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Morgan Wallen’s Still The Problem Tour has officially come to an end. Throughout the 23-stop trek, Wallen delivered a series of historic shows while also making an impact beyond the stage. Through a portion of every ticket sold benefiting the Morgan Wallen Foundation (MWF), the tour helped provide more than $1 million worth of instruments to 26 schools across the U.S.

The country hitmaker kicked off the 2026 tour in April with a two-night run at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From there, he made his way to 12 North American Stadiums, including Bryant-Denny Stadium, Soldier Field, U.S. Bank Stadium, Allegiant Stadium, Michigan Stadium, and University of Clemson’s Memorial Stadium. He wrapped it up with two sold-out shows at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on Friday, July 31, 2026, and Saturday, August 1.

Each show brought packed out venues full of fans together to sing their hearts out to the East Tennessee native’s catalog of hits. However, each attendee also had a hand in giving back to the MWF through their purchase of a ticket.

The foundation aims to support youth music and athletic programs as well as while help communities access essential resources during times of crisis. For this run, the donations directly impacted more than two dozen schools in need across the cities he toured in.

One of the schools to benefit from the initiative was Sto-Rox Junior/Senior High School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which received $40,000 worth of instruments.

Superintendent Sonya Coleman shared how meaningful the generous gift will be for students, when he stated, “We are truly honored and excited to receive this generous donation of musical instruments from the Morgan Wallen Foundation. This gift will have a lasting impact on our students and our music program by providing access to high-quality instruments that will inspire creativity, enhance learning opportunities, and help our young musicians continue to grow both artistically and personally…Partnerships like this demonstrate the power of giving back to communities and creating opportunities that will positively influence students for years to come.”

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Each night, fans eagerly anticipated Wallen’s signature walkout, wondering whether he would make his way to the stage alone or be joined by a surprise guest. While a few shows featured a solo entrance, many became unforgettable moments as Wallen welcomed hometown athletes, local legends, and other important figures to represent each city.

Throughout the tour, his walkout guests included Nick Saban, Caitlin Clark, Tim Tebow, John Elway, Ray Lewis, Aidan Hutchinson, Cooper Dejean, The Hughes Brothers, as well as members of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

Additionally, he was joined by a star-studded lineup of opening acts and special guests, such as Brooks & Dunn, HARDY, Thomas Rhett, Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Vincent Mason, Zach John King, Jason Scott & The High Heat, Blake Whiten, HudsonWestbrook and Flatland Cavalry.

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There were also plenty of notable historic moments that took place throughout the run. The “I Got Better” singer became the first artist ever to perform two consecutive nights at both Michigan Stadium and Clemson University’s Memorial Stadium, and he played the first concert at Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium in 43 years, marking the venue’s first major concert since Hank Williams Jr.’s show in 1983.

On top of that, the success of the tour has fueled Wallen’s ongoing rise up the charts. His latest album that inspired the name of the tour, I’m The Problem, returned to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, earning its 14th non-consecutive week atop the chart after spending more than a year in the Top 10.

Plus, he debuted his first new song since the 2025 album and first solo release of the year, “Been By Now,” at his sold-out show at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The track reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release, becoming his 20th career Top 10 hit, while also topping both the Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales charts. He currently has two songs in the Hot 100’s Top 5, including his duet with Ella Langley, “I Can’t Love You Anymore.”

Adding to the milestone-filled year, Wallen’s “You Proof” has officially been certified Diamond by the RIAA, giving him six Diamond-certified singles, which is also the most of any country artist.

Between all the historic stadium shows, the chart-topping success and the impact of the Morgan Wallen Foundation, the Still The Problem Tour proved to be one of the biggest and most impactful runs of Morgan Wallen’s career so far.

The post Morgan Wallen Wraps Record-Breaking Still The Problem Tour, Donates More Than $1 Million in Instruments to Schools appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Thirty years after “Strawberry Wine” became one of country music’s most beloved songs, Deana Carter is giving the classic a fresh twist.

In honor of the song’s 30th anniversary, Carter has teamed up with New York-based country-EDM producer Deerock for the first-ever dance remix of “Strawberry Wine.”

Released on July 26, exactly 30 years after the original debuted, the remix blends the nostalgia fans know and love with an upbeat, modern production. Deerock keeps Carter’s unmistakable vocals at the forefront while adding pulsing beats, vibrant synths, and an energetic summer-ready sound that introduces the timeless hit to a whole new audience.

Reflecting on the milestone, Carter expressed her appreciation for the song that has continued to resonate with fans for three decades.

“I cannot believe it’s been 30 years!” Carter shared. “I am so grateful that ‘Strawberry Wine’ & my debut album have become the soundtrack of an era for so many people! I am blown away by all the fans that have carried this song through the years, passed it down and shared it with a whole new generation!”

To mark the anniversary, Carter said releasing the remix felt like the perfect way to celebrate the song’s lasting legacy.

“I’m super excited about our new remix with Deerock,” she added. “It’s a fun, fresh way to celebrate such an anthem of the 90’s! Like a fine wine, may we get better with age and cheers to another round of Strawberry Wine! Thank y’all for such an amazing ride!”

For Deerock, taking on one of country music’s most recognizable songs was an opportunity he didn’t take lightly. He said his goal was to honor the original while giving it a fresh sound that could connect with a new generation of listeners.

