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Ashley Monroe is turning heads with her surprise album Dear Nashville and its brutally honest track “I Hate Nashville,” which serves as a letter to the city she calls home, detailing the complicated love/hate relationship she has with the place that has both lifted her dreams and, at times, broken them.

She first teased the concept album with an open letter shared on Instagram, reflecting on her 23+ year journey in Music City. In it, she revisited the highs and lows of her career, from being signed and later dropped by multiple labels to earning two No. 1 songs and three GRAMMY nominations.

In the deeply personal message, Monroe opened up about feeling “underestimated” and “let down,” while pinpointing a moment that shifted her perspective: “Last fall after attending an industry event, it hit me so hard it took my breath away…’They’re never gonna see me…’ In that moment, I finally let myself feel how sad that makes me.”

Her vulnerability quickly struck a chord across the industry, with fellow artists flooding the comments section in support.

“I’ve looked up to you for so long.Your voice. Your songwriting…. Your daringness to say things that some people wouldn’t. 🔥 so ready for this song and next chapter! Continue to prove them wrong,” Priscilla Block wrote.

“This is the most honest thing I’ve read in the longest time. I feel this on the deepest level. I can’t wait to hear,” Lauren Alaina shared.

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Artists including Martina McBride, Sara Evans, LeAnn Rimes, and Ashley McBryde were also among those who filled the comments with messages of encouragement. 

Days later, Monroe unveiled the project, co-produced with Luke Laird, who also co-wrote each of the album’s eight tracks alongside her.

Monroe says “I Hate Nashville” served as the starting point for the project. The track offers a raw look at the frustrations that come with chasing a career in country music, highlighting how exhausting and discouraging the journey can be at times. At the same time, she acknowledges her deep love for the genre and everything it’s given her, ultimately admitting she “would do it all again.”

Monroe’s pure country vocals shine throughout the record, with “I Hate Nashville” standing out as a prime example of story-driven country music and a reminder of what she brings to the genre.

“I had a writing session on the books with Luke and I’d woken up that morning with a storm in my heart, like, ‘My gosh, have I done this all for nothing?’” Monroe explains. “When I got to Luke’s house that day, I knew I had to address my hurt feelings and get it out of my system. I told him the idea of ‘I Hate Nashville’ and he loved it. That song put everything into motion. We felt the window of all the muses open, and decided that I’m going to say what I feel and make it a whole project.”

“This album started with Ashley bringing the title, “I Hate Nashville,” to the room one day,” Luke Laird added. “The music is what brings most songwriters to this town – but when it comes to the business, that’s when people can get burned out.  So Ashley and I talked that day about our love for country music, the songs and the people – we had such a good day talking about all of our favorite Nashville memories and what led us both here. I love how honest Ashley is in her writing and just how pure her singing is. She really is the triple threat: artist, songwriter, and producer. We had so much fun making this record. No rules… just what felt right.”

At its heart, Dear Nashville goes beyond Monroe’s career in the city and leans into a broader, more intimate theme of unrequited love. As she shares, “The bottom line of the album is, I wish you loved me like I love you.”

Dear Nashville Track List:

1) I Hate Nashville (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

2) Gettin’ Out Of Hand (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

3) What Are We? (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

4) Steal (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

5) Haunted (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

6) Dreaming (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

7) Having It Bad (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

8) Quittin’ (Luke Laird/Ashley Monroe)

The post Ashley Monroe Gets Brutally Honest About Career Struggles in New Song ‘I Hate Nashville’ appeared first on Country Now.

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A ruptured eardrum forced Cody Johnson off the road late last year, putting his fast-moving career on pause for surgery and recovery. That time off could have easily slowed down his momentum, but instead he’s coming back stronger and more driven than ever with the promise: “I’m here to stay.”

“I was out for three months after the surgery, and I had this mentality of when I come back, I’m taking no prisoners. When I come back, I’m putting my head down and I’m going to freaking work,” Johnson admitted during an appearance on Dale Brisby’s Rodeo Time podcast.

Because he fully leaned into that mindset, the country star says he has “so many songs” set to drop outside of his next album, which is already finished and waiting in the wings.

“I’ve already got the whole gun is loaded. The ammunition’s there. We’re just fixing to start sending it,” he teased.

In the midst of his recovery, Johnson scored a milestone that has helped add even more fuel to his fire. During the 2026 CMA Awards, he took home his first-ever Male Vocalist of the Year award, which put an end to Chris Stapleton’s four-year winning streak. The Texas native honestly shared that after devoting basically his whole life up to this point to music, it felt pretty surreal to be recognized in such an esteemed category

“To get Male Vocalist of the Year, especially when you’re in a category with Luke Combs and Chris Stapleton, that’s a big deal. So I was pretty taken back. I was pretty proud of that one,” he said, recalling his reaction.

Now that he officially has that honor under his belt, he’s ready to start working toward the next accomplishment, which in this case would be the Entertainer of the Year award at both the major country music award shows. But even if (and when) he does reach that point, he will continue to strive for something bigger and to become a better artist than he was the year before.

“I’m still chasing the gold buckle. Cowboys, you chase the gold buckle. And for me, that gold buckle is Entertainer of the Year. I mean, ACMs, CMAs, and that’s what I’m after. And when I get it, I’m probably going to go chase it again.”

Each night when he’s on stage, Johnson strives to instill that motivation into every person in that audience through his music and especially with songs like the empowering hit, “’Til You Can’t.”

“I sing the song, ‘if you got a chance to take it, dream won’t chase you back’ and all that. But me making it in the industry is a one in 10 million chance, man. You have to be prepared to lay it all on the line. So I went with no backup plan and in my mind, I was like, ‘I’m either going to die doing this or it’s going to work.’”

His tireless dedication has already proved to be successful in so many ways and because of that, he has been able to provide a comfortable life for him and his family. This is an accomplishment he is clearly very proud of, but it also hasn’t slowed down his drive in the slightest.

“I have that level of comfort, if it’s all over, it’s okay for my family,” he admitted. “Now I’m like, we’re just doing it for sport. Now we’re just doing it for the absolute love of the game. I just want to try to be something in country music that is remembered forever because that’s my sport.”

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All the new music that the “I’m Gonna Love You” singer is preparing to be released throughout the next few months will power all the massive shows he has on the books this year. In addition to his 2026 headline trek, Johnson is preparing to make his headline debut at Stagecoach on April 24.

“That’s a huge deal,” he said of the chance to perform at such a large-scale country music festival. “I just feel like now is the time in my career to make the push to set the bar higher and to say, I’m not going away. I’m here to stay.”

The post Cody Johnson Says ‘I’m Here To Stay’ After Injury Comeback, Teases Flood of New Music appeared first on Country Now.

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