Category: Music

Alexandra Kay is getting real about her feelings following Thursday’s CMA Awards nominee announcement.

In a raw and honest video shared to social media, Kay held nothing back as she explained what she was feeling when she heard the CMA Awards nominations being called out and her name was not among the list, specifically in the New Artist of the Year category.

“I just found out that I didn’t get nominated for a CMA Award,” Kay said. “And I’m not gonna lie to you guys. I didn’t necessarily expect it, because I don’t actually feel like I’ve had a successful enough year, in the back of my brain, to deserve a Best New Artist Award at the CMAs this year. But, with that being said, I did qualify. This is my first year taking a song to country radio. My song ‘Straight For the Heart‘ climbed up the charts to No. 26.”

Not earning a CMA Awards nomination came around the same time Kay learned that her single was stalling out at country radio, adding to what had been a rather disappointing stretch in her career. 

“I worked my a– off for every single chart position,” Kay admitted. “So when they called me a few weeks ago and told me, ‘We’re done. We’re not pushing the song anymore. It’s not moving up the chart anymore,’ I was devastated. I had pretty much the same day I had yesterday, when I found out I didn’t get nominated. And what a failure day looks like for me is lots of tears, lots of doubting myself, lots of anger, lots of just feeling so insignificant. Questioning everything.”

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The rising artist says she allowed herself to feel disappointed, even if it was just for a short time, and that her boyfriend, Rocko, was there to hold her and let her fully feel the emotions she was experiencing.

“I’m telling you guys this because I only allow myself to feel that for one day,” Kay says. “I tried the whole Tony Robbins thing, where he’s like, ‘You can only feel failure for ten minutes, then you gotta bounce right back.’ That just doesn’t work for me, so you gotta do what works for you. So yesterday, after I didn’t get nominated, I felt it. I felt it hard. Rocko held me in his arms. I didn’t push those feelings down, and I felt them fully. It’s not about how many times you fall. It’s about how many times you get up. It’s about how quickly your response is. Successful people, resilient people, they don’t have fewer problems. They just have a quicker recovery time.”

Now, just one day later, Kay is ready to pick herself back up and move forward. 

“So here I am on my back deck, getting ready to start a session with my trainer,” Kay told fans. “Getting on a flight to go play a show with Brett Young tonight. I’m writing some of the best music I have ever written in my entire career. And I did let it get me down, but I’m not going to let it keep me down. So, I’m gonna come back next year, and I’m gonna get it. And until then, I’m just gonna keep working hard.”

Fans rallied around Alexandra Kay in the comments section, applauding her for being real and encouraging her to move forward. 

The post Alexandra Kay Opens Up About CMA Awards Disappointment: ‘I Felt It. I Felt It Hard’ appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

September 11 is a painful day for all Americans, especially for those who lost loved ones in the tragic attacks of 2001. For Megan Moroney, the day carries deep personal weight. She lost her uncle, Dennis Gerard Moroney, on September 11, 2001.

The past few years, on the anniversary of the attacks that claimed nearly 3,000 lives, Moroney has shared a remembrance post on social media in his honor. The photo features his name engraved on the 9/11 Memorial at the site where the World Trade Center once stood, adorned with a single white flower.

While Moroney has rarely spoken publicly about the loss, she poured her grief into her music with “Heaven By Noon,” a track on her 2024 album Am I Okay?

The song tells the story of someone grappling with the sudden loss of a loved one, reflecting on their final conversation and the words left unsaid. The lyrics capture raw anger and sadness as she sings: “I know where you’re at/ And there ain’t no time at all/ No heartbreak, no more pain/ Just streets of gold you get to walk/ When I talked to you this mornin’/ I said, ‘I’ll see you soon’/ Would have said so much more if I only knew/ That you’d be in Heaven by noon.” 

During a conversation on Today’s Country Radio with Kelleigh Bannen on Apple Music Country, the Georgia native briefly opened up about the loss of her uncle and the inspiration behind the song. 

“A lot of people don’t know this, but my uncle died on 9/11, so I thought about my aunt when I was writing that song because… the last thing they talked about was an oil change. And so that’s probably not what she would’ve said, wanted to say to him if she knew it was going to be the last time,” Moroney shared at the time. ”It’s definitely a heart wrenching song, and I hope that it helps.”

In a separate interview with the LA Times, Moroney explained that she and her co-writers approached the song from a universal perspective, hoping that anyone who has experienced loss could find their own story within it.

