5 Must-Hear New Country Songs: Megan Moroney, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley, I'm With Her & More
In today's crop of new music, Megan Moroney and Kenny Chesney team up on a song celebrating their time spent on Chesney's Sun Goes Down Tour last year. Meanwhile, Dierks Bentley previews his upcoming Broken Branches album with a new release. Julie Williams pays homage to those who have uplifted and inspired her, while roots music luminaries Leftover Salmon and I'm With Her also offer new music.
Kenny Chesney and Megan Moroney, 'You Had to Be There'
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On this breezy, jaunty summer tune, Moroney reminisces on a summer filled with music and magic, first as a fan soaking in music from the nosebleed seats, then as an artist. She chronicles her journey from attending a Chesney concert in Atlanta seven years ago, to being an opener on his 2024 tour. Chesney joins on the second verse, his warm, conversational voice offering advice on lines including 'Keep your heart on your sleeve and your chin held high.' The song has a classic Chesney feel and serves as an excellent vehicle for their intertwined voices.
Dierks Bentley, 'Standing in the Sun'
Dierks Bentley offers another preview of his upcoming album Broken Branches (out June 13). His latest song, written by Kyle Sturrock, compares life's hardships to hurricanes and freezing snows, but maintains that his lover's affections are life-refreshing, noting that 'noise dies down and life slows up' when he's with the one he loves. Gently rippling guitars and a laid-back tone echo the song's sentiments.
Julie Williams, 'The Women Who Made Me'
Williams, known for her work on her 2024 EP Tennessee Moon and her 2023 self-titled project, offers up a new song dedicated to confident, resilient women. Jangly guitars and serene fiddlework lace with Williams' honeyed vocal as she pays tribute not only her mother, but also the influence of many of country music's female greats. She namechecks songs including The Chicks' 'Wide Open Spaces,' Trisha Yearwood's 'XXXs and OOOs' and Sara Evans's 'Born to Fly,' and celebrates the strength and wisdom of her mother, who 'carried a heavy load/ Never let on,' and taught her to lean into music as a solace.
Leftover Salmon feat. Sam Bush and Del McCoury, 'Let's Party About It'
Venerated jam band Leftover Salmon has been known for its latticework of country, bluegrass, jazz and rock for more than three decades, and on the new LP, Let's Party About It (which released May 9 on Compass Records), it's clear the group has no intention of pausing its eclectic, free-wheeling brand of music and dedication to top-shelf musicianship. The project's title track further spotlights Leftover Salmon's communal approach to music-making, and highlights Dave Matthews Band's Jeff Coffin on soprano saxophone, as well as Sam Bush on fiddle. The rollicking tune pulls listeners in with its lively spirit and urges them that is better spent united in partying rather than in harmful division.
I'm With Her, 'Wild and Clear and Blue'
This celebrated trio of Sarah Jarosz, Sara Watkins and Aoife O'Donovan released their first collaborative album as I'm With Her in 2018, with See You Around. They return with a new release via Rounder Records. On the project's title track, backed by a mesh of violin, guitar, piano and mandolin, they reminisce about childhood moments spent soaking in music that played in their mothers' cars, finding a gem of an album in dusty record bins, and how those moments spurred their musical passions and have stayed with them as the years have passed. Their shimmering harmonies are tightly woven purity, giving the song's nostalgic message ample space to take center stage. The project marks a glorious return for this talented trio.
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San Francisco Chronicle
18 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
What to Stream: Dierks Bentley, Sydney Sweeney, Alex Cooper and 'Deep Cover'
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Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Yahoo
Megyn Kelly Attempts A Perplexing Beyoncé Takedown — But The Receipts Are Damning
According to Megyn Kelly, Beyoncé hasn't faced much backlash for releasing country music... even though a quick Google search will tell you otherwise. During a segment of 'The Megyn Kelly Show' posted online Thursday, the former Fox News host complained to guest Glenn Greenwald that Beyoncé's current world tour features an onstage clip of Kelly criticizing the marketing behind the singer's 2024 country album, 'Cowboy Carter.' Kelly was not pleased and accused Beyoncé of playing 'the victim,' suggesting that the singer is exaggerating the hostility she's faced for putting out country music. 'The vast majority of consumers and her fans celebrated her to high heaven,' Kelly said, before later claiming '[Beyoncé] had to scour the internet to find anybody who offered any criticism of this move whatsoever.' But googling any combination of the words 'Beyoncé,' 'criticism,' and 'country music' will generate several news articles highlighting the singer's turbulent experience in the country music world, including the hostility she faced after releasing the 2016 song 'Daddy Lessons' on the album 'Lemonade.' When Beyoncé, a Houston native, performed the song alongside The Chicks at the 2016 Country Music Association Awards, their performance was met with swift backlash and a wave of racist attacks from country music fans online. 