It’s been two years since Luke Bryan dropped his most recent album, What Makes You Country. If Luke’s past is any indication, expect a new offering from him very soon.
Since releasing his debut album, I’ll Stay Me, in 2007, Luke has never gone more than two calendar years between new albums: Doin’ My Thing (2009), Tailgates & Tanlines (2011), Crash My Party (2013), Kill the Lights (2015) and What Makes You Country (2017).
Luke gave fans the first sample from his upcoming seventh studio album with the release on “Knockin’ Boots” in April. After the tune became his 23rd No. 1 single in September, Luke dropped the upcoming album’s second single, “What She Wants Tonight,” which is currently No. 16 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart after five weeks.
Luke sat down with NCD in November to talk about working on his upcoming seventh studio album.
“We had ‘Knockin’ Boots’ out this summer, and now we’ve got ‘What She Wants Tonight’ out, so yeah, I’ve got several things recorded for the new album,” says Luke. “I’m actually going to go in and sing some more stuff on [Nov. 14]. Now I’m kinda in the mentality of ‘write some songs.’ When I get one or two I wanna go in the studio with, I’ll go in. A few years ago, we’d cut 18 songs and put a 15-song album together, but now it’s like, sprinkle songs out there, look at what I’ve got and determine the single. And if we get a couple of big hits in a row, then build the album around that and put the album out. I’m constantly writing and working on stuff.”
With “What She Wants Tonight” following an upward trajectory on the charts, it sounds like Luke’s new album could be released in the next few months.
Here’s everything you need to know about Brad Paisley’s new TV special, Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special.
Date: Dec. 3
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Television Station: ABC
Location: War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville
What to Expect: A combination of Brad’s signature humor, unexpected surprises, heartfelt pieces and rousing musical performances
Special Guests: Carrie Underwood, Tim McGraw, Darius Rucker, Kelsea Ballerini, Hootie & the Blowfish, Jonas Brothers, Chris Harrison, Peyton Manning and more
Highlight: St. Jude Children’s Hospital cancer survivor Addie Pratt teams with Brad on a new song.
Brad says: “One of the reasons we named it Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special is because I felt like it would be a lot of fun to tear me down throughout this and that’s kinda the vehicle. I’m roasted the whole time. This doesn’t serve to elevate me in any way, really [laughing]. From the minute the show starts, Peyton Manning is telling me how I really should not even be doing this. And it gets worse after that.”
Midland’s frontman Mark Wystrach and wife Ty Haney welcomed their first child—a baby girl named Sundance “Sunny” Leon Haney-Wystrach—last week.
Ty posted an update via Instagram on Nov. 29, saying: “Sundance ‘Sunny’ Leon came into this world with a bang! It’s been a wild and unexpected week in the hospital, but we are all doing great and loving being together! So grateful for our amazing doctors and nurses who have taken the best care of us and to our friends and family for all the love, prayers and support! The power of love and positivity is real. Lil Baby Sunny girl is strong, beautiful and an absolute joy! We’ve gotten a clean bill of health and we’re going home tomorrow. Yeehaw! The adventure has begun!!!”
Prior to Ty’s post, Midland’s label, Big Machine, announced via Instagram that the band would have to postpone their tour dates as there was an “unexpected emergency” following the birth: “Midland regretfully must postpone their upcoming tour due to a medical emergency following the birth of lead singer Mark Wystrach and his wife Ty’s child. The band are all incredibly saddened to delay their tour but are working hard to reschedule for 2020. Mark and Ty will share more info as it becomes available. More information on rescheduled dates and refund details if unable to attend in due course.”
Here’s some video of the 2019 Tennessee football seniors going through their Senior Day Festivities of running through the T one more time and more. Video is courtesy of UT Athletics and VFL Films.
Vols WR jauan Jennings / Credit: UT Athletics and VFL Films
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In the first-ever meeting between the teams, No. 20/25 Tennessee flew past Air Force, 81-54, Sunday afternoon in Thompson-Boling Arena to open the season 7-0 for fifth time in the past 10 years.
