Category Archives: Country Music

Country Music, Dan+Shay, Friday Five, Music, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett

The Friday Five: ACM Award Nominees

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The 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards air this Sunday, April 19th, on CBS! We’re especially excited about this year’s group of Best New Artist nominees, along with some more familiar faces. Don’t forget you can vote for Best New Artist and Entertainer of the Year at VoteACM.com up until the start of the show! Here are our favorite tracks from some of this year’s ACM Award Nominees.

1. Thomas Rhett – “Front Porch Junkies”
Nominated for Best New Artist
We fell for Thomas’ funky country style, and after seeing him live he is one of our favorite performers, ever. We love all the Best New Artist nominees (really, you can’t go wrong), but we can’t help but root for the Home Team.

2. Dan + Shay – “What You Do To Me”
Nominated for Vocal Duo of the Year
This is one of our favorite songs of all time, of any genre, and quickly made its way to the top of our most played tracks. We can’t wait to see Dan + Shay + Nick (Jonas) perform at this year’s show!

3. Cole Swindell – “Let Me See Ya Girl”
Nominated for Best New Artist
Cole has written hit after hit for artists like Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, Florida Georiga Line, and more. His debut album has had 3 #1 singles and counting. It’s one of those albums where every song is your jam.

4. Sam Hunt – “Breakup In A Small Town”
Nominated for Best New Artist
We. Are. Obsessed. With. This. Song. The perfect representation of Sam’s R&B / country mashup. Sam has been dominating the charts lately since “Montevallo” was released late last year, and we wouldn’t be surprised if he pulled off a win.

5. Kacey Musgraves – “Biscuits”
Nominated for Song of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year
Kacy’s throwback music and sartorial style (she and her band are always on point) is a refreshing change. We can’t wait for Kacey’s upcoming album!

Country Music, On Tour, Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt To Headline “Country Night Lights Festival” in Ohio

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Sam Hunt is set to headline the inaugural Country Night Lights Festival this September in Athens, Ohio.   The breakout country star has been blowing up the country charts, and he’s even started to crossover to pop radio with his latest hit, “Take Your Time.”

Check out the flyer for the Country Night Lights Festival below!

Sam Hunt Ohio Country Night Lights Fest flyer

Tickets for the festival are only $25 and go on sale Friday, April 24th.

Country Night Lights Festival Ft. Sam Hunt
Saturday, September, 26th, 2015
The Venue of Athens
Athens, OH
Buy Tickets

Sam is nominated for an ACM Award for Best New Artist, so be sure to vote and tune in this Sunday, April 19th!

Follow Sam Hunt & Secret Fangirls on Twitter for the latest news!

Country Music, Dan+Shay, Music, On Tour, Show Review

Dan + Shay’s “Where It All Began Tour” Stops At Starland Ballroom in New Jersey

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Dan + Shay’s “Where It All Began Tour” stopped at a packed Starland Ballroom in NJ on Saturday night.  If you’ve been to any concert in New Jersey, you know the crowds can get crazy, and this was definitely one of the best we’ve experienced.   It’s been wonderful to see the support for Dan + Shay grow since we first saw them around a year ago (Mohegan!)  and their live show is not to be missed. There’s nothing like a first time feeling, but they just get better and better each time we see them.

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Opening act Canaan Smith got the crowd pumped up with his hit single “Love You Like That,” and songs from his recently released EP like “Hole In The Bottle” and “Mad Love.” Canaan also played a serious rock cover of Nick Jonas’ smash single “Jealous.” The Virginia native knows how to get a crowd singing and dancing along even if they’re not familiar with him.

Canaan Smith WIAB Tour 2015

One of the best things about watching Dan + Shay perform is seeing just how much they love being on stage.  If you can find something to do that makes you half as happy as they are performing, then you’d be pretty lucky.   Their passion and energy on stage is unrivaled – they really give it all on stage night after night.   And still make time for a post-show meet and greet.  We still get chills every time during “19 You + Me” when they let the crowd sing, and see their genuine reaction to having people sing one of their songs.  Although really the whole concert is one big singalong from start to finish. They played almost every song from their debut album, “Where It All Began,” a fun new track, “Partner in Crime,” and a few covers for good measure.

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They certainly know their Jersey audience, as their set included covers of Journey and Def Leppard, and a little Guns N Roses, proving they know how to rock.  As we’ve said before, we’re sure they would have found success in any genre they chose, but we’re sure glad they chose country!   Shay Mooney’s voice is also chill-inducing, and harmonizes perfectly with Dan Smyers, who played both guitar and piano during the show.

