relate to [the] same shit.” Clearly, a lot of people related to where Badu was in her life at the time, and a quarter-century later, they still do.
Grab the 2LP color vinyl reissue of Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun here. Order the Vinylpyhle pressing here.
Discover more about the world’s greatest R&B artists | uDiscover Music
Zohran Mamdani pulled off the political equivalent of turning water into wine Friday, somehow transforming Donald Trump from his biggest critic into his most enthusiastic cheerleader during what can only be described as the most unexpected White House bromance in modern history.
The newly elected NYC mayor and the president emerged from their Oval Office meeting looking like old college buddies who had just discovered they both loved the same obscure band.
Gone were the days of Trump calling Mamdani a “100% Communist Lunatic” who’s “not very smart” and looks “TERRIBLE” with a “grating” voice.
Instead, Trump was practically glowing as he gazed up at Mamdani with what witnesses described as genuine affection.
“I feel very confident that he can do a very good job,” Trump gushed, his usual combative demeanor replaced by something resembling paternal pride.
The transformation was so complete that Trump declared he “really would” feel comfortable living in New York City under a Mamdani administration, a stunning reversal from his previous threats to send in federal troops to his former hometown.
“I think he’s going to surprise some conservative people, actually and some very liberal people, he won’t surprise them, because they already like him,” Trump added warmly, apparently forgetting he once called the mayor-elect his “liddle communist” and threatened to cut all federal funding if he won.
The mutual admiration society reached peak awkwardness when Trump repeatedly shook Mamdani’s hand during their joint press conference, unable to contain his smile and enthusiasm.
“We agree on a lot more than I would have thought,” Trump beamed. “We’ll help him do a great job.”
Mamdani, for his part, seemed to have mastered the art of political alchemy, neutralizing Trump’s hostility by laser-focusing on affordability issues – apparently the one topic that could make the president forget his previous declaration that NYC would be an “Economic and Social disaster” under Mamdani’s leadership.
“I met with a man who’s a very rational person,” Trump said, conveniently overlooking his previous assessment that Mamdani was an irrational communist lunatic. “I met with a man who really wants to see New York be great again.”
The lovefest was so intense that political observers wondered if they were witnessing an alternate universe.
Just months ago, Trump was telling voters on “60 Minutes” that he was a “much better-looking person” than Mamdani and endorsing Andrew Cuomo instead, calling any Jewish person who voted for Mamdani “a stupid person.”
Trump had also threatened to deport Mamdani, claiming without evidence that “a lot of people are saying, he’s here illegally” – despite Mamdani being a naturalized U.S. citizen since 2018.
Mamdani’s strategy of staying focused on shared concerns about affordability apparently worked like a charm, with Trump declaring they had found “common ground” on making life more affordable for New Yorkers.
The meeting’s success could spell trouble for Mamdani with his progressive base, who elected him partly on his promises to fight Trump on immigration enforcement.
During his victory speech, Mamdani had directly challenged Trump, saying, “If anyone can show a nation betrayed by Donald Trump how to defeat him, it is the city that gave rise to him.”
But Friday’s performance suggested Mamdani had chosen diplomacy over confrontation, at least for now.
“It was a productive meeting focused on a place of shared admiration and love, which is New York City,” Mamdani said, his tone notably warmer than his election night declaration of “Turn the volume up” directed at Trump.
Political pundits were left scrambling to explain how two men who had spent months trading insults could emerge from a 25-minute meeting looking like they were ready to start a podcast together.
Even Vice-President JD Vance was shocked:
POTUS has a lot of good moments but this is an all-timer https://t.co/Ge0vYEiJhP
— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 21, 2025
AllHipHop
Something Seemed… Different About Kanye West In Japan
Kanye West popped up in Shibuya, Japan today for Gosha Rubchinskiy’s pop-up event, and on the surface, it looked really cool. The whole scene looked like a playground for creatives. The energy was high and Ye the man of the hour. He was getting free fits and all that. He even stopped to do a few interviews and seemed cool with the crowd.
But after the footage hit the internet, the comments section turned into a full-blown investigation. People started saying Kanye looked “off,” “slowed down,” or “way too calm.” Somebody said, “They gave bro a lobotomy.” Suddenly everybody is a behavioral specialist. But I must admit, it was interesting to see.
Some folks insisted he looked heavily medicated. Others swore he was just in a different zone. A few said, “This is old Ye,” while others said, “This is not Ye at all.” Meanwhile, the rest of us were just watching the clips like… something might actually be up.
Now, Kanye has been open for years about dealing with mental health challenges, medication and the tug-of-war between what he feels helps him and what he thinks holds him back. He also hasn’t exactly hidden his dislike for being medicated. I am thinking somebody behind the scenes could be pulling the strings.
On another note, Kanye was seen kneeling at the feet of a wealthy rabbi, apologizing for past comments and trying to reset things publicly. In that scene, he seemed a bit medicated too. The rabbi himself has a history that some people online side-eye. This guy sure likes rappers, but that’s not the point here.
At the end of the day, nobody really knows what’s going on with Ye behind the scenes. Maybe he was tired. Maybe he was relaxed. Maybe he was processing something. Or maybe he was just vibing out in Japan.
But something about that appearance definitely got people talking.
AllHipHop