With a season-high crowd of 8,032 looking on, nine different players scored for the Big Orange. UT tallied 56 points inside the paint, had 23 points created from 22 Air Force (1-7) turnovers and shot a season-high 54.8 percent from the field. UT knocked down a sizzling 66.7 percent of its shots in the second quarter and 64.7 percent in the third period.
Junior Rennia Davis just missed her fifth double-double, recording 18 points and nine rebounds to share leading scorer honors with sophomore Rae Burrell, who posted a scoring career high for the second straight game.
Three other Lady Vols scored in double digits, including junior Kasiyahna Kushkituah, sophomore Jazmine Massengill and freshman Tamari Key, who contributed 13, 11 and 10, respectively. Massengill added a game-high six assists.
Air Force was paced by sophomore Riley Snyder, who scored 20 points and recorded six rebounds. Kaelin Immel finished with 13 points. The Falcons shot only 29.6 from the field, but out-rebounded Tennessee, 40-39. It marked the first time all season UT has been beaten on the boards.
Key scored the first points of the day after being fouled underneath the basket, nailing a pair of free throws. Davis followed that up with the first lay-up of the game and a bucket from beyond the arc, tying the game at 8-8. With two lay-ins from Key and Massengill, the Lady Vols led 12-11 with 3:58 left in the quarter.
UT started pulling away shortly afterward. The Lady Vols tallied four lay-ins in a row, with three of those coming from Kushkituah and the other from Burrell. Later, Burrell finished off the Lady Vols’ scoring in the opening stanza with a jumper, making it a 24-15 lead for the Big Orange after one.
Freshman Jordan Horston started to create havoc for the Falcons in the second quarter by forcing a handful of turnovers that led to fast breaks and points for the Lady Vols, extending UT’s lead to 30-20 with 5:07 left in the half.
Burrell had quick back-to-back buckets with 3:34 remaining, giving UT its then-largest lead of the game at 34-20. Davis contributed a lay-up and was followed by two free throws from Massengill to pad Tennessee’s advantage. Burrell closed out the second quarter with a lay-in on a fast break after senior Kamera Harris forced a turnover. Overall, the Lady Vols shot a blistering 66.7 percent in the second stanza and recorded four steals.
At the intermission, Burrell led the team with 10 points and four rebounds. Massengill was right behind her with nine points, while Key recorded five rebounds and eight points. Defensively, UT forced 14 turnovers and held the Falcons to a 31.3 shooting percentage.
Davis scored the opening points in the second half and was followed by a lay-up from senior Lou Brown, making it a 47-27 advantage for the Lady Vols. UT went on a 7-0 scoring run from that point, as Key contributed a lay-in, followed by a Burrell jumper and three-point bucket – both on fast breaks – to make it 56-32. Kushkituah and Davis scored the rest of the points in the third, giving the Big Orange a 22-point lead heading into the final frame.
Freshman Emily Saunders came off the bench to score the first points in the fourth quarter, giving UT a 69-45 lead. Massengill scored next, adding a lay-up right before the shot clock expired with 6:05 left in the game. Saunders recorded an offensive rebound on UT’s next possession and scored another bucket followed by a three-point score from Burrell, boosting Tennessee to a 76-51 advantage.
Freshman Jessie Rennie also recorded her first points of the game with a three-point bucket with less than two minutes left in the contest. Davis closed it out with a jumper to give UT the 27-point win.
Up Next: Tennessee continues its home stand, hosting Texas on Sunday at 2 p.m. The game will be televised by ESPN2 and broadcast on Lady Vol Network radio stations. Fans can buy tickets at AllVols.com.
On The Break: UT recorded a season-high 15 steals against Air Force, converting those into a season-high 21 fast-break points. The Lady Vols had previous season highs of 12 and 20, respectively, vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the last game.
Consistent Bench Play: Sophomore Rae Burrell and Kasiyahna Kushkituah each finished the day in double figures with 18 and 13 points, respectively. It marks the fourth-straight game the pair have come off the bench to contribute double-digit points.
Rae Heating Up: Sophomore Rae Burrell has improved her career high in two straight games, recording 17 against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and 18 against Air Force. Her previous career high was 14 points, initially set against Florida A&M on Nov. 18, 2018, and tied earlier this season against Tennessee State.
