Day: December 3, 2025

Aaron Nichols brought a bit of Music City to The Voice last night when he showcased his gritty vocals on a cover of Luke Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart.”

The seasoned performer, who cut his teeth playing bars along Nashville’s Lower Broadway, looked completely at home as he tore into electric-guitar riffs and belted out the No. 1 hit with everything he had. The delivery was elevated by multi-colored lasers that swept across the stage, neon guitar graphics flashing on the screens around him, and his name glowing in bright lights.

He created a true honky tonk party that had the audience and all four coaches smiling and bouncing along to the irrespirable beat. The song may have been made famous by Combs, by Nichols made it his own, pouring heart and charisma into every ounce of the high energy performance.

“For the playoffs, I’m singing “Beer Never Broke My Heart.” This is the first fun party song I get to do. I’m one step away from the live finale, so I’m very excited to get the show that side of me,” he shared prior to taking the stage.

The dedication of the Team Reba contestant paid off when he earned rave reviews from the coaches.

“I love it. You performed like a superstar the way you managed the band, the way you controlled the guitar, the way you sung. I feel like you can’t lose with him,” Snoop Dogg told Reba McEntire, to which she replied, “I agree.”

She added, “You did wonderful in rehearsal. But this cherry on top way to go.”

The “Fancy” singer went on to explain that during the playoff rounds this season, each coach can only pick one artist to send through to represent them in the Live Finale and that is no easy task. Last night, both her and Bublé got to watch each of their four team members perform and then chose who would advance.

“I love Aaron’s voice. It’s very raspy. Chris Stapleton-esque. He set the bar real high, but I got three more to see.”

By the end of the December 1 episode, McEntire ultimately decided to go with a different member of her team to continue on, Aubrey Nicole, who performed her rendition of “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles. Even though Aaron Nichols was not her top contender, he still has a chance to make it to the finals through an audience vote, which closes on December 2.

Niall Horan and Snoop Dogg will have their playoff rounds next week. Then, they will enter the The Voice Live Finale where viewers will decide who gets crowned the champion. This epic event is set to take place across two-nights, airing on December 15 and 16, 2025, on NBC.

The post WATCH: Aaron Nichols Turns ‘The Voice’ Stage Into A Honky Tonk With Luke Combs Cover appeared first on Country Now.

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Rob Cole delivered an unforgettable performance of Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” during The Voice Season 28 Playoffs.

The moment began in complete darkness, with only Cole’s voice cutting through the silence as he gently plucked his acoustic guitar. The lights slowly rose to reveal an image of a single hourglass shining behind the member of Team Bublé, representing the powerful message that encourages listeners to live life to the fullest even when times get tough because time is fleeting.

As soon as Cole stepped up to the mic and sang his heart out, the energy felt calm, still and filled with heavy emotions as the audience took in every word of the hit song from Womack’s 2000 album of the same name. His voice was tender yet strong, further proving how much meaning the Grammy winning track holds for him as a father who wants nothing but the best for his children.

That emotional depth is exactly what Cole hoped to bring to this performance when he claimed this song.

“I had the most vivid dream and I was singing, ‘I Hope You Dance.’ And I woke up the next morning singing the song and then you called. You said, ‘Hey, I think I’ve got the song. Lee Ann Womack,’” he recalled. “As soon as you said that…I was like, that’s crazy. Singing this song feels meant to be. It very much describes where I’m at in life as a father. I want to be that dad that pushes my kids to dream, to go out on the edge to go for it.”

Reba McEntire, along with the rest of the coaches, was clearly moved. She told him, “It touched my heart. You just take a real soft song like that and just make it better. Great job.”

Snoop Dogg jokingly added, “I’m over here sweet on you, Rob.” He then turned to Cole’s coach, telling him, “Michael Bublé, this is somebody that I would take to the studio and make a real record with because he’s got superstar potential. Great job Rob.”

Coach Michael Bublé then took a moment to reflect on the strength of his team and the tremendous performances he saw that night that made his next decision that much more difficult.

“Rob was flawless tonight. He truly knows how to touch hearts. Jazz, for me, I think it’s very rare to hear a voice that perfect. Trinity always looks like she was meant to be on that Grammy stage. I’m ambitious and in the quest to threepeat, there’s going to be a tough decision, but I’m going to have to put my faith in America that they’ll help me in bringing a couple of my people to the finals.”

Season 28 of The Voice is officially getting down to the wire. During the playoffs round, each coach can only pick one artist to send through to represent them in the Live Finale. This week’s episode highlighted each of the four contestants from McEntire and Bublé’s respective teams. Then the coaches were met with the difficult task of choosing one hopeful act to advance.

