Kacey Musgraves earned her third No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with the debut of Golden Hour, which moved 49,000 equivalent units in its first week, according to Nielsen Music.
Kacey became the first solo female artist to top the chart since Jessie James Decker in November 2017.
The new 13-song offering follows Kacey’s 2013 debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, and her 2015 sophomore album, Pageant Material, both of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
Kacey co-wrote every track on Golden Hour, and she co-produced the new album with Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian.
“I had a different mindset this time, which was feeling rather than thinking—leading heart first,” says Kacey.
Golden Hour also debuted atop Billboard’s Americana/Folk chart.
Duke coach David Cutcliffe has faced his share of outstanding defensive minds during a stellar 35-year career as a college coach.
As offensive coordinator at Tennessee, he faced top defenses from Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, LSU and Florida.
As Duke’s head coach, he’s gone against such stalwarts as Clemson and Florida State and Notre Dame.
And when Duke made an appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game in 2013, he faced another terrific defense at FSU. Only this one was spearheaded by the man who would eventually become Tennessee’s head coach, Jeremy Pruitt.
Pruitt was defensive coordinator for Jimbo Fisher, whose Seminoles would win the national championship that season. And FSU had little trouble disposing of Duke, 45-7, holding the Blue Devils to 239 total yards.
“I thought he was just absolutely outstanding,’’ Cutcliffe said of Pruitt in the ACC title game. “Schematically, he put you in a lot of binds.’’
Usually when Cutcliffe finds his offense in a bind, he figures out a way to move the ball. Not against FSU.
Cutcliffe said Pruitt benefited from spending a lot of time around Alabama coach Nick Saban.
Before last year’s national title game between Alabama and Georgia, Cutcliffe did a coach’s film room study for ESPN, so he evaluated both teams closely. He came away impressed with Pruitt.
“I thought he had that defense playing extremely hard,’’ said Cutcliffe, who spoke recently at Tennessee’s football clinic.
Alabama lost several key linebackers during the season, yet still ranked among the nation’s top defenses.
“Sometimes you can tell more about a coach then (when he has injuries) and I thought that defense played at a high level even when they lost some of their best players,’’ Cutcliffe said.
“At the end of the day, the bottom line is, that defense got stops when that great Georgia defense couldn’t, and that was a big part of (Alabama) winning the national championship.’’
While Cutcliffe said he doesn’t know Pruitt well, he has seen Pruitt out “hustling’’ on the recruiting trail.
“You know a head coach better be out on the road and be in the right places, and I bumped into him four or five times, so I hope we were both in the right places,’’ Cutcliffe said.
The Academy of Country Music announced the additions of Dan + Shay, Darius Rucker, Chris Young and Toby Keith as performers for the 53rd ACM Awards on April 15.
In addition, the show will feature “ACM Flashbacks” honoring three of country music’s hit songs from 1993 with collaborations from Toby Keith and Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson and Jon Pardi, and Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson.
Other collaborations include Kane Brown with Lauren Alaina, Keith Urban with Julia Michaels, and Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha.
Additional performers include Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Maren Morris, Little Big Town and Thomas Rhett.
Reba McEntire will return as the host of the upcoming show. The gig will mark Reba’s 15th time as the emcee, her first since 2012 when she teamed with Blake Shelton.
The ACM Awards will air from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 15 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
Carrie Underwood released the first single, “Cry Pretty,” from her upcoming sixth studio album.
Carrie co-penned “Cry Pretty” with Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose and Lori McKenna, and she co-produced the song with David Garcia.
Carrie’s upcoming album, which doesn’t have a release date yet, will be her first since 2015’s Storyteller, which spawned hits such as “Smoke Break,” “Heartbeat,” “Church Bells” and “Dirty Laundry.”
Check out “Cry Pretty” below.
Cry Pretty
Written by Carrie Underwood, Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, Liz Rose
Produced by David Garcia and Carrie Underwood
I’m sorry, but I’m just a girl Not usually the kind to show my heart to the world I’m pretty good at keeping it together I hold my composure, for worse or for better So I apologize if you don’t like what you see But sometimes my emotions get the best of me And falling apart is as human as it gets You can’t hide it, you can’t fight what the truth is
You can pretty lie, and say it’s ok You can pretty smile, and just walk away Pretty much fake your way through anything But you can’t cry pretty
Oh no you can’t dress it up in lace or rhinestones Don’t matter if you’re in a crowd, or home all alone Yea it’s all the same when you’re looking in the mirror A picture of pain, so let it flow like a river
You can pretty lie, and say it’s ok You can pretty smile, and just walk away Pretty much fake your way through anything But you can’t cry pretty You can’t turn off the flood, when the dam breaks When all your mascara is going to waste When things get ugly, you just gotta face that you can’t cry pretty…
No you can’t…
You can’t turn off the flood, when the dam breaks When all your mascara is going to waste When things get ugly, you just gotta face that you can’t cry pretty…
No you can’t cry No you can’t cry You can’t cry, you can’t cry pretty baby No you can’t cry pretty
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee football team continues to have players experiment at new positions in an effort to find the best fits for the 2018 season.