Balanced Attack: UT finished the day with five players in double digits (Davis, Key, Massengill, Kushkituah, Burrell) and nine of 10 active Lady Vols contributed at least one bucket.
Point Guards Dishing: Freshman Jordan Horston and sophomore Jazmine Massengill lead the team in assists this year with 33 and 32, respectively. If the season ended today, Horston’s average of 4.7 apg. would rank second all-time for Lady Vol freshmen behind only Ariel Massengale who averaged 4.9, while Massengill’s average of 4.6 apg. would rank fifth all-time for Lady Vol sophomores.
500th Game For Harper: Today marked the 500th game of Kellie Harper‘s head coaching career. The first-year UT skipper is 292-208 in her 16th season on the sideline.
NICEVILLE, Fla. – With 1.7 seconds remaining and the score tied at 69-69, Tennessee senior Lamonte Turner buried a 3-pointer from the corner to lift the Volunteers to a 72-69 victory over VCU on Saturday night at the Emerald Coast Classic.
Turner’s buzzer-beater capped his 12-point, seven-assist performance, which also featured with three steals.
Vols junior John Fulkerson scored a career-high 17 points and racked up seven rebounds as UT improved to 6-1.
Senior Jordan Bowden was incredibly efficient from the field, knocking down four of his six shots from the field while draining all six of his attempts from the foul line to finish with 14 points.
Off the bench, junior Jalen Johnson was critical to the Vols’ early first-half run, knocking down two big buckets to help give Tennessee its 11-point halftime advantage.
With less than a minute remaining and UT holding a 67-66 edge, Fulkerson blocked De’riante Jenkins’ layup attempt and grabbed the ensuing rebound.
After getting fouled, Fulkerson knocked down both free throws before Jenkins came right back down the floor to hit a three to tie things up at 69 apiece.
With the game tied, Turner knocked down his second three of the night and sealed the win. The shot placed him just one 3-pointer outside the top 10 in Tennessee history for career 3-point makes (170).
In the game’s opening 10 minutes, the teams traded blows, with VCU draining its first four shots from 3-point range, while the Vols were able to get to the rim at will. Tennessee got to the line on three separate occasions and scored eight points in the paint during that span.
At the under-12 timeout in the first half, UT held a slim 20-19 lead with all seven Vols who had entered the contest penning their names on the scoresheet.
Over the next five minutes, UT stretched its lead using a 9-2 run engineered by two buckets off the bench from Johnson and two big baskets in the paint from Fulkerson.
The Vols also held VCU to a 1-of-16 mark from the field over the final 12 minutes of the half.
The incredible effort on the defensive side of the ball, paired with a few timely baskets, gave Tennessee a 37-26 advantage heading into the locker room.
Out of the break, VCU grabbed control, using a 10-3 run over a stretch of 3:17 to cut the Tennessee lead to as few as three points.
With just under seven minutes remaining in the contest, the Rams took a 58-56 lead; it was their first lead since the 15:12 mark of the first half, when they led 12-10.
The teams traded baskets and the lead, heading into the game’s final minute of action.
Easy, Breezy, Beautiful Cover Fulk: Junior John Fulkerson poured in a career-high 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field, and he added seven huge rebounds and a block with less than a minute remaining to keep the Vols in the lead late.
Money from the Line: Tennessee knocked down 13-of-14 attempts from the foul line, a percentage of .938. That percentage was the Vols’ highest of the season as a team, with three Vols shooting a perfect percentage from the charity stripe.
Spreading the Love: All eight Vols who saw action Saturday recorded at least two points on the final stat sheet.
Up Next: Tennessee returns home to Thompson-Boling Arena to take on Florida A&M on Wednesday night. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Tennessee running back Eric Gray, center Brandon Kennedy and safety Nigel Warrior spoke to reporters in the postgame after the 28-10 win over Vanderbilt on Senior Night to end the regular season.
Vols S Nigel Warrior, C Brandon Kennedy and RB Eric Gray / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
Tennessee linebacker Henry To’oto’o, wide receiver Marquez Callaway and defensive end Matthew Butler spoke to reporters in the postgame after the 28-10 win over Vanderbilt on Senior Night to end the regular season.