Rob Cole’s performance was unfortunately not enough to convince Bublé to select him. He instead chose Jazz McKenzie, however Cole still has a chance to move onto the finals through an audience vote, which closes on December 2.

Niall Horan and Snoop Dogg take on their playoff rounds next week and then head into the Live Finale, where viewers will vote for the winner. The finale unfolds over two nights, airing December 15 and 16, 2025, on NBC.

The post Rob Cole Moves ‘The Voice’ Coaches With Heartfelt Performance Of Lee Ann Womack’s ‘I Hope You Dance’ appeared first on Country Now.

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Cole Swindell is stepping into a brand-new chapter of life with a baby girl at home, but his passion for making music and watching his songs climb the charts remains as strong as ever.

Backstage at the CMA Awards, the Georgia native caught up with Country Now, where he opened up about his new single, teased what’s ahead for 2026, and couldn’t help but gush over his daughter, Rainey.

Fresh off his 13th No. 1 with “Forever To Me,” Swindell recently sent “We Can Always Move On” to country radio. The track, featured on his latest album Spanish Moss and penned by Thomas Archer, Kyle Fishman, and Michael Tyler, follows a couple wrestling with the reality of goodbye and ultimately choosing to spend one last night together before facing the truth.

Swindell revealed that the song came to him at the very last minute while he was finishing the album, and it arrived exactly when he needed it.

“We were getting close to wrapping up the album, but I just felt like we were missing a few things,” he shared. “There’s the heartfelt stuff, and then there’s the songs with a vibe — the ones that make you roll your windows down. And this was one. Thomas Archer sent me this song when I was driving home in traffic. He sent three or four, and all of them were good. It felt meant to be.”

He remembers playing it when he got home. “It starts with that chorus, and my wife was like, ‘What is that?’ The more I listened, the more it became one of our favorites. I’d never heard a breakup song written from that angle, like, ‘We’re going to be over at some point. We can always do that. But tonight…’ As a songwriter, I can really appreciate that.”

With his Happy Hour Sad Tour wrapped, Swindell is already gearing up for 2026, a year he says is packed with exciting plans.

“Shows I’m excited about. We haven’t announced them yet, but I can’t wait,” he teased. “I’m excited to hit the road, but also to watch Rainey grow up.”

He’s finding a new rhythm as both artist and dad. “I’ve reached a point where I feel like I’ve found a good balance. I still love being on the road, playing shows, seeing the fans… but coming home is even sweeter now. I’m just looking forward to seeing what life holds.”

And for fans who love the emotional punch of a Cole Swindell song, there may be some fatherhood-inspired music on the horizon.

“That’s all I think about — the ideas,” he laughed. “When you’re a songwriter, the ideas come from the season you’re in, and right now everything looks different. I think differently. I see things differently. I’m excited to share this part of my life. That’s how I get things out — through my lyrics — and I can’t wait for people to hear it.”

Swindell has one final show left this year, set for Thursday, Dec. 4 in Augusta, Georgia. Fans can keep an eye on his website for updates on all things 2026.

The post With a New Baby and a New Single, Cole Swindell Is Entering His Best Chapter Yet [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.

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It’s been a wild, life-changing year for Russell Dickerson, filled with milestones and achievements that still feel surreal to him. As he looks back on everything 2025 has brought, the country star gets overwhelmed by pride and awe of the fact that he saw so many of his dreams unfold right in front of his eyes, along with new goals that weren’t on his bucket list.

“It’s just been such an amazing year. I was weary, I’m not going to lie. I will be real with y’all. My first single came out 2017 and it’s just hustle and grind and hustle and grind,” Dickerson told Country Now backstage at the 59^th Annual CMA Awards.

Those years of hard work paid off in a sudden and big way this year with the release of his fan-favorite track, “Happen To Me.” The song and its accompanying dance took over the internet this year, turning into an international multi-week No. 1 song that Dickerson got to showcase across major stages, including on The Kelly Clarkson Show on NBC and during his first appearance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

“‘Happen to Me’ happened and I don’t know, it’s like a dance thing that I just never really expected. I’m a dad, bro. I’m a dad. I don’t have time for all the tickety tockeies,” he added, joking about the countless number of times he has done the viral dance on his own, with fans, fellow artists and so many others along the way.

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He also recently released a brand-new rendition of the song featuring the pop sibling trio, the Jonas Brothers. The Tennessee native explained this collaboration came about after he appeared as a special guest at one of the band’s 2025 tour stops and took a chance by asking the brothers if they would be open to adding their vocals to the track.