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As usual, they had a small acoustic set before the concert AKA the return of the Tent Concert Series, where it all began for the duo.  The acoustic set gives fans a chance to ask questions, hang out with the guys, and hear a couple of songs in an intimate setting before the show.  We are always impressed by how great Dan + Shay are to their fans, and how much they appreciate each person that comes out to see them.

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Dan + Shay are nominated for Duo of the Year at the ACM Awards for the 2nd year in a row!  Make sure to tune into the awards on CBS April 19th to cheer them on and catch their performance with Nick Jonas!

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Set List:
Somewhere Only We Know
Nothing Like You
Stop Drop & Roll
Parking Brake
Any Way You Want It (Journey cover)
Partner in Crime
Close Your Eyes
Thinking Out Loud (Ed Sheeran cover)
Show You Off
Pour Some Sugar On Me / Meet In The Middle
What You Do To Me
Red Dirt Road (Brooks&Dunn cover)
Party Girl
First Time Feeling
Can’t Say No
Dynamite / Moves Like Jagger
19 You + Me

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The “Where It All Began Tour” wraps up at the end of the month in Chicago.  Check out all of Dan + Shay’s upcoming tour dates here & pick up a copy of “Where It All Began” on iTunes now!

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Be sure to follow Dan + Shay & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

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Country Music, Music, Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett Releases “Crash and Burn”

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After weeks of teasing fans with snippets of a new song on his social media, Thomas Rhett finally released a brand new track off his upcoming album!  “Crash and Burn” is the first single from his sophomore album, expected later this summer.  The track was co-written by Chris Stapleton.  In the vein of his current #1 hit, “Makes Me Wanna,” the new track is bringing a funky, soulful vibe to country music.  Thomas has said his upcoming album is influenced by artists like Bruno Mars.  Guess he wants to funk country music up!  (Sorry, we had to)

Listen to Thomas’ new single “Crash And Burn” below and pickup a copy on iTunes now!

Thomas is nominated for Best New Artist at the 2015 ACM Awards, against fellow nominees Sam Hunt and Cole Swindell.  Fan voting for your fave is open now at VoteACM.com (Don’t make us choose!  Although, we can’t help but root for the Home Team…)  The awards air on CBS on April 19th.

Be sure to follow Thomas Rhett & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Artist to Watch, Country Music, Music

Cam Releases Debut EP, “Welcome To Cam Country”

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Hot off the release of her single, “My Mistake,” rising country star Cam just released her first EP!  “Welcome to Cam Country” is a preview of Cam’s upcoming album on Sony Nashville.  All tracks were co-written by Cam, and produced by Jeff Bhasker and Tyler Johnson.  (They’ve worked with artists like Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheeran…just to name a few)  We instantly fell for Cam’s sound and energetic personality when we saw her open for Dan + Shay on tour last year.  Her music has a bit of a 90s country vibe, with clever, relatable lyrics.  Check out the tracklisting below and pickup a copy of the EP on iTunes now!

“Welcome To Cam Country” Tracklisting
1. My Mistake
2. Burning House
3. Half Broke Heart
4. Runaway Train

Cam will be making her Opry debut on May 29th and playing at the Stagecoach Festival in April!

Be sure to follow Cam & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Friday Five, TV shows

The Friday Five: The Music of Hart Of Dixie

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While The CW’s “Hart of Dixie” hasn’t officially been canceled, the show’s creator and actors have already posted their goodbyes on social media, making it seem like this is the end.  We’re going to miss this show, with it’s wonderful cast of characters, and the music.  “Hart of Dixie” definitely helped contribute to our new found love of country music, with a soundtrack filled with everyone from Dierks Bentley to Thomas Rhett to Hunter Hayes, perfect for the show’s small-town Alabama setting.  The show even brought in quite a few country guest stars during its run.  Here are some of “Hart of Dixie’s” most memorable musical moments!

The “Hart of Dixie” finale airs tonight at 8pm on The CW.

1. Danielle Bradbery
When she released a track called “The Heart of Dixie,” it was pretty much a given that she’d show up in Bluebell.

2. Gloriana
We’re still impressed with how Wade and Lemon got the band to perform at the Rammer Jammer.

3. Logan Mize
The “Can’t Get Away From A Good Time” singer was a guest star on the show before signing with Sony last year.

