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.
With the draft just one day away and some Vols expected to be drafted, now’s a good time to reset who is where among the VFLs in the NFL before the massive three-day event begins.
Kahlil McKenzie was signed by the Seahawks on Monday to push the league-wide total to 34 players from the University of Tennessee..
For perspective, you’ll see a recap of their 2019 seasons, along with breakdowns by position, list of teams without a VFL, free agents to watch and more.
In a separate blog post on 991TheSportsAnimal.com, you’ll find the list of players that were at UT at one time before transferring and finishing their careers elsewhere. In that other post, you’ll also see other players that have local ties to the Knoxville area that did not attend the University of Tennessee.
Look for updates here on my blog “Vince’s View.” Bookmark my blog page and check back often.
Tennessee Volunteers On NFL Rosters as of 4/21/20 (34)
QB Matt Simms (9) Atlanta Falcons
2019: DNP; Hasn’t played in an NFL game since 2014
LS – Morgan Cox (46) Baltimore Ravens
2019: Played in all 17 games including one playoff game; Another rock-solid, reliable year as one of the league’s best
TE – Jason Croom (80) Buffalo Bills
2019: Spent the entire season on injured reserve with a severe hamstring injury
P – Michael Palardy (5) Carolina Panthers
2019: Averaged 46.0 yards per punt, which was 12th among regular punters
QB – Tyler Bray (9) Chicago Bears
2019: DNP; Recently resigned by the Bears after being released earlier in the offseason; Has appeared in 1 career game (2017)
WR/KR – Cordarrelle Patterson (84) Chicago Bears
2019: 11 rec 83 yds; Led NFL in KR (29.5 yds per) and 1st team All-Pro as KR; 2nd all-time in NFL history in KR avg at 29.9 yds per, trailing only Gale Sayers (30.6)
P – Trevor Daniel (–) Denver Broncos
2019: Punted 11 times in 2 games at 43.6 yds per before being released by Texans
OT – Ja’Wuan James (70) Denver Broncos
2019: Started (RT) and played in a career-low 3 games due to injury in his debut season in Denver
ILB – Alexander Johnson (45) Denver Broncos
2019: 51 tackles, 2 FF, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT in 15 games (12 starts) in a breakout 2nd season with the Broncos; Once he got a start, he played well and locked-up an ILB spot
CB – Justin Coleman (27) Detroit Lions
2019: Played all 16 games for the 2nd season in a row; Started a career-high 13 games in his first season in Detroit; Totaled 51 tackles and a career-high 13 PD; 1 INT, 1 FR, 3 FF
OLB – Jalen Reeves-Maybin (44) Detroit Lions
2019: Played in all 16 games for the first time in his career; Started the first 3 games of his career; Recorded career-high 36 tackles, 1 FF and 1 FR
OG – Zach Fulton (73) Houston Texans
2019: Played and started at RG in all but one game (injury) totaling 17 games; Started both of Houston’s playoff games;
QB – Joshua Dobbs (1) Jacksonville Jaguars
2019: DNP; Traded by the Steelers to the Jaguars after Week 1
P – Dustin Colquitt (2) Kansas City Chiefs
2019: Lefty punter capped off his 15th NFL season as a Super Bowl champion; Averaged 44.1 yds per punt; Only punted 8 times in 3 playoff games; Had a 50 yds per punt average in the Super Bowl
DT – Kendal Vickers (–) Las Vegas Raiders
2019: DNP in NFL; Played 18 games in CFL for Edmonton Eskimos tallying 12 tackles, 2 sacks
TE – Jason Witten (–) Las Vegas Raiders
2019: Started all 16 games for Cowboys; Caught 63 passes for 529 yds 4 TD
RB – John Kelly (42) Los Angeles Rams
2019: Played in 4 games; 3 car 9 yds
TE – Ethan Wolf (84) Los Angeles Rams
2019: DNP; Spent training camp and practice squad time with the Panthers, Jaguars and Packers
P – Britton Colquitt (2) Minnesota Vikings
2019: 17 GP; Punted in all but one game (45.8 yds per) including two playoff games
FB – Jakob Johnson (47) New England Patriots
2019: 1 rec for 5 yds; Played in 4 games with 3 starts before going on IR with a shoulder injury
DT – Shy Tuttle (99) New Orleans Saints
2019: Played in all 17 games with 1 start in an impressive rookie year for the undrafted free agent; 21 tackles, 2 sacks, 6 PD and 1 spectacular INT and return vs. Falcons
DB – Rashaan Gaulden (38) DB New York Giants
2019: 3 tackles; Played in 10 games – 9 for Carolina and 1 for NY Giants
WR – Josh Malone (83) New York Jets
2019: Played in 2 games; 0 catches
DE – Kyle Phillips (98) New York Jets
2019: The undrafted free agent rookie stood out as he played in 15 games with 4 starts; Recorded 39 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 1 PD
DE – Derek Barnett (96) Philadelphia Eagles
2019: 15 GP, all starts; 43 tackles, 11 TFLs, 6.5 sacks, 2 FF, 32 QBH&P
TE – Alex Ellis (85) Philadelphia Eagles
2019: 3 GP, 0 catches