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“I think my loyal fans know what it’s about, and maybe that makes it more real to them. This was my first time writing a song about grief, but I kind of wanted it to be a universal song that wasn’t so hyper-focused on my situation,” she explained. “I wrote it with Jessie Jo Dillon and Matt Jenkins, and we talked about people they’ve lost, and I was like, ‘OK, this is how it felt for my family — is this lining up with your story, too?’”

In early 2025, she performed the song in honor of members of the music industry who passed away during an in memoriam segment at Country Radio Seminar. It’s one of the few times she has delivered a performance of the song live.

@adventuresofaubs Megan playing Heaven by Noon in Denver tonight 😭 #meganmoroney #cloud9 #denver #concert #cloud9tour ♬ original sound – Aubree🌈🌸

During her 2026 Cloud 9 arena Tour, Moroney delivered an emotional performance of the song at her show in Denver in late August.

“This is the most requested song of the entire tour. I just don’t play it that often,” the Georgia native shared during the acoustic portion of her show.

She later admitted, “It’s hard to get through.”

A heartbreaking song born from an unimaginable loss, “Heaven By Noon” hits especially hard on the 25th anniversary of 9/11.

The post Megan Moroney Honors Uncle Lost on 9/11 With Emotional Song ‘Heaven By Noon’ appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

After a decade in country music, Carly Pearce says her perspective on life and her job as a country artist has shifted significantly. That change has not only influenced the way she approaches her music, but also how she shows up in her relationships and friendships.

One relationship that has remained especially meaningful throughout her career is her friendship with Kelsea Ballerini. The two first met when Ballerini was 19 and Pearce was 23. At the time, they were both just a couple of young women trying to find their footing in the Nashville scene. Pearce opened up about their close bond during an interview on Alchemy with Anthony Mason.

The Kentucky native admits that while they formed a friendship fairly quickly, she remembers feeling jealousy towards Ballerini after seeing that she had landed a record while Pearce was still independent and working towards that goal.

“I didn’t like her at first because she had a record deal and I didn’t. And I was like, ‘who’s this girl that’s 19 that’s already getting a record deal?’”

However that envy completely went away when Pearce realized that she had actually found a safe place in her fellow songstress.

“We’ve been through a lot together. I know I can go to her and she’s going to understand and vice versa, and we have that dialogue. And again, in whatever business you’re in, for us, there’s a very small amount of people that understand what this is like. And I always feel so seen by her, but we’ve grown up together and I love her,” she admitted.

That closeness eventually made its way into their music. Pearce and Ballerini previously teamed up with Kelly Clarkson on “You’re Drunk, Go Home,” giving fans a glimpse of the friendship they had built behind the scenes.

“It’s hard to find people,” Pearce continued. “In my experience, it has been hard for me to find real friends and hers as well. And truthfully, what I have with her, I don’t need anyone else. It’s really special.”

What started as a friendship between two young women has grown into a lasting bond over the years. Now, Carly Pearce and Kelsea Ballerini often find themselves oversharing over a glass of wine and making plenty of memories along the way. During a game of “Sip or Spill” with Entertainment Tonight, Pearce was asked about the craziest thing the two have ever done together. Her response said it all as she chose to take a sip rather than spill the details.

“We’re so eager, almost like golden retrievers of like, no, let us tell you. And I think we really connected in that way and it felt like, oh, I want to be your friend.”

Pearce went on to say that she has reached a point where she is more intentional about appreciating the present moment, both in her career and in the relationships that exist outside of music.

“I think I’m more aware now of what is important to me. And I think maybe I spent the 10 years not understanding time. I think now I’m more appreciative. I think my shows are better because I’m more present. I think my relationships outside of music are richer because I care and I’m more present. I think I’m actively taking care of that side of my life for the first time. And I think you can have both.”

She credits much of that newfound joy to making her latest record, Honest Woman, a project that helped her reconnect with the passion she first found in music.

“I found the joy again. It’s my favorite music I’ve ever made. I’m having more fun on stage now than when I was female vocalist of the year. I have the joy. I found the joy again. I found the fulfillment again.”

Moving forward, whether she’s winning awards and climbing the charts or not, Carly Pearce is taking a page from Dolly Parton’s book by refusing to settle for ordinary and continuing to push herself to raise the bar.

“It’s been a minute since I’ve seen number one on the chart. Okay. Not all my shows are always full. Okay. I’m not always nominated. Okay. But I can guarantee you that I work my butt off to make sure that I make myself continue to do this and raise the bar and do the things that I can control because at the end of the day, none of us can control. There’s no rhyme or reason to any of it. But I know I’ve made the best record I’ve ever made now.”

