Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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Lauren has never been afraid of being vulnerable with her fans. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
Lauren has never been afraid of being vulnerable with her fans. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
Ella Langley has quickly become one of the fastest rising forces in country music and between her chart success and major award wins, it’s clear she isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In fact, she seems to have a constantly growing bucket list that keeps getting bigger and bigger as her career continues to soar.
Just after dropping her latest album, Dandelion, Billboard released an interview with the Woman In Music Powerhouse Award recipient, where she reveals some of her future career goals.
First on the list is to be a musical guest on SNL (Saturday Night Live) before eventually taking it a step further and hosting the show one day. The live sketch comedy and variety show that airs weekly on NBC has become known for having major celebrities guest star as hosts, make surprise cameos and even host, making it a highly sought after gig.
Numerous country music stars have appeared on the show over the years, from Luke Combs to Blake Shelton, Garth Brooks, Morgan Wallen, Dolly Parton and so many more. It’s safe to say Langley has a good shot at making her own cameo on SNL one day. But only time will tell.
If Langley were to land the rare opportunity of appearing in a skit, that could put her one step closer to crossing off another goal of getting into acting in the near future. Once again, the cross over between being a country singer and getting behind a camera is pretty common. Especially with western shows like Yellowstone, 1883, Marshals and more, which have featured a variety of singer/songwriters from the genre like Lainey Wilson, Riley Green, Tim McGraw and more.
“I’d love to start doing that in the next year.”
Another item on Langley’s list is selling out stadiums as a headliner. And not just one—she clarified that she wants to do it at “more than one” of the massive venues.
“That’s always been my goal. People in the beginning always used to ask me, ‘how far you want to take this thing?’ I guess as far as it lets me go and to me that’s a stadium. So that’s my big one,” she noted.
In terms of shows, Langley admits there are “so many” venues that she still has yet to cross off her bucket list including the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
“I want to headline Red Rocks. I’ve opened Red Rocks, but I’ve never headlined Red Rocks.”
Her live shows could also be adding an extra member to the band in the future that would elevate the performance level even more. Langley says she hopes to “have a saxophone in my band.”
These are just a few of the many aspirations that the “Lovin’ Life Again” singer dreams up on a daily basis.
“I could keep going on my goals. I really think of plenty more every day. At this point I’m just going to start reaching for the stars, literally,” she added.
Over the weekend, Langley crossed off some major milestones at the ACM Awards. She walked away the most-awarded artist of the night with seven trophies, and a win in every category she was nominated in.
As she continues to collect these major awards, break records, and check off more milestones, she says she’s most excited to see how fans embrace this new chapter of her career and everything still to come.
The post Ella Langley Reveals Growing Bucket List of Career Dreams: ‘SNL’ Appearances, Selling Out Stadiums, and More appeared first on Country Now.
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Cody Johnson, aka the newest ACM Entertainer of the Year, is just a little over a month away from releasing his next album, Banks Of The Trinity. The project is set to offer a glimpse into the Texas native’s upbringing, star-studded collaborations, and deeply personal storytelling. Before it officially drops, we’ve rounded up all the details that’ve been revealed so far so fans know what to expect.
Banks Of The Trinity Release Date
Starting with the most important piece of information, the collection will be arriving June 26, 2026. When Johnson first announced the album, he unveiled the title and the cover art, both which we now know holds sentimental value to his personal journey.
The Title, ‘Banks of The Trinity,’ Represents A Piece Of His Childhood in Texas
He wrote, “When I heard the song “Banks Of The Trinity” for the first time, it was like a portrait flashed in my head of memories I thought I’d forgotten. It took me straight back home to Sebastopol, Texas, where I grew up on the river.”
The country star also tells Billboard that he has often heard a common misconception about himself that he “grew up working on a ranch and had horses and cows.” However, he sets the record straight saying that is not true. His parents worked “very hard” but he says they were not rich and when things got tight, they would often go down to the Trinity River to go fishing.
“When the white bass were running, we’d get pulled out of school to go catch as many white bass as we could to keep meat in the freezer.”
On that same river was the first bar that he ever snuck out to go play at age 15.