The Vols held their 10th practice of the spring on Tuesday at Haslam Field and head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff spent plenty of time evaluating several players trying out new positions.
Early enrollee Alontae Taylor started the spring at wide receiver, but moved to defensive back on Tuesday, while redshirt freshman Princeton Fant got a look at linebacker after starting the spring at running back. Several defensive lineman moved to the offensive line in an effort to bolster the depth at that unit.
“We switched a lot of guys to begin with, and we said we were going to go seven days,” Pruitt said. “We got to seven days and we felt like we needed to see a little bit more after we scrimmaged. There’s several guys out there that we actually changed sides of the ball. For instance, (Princeton) Fant went from playing running back, which he had never played, to now we put him at inside linebacker. Alontae Taylor has went from wide receiver – which, he was a high school quarterback – to now he’s playing corner. We took three defensive linemen and moved them to offense. We moved a bunch of them.”
Of course, none of the position changes are final. Pruitt and his staff are using the spring to figure who fits best at what positions in addition to installing their schemes.
After scrimmaging for the first time on Saturday, Pruitt felt the team practiced with a purpose on Tuesday.
“The last two or three times that we have practiced, to me, we’ve kind of competed the right way,” Pruitt said. “Not the entirety of the practice, but for the most part. What we have to do is when we get to that point, we have to get guys where they try to get the other guys going instead of the coaching staff, because obviously we aren’t going to be out there during the game. That’s part of learning how to play football, it’s part of learning how to be a team. Hopefully in the next five days, we can start having some guys that step up and find a way to get everybody else going.”
Sherrer, Helton Calling Plays
Pruitt confirmed that defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer will call the defensive plays and offensive coordinator Tyson Helton will call the offensive plays this season.
Pruitt, who was the nation’s top defensive coordinator the last five years, said several of his coaches know the system they are installing and could comfortably call plays, too. He stressed there are no egos on his staff.
“The thing about our staff is if we said Tracy Rocker, you make the calls, he could make the calls,” Pruitt said. “If we said Chris Rumph, you make the calls, he could make them. Charles Kelly has been making them for a long time. Will Friend, he could call the offense. Chris Weinke could call the offense. I didn’t say Terry (Fair), I didn’t say David (Johnson), and I didn’t say Brian (Niedermeyer), not because they’re not capable, they just haven’t worked in this system before. The other guys are very familiar with what we want to get done, how we want to do it, and all 10 of them are very involved in our daily planning.”
Taylor Making an Impact
Rising redshirt junior Darrell Taylor started seven games at defensive end last fall, but he is making the transition to outside linebacker in the new 3-4 scheme this spring.
“Darrell has done a good job this spring,” Pruitt said. “He seems to be willing to learn.”
Pruitt said the Waverly, Va., native is standing out in some areas, but stressed that he needs to perform better on special teams.
He’s done some good things on defense as far as rushing the quarterback, and was stout at the end of the line … (But) he needs to improve on how he plays on special teams.”
Taylor totaled 27 tackles with four tackles for loss and three sacks in 2017.
American Idol Winner to Perform at DISH Orange & White Game
Nashville country music sensation Trent Harmon (Big Machine Records) will perform at the Toyota Volunteer Village in Lot 9 prior to the DISH Orange & White Game. Harmon won the 15th season of American Idol in April of 2016. His hit song, “There’s A Girl” is currently being played throughout the nation. Trent Harmon – There’s A Girl Video
Head Coach Jeremy Pruitt Press Conference Transcript – April 10
Opening Statement:
“After we watched the film as a staff and watched it with our players, I think there was a lot of lessons learned for everybody, including the coaching staff and the players. When guys did it the right way, we had success. When we didn’t, the other side had success. The key to the drill is to find a way to do it right all the time, understand what to do. We made a lot of mental errors in the scrimmage, missed some tackles, had a few turnovers. I thought today after watching the film, watching it with the players, I felt like our players practiced with a little bit of purpose today. The last two or three times that we have practiced, to me, we’ve kind of competed the right way. Not the entirety of the practice, but for the most part. What we have to do is when we get to that point, we have to get guys where they try to get the other guys going instead of the coaching staff, because obviously we aren’t going to be out there during the game. That’s part of learning how to play football, it’s part of learning how to be a team. Hopefully in the next five days, we can start having some guys that step up and find a way to get everybody else going.”
