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Country Music News – Taste of Country
Category: Music
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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
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The Boot – Country Music News, Music Videos and Songs
MaRynn Taylor has had a memorable year, and she’s ending it on a festive high note as a special guest on Chris Young’s first-ever holiday tour, It Must Be Christmas – An Acoustic Evening with Chris Young.
From the moment the tour kicked off on November 21 at the Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids, IA, Taylor has been bringing a mix of her original songs and classic Christmas favorites to fans each night.
“Performing Christmas music has been so fun because it’s my all- time favorite time of year. I love getting to sing them every night,” she tells Country Now. “And then I get to sing my own every night too. So I do a song that’s called ‘Pretty Much,’ ‘Season 2 of Friends’ and ‘Same Girl Same.’ And I love that I get to play my own songs, but also get to celebrate the season.”
The 15-date tour has offered an intimate experience for fans with acoustic performances from Taylor and Young, as well as a heavy dose of the Christmas spirit through the festive stage setup. Taylor noted that seeing the stunning array of trees light up the stage each night in an elaborate display has been one of her favorite parts of the tour.
“Some of my favorite moments on the road so far on this Christmas tour has been the eight giant Christmas trees that are on stage every single night. When I showed up on the first day, I was like, no way. There’s no way there’s eight Christmas trees and they’re beautiful,” she recalled. “Getting to be on stage with a ton of Christmas trees behind me that get decorated every single day for the show has been so fun to be a part of.”
Christmas has always been such a beloved time of year for Taylor, making this experience that much more memorable. Another way she loves to celebrate is by taking a trip to Austin, TX, to see her family. After wrapping up the tour this weekend with final stops in Montclair, NJ (Dec. 19) and Wallingford, CT (Dec. 20), she’ll return to the Lonestar State to be with her loved ones and spread more Christmas joy through music.
“My grandma’s there. I just have so many memories of my grandma growing up and be at Christmas time and she’s in assisted living now. And so I’ve been learning a lot of Christmas songs on my guitar that I get to go in and sing with her because she loves to sing. And so I’m really excited to go and see her and celebrate with her.”
The trek with Chris Young rounds out a milestone year for MaRynn Taylor. She also spent time on the road with Jake Scott and performed in some of her biggest venues yet while serving as support for Kelsea Ballerini.
“Some standout moments from 2025 was definitely the Kelsea Ballerini tour. It was all arenas and I’ve never gotten to do that before,” she shared humbly. “Getting to go on that tour was just so magical and I loved every minute of it. I loved CMA Fest. I loved touring during the summertime and getting to end it with this Chris Young Christmas tour is really just a little cherry on top.”
Being on the road so much this year has taught the rising star a lot of important lessons, including how to maintain healthy routines and establish good eating and sleeping habits.
“Everything is very, very different and I feel like I’ve surprised myself with just what I’m capable of and just how to get through it. It’s tiring and it’s exhausting, but I never get tired of it.”
In addition to the tours, she crossed off several other big goals like making her national TV debut on CBS Mornings and releasing her official debut album, titled MaRynn, in August. This project allowed her to show fans a new side to her as a person and an artist through powerful songwriting and vulnerable storytelling inspired by real-life moments.
She is now looking ahead to 2026, ready to focus on her next creative chapter and give fans even more new music.
“Plans in 2026 right now consists of writing a bunch. I’m going to be writing at the top of the year and so I’m really excited and inspired to just go in and write some new things. I got to release my debut album in 2025 and so I’m really excited to go in and see what more do I want to say,” she added.
The post MaRynn Taylor Reflects on Wrapping Up a Memorable Year on the Road with Chris Young’s Christmas Tour appeared first on Country Now.
Country Now
Lainey Wilson recently scored her ninth No. 1 at country radio with “Somewhere Over Laredo,” and she revealed that the song holds a special place in her heart, because it’s her dad’s favorite.
During a recent appearance on Audacy’s Katie & Company, Wilson opened up about the track and the GRAMMY nominations that took her by surprise. She shared that she’s thrilled the song is finally getting its moment, especially knowing how much it means to her dad, Brian.
“I was not expecting it at all this year, to be honest with you, but it feels good,” she explained. “I’m so proud of ‘Somewhere Over Laredo,’ and I was hoping that this song would get its flowers.”
