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Kelsea Ballerini Explores Self-Reflection and Regret in Heartfelt New Track, ‘I Sit In Parks’

Kelsea Ballerini is digging deeper than ever before, inviting fans into her most raw and vulnerable thoughts with her brand-new song, “I Sit In Parks.” The track offers a candid glimpse into her personal reflections, exploring the choices she’s made in life and the sacrifices that come with chasing a career in music.

The self-written track hits from the very first line: “I sit in parks, it breaks my heart / Cause I see just how far I am from the things that I want…”

In the song, Ballerini sits in the park and witnesses a family enjoying a day together over a picnic and it hits her: “We look about the same age/ But we don’t have the same Saturdays.”

Kelsea Ballerini; Photo Via YouTube
Kelsea Ballerini; Photo Via YouTube

In the chorus, Ballerini questions whether or not it’s too late for her as she sings, “Did I miss it? By now, is it A lucid dream? Is it my fault/ For chasing things a body clock/ Doesn’t wait for? I did the damn tour/ It’s what I wanted, what I got I spun around and then I stopped/ And wonder if I missed the mark.” 

Fans familiar with Ballerini’s work know her storytelling is always deeply personal. Her Rolling Up The Welcome Mat EP explored heartbreak and her very public divorce, but in many ways, “I Sit In Parks” feels even more intimate. She shares moments of quiet self-reflection, honest doubt, and the coping mechanisms she leans on when navigating life’s lows, creating a song that is as relatable as it is introspective.  

Her fans are already connecting deeply with the song.

“As a single girl in her thirties, I’ve never related to a song more,” one listener wrote.

Another added, “This song absolutely WRECKED me in the best way possible. Thank you, Kelsea, for continuing to put out music that is so beautifully written and relatable.”

The East Tennessee native paired the release with a brand new music video that pairs perfectly with the song’s emotional storyline. 

“I Sit In Parks” is a prelude to her upcoming six-song collection, Mount Pleasant, which is set to arrive on November 14. 

Mount Pleasant - Kelsea Ballerini
Mount Pleasant – Kelsea Ballerini

“I have always made records – whether songs, EPs or albums – to capture a moment in time,” Ballerini shared. “Mount Pleasant is a collection of six songs I’ve written throughout the summer, marking a chapter of heavy self-examination, longing and stepping further into who I am as a 32-year old woman.”

Opry member Kelsea Ballerini is set to perform at the Grand Ole Opry on November 14, the same day her new collection, Mount Pleasant, is released. She is also nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year at the upcoming 59th Annual CMA Awards.

The post Kelsea Ballerini Explores Self-Reflection and Regret in Heartfelt New Track, ‘I Sit In Parks’ appeared first on Country Now.

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Brad Paisley Talks Bringing Holiday Magic To Life On New Christmas Album, ‘Snow Globe Town’

For Brad Paisley, the holiday season means getting to reconnect with loved ones, slow down and make memories to last a lifetime. That warmth and comforting spirit is exactly what he wanted to capture in his second-ever Christmas album, Snow Globe Town.

Among the 16 tracks, fans will find eight new songs written by Brad as well as his take on some beloved Christmas classics that have filled the homes of those who celebrate for decades.

Creating a Christmas album wasn’t originally in Paisley’s plans for this year. However, when Hallmark asked him to write two new songs to perform Hallmark’s upcoming holiday film, A Grand Ole Opry Christmas, he suddenly felt the call to expand that request into a full project.

Photo Courtesy of Brad Paisley
Photo Courtesy of Brad Paisley

“If you had asked me what my next project was in July, I would’ve told you, ‘well, I’ve got these songs I’m writing, so sometime next year we’ll probably put an album out or something.’ I didn’t know I was doing a Christmas album,” he told Country Now and other outlets. “It was around that time that Hallmark approached and…they had already asked about being a part of this Opry movie. And I said, sure. And then they had asked if I would write a song, and then they asked if I would write three songs, and then they asked if I had anything else. And they said, if you’re going to do an album or if you feel like doing a Christmas album, it’s a great time because we’re going to tie in all of these promotions and we can work with you on it.”

