Latest news with #HotCountry
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Spotify House: See Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Shaboozey for free at CMA fest
The "Spotify House" pop-up at Lower Broadway's Ole Red will feature more than a dozen artists during the 52nd CMA Fest. Access is free, but capacity is limited; admission is first-come, first-served, for ages 18 and up, from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. each day of the festival. Like Spotify's well-regarded "Hot Country" collection of 50 songs, its pop-up roster will include both established superstars and rising acts on the stages of the main floor and rooftop of the 26,000 square foot venue. Artists scheduled to perform include Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Shaboozey, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Parker McCollum, Brothers Osborne, Zac Brown Band, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Midland, Carly Pearce, Cole Swindell, Warren Zeiders, Dylan Scott and Ashley Cooke. "It's a real honor to be returning to Spotify House this year. Spotify and Hot Country have been behind me since the jump, helping my music reach fans everywhere," Wilson said in a conversation with The Tennessean. "Streaming has brought so many new people into the country fold. I can play a show anywhere in the world now and the crowd is singing along." The Spotify country playlist "Fresh Finds" inspired the selections for the rooftop line-up. Acts scheduled to perform there include 2025 Tennessean artists to watch, Noeline Hofmann and Chandler Walters. Spotify launched the "Hot Country" playlist 10 years ago and has had a presence at CMA Fest for the past six. "Country's ability to use its core of authentic storytelling has appealed to every cultural and social shift since COVID-19's quarantine," said Spotify's Claire Heinchen. "The result? It's removed barriers of entry into being someone (for whom) a country inspires and soundtracks their lives." Wilson exemplifies how Spotify's "Hot Country" playlist opens a door for pop crossover success. After signing to Nashville's BMG office in Sept. 2019, she released her debut major label EP "Redneck Hollywood." One year later, her eventual first No. 1 country hit "Things A Man Oughta Know" followed. Those releases coincided with the success of a pair of streaming-beloved No. 1 sales hits — her label mate Blanco Brown's "The Git Up" and Dan + Shay's "10,000 Hours." As well, Lil Nas X's country hit "Old Town Road" topped the all-genre Hot 100 for nineteen consecutive weeks. The COVID-19 pandemic era followed, resulting in a more than 700% increase in monthly American country music streams, according to Spotify data. 'Lainey didn't let the pandemic stop her from engaging with fans on social media and industry professionals in the Nashville and country communities,' BMG president Jon Loba said in a 2021 interview. The year also saw Wilson added to its inaugural "Hot Country Artists to Watch" list. The growth of streaming super-spiking country artists impacted the genre, as it churned out three-dozen different chart-topping radio and sales stars in 2021 alone, Wilson among them. Other venues where Wilson has headlined in the past 12 months include New York City's Radio City Music Hall and London's O2 Arena. J.J. Italiano is responsible for Global Music Curation and Discovery at Spotify. Yes, he's aware that Hot Country has added 33 percent more listeners in the past five years, but the Nashville country industry's impact on playlists like all-genre New Music Friday and Today's Top Hits has him the most intrigued. "Taking an early bet on songs is exciting, but discovering how country organically impacts people's lives has made those songs grow (on the platform)," he said. Watching acts, including rapper BigXThaPlug pairing with Bailey Zimmerman and country stars like Morgan Wallen collaborating with pop acts like Tate McRae, embrace their fans' desires to hear them work with artists from genres whose vibes they enjoy. "Streaming allows for country to embrace a moment where the genre's emerging voices, superstars and various musical influences and tastes have a seat at country's mainstream table," Heinchen said. "Spotify House allows artists, fans and country's industry to accept and celebrate what the genre is becoming." This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How to see Lainey Wilson, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, Shaboozey for free during CMA fest
UPI
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- UPI
CMA Fest: Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban among Spotify House performers