She went on to explain that her dad’s support made the song even more meaningful.
“My daddy told me, he was like, ‘It don’t get no better than ‘Somewhere Over Laredo.’ You can write whatever.” And that’s his favorite song. And so I’m so proud of it and I’m glad to see that there are people in the industry who think it needs its flowers too.”
The song is nominated for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance at the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, and Wilson is also nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance with “Trailblazer,” her collaboration with Reba McEntire and Miranda Lambert.
“Somewhere Over Laredo” gives a nod to the iconic song “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and is featured on Wilson’s Whirlwind Deluxe project.
Of the song, Wilson shared, “It feels emotional, but it also … It’s one of those songs that I feel like takes you back, but also puts you in a different head space. You get to feel a lot of the feelings.”
Lainey Wilson wrapped up 2025 with a pair of shows in Las Vegas, following a busy year that included hosting the CMA Awards, completing the North American leg of her Whirlwind World Tour, and performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But she’s not slowing down yet. Wilson is set to perform during Snoop Dogg’s Holiday Halftime Party on NFL Christmas Gameday, December 25. The event will also feature Snoop Dogg and appearances from the singing voices of HUNTR/X: EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, and REI AMI.
Looking ahead to 2026, Wilson will take her live show to New Zealand, Australia, and beyond, in addition to making her acting debut in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him.
The post Lainey Wilson Reveals ‘Somewhere Over Laredo’ Is Her Dad’s Favorite Song appeared first on Country Now.
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Brett Kissel and his wife, Cecilia, have announced that after 15 years of marriage, they will be getting a divorce. The couple shared the news in a joint Instagram post, which included a handwritten letter explaining their decision to fans.
The note began, “It is with a clear mind and a loving heart that we have made the decision to end our marriage of almost 15 years. We have come to realize after a great deal of deep soul searching that we are no longer suited to be married to one another. This is a very big decision which we have not taken lightly.”
They went on to emphasize that fans should not worry about them or their four children in this process as they are committed to co-parenting and maintaining a strong friendship moving forward.
“We look to our future with optimism, with love, and with great respect for one another,” the letter concluded.
In the caption, they also revealed that they have been quietly separated for the past year and a half now and are “doing well” as a family. Thanking their followers for their “support and understanding,” the couple also asked for continued kindness and privacy as they navigate this new chapter.
“Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate this new chapter…we would greatly appreciate your continued kindness moving forward and ask that you respect the privacy of our family. With love, Brett & Cece.”
According to the Canadian country act, he recalls first meeting Cecilia in 2008. He was just 17 at the time, but being young didn’t hold him back from experiencing what he calls “love at first sight.” Brett saw her at a rodeo concert he was performing at and instantly felt a connection.
That bond started out as a friendship, but eventually blossomed into something much stronger and by the end of that same year, Brett says he knew he wanted to be by her side for forever.
He got down on one knee and proposed in late 2009 at 19 years old and she said ‘yes.’
“Sure, we were young, but I knew. She knew. It was right,” the “Let Your Horses Run” singer admitted.
They tied the knot in 2011 and have since become parents to four children: two daughters Mila, 9, and Aria, 8, and two sons Leo, 6, and Atlas, 3.
Throughout his career, Cecilia, now an influencer and blogger, remained a constant source of support, following Brett around the world as he chased his dream. Their love has also inspired Brett’s music. Over the years, he’s written multiple songs for Cecilia, including tracks like “Red Carpet” and “Ten Years From Now,” as well as the heartfelt “Cecilia.”
Amid this difficult personal time, Brett Kissel has continued to lean into music. Fans got a heavy dose of his powerful songwriting with his latest release, “Farmer” featuring Lee Brice, which follows his deluxe project that dropped earlier this year, Let Your Horses Run – The Album.
He has one final show left for the year, before joining Lee Brice on the Sunriser Tour as a special guest on select dates, beginning in August. His last performance of 2025 will take place on December 31 as a special New Year’s Eve show at the Silent Ice Center in Nisku AB.
The post Brett Kissel and Wife Cecilia Announce Divorce After 15 Years appeared first on Country Now.