4. Jamestown Revival
Their appearance in last week’s episode was one of many moments during the show that had us Shazam-ing or Googling song lyrics to find out what song was playing.

5. George Tucker
We love that George Tucker, Renaissance Man, is heading to Nashville.  If music management doesn’t work out, you can always sing!  And hey Scott Porter, if you want to release a country album, we’d fully support that!

Bonus:  More George Tucker

Album Release, Country Music, Hunter Hayes, On Tour

Hunter Hayes Announces UK Tour & Album

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Country music has taken over the US – even in major cities like New York.  And now it’s slowly making it’s way across the Atlantic.  Hunter Hayes just announced dates for a UK tour this Spring!  The dates coincide with the release of Hunter’s first official album in the UK, “I Want Crazy,” out May 25th.  The album will feature a mix of hits from Hunter’s self-titled debut, “Encore,” and last year’s hit, “Storyline.”  Listen to his newest single “Light Me Up” below!

Hunter Hayes “I Want Crazy” Tracklisting
1. I Want Crazy (Ryan Tedder remix)
2. Invisible
3. Tattoo
4. Light Me Up
5. Wanted
6. You Think You Know Somebody
7. Secret Love
8. What You Gonna Do
9. Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me (feat. Jason Mraz)
10. Somebody’s Heartbreak

You can pickup a copy of “Light Me Up, on iTunes now! Check out his upcoming tour dates below. His first headlining show in London sold out in seconds, so make sure to get your tickets when they go on sale this Friday, March 27th!

Hunter Hayes UK Tour dates
May 22nd – Koko – London – Buy Tickets
May 23rd – The Library – Birmingham – Buy Tickets
May 25th – Club Academy – Manchester – Buy Tickets
May 26th – Oran Mor – Glasgow – Buy Tickets

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Be sure to follow Hunter Hayes & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Artist to Watch, Country Music, Music, On Tour

Kacey Musgraves’ New Single “Biscuits” is out now!

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Country star Kacey Musgraves just served up her newest single, “Biscuits,” to iTunes today.  We are as pleased as pie to have new music from Kacey!  The new track has more of the clever lyrics we’ve come to love from her, as she gives the advice to “mind your own biscuits and life will be gravy.”  Listen to “Biscuits” below and pickup a copy on iTunes now!

https://soundcloud.com/becky-isbell/biscuits-by-kacey-musgraves

You can catch Kacey on the “Same Trailer, Different Tour” and several festival dates this Spring!

Kacey Musgraves Spring 2015 Tour Dates

March 26 – 9:30 Club – Washington, D.C.
March 27 – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel – Providence, RI
March 28 – Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY
March 29 – Mohawk Valley Theater – Utica, NY
April 8 – Michigan Theater – Ann Arbor, MI
April 10 – Centerpointe Theatre – Ottowa, CA
April 11 – Danforth Music Hall – Toronto, CA
April 21 – Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
April 22 – Rialto Theatre – Tucson, AZ
April 24 – Stagecoach Festival – Indio, CA
April 25 – Fox Theater – Oakland, CA
May 1 – Billy Bob’s Texas – Fort Worth, TX
May 2 – John T. Floore Country Store – Helotes, TX
May 3 – New Orleans City Park – New Orleans, LA
June 20 – Country Jam USA – Grand Junction, CO
June 21 – Telluride Bluegrass Festival – Telluride, CO
June 28 – Big Barrel Country Fest – Dover, DE

Be sure to follow Kacey Musgraves & Secret Fangirls for more updates!

Country Music, Music, Sam Hunt

Watch Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” Video

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Sam Hunt is certainly not one to follow the beaten path when it comes to his music, and his new video for “Take Your Time” is no exception.   While we were expecting a video that mirrored the songs’ lyrics (i.e. Sam goes into a bar, meets a girl, sings to her, every girls’ dream, etc), Sam took an unexpected route with a video that takes on domestic violence.  Watch the video, directed by Tim Mattia, below.

“Take Your Time” is Sam’s 2nd single off his debut album, “Montevallo,” and his 2nd straight go to to #1.  Pickup a copy ofthe album  on iTunes now!  Sam will be joining Hunter Hayes and Lady Antebellum on the Wheels Up Tour all Summer long, after wrapping up his first headlining tour in April.  Check out all of his upcoming tour dates here!

Be sure to follow Sam Hunt & Secret Fangirls for more updates!