Gabby Barrett’s debut single, “I Hope,” topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart this week.
Gabby is now the fourth solo female artist in 14 years to score a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Country Airplay chart with her debut single, following Carly Pearce’s “Every Little Thing” (Nov. 2017), Kelsea Ballerini’s “Love Me Like You Mean It” (June 2015) and Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” (Jan. 2006).
Gabby’s star power isn’t news to one of the aforementioned artists who scored a No. 1 with her debut single. During the CMA Awards in November 2019, Carly Pearce told Nash Country Daily that she was a “huge Gabby Barrett fan.”
“I’m a huge Gabby Barrett fan,” says Carly. “I think Gabby is a star. She has two songs out that are amazing. ‘I Hope’ is a big ol’ hit. She’s got another song called ‘The Good Ones’ that will blow you away.”
Oklahoma native Blake Shelton donated $150,000 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma as part of ABC affiliate KOCO-TV 5’s Give From Home Fundraiser.
“A lot of Oklahomans are going to bed hungry tonight,” said Blake in a video clip via KOCO. “That’s not something that I can live with. That’s why I’m going to be donating to the Regional Food Bank, the Oklahoma Food Bank. I hope you will join me and help from home. Send in that donation because a lot of people out there are counting on us,”
The Give From Home Fundraiser, which raised $425,000, was created to feed Oklahomans hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kane Brown will try to score his sixth consecutive No. 1 single on the country charts with the release of “Cool Again.”
The brand-new tune, which Kane co-penned with Josh Hoge, Matthew McGinn and Lindsay Rimes, will ship to country radio on April 27.
“Cool Again” finds Kane longing for a past relationship as he croons the mellow chorus: “’Cause I just wanna be cool again, cool again, cool again / Like we were last summer / Want you again, you again, you again / To be stealin’ my covers / All those tangled in each other nights still playin’ back in my head / I just wanna be cool again, cool again, cool again, yeah.”
“‘Cool Again,’ at first, was a song that was about a breakup—it was about you just wanted to be with the girl or with the boy that you had last summer and everything was fine and now it’s not,” says Kane. “But in today’s terms, it’s a whole new song for me because it’s like you just want everything to go back to how it was [before] this quarantine, you know, like the summer that you used to have—being able to hang out with your friends—the whole song has changed for me.”
“Cool Again” may be a sample of what’s to come on Kane’s third studio album, as the new tune is not featured on his 2018 sophomore album, Experiment.
Watch Kane’s new lyric video for “Cool Again” below.
Kenneth George Jr & Marquez Callaway / Credit: UT Athletics
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Multiple Tennessee Vols are ready to take the next step in their football careers as the 2020 NFL Draft takes place Thursday through Saturday live on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.
Round 1 airs beginning at 8 p.m. ET Thursday. Rounds 2 and 3 will be held Friday with a 7 p.m. start. Rounds 4 through 7 get underway at noon Saturday. Follow Vol football social media channels for exclusive content during the three-day event: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, prospective NFL Vols have had the ability to meet virtually with teams and submit video workouts.
Edge rusher Darrell Taylor is expected to the first Tennessee player off the board. Taylor, who ranked second in the SEC in sacks in 2019 with 8.5, has been projected as high as a second-round selection. NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah tabbed Taylor as one of four players who are expected to go higher than originally anticipated according to multiple general managers.
One of the top 10 edge rushers available, Taylor concluded his Vol career with 19.5 sacks, which ranks 10th-most in school history. He is seeking to be the highest drafted Tennessee player since Derek Barnett went No. 14 overall in 2017.
“Right now I am in Virginia with my family and excited to share this great experience with them,” Taylor said in a VFL Films interview the day before the draft. “It still feels unbelievable to me right now, but I know I have worked hard to get to this point, so I am just cherishing every moment I have and staying happy about it and hoping for the best for my situation going into the draft.
“They (coaches) taught me so much. I learned a lot from them the last two years of my career at Tennessee. They coached me really hard and prepared me for what I’m about to go into now.”
Since the common draft era began, a total of 37 Tennessee wide receivers have been selected. Jauan Jennings and Marquez Callaway could add their names to that storied list this weekend. No draft-eligible wide receiver broke more tackles in 2019 than Jennings did with his 30 according to Pro Football Focus. The versatile Callaway notched 1,646 career receiving yards and 16 touchdowns – 13 through the air and three via the return game.
Other Vols who could have an opportunity this weekend include linebacker Daniel Bituli, defensive back Nigel Warrior and tight end Dominick Wood-Anderson. Any players not selected during the three-day event could sign undrafted free agent contracts.
