Tim McGraw is back with his first new music in over a year. The country hitmaker has returned with a fresh batch of songs titled “Pawn Shop Guitar” and “Song for America.” These releases mark the beginning of a new chapter after spending the last few years recovering from serious back and knee issues that forced him to step back from recording music and touring extensively.
During that time, McGraw not only worked through physical obstacles, but he also found himself looking back on his life, which led to him to become more candid in his songwriting than ever before.
“That time was challenging on so many levels, but one of the positive things that came out of it, aside from physically being back to 100%, was that it gave me time to reflect on my life and to write songs. I was able to really dig into some personal stories in those songs for the first time,” he explained.
Photo Courtesy of Tim McGraw
The first new song that emerged from that reflection is “Song For America,” a pride-filled mid-tempo track that arrives just in time to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
The patriotic anthem paints an almost cinematic portrait of America, jumping from coast to coast and city to city, capturing the simplicity of everyday life with vivid imagery that highlights both the beauty and grit of American life. It was penned by JT Harding and Tom Douglas.
Meanwhile, “Pawn Shop Guitar, “ co-written with Tom Douglas takes a more autobiographical approach as the three-time Grammy® Award-winning superstar takes listeners inside his journey of trying to make it in the music industry and the sacrifices he made along the way. McGraw begins by singing about the moment he sold his high school class ring to purchase a cheap guitar from a pawn shop in his hometown.
From there, his dreams led him to Music City, where he learned how to get back up even getting knocked down and told “no” time and time again. The Louisiana native’s signature vocals shine a light on the struggles he faced in his early days, from sleeping in his car to trying to earn money by playing on street corners. The song comes full circle when he explains how one simple action can completely change a person’s perceptive.
“I didn’t know if I would ever write again/ And one night in a bar the old man stumbled in/ Threw a hundred-dollar bill and drew a sharpie heart/ On a note he wrote, “That’s where the good songs are”/ In every airport lounge, street corner, and every bar I put a Ben Franklin in every kid’s pickle tip jar/ And I write a note with a big red sharpie heart/ “That’s where the good songs are,” sings McGraw.
These songs arrive just ahead of Tim McGraw’s 2026 North American trek, named after today’s release, “Pawn Shop Guitar.” The 33-date run kicks off July 9 in Bethel, NY and continues through the summer with three stadium dates at Hersheypark Stadium (Hershey, PA), Fenway Park (Boston, MA), and Target Field (Minneapolis, MN). He will be joined by special guests The Chicks and Lady A, along with tour support 49 Winchester and Timothy Wayne.
American Idol winner Hannah Harper is giving fans a candid update on life after her big win, and she’s keeping it just as real as ever.
In a new social media post, the “String Cheese” singer offered an honest glimpse into what her day-to-day looks like now, pairing studio time with a healthy dose of humor about what life as a rising country artist actually entails.
Photo Courtesy of Hannah Harper
Alongside a photo of her working in the studio, Harper wrote, “I know y’all picture me winning American Idol and living some fancy celebrity life now. Here I am in the luxurious sawmill studio tracking vocals, spending my lunch break with a big ol’ styrofoam cup of queso from the local Mexican restaurant.”
All jokes aside, Harper made it clear she’s exactly where she wants to be in her career right now. Reflecting on the moment, she added, “honestly, I’ve never felt more successful.”
She opened up about feeling a sense of fulfillment, writing, “Getting to make music with people I love, in a place that means so much to me, and having a hand in EVERY detail of the process—that’s the dream.”
Photo Courtesy Hannah Harper
In closing, Harper left fans with a message about what’s ahead, telling them, “I can’t wait for y’all to hear what we’ve been working on.”
Harper has a busy week ahead, kicking things off with a major milestone as she is set to make her Grand Ole Opry debut on June 2. Following the big night, she will appear alongside fellow American Idol alums including Jordan McCullough, Keyla Richardson, Chris Tungseth, Braden Rumfelt, Brooks, Lucas Leon, Rae, and more for the 19 Recordings Presents Your American Idols event on June 3 at 6th & Peabody in Nashville.
The all-ages show begins at 4 p.m. local time and will bring together some of this season’s standout voices for a special celebration in Music City.
For obvious reasons, the news sparked fear among fans, and sadly, it seems the situation has only deteriorated in the days since.
Now, the estranged son of the late Billy Brown has sparked fresh concern after unusual activity on his Facebook page left followers wondering whether something may be wrong.