Vols DE Matthew Butler, WR Marquez Callaway and LB Henry To’oto’o / Credit: 99.1 The Sports Animal
Despite two lengthy weather delays and a less-than-stellar passing attack, Tennessee outlasted Vanderbilt 28-10 to snap a three-game losing streak to an in-state rival on a rainy Saturday night in Neyland Stadium.
On a Senior Day for 13 Vols, true freshman Eric Gray stole the show, setting a Tennessee freshman record with 246 yards on 21 carries to break the mark of 232 set by Jamal Lewis against Georgia in 1997.
Not bad for a guy that didn’t even start and was third-team most of the season.
In the absence of Ty Chandler (ankle), Gray came off the bench to score on runs of 56, 94 and 4 yards for an offense that didn’t do much otherwise. The Vols totaled 417 yards – 297 rushing – against a Vanderbilt team that was punctured for over 400 yards rushing by Kentucky and Ole Miss.
“I’m not surprised,’’ receiver Marquez Callaway said of Gray’s dynamic performance.
“It was a testament to the line,’’ said Gray, who had 211 rushing yards in 11 games before his outburst. “It was a blessing to the line, a blessing to the coaching staff. … Props to Ty (Chandler) and Tim (Jordan) because they’ve taught me so much.’’
Backed up at UT’s 6-yard line in the second quarter, Gray darted through the line and scooted 94 yards for the second-longest touchdown run in UT history.
“It’s been a dream of mine,’’ Gray said, “to be backed up like that and take it 94 yards.’’
Gray said he once had a 96-yarder as a high school junior.
Offensive lineman Trey Smith was impressed with Gray’s long jaunt.
“Oh crap,’’ was Smith’s initial reaction. “I didn’t think he’d break it. When he got past the 50, I thought, `Oh, he’s gone.’’
Based on the weather forecast, Smith had a feeling UT would rely heavily on the run game.
“It’s gonna be dirty, it’s gonna be muddy,’’ Smith said. “It’s gonna get physical.’’
Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano, who passed for 415 yards against Missouri last week, was rendered ineffective by the rain and wind. He threw an interception on UT’s first possession and had just 26 passing yards at halftime. He finished 6 of 17 for 120 yards and one score.
Tennessee’s fifth win in a row and sixth in seven games helped erase most of the sting from a 1-4 start and put the Vols in position to get an attractive bowl bid – most likely to the Outback, Gator or Music City bowl. All three would clamor for a hot team with fans that travel well.
“When we were 1-4, probably nobody gave us much hope,’’ said coach Jeremy Pruitt. “But these guys stayed together and stayed the course.’’
Pruitt said the team couldn’t have done it without good relationships between coaches and players, and players and players.
“They did what most teams can’t do,’’ Pruitt said of the turnaround.
Much of the credit goes to a defense that improved almost game by game. In a contest was delayed 28 minutes at the start and 39 minutes in the fourth quarter, UT held Vandy to 279 total yards, 110 rushing. Scheduled to kickoff at 4 p.m., the game didn’t end until 8:15.
But it didn’t delay the inevitable victory that ended Vanderbilt’s win streak over the Vols.
“For me, if you lose to Vanderbilt,’’ said defensive lineman Matthew Butler, “I’m going to be real with you, that’s embarrassing.’’
UT embarrassed a team hardly worthy of SEC stature. Vandy went 3-9 this year, 1-7 in the SEC with each league defeat by at least 17 points.
Watching Vandy quarterback Riley Neal struggle (he was 14 of 29 for 139 yards with three sacks) was a reminder of how much the team missed Kyle Shurmur, who put 38, 42 and 45 points on UT.
Tennessee also did a terrific job on 1,000-yard rusher on Ke’Shawn Vaughn, who had 13 yards on six carries.
It took Tennessee a while to get going on offense as the unit failed to get a first down on the first series. The Vols scored touchdowns on the next three drives to build a 21-3 halftime lead.
From there, it was a matter of putting the finishing touches on a remarkable turnaround – one that seemed so improbable after a 1-4 start.
Tennessee offensive lineman Trey Smith spoke to reporters in the postgame after the 28-10 win over Vanderbilt on Senior Night to end the regular season.
Vols OL Trey Smith / Credit: 99..1 The Sports AnimalVideo