DT – Malik Jackson (97) Philadelphia Eagles
2019: 1 GP that was a start with 1 tackle; Missed the rest of the season on IR with a Lisfranc injury
NT – Dan McCullers (93) Pittsburgh Steelers
2019: 16 GP, 0 starts, 8 tackles, 1 PD
DB – Cameron Sutton (20) Pittsburgh Steelers
2019: 16 GP, 0 starts, 16 tackles, 1 sack, 5 PD, 1 INT
DE – Jonathan Kongbo (–) San Francisco 49ers
2019: DNP in NFL; Won the Grey Cup title in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers; Played in 12 games with 12 tackles and 1 sack in CFL
CB – Emmanuel Moseley (41) San Francisco 49ers
2019: Had a breakout year in his 2nd NFL season; 19 GPs with 11 starts, 63 tackles, 12 PD and 2 INT; Started the Super Bowl with 5 tackles and 1 PD
OL – Kahlil McKenzie (62) Seattle Seahawks
2019: DNP; Spent some time on the practice squad before being released; Had a brief stint with the XFL’s Los Angeles Wildcats; Resigned on Monday by the club
OLB – Jordan Williams (40) Tennessee Titans
2019: DNP; Spent the season on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury
Free Agents To Watch from University of Tennessee
S – Micah Abernathy
S – Eric Berry
LB – Colton Jumper
LB – LaTroy Lewis
TE – Luke Stocker
Notes and Numbers – Vols in the NFL (as of 4/22/20)
*34 U. of Tennessee players on expanded NFL rosters
*Philadelphia and Denver have the most active UT players with 3 each
*DL is the largest position represented with 7
*22 of the 32 teams have a UT player on active rosters
UT Players In The NFL By Position (34)
QB – 3
RB – 2
WR – 2
TE – 4
FB – 1
OL – 3
DL – 7
LB – 3
DB – 4
P – 4
PK – 0
LS – 1
Teams Without Any Players From UT On Rosters (10)
Arizona Cardinals
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleveland Browns
Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers
Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Chargers
Miami Dolphins
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Washington Redskins
Fans of the Dixie Chicks have been waiting almost 14 years for the trio to release a new album.
Fans are going to have to wait longer.
According to a press statement, the release of the Dixie Chicks’ upcoming eighth studio album, Gaslighter, which was slated to drop on May 1, has been postponed. No new release date has been announced.
The Dixie Chicks most recent album was 2006’s Taking the Long Way, which earned the trio three Grammy Awards.
Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks dropped their first single in 13 years with the release of “Gaslighter” on March 4. The new tune, which was co-penned and co-produced by the Dixie Chicks and Jack Antonoff, debuted at No. 36 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart. The tally marked the highest debut on the chart for the Dixie Chicks since their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” in September 2002, which debuted at No. 32.
Luke Bryan will perform during the 2020 NFL Draft on April 25.
The Georgia native will perform “Play It Again” as part of Verizon’s #PayItForwardLive, a live-stream concert series that supports small businesses affected by COVID-19. Luke’s performance will air during the Draft broadcast at 12 p.m. ET.
“I was honored to be included in the partnership with Verizon #PayItForwardLIVE supporting small businesses,” says Luke. “They are such a vital part of our communities and it is important we continue to raise awareness for them so they can sustain themselves and keep their doors open. My boys and I look forward to watching the NFL Draft all weekend.”
The 2020 NFL Draft will be fully virtual and will be held remotely with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, league personnel and club staff working from their individual locations due to COVID-19. ESPN, NFL Network and ABC are joining forces to present the NFL Draft across their broadcast networks. It will also be live streamed on the ESPN app and NFL app, as well as streaming on Sling TV and YouTube TV.
Maddie & Tae’s sophomore album, The Way It Feels, debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
The Way It Feels moved 9,000 equivalent units during its debut week, according to Nielsen Music.
Sam Hunt’s Southside (No. 1) topped the chart for the second consecutive week, followed by Luke Combs’ What You See Is What You Get (No. 2), Luke Combs’ This One’s For You (No. 3), Morgan Wallen’s If I Know Me (No. 4), Blake Shelton’s Fully Loaded: God’s Country (No. 5), and Chris Stapelton’s Traveller (No. 6).
The 15-song offering features 10 songs from Maddie & Tae’s 2019 EPs, One Heart to Another and Everywhere I’m Goin’, as well as five new songs that the duo co-wrote. The Way It Feels follows Maddie & Tae’s 2015 debut album, Start Here, which featured No. 1 single, “Girl in a Country Song,” and Top 10 hit, “Fly.”