During a YouTube livestream, Matt Brown smoked, rambled, and partially disrobed while in a public park. It got worse than this. (Image Credit: YouTube)
According to TMZ, fans recently noticed a string of strange posts appearing on Matt’s account, prompting speculation about his well-being and whether someone else may have access to the page.
The activity reportedly stood out enough that followers began voicing concern in the comments.
Matt, who has largely lived outside the spotlight in recent years, has faced a long and very public road filled with personal struggles, including battles with addiction and strained relationships with members of his famous family.
That history makes any sign of unusual behavior especially alarming.
TMZ reports that Matt has been sharing posts that don’t resemble his usual content. Some of the posts, followers allege, make it sound as though he’s made peace with the end.
“Feelings shift. Priorities change. Connections fade. That’s part of life, no matter how painful it is to accept,” he wrote in one Facebook message, adding:
“At the end of the day, your relationship with yourself is the one that must survive every version of your life.”
“Sometimes, the hardest task you must do everyday is to keep going. You know you can just lay there on your bed the whole day, but something inside you whispers hope to get up and urge you to fix yourself,” he wrote in a separate post, adding:
“I know all this time, you’ve been trying hard to survive a day with deep sadness and you’ve been trying to find an escape from it. It is not easy darling, it will never be easy to pick yourself up again after a great downfall.
“One thing that you should keep in mind is that whether you’re okay or not, time won’t just stop for you, you may be tired of trying to fix yourself over and over again, but trust your own strength darling. Tell yourself that you will never give up till the day you found your happiness.”
The reality personality has spent years largely separated from the rest of the Brown family following allegations of substance abuse and family conflict. He has previously spoken openly about attending rehab and working to rebuild his life after periods of instability.
The situation seems to have worsened in the years since the death of patriarch Billy Brown.
Matt also became estranged from several relatives after making accusations against members of the family and stepping away from the Discovery Channel series that made the Browns famous.
Since then, fans have mostly followed his life through occasional social media updates, making the recent Facebook activity all the more noticeable.
Sam’s Club is bringing a fun summer must-have to the water this year with a massive inflatable cowboy hat that’s basically made for lake days, river floats, and pool parties.
Available now, the oversized float comes in two designs: a red, white, and blue version covered in stars and a pink version with matching star details. Both are perfect for summer gatherings, holiday weekends, and all-day hangouts on the water (while listening to country music of course!). The pink version also feels like a total win for bachelorette parties if anyone is currently planning one.
Member’s Mark Inflatable Oversized Cowboy Hat Lake Island
Built with group fun in mind, the inflatable comfortably fits up to six adults, making it ideal for friends or family looking to relax together on the water. It measures 190 inches long, 156 inches wide, and 41 inches high, giving everyone plenty of space to lounge, stretch out, and enjoy the water.
It’s also built to last, featuring heavy-gauge PVC construction for durability and stability while floating. With a weight capacity of up to 1,050 pounds, it’s designed to handle a full group of adults without any issues.
Beyond the size and design, the inflatable cowboy hat is packed with summer-friendly features. It includes six cup holders so everyone can keep drinks close, plus a built-in cooler to keep beverages cold throughout the day. Whether it’s water, soda, or something a little stronger, it makes it easy to stay refreshed without constant trips back to shore.
Member’s Mark Inflatable Oversized Cowboy Hat Lake Island
It’s also designed for convenience, with a quick inflation and deflation system and a safety valve that makes setup and teardown simple. Even with its large size on the water, it’s lightweight and easy to transport once deflated, making it a practical option to take along all summer long.
Recommended for ages 14 and up, the inflatable cowboy hat is made for group lake adventures and brings a mix of comfort, fun, and photo-ready design.
As summer kicks off, this one feels like a no-brainer addition for anyone looking to take their lake or river days up a notch.
“I fell off a mountain and tried to reinvent myself as a truly individual artist,” Williams Jr. says of his legacy. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Jae Stephens has released her new single and video “Attaboy!” via RAEDIO and Def Jam Recordings. The release begins a new phase for the Dallas-born, Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter, who is also set to perform at Lollapalooza in Chicago this July.
“Attaboy!” was produced by Dallas Caton and centers on Stephens turning a self-described bad boy into a plus one. The accompanying video places Stephens at the center of a stylized performance, with choreography and visual scenes built around the song’s direct, playful premise.