On switching certain players to different positions:
“We switched a lot of guys to begin with, and we said we were going to go seven days. We got to seven days and we felt like we needed to see a little bit more after we scrimmaged. There’s several guys out there that we actually changed sides of the ball. For instance, Princeton Fant went from playing running back, which he had never played, to now we put him at inside linebacker. Alontae Taylor has went from wide receiver – which he was a high school quarterback – to now he’s playing corner. We took three defensive linemen and moved them to offense. We moved a bunch of them. First of all, we like depth on the offensive line, so we do have some guys. Just common sense, you got nine defensive linemen, and you’re only playing three at a time, and you got six offensive linemen, so find the guys who’ve played offense and let’s get them over there and let’s get them some work for the couple of days. Let’s see at least if they have a foundation, and possibly they can be an emergency down the road. This isn’t going to be a final switch for Alontae Taylor. We’re trying to develop depth and competition and the secondary. There may be a point sometimes in the season, we had it this past year, you lose five guys at one position. We still play on Saturdays so we have to find a way. So, if you’re going to do that type of stuff, right now is the time to do it. I told Alontae before we went out there, I said, ‘I realize you have no idea what you’re doing. Coach Terry Fair is going to tell you every snap. You do it to the best of your ability.’ I said that I can tell whether or not you can play at that position one day just by your movements. Obviously, if you’ve got offensive linemen that have practiced one practice and you’re throwing 10 days of install at them, they’re not going to be very good. We tried to scale back today when those guys were in to give them a chance, just so we can kind of see and evaluate moving forward.”
On if he has seen improvement since Saturday’s scrimmage:
“Sometimes, defensively, you might not play very well, but you have success because it takes a lot more moving parts on the offensive side of the ball. Sometimes when you look at the end result on the offensive side, it may not be as good or bad as you think it is. Sometimes you may not block a soul, but the running back runs for 30 yards. The next time, you may block everybody, and the guys runs up there and doesn’t make a very good run, makes the wrong cut. From the scrimmage, there was a lot of that. We don’t have 11 guys doing and playing what we think is winning football. We know what that standard is and what that expectation is, and our kids are understanding that. To me, I think most of the time, when you watch teams, they improve more from the first to the second game. I think today, considering we swapped a lot of guys around, I thought our guys improved from a little more physicality, a little more running to the ball. For the first time since I’ve been out there on the field, I tried to make sure I was out of the way. I had to get out of the way, and I had to back up, so that’s a good thing.”
On players learning the defensive scheme:
“I don’t think it’s very hard to play our defense. We teach basically eight concepts, and that’s really for the linebackers and the secondary. To me, a two eye is the same as a three technique, four eye, five, technique is technique. So, either you’re playing technique or you’re moving. At the end of the day, like I told Princeton Fant, you’re not going to know one call, and I’m not worried about it. Let the coaches holler and scream at you, and when the ball is turned over, find the guy with the ball, and let me see you go thud his butt up. That’s really what football is. We’ll coach the rest of it as you have a chance to learn. Sometimes I think we make it a little harder than what it really is.”
On Latrell Bumphus and other position changes:
“I think Latrell Bumphus played defense in high school, and we want to figure out who the best players are. I go back to my high school background. Sometimes you had to play guys on both sides of the ball. When it comes down to the last two minutes, I’d like to have the best players on the field. If we lose two or three guys at a certain position, and we need to make some moves to figure out the best way and maybe have to change who we are, then we want to be able to do that. We don’t want October or November to be the first time they’ve ever done it. We want to give them a little bit of background. We’ll have an idea of if they can do it, plus it will help us when we get new guys that come in. I mean, there’s people out there that are grad transfers that may be looking to leave, and we need to know what we need and what we don’t need. So, move some guys around.”
On what he saw from Jarrett Guarantano and Will McBride during the scrimmage:
“I think the biggest thing with both of them is, you’re never going to play perfect. No player is. We tell our guys all the time that there’s no perfect player, there’s no perfect coaches. You’ve got to be able to play the next play. If you throw a 60-yard touchdown, what are you going to do the next snap? If you turn the ball over, if you don’t make the right check, if you play very poorly in the first quarter, is that going to affect how you play the next three quarters? To me, the biggest thing about playing quarterback is how do you affect your teammates? At the end of the day, the bottom line is, we want to take the football and go put it in the end zone. So you have to get all 11 guys. Some guys have a way about them where they can get the other guys to play at their best. I think that’s what makes some of the best quarterbacks who have ever played, that’s what separates them. All quarterbacks, they wouldn’t be playing the position if they didn’t have arm talent, and it’s a blessing if they have foot talent, which both of these guys do. Both guys are smart, they’re good competitors. But, the key to the drill is who’s going to get the other guys to play at their best?”