“So I got called to be one of their special guests. They’re doing a special guest every night. Got to do that. Phenomenal…long story short, a girl on our team grew up with them. So I was like, ‘you’re coming with us and our goal is get them on ‘Happen to Me.’’ It was already at pop radio. And who wouldn’t want to just hop on a song that’s rocketing?”

Dickerson continued, “I was like, ‘you guys should hop on it.’ And they’re like, ‘actually we’re going into the studio next week. We can put vocals on it.’ And Shazam, ‘Happen to Me.’ Russell Dickerson, Jonas Brothers, it’s yours. It’s happening.”

On top of gaining tremendous momentum with “Happen To Me,” Russell Dickerson also set records with his 2025 RUSSELLMANIA TOUR. The sold-out run featured more than 40 stops across the U.S. and Canada and ended up being one of his most successful yet. 

“I want the biggest show. And I’ve told my wife, it made me emotional, I was like I’m finally looking out into the crowd, and it matches what my dreams look like,” he said with sincerity. “So it’s just such wind in my sail, our sails, everybody, my whole team. It’s just like, I don’t know, it’s been an emotional, wild, huge year for us.”

His electric, high-energy live performances will continue into 2026 when he extends the RUSSELLMANIA TOUR with even more bucket headline shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Greek Theatre, and Gallagher Square at Petco Park. Dasha and Niko Moon will join on select dates.

The country star is also set to appear at festivals across the globe including C2C’s Three-Day Festival, where he will take the stage in Glasgow, London and Belfast, Tortuga Music Festival and San Antonio Rodeo, to name a few.

2026 ROUND 1 RUSSELLMANIA TOUR Dates

4/23/2026 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater *
4/24/2026 – St Augustine, FL – The Saint Augustine Amphitheatre * 
4/25/2026 – Orlando, FL – Addition Financial Arena * 
5/13/2026 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^
5/20/2026 – Los Angeles, CA – The Greek Theatre ^
5/21/2026 – San Diego, CA – Gallagher Square At Petco Park ^
5/28/2026 – Cincinnati, OH – ICON Outdoors ^
5/29/2026 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion ^
5/30/2026 – Grand Rapids, MI – Acrisure Amphitheater ^

*Dasha 
^Niko Moon

The post Russell Dickerson Reflects on a Life-Changing, Record-Breaking Year [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.

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Over the past few weeks, Ashley Cooke has released her brand-new project, ace, performed at both the Grand Ole Opry and the TODAY Show, delivered a powerful rendition of “God Bless America” at WWE Monday Night Raw inside Madison Square Garden, and walked the red carpet at the CMA Awards. All of this momentum leads back to ace, a nine-track collection that pulls straight from the most personal corners of her life over the past two and a half years.

The project features songs like the fiery new single “the hell you are,” now at country radio, the reflective “gettin’ old,” and the raw, vulnerable “my worst fear,” which confronts the harsh realities of chasing big dreams and the sacrifices that come with them.

Since its release, fans have been quick to notice the parallels between Cooke’s “my worst fear,” Carly Pearce’s “Dream Come True,” and Kelsea Ballerini’s “I Sit in Parks,” noting how all three songs share an honest look into the choices women make in pursuit of their dreams.

While backstage at the 59th Annual CMA Awards, Cooke opened up about her friendship with Pearce and Ballerini and their shared experiences in the industry. 

“I think we all have talked about it quite a bit, me, Carly, and Kelsea. And that’s the beauty of having friends in the industry because we all want each other to win. And not just for the sake of saying it on an interview, we just genuinely want each other to succeed,” she shared. 

She added that beneath all the success and whirlwind moments, there’s a shared feeling of longing and reflection that makes these songs hit a little deeper.

“But I think all of us in music are just trying to say, we’re so thankful for what we’ve worked for and the successes that we’ve had so far. But there’s also things that we feel like we’re missing. And I think Kelsea’s song, for example, that lyric of, ‘I wonder if she wants my freedom like I want to be a mother.’ I think that encompasses it so perfectly because it’s not that we don’t love our freedom and we don’t love the lives that we have and the crazy experiences that we get to have,” she continued. “It’s more we all kind of want it all. We can’t have everything. And so it’s like this emotion of ‘what am I missing? What am I giving up to have what I have currently?’ And I think that moms feel that way, and successful artists feel that way. And all across the board, we all think about what we’re missing when we have what we have.”

This sentiment is expressed throughout “my worst fear,” which was written by Cooke alongside Emily Weisband, Johnny Clawson, Kyle Sturrock, Seth Ennis, and Joe Fox. Click below to listen. 

The post Ashley Cooke Opens Up About ‘my worst fear’ and the Quiet Pressures Women in Music Face [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.

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