'Having Beyoncé perform at the CMA Awards is like having Taylor Swift perform at the BET Awards,' one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter, at the time. Beyoncé 'isn't even what country represents,' wrote another, per The New York Times. Natalie Maines, lead singer of The Chicks, told Howard Stern in 2020 that there was a 'weird vibe in the building' the night she performed with Beyoncé, and said that furious 'racist assholes' emailed the CMAs and bombarded the social channels for the CMA Awards in response to the singer's performance. Beyoncé shared on Instagram in March last year that her 'Cowboy Carter' album was born out of 'an experience' in which she 'did not feel welcomed.' While she did not explicitly mention the CMA Awards, it's widely understood that she was alluding to the polarizing 2016 performance. 'The criticisms I faced when I first entered this genre forced me to propel past the limitations that were put on me,' she wrote at the time. Beyoncé has since made history in the country music industry, which has a history of racism and discriminationdespite country's Black roots. Last year, she became the first Black woman to top Billboard's country music chart with the song 'Texas Hold 'Em.' Even so, 'Cowboy Carter' was controversially shut out of last year's CMA Awards nominations. Monica Cwynar, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks who specializes in trauma and coping skills, said that 'the backlash Beyoncé has received for exploring country music can be viewed as a reflection of deep-rooted biases in the music industry and society at large.' 'People like to put individuals in boxes that make them comfortable. When she chose to explore a genre that has been dominated by white performers, some people may feel threatened or angry, as if she doesn't have a right to be in this space,' Cwynar said. 'As an artist from Texas, she has the cultural backdrop to authentically engage with country music.' 'Music should bring us together,' she added. 'Her decision to continue releasing country music despite pushback highlights her commitment to artistic expression and authenticity, serving as an important statement about inclusivity in music.' Cwynar said that Kelly's remarks about Beyoncé dismiss the criticism and discrimination the singer faces, and that the former Fox News host is speaking to her 'own personal bias.' 'This perspective reinforces a narrative that often seeks to silence Black voices and experiences, suggesting that there is a right way for Black artists to navigate their careers,' she said. Cwynar said that Kelly's suggestion that Beyoncé didn't face significant criticism entering the country music world could be seen as a form of gaslighting. 'By suggesting that Beyoncé's experiences with criticism are nonexistent or exaggerated, it attempts to undermine her lived reality and negate her perspective,' she said. 'This diminishes the authenticity of her experiences and can lead to greater feelings of isolation and confusion for those who may relate to her struggles.' 'I have seen this in my practice; it leads to increased feelings of self-doubt, anxiety and depression, as individuals may begin to question their perceptions of reality,' Cwynar said. 'It can also exacerbate feelings of isolation, as victims might feel unsupported in their struggles.' 'Validating one's experiences and seeking community support can be essential to counteracting these effects,' she added. And for anyone who feels that the validity of their experiences with racism and discrimination are being questioned, Cwynar recommends that you find supportive spaces and communities where your feelings can be validated. 'Journaling their experiences can help clarify their thoughts and feelings,' she said. 'Ultimately, these conversations highlight the ongoing need for open dialogue about race, identity, and the intersections within the music industry and beyond,' she added. 'We have come a long way but we have to still continue to move forward with patience and making space for everyone.' Megyn Kelly Loses It Over Halle Berry's Intimate Mother's Day Video Megyn Kelly Melts Down Over 'Leftist' Met Gala In Wild Rant Megyn Kelly Leveled A Vile Trope At Meghan Markle — And It Goes Deeper Than It Seems
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Yahoo
Taylor Swift Makes 'Surprise Appearance' at Kenny Chesney's Vegas Show
It's official: , 57, has kicked off his summer residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, and he enlisted one of his most famous friends to help him do it. When Chesney performed his 2002 hit song "Big Star," the graphics on the Sphere all around him made his fans feel like they were inside of a pinball machine, and that's when the audience was surprised by 's unexpected appearance. She has been laying low these days. Who would have thought she'd be in Vegas? 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 At least, a picture of her was in Vegas. See the moment here: As the pinball makes it to the top of the hill, a photo of Swift and Chesney together in her younger years (definitely Debut era with that curly hair) pops up on the screen, framed by a star. It got fans pretty excited, too — in the video above, you can hear the buzz in the audience as soon as she appears on screen. Chesney and Swift go way back. And in 2024, the singer told USA Today that it's "unbelievable what she has become" after knowing her since her teenage years when she was first trying to break into country music. "She has such a creative soul and that's where all of this started," he said. "Everything you see, the stadium shows and big performances, are great. But she is still, I believe, at heart, a songwriter. That is something no one can deny."Wonder if Swift knows she's part of Chesney's performance? Considering their long history together, it's a sweet way to pay tribute to their friendship. Taylor Swift Makes 'Surprise Appearance' at Kenny Chesney's Vegas Show first appeared on Parade on May 23, 2025