“It has been four years since we’ve released an album,” says Maddie. “For us, this is a lot more than just an album release. This sophomore album will always be a reminder that no matter the setbacks and struggles, we will come out stronger and better. We are so proud of this 15-song story. We wrote these songs during the most vulnerable times and our hope is that people hear that and connect.”
“The Way It Feels is finally here!” says Tae. “These songs will always represent something so beautiful and spiritual to us. And hopefully, it will represent something similar to people who listen.”
The album’s current single, “Die From a Broken Heart,” is No. 22 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after 37 weeks.
The Way It Feels Tract List & Songwriters
1. “Everywhere I’m Goin’” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Josh Thompson, Jimmy Robbins)
2. “Bathroom Floor” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Josh Kerr)
3. “My Man” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Dave Barnes, Jordan Reynolds)
4. “Tourist In This Town” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Barry Dean, Jimmy Robbins)
5. “Drunk Or Lonely” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Deric Ruttan, Forrest Whitehead)
6. “One Heart To Another” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Jonathan Singleton, Deric Ruttan)
7. “Trying On Rings” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Laura Veltz, Jimmy Robbins)
8. “Write A Book” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Laura Veltz, Josh Kerr)
9. “Water In His Wine Glass” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Jon Nite)
10. “Ain’t There Yet” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Dave Barnes, Ben West)
11. “Lay Here With Me” feat. Dierks Bentley (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Josh Kerr, Dave Barnes)
12. “Friends Don’t” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Jon Nite, Justin Ebach)
13. “Die From A Broken Heart” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Jonathan Singleton, Deric Ruttan)
14. “I Don’t Need To Know” (Maddie Marlow, Taylor Dye, Adam Hambrick)
15. “New Dog Old Tricks” (Laura Veltz, Jesse Frasure, Emily Weisband)
David Nail and wife Catherine revealed they are expecting their third child—a baby girl—this fall.
David shared the news via Instagram, saying, in part: “We can’t wait to welcome our baby girl this fall!”
David and Catherine, who were married in June 2009, welcomed twins—son Lawson Brent Nail and daughter Lillian Catherine Nail—in 2015. David released a four-song EP, Oh, Mother, in January.
In October 2006, Chris Young dropped his self-titled debut album on Sony Music’s RCA Nashville imprint.
More than 13 years later, Chris is still signed to RCA Nashville. He has released seven studio albums through the label, with an eighth, Raised on Country, on the way. While Chris has scored 11 No. 1 singles during his time with RCA Nashville, his first three singles—“Drinkin’ Me Lonely,” “You’re Gonna Love Me” and “Voices”—barely made dents on the chart at No. 42, No. 48 and No. 37, respectively. But RCA Nashville stuck with Chris—and the rest, as they say, is history: 2 billion on-demand streams, 12 million singles sold, 11 career No. 1 singles, 2 Grammy nominations and more.
As Chris told Kix Brooks of American Country Countdown, he’s “grateful” for his longtime label partner, because “RCA believed in me” when many artists under similar circumstances would have been “done.”
“Just the fact that I’m still on the same label from the beginning of my career until now is incredible,” says Chris to Kix. “And, you know, it’s a testament to working with RCA. When I first started out, the first three singles tanked, so most artists are done by like tank number two [laughing], if not the first one. It was cool that RCA believed in me. That was back when Joe Galante was running the label. That guy was—and still is—a very shrewd businessman, a very smart guy, and one to not pull punches, so the fact that he saw something there and said, ‘I want to keep this guy around and make another record,’ and now, you look at what that’s turned into . . . I’m pretty grateful for that.”
Chris’ new single, “Drowning,” which he co-penned with Corey Crowder and Josh Hoge, is currently No. 25 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after 30 weeks.
One week after debuting “Champagne Night” during NBC’s prime-time series Songland on April 13, Lady Antebellum announced that the tune will serve as the trio’s new single.
Hillary Scott, Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood of Lady A served as the guests artists on Season 2/Episode 1 of Songland, which gives four songwriters the chance to have one of their original tunes produced by a mentor—Shane McAnally, Ester Dean or Ryan Tedder—and recorded by the guest artists.
Singer/songwriter Madeline Merlo penned the episode’s winning song, “Champagne Night,” with Lady A and Shane McAnally. “Champagne Night,” which is the first song from the prime-time series to become a radio single, impacted country radio on April 20.
“We had a blast bringing this song to life for our episode,” said Hillary Scott. “We started the process of the song over the winter in a very different time and headspace. But now, with everything going on, it’s almost like that little dose of exactly what I need right now—a light and fun little reminder to enjoy the simpler moments.”
The announcement likely means the end of Lady A’s single, “What I’m Leaving For,” which is currently No. 39 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart after nine weeks. Penned by Sam Ellis, Micah Premnath and Laura Veltz, “What I’m Leaving For” is featured on Lady A’s 2019 album, Ocean, and followed the release of lead single, “What If I Never Get Over You.”
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