Country singer Michael Ray has been climbing the charts with his hit single “Kiss You In The Morning.” It’s a perfect Summer jam that makes us want to drive around blasting it with the windows down and the stereo up. We caught Michael earlier this year at Nash Bash, and have been itching for more music from him ever since. He just released an EP, exclusive to Walmart stores. Lucky for us who live nowhere near a Walmart, you can order a copy online! (And you’ll even get a signed copy!). Check out the tracklisting below!
Michael Ray “Kiss You In The Morning” EP Tracklisting
1. Kiss You In The Morning
2. Run Away With You
3. Livin’ It Up
4. Think A Little Less
5. Tonight’s The Night
6. Kiss You In The Morning (Acoustic)
Order a copy at Walmart now and get a signed booklet!
Country singer Canaan Smith just announced he is releasing his debut album, “Bronco,” on June 23rd! The album release follows the success of his Top 20 single “Love You Like That” and his EP that came out in March. The album will include all 5 tracks from the EP, and more! The title track, “Brono,” is in honor of his brother who Canaan lost when he was young. Canaan does a touching tribute to him each night on tour during the song’s performance, giving the audience a “few moments of peace.”
We caught Canaan’s opening set on Dan + Shay’s “Where It All Began Tour” this spring and he blew us away with his talent and live show. Canaan is joining Dierks Bentley’s Sounds of Summer Tour, along with Kip Moore and Maddie and Tae. He’ll also be making a stop at the FarmBorough Festival in NYC, New York’s first country music fest.
Pre-order bundles are available now at CanaanSmith.com and include a signed album booklet! Stay tuned for the full tracklisting. Watch the video for “Love You Like That” below!
The first ever Next Women of Country Tour, presented by CMT, kicks off tonight in Grand Rapids! The inaugural tour features artists Jana Kramer and Kelsea Ballerini. Both women have been making a splash in country this year. Jana’s latest single, “I Got The Boy,” is country storytelling at its finest. Kelsea’s debut EP and her fun pop-country sound has gotten attention from everyone – even Taylor Swift! (talk about a fangirl moment!) Check out the tour dates below!
CMT Next Women of Country Tour 2015
April 30 – The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI May 1 – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar – Cincinatti, OH May 7 – House of Blues – Cleveland, OH May 8 – Joe’s Sports Bar – Chicago, IL May 10 – The Pageant – St Louis, MO May 12 – 3rd and Lindsley – Nashville, TN May 14 – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar – Orlando, FL May 15 – The Swamp – Ft Walton Beach, FL May 17 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC
May 28 – House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
Watch Jana Kramer’s video for “I Got The Boy” and pickup a copy of the single on iTunes!
Watch Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You Mean It” video and check out her EP on iTunes!
We’re not sure what’s happened to Spring in New York, so we’re dreaming about Summer concerts. It’ll warm up someday, right? We’re about two months away from the inaugural FarmBorough Festival – NYC’s first Country fest. We can’t wait for a weekend listening to our favorite Country artists under the stars on warm Summer night on Randall’s Island. Of course we’ll be singing along to hits like Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again” and Dierks Bentley’s “Drunk On A Plane,” but we’re also excited to see some of Country’s newer acts. Here’s our Playlist for the up and comers we can’t wait to check out at FarmBorough Fest!
FarmBorough Festival
June 26-28 2015
Randall’s Island, NYC Buy Tickets
1. Canaan Smith – “Hole In A Bottle”
We had so much fun during Canaan’s energetic set on the “Where It All Began Tour” with Dan + Shay. He got the crowd going from the start, opening with this fun track from his EP that is sure to be a hit.
2. The Railers – “Ray Bans” The Railers have a sunny outlook on life and their music is just as fun as they are during a live show. “Ray Bans” is a great display of how well their voices harmonize together as well as blending their influences.
3. Chris Stapleton – “Traveller”
Chris has written hits like Luke Bryan’s “Drink A Beer” and Thomas Rhett’s new single, “Crash and Burn.” He’s about to release his first solo album, “Traveller,” in early May. His album release show at the Mercury Lounge in NYC sold out, so we can’t wait to see his set at FarmBorough!
4. The Cadillac Three – “I’m Southern”
The Cadillac Three’s new single “White Lightening” is super mellow compared to previous songs from these Southern boys. Their live shows are not to be missed – they definitely bring some rock n roll to country.
5. Maddie & Tae – “Girl In A Country Song”
The duo crashed onto the scene with their anti-bro country anthem last year. They also released one of our favorite music videos of the year.
It’s always interesting to see how an artist goes viral these days. Our latest artist to watch, Chris Janson, shot to the top of the charts after his single “Buy Me A Boat” was played on the Bobby Bones Show. He spun this track to rave reviews (twice in an hour once which on radio is almost unheard of) and soon enough the track climbed the iTunes charts, kicking Sam Hunt and Little Big Town out of the top spots on the country chart, while also reaching #7 on the overall chart. Pretty impressive for any artist, let alone an unsigned one! Head to Rolling Stone for more of Chris’ remarkable story.
Of course, social media played a part as well, as more and more people shared the track on Twitter. We have to thank Dan Smyers (of Dan+Shay) for introducing us to this one. And we’ve had it on repeat ever since! Take a listen below, and you’ll see what we mean.
The song’s popularity hasn’t gone unnoticed by the industry. Last week, CMT announced plans to produce a music video for the song, a first in the network’s history. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it shoot to #1 on the CMT Hot 20 Countdown, too! And Chris Janson is an independent artist no longer – he just inked a deal with Warner Nashville, and shared this perfect photo to make the announcement.
Last night’s 50th annual ACM Awards made the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most attended live awards show ever. Thousands of country stars and fans packed the AT&T Stadium in Dallas, and the crowd’s energy level was off the charts. Performances included everyone from George Straight and Garth Brooks, to newcomers Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt and Best New Artist Winner Cole Swindell.
One highlight of the night was when Dan + Shay took the stage with Nick Jonas. They performed a special mashup of their hit “Nothin’ Like You,” along with Nick’s solo tracks “Jealous” and “Chains.” When we first heard they were performing together, we weren’t quite sure what to expect with such different sounds. But the mashup, produced by Dan Smyers, perfectly mixed the songs and genres together, with a stellar 3-part harmony. And of course there’s nothing like Shay Mooney’s voice (chills, every time.)
Watch the performance below!
Pickup a copy of Dan + Shay’s debut album “Where It All Began” on iTunes now!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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!
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!
secretfangirls 