On Coach Sherrer making defensive calls:
“When we go out there at practice, Kevin is making the calls. Tyson Helton is calling them on offense. The thing about our staff is if we said Tracy Rocker, you make the calls, he could make the calls. If we said Chris Rumph, you make the calls, he could make them. Charles Kelly has been making them for a long time. Will Friend, he could call the offense. Chris Weinke could call the offense. I didn’t say Terry, I didn’t say David, and I didn’t say Brian, not because they’re not capable, they just haven’t worked in this system before. The other guys are very familiar with what we want to get done, how we want to do it, and all 10 of them are very involved in our daily planning.”
On possible limitations to Orange and White game:
“We’re going to format it to be exciting, I hope. We’re going to take from things and places we’ve been before. The last four minutes of each half is going to be two minutes. It doesn’t matter the score, it’s going to be two minutes back and forth, so there’s a little bit of excitement. Nobody wants to go out there and watch you run zone or power over and over and over and sit on the clock. So, we want to play and put our players in position to compete. We’re not going to go out there and do everything, but heck, we don’t do a whole lot anyhow.”
On the format of the Orange and White Game:
“We’re going to play ones versus ones, so it’ll be the one offense on one team and the one defense will be on another team. With the one offense will be the two defense, and with the one defense will be the two offense. So we have good on good and we’ll play it that way. You can draft if you have a team with a lot of veterans that knows what’s going on and you have a lot of depth, which we do not. So you don’t want to have one guy get injured and have to play a guy at left tackle and he can’t block me, so every time the quarterback drops back to pass, he gets sacked. That wouldn’t be a whole lot of fun.”
On the body language of the team during practice:
“It’s funny you talk about body language, I threw out the first pitch the other night at the baseball game, and I threw it about six yards left of home plate. We had a catcher back there and he couldn’t even get over there to it, it was so far left. So my wife calls me after the baseball game and she said ‘Coach Pruitt’ and I said ‘yes ma’am’. She said ‘if you’re going to preach about body language, how about demonstrating it yourself. You threw that ball up against the backstop, you should have seen yourself walking off of the field’. So she straightened me out really fast on that pitch.”
On the mentality of players that changed positions and Darrell Taylor’s performance in the spring:
“Some of these guys changing positions, you line up on the goal line, you may want to put defensive linemen down as tight ends. We may want to play with nothing but offensive linemen and tight ends. We might not want to play with any wide receivers. It doesn’t matter how many offensive linemen are healthy. So we’re going to find a way to play the way that we want to play, and if we have to play some guys that have to do both, we’ll do that in certain situations. About Darrell Taylor, Darrell has done a good job this spring. He seems to be willing to learn. He needs to improve on how he plays on special teams, I can tell you that. I told him that after the scrimmage. He’s done some good things on defense as far as rushing the quarterback, and was stout at the end of the line, but running down on the punt team, he couldn’t run any faster than me, and that’s not how we want to practice.”
On the kicking unit’s progress in the spring
“We’ve been doing special teams every day. We did a lot of it in the scrimmage. We have to improve there, just like every position. We need to get better with our snappers, better with our holders. We have some new holders and have some new specialists. Like I told those guys out there today, I’m going to be at the game, so I don’t need to make you nervous.”
On Quarté Sapp’s performance:
“We’ve had a lot of guys that have grown in the offseason. One of the reasons we practice on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday is so that we can lift three days a week, because we felt like we needed to grow physically. I think Quarté was 211 pounds when we got here in January, and the other day I saw that he was at 226. So that’s good, that’s a testament to him because not everyone has done that. It goes back to the guys that prepare, that study film on their own. Some of it has to do with your diet and your sleep as much as it does with what you eat.”
On Chance Hall returning to the practice field:
“Well I expect for all of them to be back after they have surgery pretty quickly. And Chance wants to play. It’s kind unusual, when I first got here, he and I had a conversation. For him, it’s been awhile since he had played, and I didn’t really know his story. So we sat down and talked and I think Chance is fired up about having an opportunity to get back out there, and that’s good to see. We need him back. And we have several guys that if we practiced for two more weeks, we would have a bunch of guys that would be cleared to practice. But we don’t. So it is what it is. We do have guys that have started to mix in out at practice, just maybe not in full contact. It’s good for them to get some reps.”
On if positon changes were due to him wanting more out of the offensive line:
“No. It’s moving those guys based off of need and because they’ve all played offensive line before. And we may move other guys next week. So we’ll let those guys play defense and move those other guys inside. Same thing at all of the positions. We’re trying to learn concepts, we’re trying to learn how to block, tackle. We’re trying to learn how to compete, how to play with effort all the time. You talk about pop, I said it a while ago, it’s the first time that I needed to get out of the way today, which is a good thing. Most of the great players, probably the guys that are along these walls around here, I bet you Coach Fulmer, Coach Majors, Coach Dickey and Coach Neyland, I bet they didn’t have to get them to go. I bet that when they went out there to practice football, they were ready to practice. They may not have wanted to go to school, they may not have wanted to do a lot of things, but when it came time to play football, the real football players show up.”