The country singer/songwriter first got to work on the three songs Hallmark had requested, resulting in the creation of “Leave The Christmas Lights On,” “Falling Just Like The Snow,” and “Counting Down The Days,” which became the official anthem of Hallmark Channel’s 16th annual Countdown To Christmas event.

He leaned into that flowing creativity and suddenly found himself with a total of 16 tracks and a title inspired by the magical picturesque setting of Franklin, TN in the wintertime.

Brad Paisley; Snow Globe Town
Brad Paisley; Snow Globe Town

“So the next thing you know, it went from cutting a few songs for this Hallmark thing to writing a bunch, including the title track, which was the idea of my co-writer Clint Lagerberg. He’s like, ‘Franklin is this snow globe town.’ It’s literally, if you look at downtown Franklin this time of year, it is, I mean, it looks like they just shook it up and it’s got the tree in the middle of the town square, and every shop has lights and it’s magic.”

Then he started to pull from some of his real-life holiday experiences, like the problems of the Elf on the Shelf in his home, which inspired the lighthearted track “That Crazy Elf (On The Shelf).” Then there’s tracks like “Last Year” that capture the more bittersweet side to the holidays when you realize some loved ones are no longer around for the family gatherings.

“Last year we had 21 people here on the farm, and that’s a big deal to get to be together. The longer time goes, we’ve lost family members that don’t get to be here. Now in that sense, you realize these are really these little time capsules that we make every time we do these memories and these houses and family gathers…There’s a song on here that is that to me. And that really is the bittersweet side of it,” Paisley explained.

He went on to not that “Last Year” was originally recorded by Kelleigh Bannen for another Hallmark movie called Sister Swap: Christmas in the City, that Paisley’s wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and sister, Ashley Williams previously starred in. This time, Paisley wanted to add his voice to the song alongside Bannen’s so that he could sing about the personal story that first inspired it.

“What I really wrote it about was I wrote it about my wife’s cousin, Steven. They’re from North Carolina, and he and his wife and his son would come in and stay here. And it was Christmas when they arrived because their son was around the same age as our kids. And Steven passed away in December,” Paisley explained.

“And that Christmas…was the worst year. He was young when he died, he died of an infection. He was 40. He had a five-year-old, and the rest of the family and his wife and son still came here for Christmas. I just said, ‘you’ve got to come here. You can’t not be with us. And we somehow got through that. But that’s what that song is about, which is essentially, sometimes it’s about the memories you already made and not about this year. And so I cherish the memories.”

For the Christmas classics, the West Virginia native drew on past holiday seasons, choosing to record the songs that bring back his fondest memories and get him fully in the festive spirit. But he also wanted to make sure that these weren’t just standard covers, he wanted to add his own style to each one.

Fans will find holiday staples like “The Christmas Song,” “My Favorite Things,” “The First Noel,” “O Holy Night” “A Marshmallow World,” “Jingle Bell Rock,” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.”

Everything from the production of the songs to the sequencing and even the cover art was carefully thought out by Brad Paisley. Fans can hear a few of the new tracks in the new Nashville based Hallmark movie that’s set to premiere Thanksgiving weekend, Saturday, November 29. at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Hallmark Channel, streaming next day on Hallmark+.

The Grand Ole Opry member is set to appear in the original film alongside Nikki DeLoach, Kristoffer Polaha, and many other familiar faces from the Opry and country music.

Once he has officially reached the end of the Christmas season, Brad Paisley will get back into the headspace of preparing for his “Truck Still Works World Tour” which is extended into 2026 with a summer tour of Europe. The tour, which kicked off in May, is currently on its Canadian leg. Special guests for the tour in Europe will be announced at a later time. 

The post Brad Paisley Talks Bringing Holiday Magic To Life On New Christmas Album, ‘Snow Globe Town’ appeared first on Country Now.

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Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, Miranda Lambert, and Shaboozey Among 2026 Country GRAMMY Nominees

Nominees for the 2026 GRAMMY Awards have been revealed, with country stars like Zach Top, Shaboozey, Chris Stapleton, Tyler Childers, Lainey Wilson and Miranda Lambert taking home multiple nominations. 