1 of 4 | Kelsea Ballerini is scheduled to perform on the Spotify House mainstage at the June 5-7 CMA Fest 2025 in Nashville. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo May 21 (UPI) -- Country stars including Kelsea Ballerini, Keith Urban, Shaboozey, Lainey Wilson and Bailey Zimmerman have been announced as Spotify House mainstage performers at the June 5-7 CMA Fest 2025. Spotify announced on social media that Spotify House will return to Nashville's Ole Red during this year's festival, with 37 performers announced and the promise of "more surprise guests." Performers on Thursday, June 5, include Zimmerman, Urban, Noah Cyrus, Parker McCollum, Riley Green and the Zac Brown Band. Friday performers are set to include the Brothers Osborne, Dasha, Dylan Scott, Little Big Town and Cameron Witcomb. Dust off your boots and grab your denim because Spotify House is BACK See you at Ole' Red in Nashville from June 5th - June 7th with some of your favorite artists. Spotify (@Spotify) May 21, 2025 Country stars scheduled to hit the stage Saturday include Ballerini, Shaboozey, Wilson, Rascal Flatts and Carly Pierce. "We're thrilled to return to Nashville and bring back the beloved Spotify House at Ole Red, as we celebrate a decade of Hot Country -- our flagship country music playlist," Jackie Augustus, Spotify's lead of country and folk artist partnerships, said in a statement provided to
CBS News
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Mariah Carey didn't steal holiday megahit "All I Want For Christmas Is You" from other songwriters, judge rules
A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Mariah Carey did not steal her perennial megahit " All I Want for Christmas Is You " from other songwriters. Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani granted Carey's request for summary judgment on Wednesday, giving her and co-writer and co-defendant Walter Afanasieff a victory without going to trial. In 2023, songwriters Andy Stone of Louisiana — who goes by the stage name Vince Vance — and Troy Powers of Tennessee filed the $20 million lawsuit alleging that Carey's 1994 song, which has since become a holiday standard and annual streaming sensation, infringed the copyright of their country 1989 song with the same title. Their lawyer Gerard P. Fox said he's "disappointed" in an email to The Associated Press. Fox said it is his experience that judges at this level "nearly always now dismiss a music copyright case and that one must appeal to reverse and get the case to the jury. My client will make a decision shortly on whether to appeal. We filed based on the opinions of two esteemed musicologists who teach at great colleges." Stone and Powers' suit said their "'All I Want For Christmas Is You' contains a unique linguistic structure where a person, disillusioned with expensive gifts and seasonal comforts, wants to be with their loved one, and accordingly writes a letter to Santa Claus." They said there was an "overwhelming likelihood" Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song — which at one point reached No. 31 on Billboard's Hot Country chart — and infringed their copyright by taking significant elements from it. Stone had claimed that the song received "extensive airplay" during the 1993 Christmas season. After hearing from two experts for each side, Ramírez Almadani agreed with those from the defense, who said the writers employed common Christmas cliches that existed prior to both songs, and that Carey's song used them differently. She said the plaintiffs had not met the burden of showing that the songs are substantially similar. Ramírez Almadani also ordered sanctions against the plaintiffs and their lawyers, saying their suit and subsequent filings were frivolous and that the plaintiffs' attorneys "made no reasonable effort to ensure that the factual contentions asserted have evidentiary support." She said they must pay at least part of the defendants' attorney fees. Defense attorneys and publicists for Carey did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Carey's Christmas colossus has become an even bigger hit in recent years than it was in the 1990s. It has reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart the past six years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week — not just the holiday-themed — by airplay, sales and streaming. The song has broken streaming records and has been played over 2 billion times on Spotify. Carey and Afanasieff have had their own public disagreement — though not one that's gone to court — over who wrote how much of the song. But the case made them at least temporary allies. Carey previously made headlines when she tried to exclusively trademark the nickname "Queen of Christmas." She filed a petition for the trademark in 2021. The U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board rejected the petition , as well as petitions to exclusively trademark "Princess Christmas" and "QOC." Last month, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced Carey as one of its 2025 nominees.