From nominations and notes to performers and presenters, here’s everything a country music fan needs to know about the 2018 ACM Awards on Sunday, April 15.
Performers: Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Jason Aldean, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley, Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line with Bebe Rexha, Miranda Lambert, Chris Janson, Maren Morris, Kane Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Alan Jackson, Little Big Town, Jon Pardi, Dan + Shay, Toby Keith, Darius Rucker, Chris Young, Reba McEntire, Lauren Alaina, and Thomas Rhett
Collaborations: Toby Keith and Blake Shelton; Alan Jackson and Jon Pardi; Reba McEntire and Kelly Clarkson; Kane Brown and Lauren Alaina; Keith Urban and Julia Michaels: Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha
Presenters: Cam, Dustin Lynch, Sugarland, Kiefer Sutherland, Sam Elliott, Ashton Kutcher, David Boreanaz, AJ Buckley, Max Thieriot, Eve, Drew Brees, Nancy O’Dell, Rebecca Romijn and Lindsey Vonn
Red Carpet Coverage: TBA
Previously Announced Winners: Brett Young (New Male Vocalist of the Year), Lauren Alaina (New Female Vocalist of the Year) and Midland (New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year)
The Nominees
Entertainer of the Year
Jason Aldean
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Male Vocalist of the Year
Jason Aldean
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban
Chris Young
Female Vocalist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Reba McEntire
Maren Morris
Carrie Underwood
Vocal Duo of the Year
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Locash
Florida Georgia Line
Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
Vocal Group of the Year
Lady Antebellum
LANCO
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Album of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
Breaker – Little Big Town
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
California Sunrise – Jon Pardi
Producers: Bart Butler, Jon Pardi
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
From A Room Vol. 1 – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Record Label: Mercury Records
Happy Endings – Old Dominion
Producer: Shane McAnally
Record Label: RCA
Life Changes – Thomas Rhett
Producers: Julian Bunetta, Jesse Frasure, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett
Record Label: The Valory Music Co.
Single Record of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“Better Man” – Little Big Town
Producer: Jay Joyce
Record Label: Capitol Records Nashville
“Body Like A Back Road” – Sam Hunt
Producer: Zach Crowell
Record Label: MCA Nashville
“Broken Halos” – Chris Stapleton
Producers: Dave Cobb, Chris Stapleton
Record Label: Mercury Records
“Drinkin’ Problem” – Midland
Producers: Dann Huff, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Record Label: Big Machine Records
“I’ll Name The Dogs” – Blake Shelton
Producer: Scott Hendricks
Record Label: Warner Bros.
Song of the Year [Awarded to Songwriter(s)/Publisher(s)/Artist(s)]
“Body Like a Back Road” – Sam Hunt
Songwriters: Zach Crowell, Sam Hunt, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne
Publishers: Universal Music Corp./Sam Hunt Publishing, Highly Combustible Music/I Love Pizza Music,/Songs of Southside Independent Music Publishing/Who Wants to Buy My Publishing/Atlas Music Publishing, Anderson Fork In The Road Music/Smackville Music/Smack Songs LLC, Smack Hits
“Female” – Keith Urban
Songwriters: Ross Copperman, Nicolle Galyon and Shane McAnally
Publishers: EMI Blackwood Music Inc./Rezolant Music/Plain Jane Songs, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./A Girl Named Charlie (BMI), Smack Hits/Smack Songs LLC (GMR)
“Tin Man” – Miranda Lambert
Songwriters: Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert Jon Randall
Publishers: Sony/ATV Tree Publishing/Pink Dog Publishing (BMI), Beat Up Ford Publishing (BMI), BMG Platinum Songs (BMI)/SWMBMGBMI/Lonesome Vinyl Music
“Whiskey And You” – Chris Stapleton
Songwriters: Lee Thomas Miller, Chris Stapleton
Publishers: WB Music Corp./New Sea Gayle Music (ASCAP), Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp./New Sea Gayle Music (BMI)
Video of the Year [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]
“Black” – Dierks Bentley
Director: Wes Edwards
Producer: Max A. Butler
“It Ain’t My Fault” – Brothers Osborne
Director: Wes Edwards, Ryan Silver
Producer: Tiffany Davies
“Legends” – Kelsea Ballerini
Director: Jeff Venable
Producer: Ben Skipworth
“Marry Me” – Thomas Rhett
Director: TK McKamy
Producer: Dan Atchison
“We Should Be Friends” – Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy
Producer: April Dace
Songwriter of the Year
Rhett Akins
Ashley Gorley
Hillary Lindsey
Shane McAnally
Josh Osborne
Vocal Event of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company–Label(s)]
“Craving You” – Thomas Rhett Featuring Maren Morris
Producers: Julian Bunetta, Dann Huff, Joe London, Thomas Rhett
Record Label: The Valory Music Co.