The album’s cover art also reflects Johnson’s childhood and hometown roots. It features an old photo of Lawrence’s Grocery Store, a place that as a kid, Johnson would ride his bike two miles down an old dirt road to just to get a cream soda and a Blue Bell ice cream bar. He would enjoy his time there, listening to conversations before heading back home with groceries.
“The man that owned the store, Hootie Lawrence — his name was Harold, but everybody called him Hootie — I wound up working two summers for him, working cows and baling hay,” Johnson told Billboard. “He taught me a lot about just being a good human being. It gives me a chance to honor what I learned there. The cover is different from anything I’ve ever done. It looks like an old Polaroid taped to the album. His son had a photo [of the store]. We had it digitized, and color corrected to match the rest of the artwork. We went out and did a photo shoot on the river and literally just went fishing for a day.”
Across the 16 Tracks, There are Two Collaborations
Once the full 16-track list for Banks Of The Trinity was revealed, fans learned that there were two very familiar names featured on songs written by Cody Johnson: Brothers Osborne and Luke Combs. The duo appears on “Fool Proof,” out now, which the “Dirt Cheap” singer says “screamed Brothers Osborne.”
“There’s not a Brothers Osborne song out there that I don’t like. I’m a huge fan, and they’re both really great guys, and I wanted them on it. So I told my band in the studio, ‘Listen, I don’t know if they’re going to be on it or not, but I really want to make this Brothers Osborne-esque.’ And then we finally heard back that they had time to do it. It was the icing on the cake for that tune.”
Combs’ feature on “Shoot The Bull” has yet to be released, but it is another very anticipated track on the project. So far, Johnson has only released three songs in advance of the full-length album: “Fool Proof,” “Hello Lonesome” and “I Want You.”
Another standout track that will arrive next month is “Bible For A Boy,” a song dedicated to Johnson’s youngest born child and only son, Jaycee Daniel born in October.
The Album Was Supposed To Arrive Sooner
Johnson revealed that his next album was originally set to drop sooner, but after taking three months off to recover from bursting his eardrum and having to undergo emergency surgery last fall, the release date was pushed. It turns out it all turned out for the best because during that time of recovery, the multi-platinum-selling artist found “some of the best songs on the album.”
Banks Of The Trinity Track Listing:
1. Horseback
Written by Randy Montana, Wyatt McCubbin, Paul Sikes
2. Hello Lonesome
Written by Jimmy Yeary, Seth Mosley, Matt Rogers
3. Fool Proof (featuring Brothers Osborne)
Written by Jeff Hyde, Jason Scott, Jared Conrad
4. Take Me Back (Leave Me There)
Written by Kelly Archer, Troy Cartwright, Pete Good
5. Banks of the Trinity
Written by Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins, Josh Kear
6. I Want You
Written by Tom Douglas, Tony Lane, Matt Rogers
7. I Have
Written by Matt Schuster, Devin Dawson, Adam Yaron
8. Bible For A Boy (For Jaycee)
Written by Lydia Vaughn, Beau Bailey, Josh Phillips, Joe Fox, Andrew Stoelzing
9. Kissing A Married Woman
Written by Beau Bailey, Josh Phillips, Brock Berryhill, Cole Miracle
10. Every Man
Written by Travis Meadows, Gordie Sampson, Drew Kennedy
11. Motel Miss You
Written by Ryan Larkins, Seth Mosley, Emma-Lee
12. Shoot The Bull (featuring Luke Combs)
Written by Ray Fulcher, Casey Brown, Josh Phillips, Drew Parker
13. Cricket On A Hook
Written by Josh Phillips, Mark Holman, Jeremy Stover
14. Time Bomb
Written by Cody Johnson, Trent Willmon, Noe Quantanilla, Codrick Murphy
15. Thank Somebody Country
Written by Jordan Schmidt, Chase McGill, Trannie Anderson, Michael Hardy
16. Yippy Ty Oh Hey Hey
Written by Cody Johnson
Banks Of The Trinity will follow four highly successful studio albums from Cody Johnson, including Ain’t Nothin’ To It, Human The Double Album, and Leather, which won the 2024 CMA Album Of The Year, as well as Leather Deluxe.