While no country artists were named in the major all-genre categories like Best New Artist, Album of the Year, or Song of the Year, the genre was well-represented across country-specific categories, including Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Duo/Group Performance, Best Country Song, and Best Traditional and Contemporary Country Albums. 

See below for the list of country GRAMMY nominees. 

First Look at GRAMMY Stage for The 66th Annual Grammy Awards Stage; Photo: Courtesy of The Recording Academy ©2024 /photographer: Juliana Bernstein
First Look at GRAMMY Stage for The 66th Annual Grammy Awards Stage; Photo: Courtesy of The Recording Academy ©2024 /photographer: Juliana Bernstein

Best Country Solo Performance 

“Nose On The Grindstone”
Tyler Childers

“Good News”
Shaboozey

**Bad As I Used To Be [From “F1® The Movie”]**
Chris Stapleton

“I Never Lie”
Zach Top

“Somewhere Over Laredo”
Lainey Wilson

Best Country Duo/Group Performance 

‘A Song To Sing”
Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton

“Trailblazer”
Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson

“Love Me Like You Used To Do”
Margo Price & Tyler Childers

“Amen”
Shaboozey & Jelly Roll

“Honky Tonk Hall Of Fame”
George Strait, Chris Stapleton

Best Country Song 

Bitin’ List
Tyler Childers, songwriter (Tyler Childers)

Good News
Michael Ross Pollack, Sam Elliot Roman & Jacob Torrey, songwriters (Shaboozey)

I Never Lie
Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols & Zach Top, songwriters (Zach Top)

Somewhere Over Laredo
Andy Albert, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson & Lainey Wilson, songwriters (Lainey Wilson)

A Song To Sing
Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure, Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton, songwriters (Miranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton)

Best Traditional Country Album 

Dollar A Day
Charley Crockett

American Romance
Lukas Nelson

Oh What A Beautiful World
Willie Nelson

Hard Headed Woman
Margo Price

Ain’t In It For My Health
Zach Top

Best Contemporary Country Album 

Patterns
Kelsea Ballerini

Snipe Hunter
Tyler Childers

Evangeline Vs. The Machine
Eric Church

Beautifully Broken
Jelly Roll

Postcards From Texas
Miranda Lambert

Additionally, two Nashville songwriters earned nominations in the Songwriter Of The Year, Non-Classical category, including Jessie Jo Dillon and Laura Veltz (see details below).

Jessie Jo Dillon

Bless Your Heart (Megan Moroney) (T)

Bottomland (HARDY) (S)

Dreams Don’t Die (Jelly Roll) (S)

First Rodeo (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)

Happen To Me (Russell Dickerson) (S)

Hello S—ty Day (Jake Worthington, Miranda Lambert)(S)

If You Were Mine (Morgan Wallen) (T)

Patterns (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)

To The Men That Love Women After Heartbreak (Kelsea Ballerini) (T)

Laura Veltz

About You (BigXthaPlug Featuring Tucker Wetmore) (T)

Blue Strips (Jessie Murph) (S)

Grand Bouquet (Maren Morris) (T)

Leave Me Too (Josh Ross) (S)

Parallel Universe (Lauren Spencer Smith) (T)

Someone In This Room (Jessie Murph Featuring Bailey Zimmerman) (T)

Touch Me Like A Gangster (Jessie Murph) (S)

What Tomorrow’s For (Blessing Offor) (T)

You’ll Be OK, Kid – From The Original Documentary “Child Star” (Demi Lovato) (S)

“The GRAMMY Awards are our opportunity to honor the people who make this community so vibrant and this year’s nominees remind us of the incredible talent that is driving music forward,” said Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy. “From emerging talent to influential icons, these nominees reflect today’s broad and diverse musical landscape, and I am excited to celebrate them in the coming weeks ahead and on Music’s Biggest Night®.” 

The GRAMMY Awards are determined by the Recording Academy’s voting members—music creators from every genre and discipline, including recording artists, songwriters, composers, producers, mixers, and engineers. The nominees were revealed during a livestream event on live.GRAMMY.com and YouTube.