“Dear Hate” – Maren Morris featuring Vince Gill
Producers: Brad Hill, Maren Morris
Record Label: Columbia Nashville
“Funny (How Time Slips Away)” – Glen Campbell And Willie Nelson
Producer: Carl Jackson
Record Label: Universal Music Enterprises
“The Fighter” – Keith Urban featuring Carrie Underwood
Producers: Busbee, Keith Urban
Record Label: Capitol Nashville
“What Ifs” – Kane Brown Featuring Lauren Alaina
Producer: Dann Huff
Record Label: RCA Nashville
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of his No. 1 debut album, This One’s for You, Luke will release a deluxe edition on June 1.
This One’s for You Too will feature 17 tracks, including the 12 originals from his debut album and five news songs: “Must’ve Never Met You,” “Houston, We Got a Problem,” “Beautiful Crazy,” “A Long Way” and “She Got the Best of Me.”
“As a songwriter, I’m always writing and adding new songs to our set lists,” says Luke. “Some songs I haven’t released have even become staples in our shows because the fans request them. As we’re working on the next record, the deluxe gives me the chance to say thank you to the fans for supporting my debut album and share with them some of the new music they’ve fallen in love with on the road with us.”
Luke is currently on his 55-city Don’t Tempt Me with a Good Time Tour, with upcoming stops in Salt Lake City, Portland and Seattle. This summer, Luke will hit the road with Jason Aldean on his High Noon Neon Tour.
This One’s for You Too Track Listing & Songwriters
“Out There” – Luke Combs/Jacob Bryant/Ray Fulcher/James McNair
“Memories Are Made Of” – Luke Combs/Ray Fulcher/Cody Webb
“Lonely One” – Luke Combs/Erin Ashley O’Keefe/Drew Parker
“Beer Can” – Luke Combs/Ray Fulcher/James McNair
“Hurricane”– Luke Combs/Thomas Archer/Taylor Phillips
“One Number Away” – Luke Combs/Steven Battey/Sammy Mitchell/Robert Williford
“Don’t Tempt Me” – Luke Combs/Joseph Costa/Robert Williford
“When It Rains It Pours” – Luke Combs/Ray Fulcher/Jordan Walker
“This One’s for You” – Luke Combs/Pat Cooper/Ray Fulcher
“Be Careful What You Wish For” – Luke Combs/Rob Crosby/Ray Fulcher
“I Got Away with You” – Luke Combs/Ray Fulcher/Tyler Reeve
“Honky Tonk Highway” – Luke Combs/Rob Crosby/Ray Fulcher
“Houston, We Got a Problem” – Luke Combs/Randy Montana/Jonathan Singleton
“Must’ve Never Met You” – Luke Combs/Jonathan Singleton/Robert Williford
“Beautiful Crazy” – Luke Combs/Wyatt B. Durrette III/Robert Williford
“A Long Way” – Luke Combs/Sam Grayson/Larry McCoy
“She Got the Best of Me” – Luke Combs/Rob Snyder/Channing Wilson
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The WNBA Draft 2018, presented by State Farm, will take place on April 12 at Nike New York Headquarters in Manhattan, and three Tennessee graduates are projected to be selected.
Mercedes Russell, a 6-foot-6 center from Springfield, Ore., and Jaime Nared, a 6-2 forward from Portland, Ore., who recently completed their collegiate careers, and Diamond DeShields, a 6-1 guard who finished in 2016-17, are expected to be taken in the first two rounds according to multiple mock drafts. DeShields, who projects to be a top-five pick, will be present for the festivities.
ESPN2 will air the first round beginning at 7 p.m. ET, followed by coverage of rounds two and three on ESPNU at 8 p.m. ET. The draft also will stream live on the ESPN app.
“We are thrilled that the WNBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm will take place at the recently opened Nike New York Headquarters,” said WNBA President Lisa Borders. “This is all part of our newly expanded partnership with Nike, a brand that believes in equality and the empowerment of women. The draft is a pivotal moment for the players who will be selected. For basketball fans, it is that moment when they see their favorite team’s roster taking shape with the tip-off of the new season right around the corner.”
DeShields, who played two seasons at Tennessee and departed after the 2016-17 campaign to pursue a professional career in Turkey with Cukurova, is projected as a top-four pick in the first round by three mock drafts. AP (using opinions of WNBA coaches and general managers) has DeShields going with the third pick to the Chicago Sky, as does FanSided. Chicago also has this year’s No. 4 selection, and DraftSite has the Sky taking her at that spot.
DraftSite, meanwhile, has Russell going with the No. 6 overall pick to the Dallas Wings. AP has a different outlook, projecting her to be taken in the second round by the Atlanta Dream with the 16th overall selection.
As for Nared, AP predicts her to be selected by the Washington Mystics in the second round at No. 19 overall. DraftSite has her tabbed for the No. 22 spot, going to the New York Liberty.