Ingrid Andress’ debut single, “More Hearts Than Mine,” climbed to No. 4 on the Billboard Country Airplay this week as it continues to make a push for the top spot.
While the tune, which was penned by Ingrid, Sam Ellis and Derrick Southerland, has been climbing the charts for 43 weeks, Ingrid’s Warner Music Nashville labelmate Cole Swindell knew it was a bona fide hit months ago.
During the CMA Awards in November 2019, Cole told Nash Country Daily that he was a “huge fan” of Ingrid and her debut single.
“I’m a huge Ingrid Andress fan—and fan of her single [“More Hearts Than Mine”],” says Cole. “She is special. I hope we get to write songs together or collaborate someday, whatever. If she ever wants to do a show with me, she’s welcome.”
Ingrid was named to the CRS 2020 New Faces class with Morgan Evans, Riley Green, Runaway June and Mitchell Tenpenny.
Sam Hunt’s Southside is No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for the second consecutive week.
Sam’s back-to-back triumph puts an end to an interesting streak Luke Combs was compiling.
Since November 2018, Luke had been the only artist to spend consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. Luke’s 17-month streak featured a combination of chart-topping success from his 2017 album (This One’s for You), 2019 album (What You See Is What You Get), and 2019 EP (The Prequel).
During the last 17 months, Luke notched 14 instances of two or more consecutive weeks atop the chart, which was highlighted by two streaks of eight consecutive weeks in February/March 2020 and June/July/August 2019.
According to Nielsen Music, Sam’s Southside sold 21,579 equivalent units last week, while Luke’s What You See Is What You Get sold 21,574 equivalent units. Sam ended Luke’s streak by a margin of five units!
photos: Sam Hunt by NCD; Luke Combs by Tammie Arroyo, AFF-USA.com
Brett Eldredge treated viewers of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert to an acoustic rendition of his new single, “Gabrielle.” Brett’s virtual performance on April 21—from the backyard of his Nashville home—featured the Illinois native strumming his guitar while he crooned the new tune.
Brett co-wrote “Gabrielle” with Daniel Tashian and Ian Fitchuk. The new song serves as the lead single to Brett’s upcoming fifth studio album, Sunday Drive, which is slated to drop on July 10. “Gabrielle” will ship to country radio on April 27.
“‘Gabrielle’ is about a love that didn’t quite work out and you always wonder what it could have been,” says Brett. “It could’ve ended up being something amazing and you wonder what they’re doing in their life right now and go back to those feelings when you hear the song.”
Watch Brett’s performance of “Gabrielle” on The Late Show below.
In celebration of Earth Day (April 22), Kacey Musgraves released a new rendition of her song, “Oh, What a World,” which she originally co-penned with Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian for her 2018 album, Golden Hour.
Reimagined as “Oh, What a World 2.0 (Earth Day Edition),” Kacey dedicated the song to the planet and all of the heroes on the front lines during the global pandemic. In addition to releasing the new rendition of the song, Kacey dropped a new video and issued a statement, which you can read below.
“There is a lot to feel downhearted about on this Earth Day. Everyone and everything feels out of balance. People are suffering and the future is uncertain.
“In the face of a pandemic that has brought cities to their knees, a song can feel small. A melody can seem insignificant. This is a global moment of acknowledgment and respect for the power of nature and for so many of us – extreme challenges and sadness. But in the midst of all the loss and uncertainty there are signs everywhere of human compassion and renewal.
“The earth is healing. Bluer skies hang over China and Los Angeles. Clearer water and a positive effect on wildlife is being seen. In spite of all its troubles, it’s still a wild, beautiful world and if you need proof, it’s out there. You just might have to look in a different corner of the sky.
“Right now, there are so many brave people that deserve Medals of Honor: the nurses, doctors, grocers, the delivery and truck drivers, cashiers, gas station attendants, the scientists, restaurant workers, the single parents, and SO many others. I’m just a songwriter but my hope is that if I bring the light I have in my spirit to the table, maybe it could be a form of energy that lifts someone else’s spirit for a moment. Oh, What a World – dedicated to our planetary home and all the quiet heroes this Earth Day: you’re the northern lights in our skies.”
Watch the new video for “Oh, What a World 2.0 (Earth Day Edition) below.
![If You Liked Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope,” Carly Pearce Says Gabby’s “The Good Ones” Will “Blow You Away” [Listen]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2020/04/23133221/Gabby-Barrett-AFF.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
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![Kacey Musgraves Releases New Rendition of “Oh What a World” in Celebration of Earth Day [Watch New Video]](https://cdn.socast.io/6616/sites/602/2020/04/22083910/Kacey-Musgraves1-CH.jpg#aqua_resizer_image_not_local)