The GRAMMY Awards will return to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, February 1, 2026, with a live broadcast on CBS and streaming on Paramount+ from 8–11:30 p.m. ET / 5–8:30 p.m. PT. Ahead of the main telecast, the GRAMMY Awards Premiere Ceremony® will take place at the Peacock Theater at 12:30 p.m. PT, streaming live on live.GRAMMY.com and the Recording Academy’s YouTube channel.

The post Lainey Wilson, Zach Top, Miranda Lambert, and Shaboozey Among 2026 Country GRAMMY Nominees appeared first on Country Now.

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Cody Johnson Releases Long-Awaited Studio Version of ‘Travelin’ Soldier’

Fans asked, and Cody Johnson finally answered. For years, people have begged him to release an official studio version of “Travelin’ Soldier,” ever since his acoustic YouTube cover took off. Now, just in time for Veterans Day, the full version is here. It’s a heartfelt salute to every branch of the military and to all first responders who serve with courage.

Travelin' Soldier Cover; Library of Congress photo, art design by Madelyn Ormond
Travelin’ Soldier Cover; Library of Congress photo, art design by Madelyn Ormond

“It’s been three years since we released an acoustic cover of ‘Travelin’ Soldier.’ The fans responded so enthusiastically and began requesting it during our live shows so it’s remained on the set list,” Johnson shared. “I had no idea that it was going to give me the opportunity to hear, see, and bring words to y’all’s stories. I knew at some point, when the time felt right, we needed to record it in the studio. And that time is now COJO Nation!”

“Travelin’ Soldier” was written and recorded by Bruce Robinson. Many people know The Chicks’ version of “Travelin’ Soldier,” which was released as a single by the trio in 2002. They famously performed the song during the 2001 CMA Awards and earned a No.1 single with the track. 

Cody Johnson’s recording of “Travelin’ Soldier” comes as his latest radio single, “The Fall,” continues to climb the charts. The song is the second single off his Leather Deluxe Edition album and was written by Bobby Pinson, Jeremy Stover, and Ray Fulcher.

“The Fall” delivers a reflective, bittersweet message about the highs and lows of life as the Texas native sings, “The ride was worth the fall/ The fall was worth the smiles/ The smiles were worth the tears/ Tears were worth the miles/ Miles were worth the pain/ Pain was worth it all/ It’s all worth this life/ Life is worth the ride/ The ride is worth the fall.” 

Photo Courtesy of Cody Johnson
Photo Courtesy of Cody Johnson

Recently, Johnson brought the song to life with a music video, blending his love for country music and rodeo into one cinematic clip featuring world champion bull fighter Cody Webster.

Cody Johnson is heading into “The 59th Annual CMA Awards” with four big nominations. He’s up for Entertainer of the Year for the first time, plus Male Vocalist of the Year, and both Music Event and Video of the Year for his two-week number one hit with Carrie Underwood, “I’m Gonna Love You.”    

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‘Duck Dynasty’: Phil Robertson Hated Country Music

His son once tried to introduce him to Hank Williams, Jr. — and Robertson didn’t even get through a song before telling him to turn it off. Continue reading…

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Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson + More to Perform at 2025 CMAs

The nine performances includes a trio of Female Vocalist of the Year nominees, two Male Vocalist of the Year nominees and all five singers up for New Artist of the Year. Continue reading…

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WATCH: Colt Ford Crashed Our Jake Owen Interview, Things Got Wild

As soon as they got in the room together, Ford and Owen started joking about golf, sharing hot takes about bro country and more. Continue reading…

​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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Jason + Brittany Aldean Present Charlie Kirk Legacy Award: WATCH

An unforgettable night turned emotional when Jason and Brittany Aldean stepped forward to honor a woman who refuses to stay silent. Continue reading…

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Brad Paisley: Kimberly + Diane Keaton Had an ‘Iconic’ Bond

The singer says his wife Kimberly Williams-Paisley felt almost like she’d lost a family member when her co-star and mentor Diane Keaton died. Continue reading…

​Country Music News – Taste of Country

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‘Duck Dynasty’: Phil Robertson Hated Country Music

His son once tried to introduce him to Hank Williams, Jr. — and Robertson didn’t even get through a song before telling him to turn it off. Continue reading…

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