Latest news with #FloridaGeorgiaLine
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Clemson football's Dabo Swinney mistook LSU's Brian Kelly for a country singer this summer
CLEMSON — Somehow Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney confused his Week 1 coaching opponent with a musician while on vacation this summer. Swinney said July 15 during Clemson's preseason availability that he and his wife, Kathleen, visited Grayton Beach in Florida with one of his brothers and his wife, who informed Dabo and Kathleen that Brian Kelley was having a concert there, and the musician's wife also has a gift shop there. Assuming it was LSU coach Brian Kelly, Dabo said Kathleen purchased an item to support the shop, and Dabo took pictures of the concert stage and imagery and sent them to his first-week opponent. It wasn't until Dabo Swinney's brother's friend told Kathleen it was Brian Kelley, the country singer from the group Florida Georgia Line, that they realized their mistake. "Kath goes, 'Babe, it's Brian Kelley. He's a singer with the Florida Georgia Line,' and I went 'What?' " Dabo Swinney said. "I've been firing all these pictures off to Brian Kelly. He's probably over there saying, 'What is this dude doing?' " Swinney admitted the LSU coach was probably confused about the context of the photos but he had responded to the messages anyway, saying something along the lines of "You can't get away from Brian Kelly." How could he? It is one of the most anticipated matchups this season. Clemson hosts LSU on Aug. 30 (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC) at Memorial Stadium. Both teams have quarterbacks with Heisman Trophy hopes (Clemson's Cade Klubnik, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier) and Hall of Fame-level coaching. Klubnik said last month that he began preparing for the marquee game during the first week of July. Kelly also has emphasized the importance of this matchup, saying at SEC media days on July 14 that Clemson's logo has been plastered on workout bags at LSU's facility this summer for motivation. MORE: Our suggestions for Clemson as revenue sharing starts from alcohol deals to Memorial Stadium concerts "We've got a Clemson paw print on the bags that we hit every day," Kelly said. "It's on every monitor in the building to go 1-0. I think it was important to have a tangible, specific goal for us to start the season." Kelly, who is 0-3 in Week 1 games in his LSU tenure, said Tiger Stadium is the real "Death Valley," which is what Clemson calls Memorial Stadium. His comments didn't seem to bother Swinney. "It ain't gonna have nothing to do with blocking and tackling and executing it on game day, so it makes it fun, but just go focus on what we gotta do," Swinney said. He said he will share a laugh with Kelly if he sees the video of Swinney talking about the case of mistaken identity. He also has extended an invite to Florida Georgia Line's Brian Kelley to come perform at Clemson. Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@ and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00 This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson football: How Dabo Swinney mistook LSU's Brian Kelly for singer
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Cole Swindell Celebrates Release Of New Album 'Spanish Moss'
Singer/songwriter Cole Swindell Over the past eleven years, singer/songwriter Cole Swindell has made an indelible mark on country music. His expansive catalogue of music has racked up billions of streams and 13 No. 1 hits, so far. Familiar songs incudes 'Chillin' In,' 'You Should Have Been Here,' 'She Had Me At Heads Carolina,' and many more. The Georgia-native, who got his start as a songwriter, has also co-written a number of songs for other artists including the Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan mega-hit 'This Is How We Roll.' Swindell has just released his fifth studio album and can't wait for fans to hear it. Spanish Moss offers an ambitious collection of songs Swindell either wrote, co-wrote, or collected from other songwriters – all of which reflect where he currently finds himself in life. Cover of Cole Swindell's album "Spanish Moss" 'It's been a crazy process of trying to make the best album we can,' he says. 'But I knew when it was right, the whole team did, and now it's a complete album and here it is. I'm very proud of the whole thing, all twenty one songs. It's the most songs I've ever put on an album.' Tracks include 'Kill a Prayer,' 'Dirty Dancing,' 'Left to Get Right,' 'Take Me Down,' 'Heads Up Heaven,' and more. Many are deeply personal like 'Forever to Me,' a song he wrote for his wife, Courtney, on their wedding day. Another is 'Dale Jr,' inspired by Swindell's first time meeting with Dale Earnhardt Jr. At first glance, it might seem to be a song about two men at the top of their respective fields (country music and NASCAR), but it touches on a more emotional connection between the two. Both men lost their dads when they were far too young. 