CNN
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Mariah Carey didn't steal ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You' from other writers, a judge says
A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Mariah Carey did not steal her perennial megahit 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' from other songwriters. Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani granted Carey's request for summary judgment on Wednesday, giving her and co-writer and co-defendant Walter Afanasieff a victory without going to trial. In 2023, songwriters Andy Stone of Louisiana — who goes by the stage name Vince Vance — and Troy Powers of Tennessee filed the $20 million lawsuit alleging that Carey's 1994 song, which has since become a holiday standard and annual streaming sensation, infringed the copyright of their country 1989 song with the same title. Their lawyer Gerard P. Fox said he's 'disappointed' in an email to The Associated Press. Fox said it is his experience that judges at this level 'nearly always now dismiss a music copyright case and that one must appeal to reverse and get the case to the jury. My client will make a decision shortly on whether to appeal. We filed based on the opinions of two esteemed musicologists who teach at great colleges.' Stone and Powers' suit said their ''All I Want For Christmas Is You' contains a unique linguistic structure where a person, disillusioned with expensive gifts and seasonal comforts, wants to be with their loved one, and accordingly writes a letter to Santa Claus.' They said there was an 'overwhelming likelihood' Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song — which at one point reached No. 31 on Billboard's Hot Country chart — and infringed their copyright by taking significant elements from it. After hearing from two experts for each side, Ramírez Almadani agreed with those from the defense, who said the writers employed common Christmas cliches that existed prior to both songs, and that Carey's song used them differently. She said the plaintiffs had not met the burden of showing that the songs are substantially similar. Ramírez Almadani also ordered sanctions against the plaintiffs and their lawyers, saying their suit and subsequent filings were frivolous and that the plaintiffs' attorneys 'made no reasonable effort to ensure that the factual contentions asserted have evidentiary support.' She said they must pay at least part of the defendants' attorney fees. Defense attorneys and publicists for Carey did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Carey's Christmas colossus has become an even bigger hit in recent years than it was in the 1990s. It has reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart the past six years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week — not just the holiday-themed — by airplay, sales and streaming. Carey and Afanasieff have had their own public disagreement — though not one that's gone to court — over who wrote how much of the song. But the case made them at least temporary allies.
CNN
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Mariah Carey didn't steal ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You' from other writers, a judge says
A federal judge in Los Angeles has ruled that Mariah Carey did not steal her perennial megahit 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' from other songwriters. Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani granted Carey's request for summary judgment on Wednesday, giving her and co-writer and co-defendant Walter Afanasieff a victory without going to trial. In 2023, songwriters Andy Stone of Louisiana — who goes by the stage name Vince Vance — and Troy Powers of Tennessee filed the $20 million lawsuit alleging that Carey's 1994 song, which has since become a holiday standard and annual streaming sensation, infringed the copyright of their country 1989 song with the same title. Their lawyer Gerard P. Fox said he's 'disappointed' in an email to The Associated Press. Fox said it is his experience that judges at this level 'nearly always now dismiss a music copyright case and that one must appeal to reverse and get the case to the jury. My client will make a decision shortly on whether to appeal. We filed based on the opinions of two esteemed musicologists who teach at great colleges.' Stone and Powers' suit said their ''All I Want For Christmas Is You' contains a unique linguistic structure where a person, disillusioned with expensive gifts and seasonal comforts, wants to be with their loved one, and accordingly writes a letter to Santa Claus.' They said there was an 'overwhelming likelihood' Carey and Afanasieff had heard their song — which at one point reached No. 31 on Billboard's Hot Country chart — and infringed their copyright by taking significant elements from it. After hearing from two experts for each side, Ramírez Almadani agreed with those from the defense, who said the writers employed common Christmas cliches that existed prior to both songs, and that Carey's song used them differently. She said the plaintiffs had not met the burden of showing that the songs are substantially similar. Ramírez Almadani also ordered sanctions against the plaintiffs and their lawyers, saying their suit and subsequent filings were frivolous and that the plaintiffs' attorneys 'made no reasonable effort to ensure that the factual contentions asserted have evidentiary support.' She said they must pay at least part of the defendants' attorney fees. Defense attorneys and publicists for Carey did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Carey's Christmas colossus has become an even bigger hit in recent years than it was in the 1990s. It has reached No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart the past six years in a row — measuring the most popular songs each week — not just the holiday-themed — by airplay, sales and streaming. Carey and Afanasieff have had their own public disagreement — though not one that's gone to court — over who wrote how much of the song. But the case made them at least temporary allies.