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Stephens described the track as a signal for what comes next. “Attaboy! sets the tone for the world my album lives in: maximalist and unapologetic,” she said. “This song and video in particular is about me going after whatever or whoever I want.” The release follows Stephens’ SELLLOUT series, including SELLLOUT, SELLLOUT II, and TOTAL SELLOUT THE DELUXE. The first SELLLOUT EP helped lead to a support slot on FLO’s U.S. “AAA Tour,” followed by Stephens’ own SELLLOUT tour in October 2025, when initial dates in Los Angeles, New York, and London sold out within 24 hours.
Stephens first gained attention online as a teenager through vocal covers before breaking through with her 2017 single “24K” and a COLORS performance. She has collaborated with THEY., VanJess, Khamari, and Xavier Omär, and her catalog has surpassed 50 million streams. In 2025, SPIN named SELLLOUT II one of the year’s best EPs, while Reddit awarded Stephens the Popheads 2025 Best New Artist Award. Stephens is scheduled to perform at WeHo Pride Festival in Los Angeles on June 7, Lollapalooza in Chicago in July, and the European leg of Khalid’s “It’s Always Summer Somewhere” tour this October.
Brown spots on an avocado can look like a red flag, but does that mean this popular toast topper should get tossed in the trash? It depends on the details.
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A sign, seen July 11, 2025, directs visitors to the entrance of Alaska Regional Hospital entrance and adjacent medical buildings. (Photo by Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
The Alaska Legislature approved a package of legislation aimed at improving the state’s coordination and emergency medical services response for strokes and heart attacks, including prompting school districts to offer CPR training for all Alaska students.
Noting Alaska’s unique challenges with geography, transportation and emergency services resources, the bill’s sponsor Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, said the goal of the legislation is to streamline responses to intervene in what’s known as the “golden hour” — the 60 minutes following a traumatic injury or medical event — particularly for strokes and heart attacks.
Rep. Genevieve Mina, D-Anchorage, speaks to the Alaska House of Representatives on Friday, April 25, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
“The issue is that in Alaska, we do not have a system of care for these time-sensitive emergencies for strokes and heart attacks,” Mina told senators at a May 7 hearing.
Lawmakers approved the package, which combined a pair of bills, in the final days of the legislative session by a total vote of 49 to 10, with Rep. Delena Johnson, R-Palmer, abstaining. The combined bill now goes to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for consideration.
If approved, the bill would designate strokes and heart attacks to be included in the Alaska Department of Health’s Office of Emergency Services trauma system, and require the state to develop a coordinated system of care with first responders, transport agencies, hospitals and clinics. That includes developing standardized protocols and training for all first responders, establishing statewide guidelines based nationally accredited standards and procedures and communicating a patient’s condition to receiving hospitals or clinics.
“There are now best practices and improved technology for addressing severe strokes and heart attacks and designating stroke centers and severe heart attack centers, but no one is coordinating these hospitals, these provider organizations, and communities on improving this care,” Mina said.
In 2022, 744 Alaskans died from trauma, 217 died from strokes and 510 died from cardiovascular disease such as a heart attack, according to data provided by Mina’s office.
“At least 41 states have or are finalizing regional or statewide stroke and heart attack protocols to ensure that patients are transported directly to level one stroke centers,” she said. “This bill will help reduce transfer times throughout our state to meet this golden hour, which will in turn help improve outcomes and cost savings to the state.”
“We can’t change when a patient arrives at a hospital. We can help improve these workflows to diagnose the case and make this decision-making process more efficient,” she added.
The state’s expansion of the trauma system is estimated to cost roughly $250,000, according to a state fiscal note, which includes a new public health specialist position, travel and IT system enhancements.
The Alaska Stroke Coalition, Guardian Flight — which provides air and ground ambulance services — and Providence Hospital in Anchorage penned letters of support for the legislation that said improving coordinated, standardized emergency response systems will be a “win-win” for patients and providers.
“Even the smallest delays in care can have huge consequences for the person experiencing a stroke,” wrote members of the executive team with the Alaska Stroke Coalition. A stroke is defined by a damage to the brain caused by interruption of blood supply, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and permanent brain damage can occur within four to six minutes.
“Treatment delays of just 15 minutes can mean the difference between leaving the hospital capable of independent living or permanent reliance on others for the activities of daily life,” they wrote.
“A third of the patients who experience stroke are under the age of 65 and most of these patients can never return to work, resulting in both a loss of income potential and a significant reliance on medical resources for support,” they noted. “In a state like Alaska where our demographics skew younger, this has a profound impact.”
The window of response to heart attacks is equally critical.