“Getting the opportunity to reimagine a song as iconic as ‘Strawberry Wine’ is incredibly special,” Deerock stated. “I wanted to preserve everything people love about the original while giving it new life in a completely different space. I’m grateful to Deana and her team for trusting me with a song that means so much to so many people, and excited to help introduce it to a new generation.”

Originally released on Carter’s 1996 debut album, Did I Shave My Legs For This?, “Strawberry Wine” quickly became one of the defining songs of the decade. The timeless hit earned CMA Single of the Year honors in 1997 and has since been reimagined by countless artists, cementing its place as a country music classic.

Three decades later, the song continues to hold a special place in Carter’s heart. Despite performing it thousands of times over the years, she says the emotional connection has never faded.

“No, never,” she previously told Country Now. “I love it….You sing a song, whether you wrote it or not, that is the most true for you that it could ever be, so that you can repeat it night after night and be authentic. You know, when I sing that song, still, I go through memories of the house I grew up in. I go through my brother being little, like, in third grade. I go through going on dates in high school with my best friend, Connie.”

Even after all this time, Carter says performing “Strawberry Wine” brings back a flood of memories, and the song remains as special to her as ever. 

“I get to re-live the creation of something so special every time I go onstage. It’s just such a blessing. It never gets old. Never, never gets old.”

The post Deana Carter Celebrates 30 Years of ‘Strawberry Wine’ With First-Ever Dance Remix appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

The road to becoming a country star looks a lot different than it did when artists like Jason Aldean, Tracy Lawrence, and Brantley Gilbert were coming up. After years of grinding through small venues before reaching the biggest stages, the three artists have each shared their thoughts on the way this generation of country stars is rising to the top and why they believe there are steps along the way that are still an important part of building a lasting career.

Gilbert most recently joined this conversation during an appearance on Lawrence’s Road House podcast, where he reflected on the template of finding success that artists like Lawrence and Toby Keith created for those coming up behind them. He explained that he has always admired the way they built their momentum by grinding their way up, making mistakes, learning from each experience, and taking the time to understand what it takes to connect with an audience before reaching the biggest stages.

However, with this age of social media, they have watched new artists go from sharing songs in their bedrooms to performing in arenas almost overnight.

“When you see these kids kind of come from one song on TikTok and blow up and they’re here. I was like, man, that kind of sucks because coming up the old way, playing that bar with 10 people you don’t know in it that have never heard of you until you go to the next size bar and eventually, man, you get to a club in a town, you’ve really done something,” Gilbert said. “It kind of sucked at first. But then on the flip side of the coin is they’re at a major disadvantage.”

Gilbert went on to explain how there are plenty of pros and cons to coming up the way he did compared to the way many acts do in this current world. He notes that one of the best advantages to taking years to develop a name in the business is learning how to properly communicate and win over the very small amount of people in the bar by the end of the night. One of the greatest disadvantages that both him and Lawrence can agree on is the fact that being thrown into the spotlight so quickly inevitably leads to the artist facing a downward spiral.

“When you see them going through crisis and things like that, it makes a ton of sense… I couldn’t imagine not coming up the way we did and just being thrust into that. It’s not a poor pitiful me situation at all. It’s just like, man, looking at it from the inside, that’s a lot,” Gilbert said, sympathizing with artists who have gone through that.

Gilbert also recognizes that the playing field has shifted dramatically, with today’s artists facing a level of competition that didn’t exist when he was coming up. Watching so many rising stars navigate this new landscape has given him a different perspective on their journeys.

“The competition’s different. The process, again, being seen and discovered is different. We didn’t have umpteen million people putting songs out from their bedroom…The way of being found is different. So in a way through the years, I’ve gone from kind of being salty about it to finding respect for it and almost coming from a place of not sympathy, empathy. Man, I get it. From the inside looking out, it’s a good bit different. You get thrust into all this stuff you don’t understand. And nobody, you know this, when you’re on the way up, nobody’s telling you that there’s a plateau and a way down.”

Jason Aldean also spoke about this topic during a recent episode of his Try That In A Small Town Podcast, recognizing that many up-and-coming artists may not realize the value of slowing down, saying no to certain opportunities, and taking the time to build their careers before rushing into the next thing.

He used the example of turning down a chance to do his own headline shows in order to open for Brooks & Dunn back in the day.

“I even put it off a little longer just to be like, you know, give us time to get another song out and kind of let that heat that was starting to happen, just let it bubble a little,” he recalled.

The “How Far Does A Goodbye Go” singer also came to the same realization that Gilbert touched on as he explained that today’s artists haven’t had to experience building a strong catalog and developing their ability to connect with a crowd before taking on a headlining role.

“The problem is a lot of them only have one or two songs and think they can go out and carry an hour and a half or two hours of a show, and it’s like, dude, you got two songs people really care about that they want to hear; what are you going to do for the other 80 minutes?”’

This often leads to them having to give tickets away for free in an attempt to make the room look more full.

While the path to country music success continues to evolve, Jason Aldean, Tracy Lawrence, and Brantley Gilbert all seem to agree on one thing: building a lasting career takes more than one viral moment and that the most important lessons only come with time.

The post Jason Aldean, Tracy Lawrence & Brantley Gilbert Reflect on the Changing Road to Country Music Stardom appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

Health — especially mental health — is the most-cited reason for why artists are taking time off the road in 2026. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

Health — especially mental health — is the most-cited reason for why artists are taking time off the road in 2026. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country