Russell averaged 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per contest, ranking second on the team in scoring and first in rebounding. She also ranked first in field goal percentage (.583) and blocked shots (44), while standing third in steals (39), fifth in free throw percentage (.682) and sixth in assists (27). Her 1,597 points and 1,085 rebounds rank her 16th and third, respectively on the Lady Vol career lists and her rebound average (9.2) is the fifth-highest ever recorded by a UT senior.
With her UT senior-record 16th double-double of the season in her final game, Russell finished with 46 for her career to wind up second behind only Chamique Holdsclaw (57). Her .583 field goal percentage is ninth-best in a single season, while her career numbers in field goal percentage (.570), blocks (195) and rebound average (8.0) ranked her fifth, fifth and sixth, respectively, all-time at Tennessee.
Russell netted WBCA Honorable Mention All-America and WBCA All-Region accolades for the second year in a row. She was an All-SEC First Team selection after earning second-team honors a year ago, and she was a finalist for the Lisa Leslie Award as well in 2017-18.
Nared led Tennessee in scoring at 16.7 points per game in 2017-18 and was third with 7.4 rebounds per contest. She also ranked first in steals (73), second in three-pointers made (27), third in assists (84) and third in blocks (20), while leading the Lady Vols in free throw percentage (.820), free throws made (169) and free throws attempted (206).
With 19 double-doubles during her career, Nared’s 10 this season ranked her sixth among SEC players and seventh-most ever by a Lady Vol senior. She finished second all-time at UT in a season in free throws made (169) and 10th in free throws attempted (206), while standing fifth in career free throws made (429) and fifth in career free throw percentage (.827). Her scoring average of 16.7 is the eighth-highest all-time of any Lady Vol senior and her career point total of 1,460 ranks No. 26 on UT’s scoring list.
She was named AP and WBCA Honorable Mention All-America, WBCA All-Region, All-SEC First Team by the coaches and second team by the media, MVP of the Cancun Challenge and a finalist for the Cheryl Miller Award. She also was named USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week, a two-time SEC Player of the Week, a two time College Sports Madness National Player of the Week and a three-time College Sports Madness SEC Player of the Week.
As for DeShields, she led Tennessee and ranked fourth in the SEC in scoring in 2016-17 at 17.4 points per game, marking the highest average by a Lady Vol since Candace Parker put up 21.3 ppg. in 2007-08 and the sixth-highest ever recorded by a Lady Vol junior. She also averaged 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest.
DeShields hit double figures in points 26 times as a junior, scoring 20 or more points on 11 occasions. Despite leading the team in scoring average, she only paced the team in points during 10 games while leading UT 16 times in assists and five times in rebounds. She also led the team in charges taken with eight. The next closest player had three.
Her postseason accolades included WBCA Honorable Mention All-America, Coaches All-SEC First Team, AP All-SEC Second Team and the SEC Academic Honor Roll. She also was on the Dawn Staley Award, Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, John R. Wooden Award, Naismith Trophy and Wade Trophy Watch Lists during the year as well.
The WNBA App and WNBA.com will provide complete draft-day coverage and serve as the digital destination for fans who want to track the top prospects leading up to the draft.
WNBA DRAFT 2018 ORDER OF SELECTION First Round
1) Las Vegas (8-26)
2) Indiana (9-25)
3) Chicago from Atlanta (12-22) (McGee-Stafford, Young, Hooper, 8/31/17)
4) Chicago (12-22)
5) Seattle (15-19)
6) Dallas (16-18)
7) Washington (18-16)
8) Indiana from Phoenix (18-16) (B. January, 3/6/18)
9) Connecticut (21-13)
10) New York (22-12)
11) Los Angeles (26-8)
12) Phoenix from Minnesota (27-7) (Robinson, 3/6/18)
Second Round
1) Las Vegas (8-26)
2) Indiana (9-25)
3) Connecticut from Atlanta (12-22) (Hooper, 6/8/17)
4) Atlanta from Chicago (12-22) (McGee-Stafford, Young, Hooper, 8/31/17)
5) Minnesota from Seattle (15-19) (Howard, 2/7/18)
6) Dallas (16-18)
7) Washington (18-16)
8) Phoenix (18-16)
9) Phoenix from Connecticut (21-13) (George, 2/1/18)
10) New York (22-12)
11) Los Angeles (26-8)
12) Minnesota (27-7)
Third Round
1) Las Vegas (8-26)
2) Phoenix from Indiana (9-25) via Las Vegas (Bone, 2/2/18) (Gwathmey, 5/9/17)
3) Atlanta (12-22)
4) Chicago (12-22)
5) Seattle (15-19)
6) Dallas (16-18)
7) Washington (18-16)
8) Las Vegas from Phoenix (18-16) (Currie, Brunner, Murphy, 6/28/17)
9) Connecticut (21-13)
10) New York (22-12)
11) Los Angeles (26-8)
12) Minnesota (27-7)
Carrie Underwood will drop her first single in more than two years as she releases “Cry Pretty” on April 11 at 6 a.m. ET.