He recently snagged wins for Male Artist of the Year and Entertainer of the Year at the 2026 ACM Awards on Sunday, May 17 in Las Vegas. Next up, he will return to the road on May 29 to continue his 2026 headlining tour.
The post Everything We Know About Cody Johnson’s Next Album, ‘Banks Of The Trinity’ appeared first on Country Now.
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![<a href="https://countrynow.com/blake-shelton-opens-up-about-powerful-new-single-let-him-in-anyway-and-emotional-fan-reactions-exclusive/" target="_blank">Blake Shelton Opens Up About Powerful New Single ‘Let Him In Anyway’ and Emotional Fan Reactions [Exclusive]</a>](https://countrynow.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Blake-Shelton-1-683x1024.jpg)
Blake Shelton has had plenty of impactful songs throughout his career. With 31 No. 1 singles under his belt, he has certainly proven he knows a hit song when he hears one and his latest single, “Let Him In Anyway,” is no different. It’s a song that immediately stopped him in his tracks, and he knew it was something he wanted to record.
During an exclusive interview with Country Now backstage at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas, Shelton reflected on hearing the song for the first time, explained the early crowd reaction, and shared insight into filming the recently released music video.
A Song That Stopped Him in His Tracks
“Let Him In Anyway” was written by Zach Abend, Kyle Clark, Michael Hardy and Carson Wallace. Shelton recalls hearing the demo and instantly knowing this song hit differently.
“I Was Just Blown Away”: The First Time He Heard ‘Let Him In Anyway’
“The first time I heard the song… Katie at my record label sent it over to me and I was just blown away by it. At one point I thought, ‘She’s sending me this song, can I cut this or is this like the next big artist they’re about to release?’ And I was like, ‘But that sounds like HARDY on that demo.’ And it turns out obviously it was,” he explained.
The Oklahoma native recalled feeling “floored” by the message of the deeply emotional song, which explores grief, keeping faith, and the hope for mercy after losing someone you love. In the song, the narrator sends a plea to God, asking to let his friend into heaven anyway, despite an imperfect life.
As Shelton points out, the song says something that hasn’t been said, especially in this way, before.
“I love to be able to record a song that’s kind of an area, a subject that I haven’t covered yet. I mean, when you’ve been doing this a hundred years like I have, it’s hard to find something you haven’t said before and so this is definitely something that hasn’t been said. I don’t know that it’s ever been said in any song that I’ve ever heard before.”
Early Live Performances Spark Emotional Crowd Reactions
“Let Him In Anyway” is featured on Shelton’s latest album, For Recreational Use Only. While it is steadily climbing the charts at country radio, Shelton has already begun performing it live during his shows and admits the audience reaction has reminded him of the emotional response to his 2002 hit “The Baby.”
“The reaction in the show is exciting right now because for the most part, people at the show still haven’t heard it yet. It’s still pretty much a baby song and so you get to really see people’s first initial reaction to it and it’s fun to see these guys that are kind of these stoic dudes sitting by their wives that are bored, unaffected. ‘Why did you drag me to this show?’ By the end of the song they were crying and like looking at the ground, having to get up and walk around for a minute and that’s when you know man, we’ve got something important here because even those guys can’t pretend like they don’t care.”
This also marks one of the first times Shelton has openly sung about faith in this way, something he approached with his trademark humor.
“Well, I’m getting older and I’m going to die soon so I mean you better start figuring this stuff out. Might as well put it in my songs. It’s time to start getting right!”
Music Video Filmed in a Stunning Church Near Pasadena, California
Shelton paired “Let Him In Anyway” with a music video filmed in a beautiful church setting near Pasadena, California. In the visual, sunlight pours through stained glass windows while dimly lit lanterns hang above, as Shelton appears seated in the pews and also shown in the center of the church with a guitar in hand.
While he admits music videos are no longer his favorite part of the process, he says this one stands out as something special.
“Anytime you see me in a video and you think, man, he’s really into it or whatever, I hate filming videos. I mean, I just do not enjoy the process anymore. It used to be like super exciting like ‘I’m going to make a music video!’ Now I’m like, ‘Do we really need to do a video?’