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Priscilla Block knows firsthand that success in country music rarely happens overnight. Though her career found momentum online, years of grinding in Music City laid the foundation and that work ethic has never left her. Along the way, she’s looked to strong female acts like Taylor Swift and Miranda Lambert as proof that building something lasting takes time.
Watching Lambert steadily build her career by consistently putting out music and working hard to sell tickets has helped Block appreciate the importance of every step of her journey, even the smaller moments that might have felt insignificant at the time. During a recent interview on the In The Blind Podcast, she admitted there were times early on when she wondered why things weren’t happening faster, but she now sees that those experiences ultimately made the milestones that followed feel even more meaningful.
“I look up to Miranda Lambert a lot and back to her just building her tickets and putting out music consistently throughout the years and I don’t know, [it] makes every single moment super special when it happens,” she explained. “My first number one was my third single at Country radio and before that I’m like, ‘damn, why isn’t this happening?’ I’m like, those were also big moments for me. Not every single song in every single moment is going to be big, but if you appreciate it, all the bigger moments feel better.”
She also points to Lainey Wilson as someone who’s been a constant source of support for her.
“Lainey Wilson is just, she’s always been one of those people that I feel like if there was anything that I needed or another girl to confide in, I feel like I could pick up the phone and call her anytime,” Block explained.
The North Carolina native added that it’s been exciting that more women seem to be thriving in country music right now and creating a community that uplifts each other.
“I think that now more than it has been for a long time, I think women are really kind of popping off in country right now, which is exciting to see. I think for a long time it was maybe it’s only one person going to be let in at a time or whatever It was…I think music is just, if it’s good, it’s good. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girl or a guy.”
That mindset goes back to how she was raised, as Block says her parents always made her believe she could do anything the guys could do and that is a lesson she’s carried with her into country music.
“I think good songs win and good people win and I’m just going to try and continue to put out the best music I can. And I hope that it continues resonating with people.”
Lambert and Wilson are both driving forces in the genre who have earned fans respect and love by being their most authentic selves and letting that show through in their music. That kind of vulnerability is something Block has always been drawn to and now she’s trying to do the same with her own career through songs like “Thick Thighs,” “My Bar,” “Couldn’t Care Less,” and so many more.
“I just try to stay in my lane and write songs that feel true to me and I think people sniff it out, you know what I mean? If it doesn’t feel real to you or if it feels like you’re putting on a facade or whatever, I think people sniff it, especially in today’s world. [With] social media, everyone can find out everything that they need to know about somebody online… I just feel like the way it is, fans just want real. And so I try to not chase anything like that, you know what I mean? I’m just doing me and writing what feels real.”
@priscillablock SURPRISE!! Couldn’t care less is OUT NOW!!!! Album coming 10.10🤎
Luckily, this has proved to pay off among country music fans and Block says it’s because of their support that she’s gained so much momentum in her career. From crowdfunding early music to showing up at shows in crop tops and safety vests, they’ve been there since the beginning. And when fans tell her they feel more confident or more themselves because of her music, it reminds her why she started in the first place.
“At the end of the day, the fans are the ones that changed my life. So why wouldn’t I just try and be raw, real vulnerable and put out the music again that’s true to me? And I think it hits people. And it’s awesome when girls show up to my show and they’re like, ‘I wore the crop top because I knew that you’d be wearing the crop top.’ I’m like hell yeah. It’s just so many stories of people that are like ‘Priscilla, I feel like I love myself so much more now since I’ve listened to your music.’ It literally makes me cry. But that is why you do it. I mean, y’all know those moments where people are like, ‘you change my life.’ And so if I can do that, then I’m winning.”
Block went on to say that becoming that source of empowerment for her fans is something she will never “take for granted” because it means she is continuing to achieve her ultimate goal, which is to make music that truly impacts people.
Fans will get to experience some of her most emotionally vulnerable songs yet off her latest project, Things You Didn’t See, in a whole new way when she brings them to life on stage throughout her headline tour of the same name.
The trek launches Thursday, January 22, in San Luis Obispo and continues through March, when she wraps things up at Nashville’s legendary Ryman Auditorium with a special ‘Priscilla Block & Friends’ performance.
The post Priscilla Block Finds Inspiration in Miranda Lambert and Lainey Wilson’s Authentic Approach to Country Music appeared first on Country Now.
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