The post Carly Pearce Reflects on Finding Joy Again and Her Unbreakable Bond With Kelsea Ballerini appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

After a whirlwind 10-day vacation in Japan with his wife, Caleigh, and the final shows of his 39-stop THE COUNTRY! COUNTRY! TOUR, HARDY is shifting his focus to new music.

In a recent interview with Lon Helton on Country Countdown USA, HARDY revealed that he’s been working on some of the best music he’s ever written. While he remained tight-lipped about a release timeline, he teased that he believes the new music will resonate with fans, especially considering the concept is similar to something he’s done in the past that proved to be quite popular.

“I have been in the studio, I’ve been writing. I’ve written 6 or 8 of the best songs I’ve ever written. They’re all on this record. I’m very excited about it,” HARDY shared. “I have a concept, and it’s similar to something I’ve done in the past that was very popular. New music is coming, a lot of it, and a lot of good stuff. It’s very close. Closer than you might think.”

Always one to keep fans on their toes, HARDY also revealed that he’s been working closely with fellow country star Kane Brown on something that could surprise fans.

“I’ve been writing some stuff with Kane. Without giving too much away, Kane & I have something going on together that might come out at some point,” he teased. “That’s as vague as I can be. We’ve spent time in the studio together. We’ve written some songs. We’re cookin’ on something. I have no idea when or where.”

On Thursday, HARDY earned a CMA Awards nomination for “McArthur,” which he co-wrote with Eric Church, Morgan Wallen and Tim McGraw. While chatting with Helton, he looked back on the story behind the song and the writing session that brought it to life alongside Chase McGill, Jameson Rodgers and Josh Thompson.

“I was in a writing session, and one of the writers said, ‘What if we did John’s verse, and then jumped to his son, and we make it about how this family has passed down this farm through generations.’  Everything just fell together,” he recalled. “I got bold and sent it to Eric.  He immediately texted me and said he was in. Same with Morgan. The three of us sent it to Tim, and the rest is history. We kind of got lucky.”

“McArthur” is vying for the title of Musical Event of the Year at the upcoming 60th Annual CMA Awards. The show, hosted by Lainey Wilson, will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 18, at 8/7c on ABC and Disney+. The broadcast will also be available to stream on Hulu the following day.     

The post HARDY Teases ‘A Lot’ Of New Music, Reveals He’s ‘Cookin’ On Something’ With Kane Brown appeared first on Country Now.

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Nashville is officially taking the next step toward incorporating Dolly Parton’s name into to the Nashville International Airport. Local news outlets report that the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) Board of Commissioners and the Metropolitan Planning Commission Board of Directors voted unanimously to begin the process during a special joint meeting Sept. 11

The push to honor Parton at the airport came after a petition that launched before her death gained massive momentum following her passing on August 25, 2026. The petition has since collected more than 175,000 signatures.

Gov. Bill Lee, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and members of the Metro City Council have also voiced their support for honoring Parton in this way.

Back in august, Lee stated, “Dolly Parton’s extraordinary life is forever woven into the fabric of our state…From her rural mountain home in East Tennessee to global stages, Dolly carried the Volunteer Spirit with her. At a place where Tennessee welcomes the world, it is fitting that Nashville International Airport would bear the name of our state’s favorite daughter.”

As word for the proposal began to spread, Parton’s family and foundation added their support. Lee noted that he spoke with Dolly’s team about the idea, and they shared appreciation for the “extraordinary outpouring of support to honor Dolly,” adding that they were touched by the gesture and welcomed “continuing the conversation.”

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority voted 6-0 to begin the renaming process. Airport leaders will spend the coming months working with the necessary parties to determine how Parton’s name will be incorporated and what changes will need to be made.

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One of the proposed names is Dolly Parton International Airport. According to NewsChannel 5, the airport’s existing BNA code would remain in place, preserving its connection to Col. Harry S. Berry, who helped establish the airport in 1939.

Before the renaming can officially take effect, the airport authority will also need to revisit its current naming policy (Rule 2010-33), which generally says that airport properties cannot be named after someone until at least two years after their death.

If the name change receives final approval, airport officials will then begin working through the administrative process with the FAA, including changing all signage and finalizing any necessary paperwork. The entire process is expected to take six months to a year, with the cost estimated at $8 million to $10 million.

So, while today’s vote does not mean travelers can immediately start booking flights to “Dolly Parton International Airport,” it does serve as the first major step toward making the proposed name a reality.

The post Nashville Airport Board Unanimously Votes To Support Renaming Airport After Dolly Parton appeared first on Country Now.

​Country Now

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