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Kyle Busch Hospitalized; NASCAR Team Asks for Prayers

Kyle Busch will miss this weekend’s races in Charlotte after being hospitalized for a severe illness. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Did Morgan Wallen + Hardy Just Make a Dig at the ACMs?

Morgan Wallen and Hardy appeared to take subtle jabs at the ACM Awards on social media, after both of them skipped the show. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Did Morgan Wallen + Hardy Just Make a Dig at the ACMs?

Morgan Wallen and Hardy appeared to take subtle jabs at the ACM Awards on social media, after both of them skipped the show. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Spotify House Returns to CMA Fest 2026 With Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Cody Johnson & More

Spotify House is returning to CMA Fest for its seventh year with a stacked lineup featuring country superstars including Luke Bryan, Kane Brown, Ashley McBryde, and Cody Johnson, along with rising talent like Avery Anna, Emily Ann Roberts, and Josh Ross.

Taking over Ole Red at 300 Broadway from June 4 through June 6, Spotify House will deliver three days of live music, high-energy performances, and a few special surprises along the way.

Spotify House 2026
Spotify House 2026

The 2026 Main Stage lineup will feature Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Kane Brown, Jelly Roll, Shaboozey, Diplo, Two Friends, Cody Johnson, Jon Pardi, Dan + Shay, Old Dominion, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Cole Swindell, Koe Wetzel, ERNEST, Russell Dickerson, Kameron Marlowe, Midland, The Band Perry, Tucker Wetmore, Wyatt Flores, Charles Wesley Godwin, Corey Kent, Tyler Braden, Dasha, Laci Kaye Booth, Avery Anna, Carter Faith, Emily Ann Roberts, Josh Ross, Graham Barham, Zach John King, Vincent Mason, and Ole 60. 

Once again, Spotify’s top Hot Country playlist fans will get early access to the house on a first-come, first-served basis. Spotify House will also bring back Entertainment Tonight correspondent Cassie DiLaura to host across all three days, alongside a new addition to the lineup: Conversation Starters founder and host Lex Niko.

Jelly Roll performs at Spotify House during CMA Fest at Ole Red on June 8, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee; Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Spotify
Jelly Roll performs at Spotify House during CMA Fest at Ole Red on June 8, 2024, in Nashville, Tennessee; Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Spotify

CMA Fest will return to downtown Nashville from June 4 through June 7, bringing free stages across Music City and drawing thousands each night to Nissan Stadium for its star-studded nighttime performances.  

See the daily lineup for Spotify House below. 

Spotify House 2026 Lineup 

Thursday

  • Ashley McBryde
  • Cody Johnson
  • Corey Kent
  • Emily Ann Roberts
  • Jelly Roll
  • Jon Pardi
  • Kameron Marlowe
  • Koe Wetzel
  • Laci Kaye Booth
  • Old Dominion
  • Two Friends
  • Zach John King

Friday

  • Avery Anna
  • Brothers Osborne
  • Carly Pearce
  • Diplo
  • ERNEST
  • Graham Barham
  • Keith Urban
  • Ole 60
  • Tucker Wetmore
  • Vincent Mason
  • Wyatt Flores

Saturday

  • Carter Faith
  • Charles Wesley Godwin
  • Cole Swindell
  • Dan + Shay
  • Dasha
  • Josh Ross
  • Kane Brown
  • Luke Bryan
  • Midland
  • Russell Dickerson
  • Shaboozey
  • The Band Perry
  • Tyler Braden

The post Spotify House Returns to CMA Fest 2026 With Luke Bryan, Ashley McBryde, Cody Johnson & More appeared first on Country Now.

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White House Lashes Out at Natalie Maines After Vulgar Criticism

The White House responded to Natalie Maines’ name-calling with one of its own. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Lauren Alaina Digs Up Teary-Eyed Video from the 2025 ACM Awards

Lauren has never been afraid of being vulnerable with her fans. Continue reading…​The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs

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Lauren Alaina Digs Up Teary-Eyed Video from the 2025 ACM Awards

Lauren has never been afraid of being vulnerable with her fans. Continue reading…​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Ella Langley Reveals Growing Bucket List of Career Dreams: ‘SNL’ Appearances, Selling Out Stadiums, and More

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.

Photo Courtesy of Ella Langley
Photo Courtesy of Ella Langley

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.”

Ella Langley; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Ella Langley; Photo by Andrew Wendowski

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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Everything We Know About Cody Johnson’s Next Album, ‘Banks Of The Trinity’

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.

Photo Courtesy of Cody Johnson
Photo Courtesy of Cody Johnson

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.

Cody Johnson - Banks Of The Trinity
Cody Johnson – Banks Of The Trinity

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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Blake Shelton Opens Up About Powerful New Single ‘Let Him In Anyway’ and Emotional Fan Reactions [Exclusive]

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.

Blake Shelton; Photo Provided
Blake Shelton; Photo Provided

“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.

Blake Shelton; Photo by Jamie Wendt
Blake Shelton; Photo by Jamie Wendt

“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.”

Blake Shelton; Photo by Jamie Wendt
Blake Shelton; Photo by Jamie Wendt

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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