Another bill added by senators to the legislative package would “encourage” school districts to provide hands-on training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation education, known as CPR, in health education for kindergarten through 12th graders.
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, sponsored the bill. “When administered immediately, CPR can more than triple a person’s chance of survival,” she told lawmakers at a March 23 hearing.
Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson, D-Anchorage, speaks in the Alaska State Capitol on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)
“This legislation aims to strengthen health education in our schools by equipping students with the knowledge and the skills that they need to respond effectively in emergencies,” she said, and recalled that CPR has been necessary in the Capitol building more than once.
“And those moments lives were saved simply because someone nearby had the training and the confidence to act,” she said.
Doug Schrage, fire chief for the Municipality of Anchorage, testified in support of the bill and noted the CPR skills students learn can be applied in school settings or at home.
“We know that most cardiac arrests occur in the home and believe a student of any age that has been trained in CPR is likely to be home and can provide lifesaving care. There are many examples where a student has provided CPR in the home,” he said.
Survival rates for heart attack are quite low, Schrage noted, but with hands-on CPR chances improve.
Jason Dolph, a safety officer with the Anchorage Fire Department, testified to lawmakers about his first day on the job as a firefighter, when he entered a home where no one was trained in CPR.
“There was a man laying on the couch, he was gray in color, and around him was about eight family members, and none were performing CPR or attempting any other life-saving measures. And you have to ask yourself, why? Why would a family member not be willing to, or to help, or engage? And it was simply because they didn’t know what to do, no one had ever trained them in CPR. They never had the opportunity,” he said.
Dolph said equipping children with the skills and confidence to be responsive bystanders will help improve outcomes.
“During my career, I’ve responded to more than 10,000 emergency calls and incidents, and in that time I’ve made this observation that when responders arrive and no bystander is performing CPR, we most often have negative results, despite our best efforts, and despite advancements in medicine,” he said.
The bill directs the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development to determine which grade levels are required to receive the training and develop the appropriate curriculum, based on evidence-based, national standards.
If approved by the governor, the legislation would take effect in July 2027.
Fans attending the first night of the 2026 Gulf Coast Jam got an unexpected surprise when Chris Janson made a special appearance during Keith Urban’s headline set in Panama City Beach, Florida.
As Urban took the stage on Thursday night (May 28), the country superstar once again proved why he’s considered one of country music’s most electrifying live performers. Midway through his set, he welcomed Janson to the stage, and the two made their way out arm in arm, sparking loud cheers from the packed crowd.
Keith Urban, Chris Janson; Photos Provided
The longtime friends performed Urban’s hit “Days Go By” together. The performance quickly turned into a full-blown jam session, with the two country acts showcasing their individual talents. Urban took the lead, delivering his signature guitar licks while Janson ripped through an impressive harmonica solo before making his way off stage, allowing the Australian singer/songwriter to finish off his set.
Following the performance, Janson took a moment to reflect on their time on stage at the festival and his longtime friendship with Urban in a heartfelt social media post. He highlighted how supportive the “Straight Line” singer has been of his career since the start.
“My longest standing friendship within the music business, @keithurban He’s always been in my corner, and i can’t tell y’all how much it means to me. He invited me to be an @opry member a few years back. So many great times together through the years,” Janson wrote. “I was honored to join him tonight in Florida. It’s pure magic when we jam together. Love you KU!”
The 2026 Gulf Coast Jam is taking place from May 28 through May 31, 2026 at Frank Brown Park. Keith Urban kicked off night one as the first headliner, and will be followed by Chris Stapleton tonight (5/29), Riley Green on Saturday (5/30) and Post Malone on Sunday (5/31).
Urban’s performances comes just a few weeks before he’s set to drop his 13th studio album, Flow State, on June 12 via MCA Nashville. The yacht rock covers project is set to feature collaborations with Michael McDonald, John Mayer, and Little Big Town, as well as one original track, “We Go Back” featuring Michael McDonald.
Photo Courtesy of Keith Urban
Produced by Urban and Dann Huff and recorded at his Nashville studio, the album highlights songs like “Baby Come Back” and “Just the Two of Us” and a rendition of “Summer Breeze,” both available now. Keith Urban is next set to perform at Nashville’s Nissan Stadium on Friday, June 5 as part of CMA Fest.
Meanwhile, Chris Janson has a slew of his own festival appearances on the books. Next week he will be performing at Bottle & Cork at Dewey Beach, DE on June 4, followed by Carolina Country Music Festival in South Carolina on June 6.