Carrie penned a note to her fan club members on April 10, revealing many of the details surrounding her new single, as well as her health. In November 2017, Carrie broke her wrist—which required surgery—and suffered a facial laceration that required numerous stitches.
We’ve included some of the note’s highlights below. You can also read its entirety after the bullet points.
Carrie’s wrist is back to “about 90%.”
Carrie’s face “has been healing pretty nicely as well.”
Carrie has been in the “studio writing and singing a ton” over the last few months.
Carrie is co-producing her new album with David Garcia.
Carrie co-penned “Cry Pretty” with Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose and Lori McKenna.
The new single is “emotional. It’s real. And it ROCKS!”
Hey everybody,
I just wanted to say hello and share some updates with you all…lots of exciting stuff happening!
First off, physically, I’m doing pretty darn good these days! My wrist is almost back to normal, about 90% there…and the docs say that last 10% will come in time. And my face has been healing pretty nicely as well. I definitely feel more like myself than I have in a while. One of the silver linings for me in this healing process is the time I’ve gotten to spend with Mike and Isaiah. I’ve been calling it “forced relaxation.” Sometimes I think things happen in order to make us slow down. It also means I’ve been home to support my favorite hockey player coming out of retirement! I hope you’re all ready for more silly posts of me at Preds’ playoff games! One more run for the Cup! Go Preds!
And speaking of the Predators, I would definitely like to thank you all for making “The Champion,” such a success (see what I did there?)! I’ve been so touched seeing how people around the world have been inspired by it and have shared their personal “champion” stories and photos and videos. The song has become so meaningful to so many people, myself included, in ways I never could have imagined when I wrote it last year. I’ve always been a fan of Ludacris and getting to work with him has made me a die-hard fan for life. What an incredible talent! You guys will definitely have to help me out by singing his part when we play it on the road!
The other thing I’ve been up to over the past few months is of course making new music. I’ve been in the studio writing and singing a TON, but I’ve also been able to be creative in a way that I’ve never been before, which has been very fulfilling and empowering. While I was writing last year, I met a writer/producer named David Garcia. We hit it off in a big way and I’m excited to say that we are co-producing my album together. I’ve always been lucky to have a voice in the writing and recording process, but this is the first time I am this involved in the production of my music. It’s been challenging and incredibly rewarding to be involved in every aspect from start to finish. David has been an amazing teacher and partner, and I’m so proud of what we have created.
The first single is a song I love so much and can’t wait to share with you. It’s called “Cry Pretty” and I wrote it with three incredible women: Hillary Lindsey, Liz Rose, and Lori McKenna, who also write under the name Love Junkies. I joined one of their writing sessions last year to see if we could come up with some magic…and we did! The title refers to when emotions take over and you just can’t hold them back. It really speaks to a lot of things that have happened in the past year and I hope when you hear it, you can relate those feelings to those times in your life. It’s emotional. It’s real. And it ROCKS! It comes out TOMORROW at 6am ET, and I’m so excited I’ll be performing it live on the ACM Awards this weekend, so I hope you’ll all tune in to see it!
Needless to say, I am beyond excited for this new album and everything that comes with it…more on that soon. Of course, we’re already talking about a tour, but that’s a blog for another day! Thank you all so much for your love and support this year and always. I feel it and I appreciate it. And I can’t wait to start this new chapter with you!
xoxo, Carrie
Carrie’s last studio album was 2015’s Storyteller, which spawned hits such as “Smoke Break,” “Heartbeat,” “Church Bells” and “Dirty Laundry.” Carrie was also recently featured on Keith Urban’s 2017 smash, “The Fighter.”
You can never have too much of a good thing . . . especially in Vegas.
On that note, dig this: Reba McEntire and Brooks & Dunn have extended their Sin City residency—Reba, Brooks & Dunn: Together in Vegas—with 12 new dates at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in 2018.
In addition to the previously announced dates on August 15, 17, 18, 22, 24 and 25, newly announced dates include:
October 10, 12, 13, 17, 19 and 20
December 5, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 15
Since premiering the residency in June 2015, the trio has played more than 45 shows over the course of the last three years.
“We’re having a great time on the Las Vegas residency with Reba,” said Ronnie Dunn to Nash Country Daily. “Kix and I kid all the time that we ran up and down the road on buses for 20 years just to get a chance to do this. It’s as fun and convenient as you can get in this business. We’re having a great time.”
The new 13-song offering follows Kacey’s 2013 debut album, Same Trailer Different Park, and her 2015 sophomore album, Pageant Material, both of which hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