“It’s a beautiful church though, really. On a serious note, it was absolutely beautiful and it was a neat moment,” he continued. “I mean, when I walked in there, I did have that attitude of, ‘Oh my God, music video.’ And then I walked in and they had the lights coming through the stained glass and it felt like I was walking into a dream or something. It was really neat in there.”
Fans can catch Shelton performing “Let Him In Anyway” and plenty of his 30 No. 1 hits in Las Vegas on the remaining dates of his Live in Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. He’s also scheduled to perform at CMA Fest in early June.
The post Blake Shelton Opens Up About Powerful New Single ‘Let Him In Anyway’ and Emotional Fan Reactions [Exclusive] appeared first on Country Now.
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After two choking episodes, Sadie Robertson Huff’s infant daughter Kit was diagnosed with a serious medical condition that required surgery. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country
After two choking episodes, Sadie Robertson Huff’s infant daughter Kit was diagnosed with a serious medical condition that required surgery. Continue reading…The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
It’s officially that time of year again. CMA Fest is right around the corner, which means fans are already planning out their outfits for four straight days of concerts, meet-and-greets (for the lucky ones) and nonstop fun in the heart of Nashville.
When it comes to festival fashion, there’s several different routes to take. Some fans lean into the classic country look with boots, denim and cowboy hats, while others opt for breezy dresses, matching sets or comfy casual pieces that can survive long days in the high summer temps. And with daytime events turning into late-night concerts at Nissan Stadium, plenty of attendees are even planning multiple looks each day.
No matter your style, the key to surviving CMA Fest week is finding outfits that balance fashion and function. Nashville weather can bring intense heat, surprise rain showers and long hours on your feet, making lightweight fabrics, comfortable shoes and easy layering essentials for the week ahead.
We’ve compiled a list of outfit inspiration from brands like Pink Lily, DSW and Lulus to help you figure out exactly what to wear for every moment of CMA Fest week.
For those looking to wear something that balances both cute and casual, the Play Something Country Charcoal Oversized Graphic Tee from Pink Lily and Born To Be Adored Light Wash Denim High-Rise Mini Skort from Lulus is just what you need. It can either be dressed up with a pair of cowboy boots or dressed down with your favorite sneakers.
Anyone looking to step out with a photo-ready look for any time of day can opt for a chic statement dress like Lulus’ Nell Multi Boho Print Halter Mini Dress. The Zelena Gold Layered Chain Belt from Lulus brings a touch of shine and definition at the waist, making it feel polished and put-together.
Sometimes the easiest way to decide on an outfit is to start with a dress. It’s one piece, effortless, and already cute enough to stand on its own. A style like the Willa Blue Cowboy Mini Dress from Pink Lily does exactly that, but you can easily elevate it with the American Hat Makers Women’s Montana Straw Cowgirl Hat with Western Hat Band and a pair of Steve Madden Hadyn Sandals from DSW.
The perfect mix of fashionable and comfortable starts with a simple dress you can wear anywhere. The Simply Pretty Washed Blue Ribbed Pleated Sleeveless Mini Dress from Lulus keeps it easy and effortless, while Pink Lily’s Nashville Leopard Trucker Hat adds a fun, laid-back energy. Throw on a pair of Honey Brown Dr. Scholl’s Madison Cloud Platform Sandal from DSW for an extra level of comfort to get you through the long festival days.
The Pink Lily Meredith White and Pink Floral Shorts and Halter Vest set is a perfect warm-weather go-to, keeping you cool while still looking your best and ready to watch your favorite artists take the stage. Bring in a pop of color with the Cattleman Women’s Felt Cowgirl Hat with Western Hat Band in Cotton Candy Pink from American Hat Makers, and finish the look with the Trendsetting Take Gold and Brown Oval Sunglasses from Lulus to get you through the sunny days.
The post What to Wear to CMA Fest 2026: Outfit Ideas For The Perfect Festival Look appeared first on Country Now.
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It didn’t take long for Rip Wheeler to find a spot to bury his problems. Continue reading…Country Music News – Taste of Country