'People might see the title and think it's some kind of race car song, but it has nothing to do with that,' Swindell explains. 'It's me talking about the night I met a guy I'd always cheered for, whose dad was special to me and my dad. It's a true story about a common bond nobody wants to have. My dad was Keith Swindell, and his dad was Dale Earnhardt, but just Dad to him. So, Dale Jr and I didn't talk about entertainment or racing, we just talked about our dads.' Swindell has shown a true gift for tapping into his own life to write songs that resonate with others. He wrote his 2016 hit, 'You Should Be Here,' as a tribute to father who died unexpectedly when he was on tour. And while his 'She Had Me At Heads Carolina' was a re-worked version of Jo Dee Messina's 90s hit 'Heads Carolina' (with the help and permission of the original songwriters), it was inspired by Swindell listening to the song with his mom as a young boy. 'I legit remember riding around with my mom when the original version of 'Heads Carolina' came out,' he recalls. Swindell ended up sharing the stage with Messina as they performed 'She Had Me At Heads Carolina' at both the CMA and ACM Awards in 2022. It ended up winning 'ACM Song of the Year.' 'To be able to collaborate with her on those awards shows and for it to become one of the biggest songs of my career, has got to be one of the most full-circle moments of my life and career.' Spanish Moss comes three years after Swindell's last album. He says he might have liked to have come back around with something sooner, but he wanted to take the time needed to find the right group of songs. 'I'm proud of every album but that last one (Stereotype) did a lot of big things. 'She Had Me At Heads Carolina" and 'Never Say Never' with Lainey Wilson. So, to follow it up, there was some pressure and I think that's what made this one what it is." Swindell wrote or co-wrote just under half of those on the album and worked with Nashville's songwriting community for the rest. But all are close to his heart. 'A song has to be absolutely perfect for me,' he explains. 'It's got to make me feel something or wish I had written it. People ask, how do you know it's for you? And the answer is - if I wish I'd written it. It's a lot easier for me to tell my story, but, man, there's something special when somebody else tells it almost better than you could have told it yourself.' While Swindell is excited about the album, it comes as he and his wife, Courtney, prepare for the arrival of their first child, a baby girl. 'I'm so excited to be a dad, I'm tearing up just thinking about it,' he says. 'I'm telling you, I'm so emotional about this kid. I know I'm going to look at things a lot differently. You know, you always talk about your songs and albums being your babies and now I've got a real one coming. It's an exciting time in my life for both of them to be coming at the same time.' The baby is due in early August. Swindell will have some time off to spend with his family, then gear up to head out on his headline Happy Hour Sad Tour in September. Opening acts include Priscilla Block, Logan Crosby and Greylan James. He says it's hard to believe so much has happened since he left Georgia and headed to Nashville all those years ago. At 42, he's grateful for his incredible success in music. And now, over the past few years, having met his wife and now getting ready to start a family, he considers himself blessed beyond measure. 'I'm so proud of everything I've accomplished in my career, obviously. But finally getting my personal life in line, I think that's what I'm most proud of. And now having somebody to share all of this with.' Cole Swindell performs at The Big 98's Friendsgiving at The Grand Ole Opry on November 25, 2024 in ... More Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by)
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
John Morgan Takes a Grown-Up Look at Regret With ‘Kid Myself': ‘There's a Lot of Details of My Story in This Song'
The past is dead. Mental health professionals sometimes cite that mantra as a reminder to live in the present. But people aren't particularly good at doing that — and country music, of course, mirrors life, often encouraging listeners to rummage through the old cobwebs and reconsider the leftover business lurking there. More from Billboard Michaël Brun Talks Bringing BAYO Fest to Barclays Center Amid Trump Travel Ban & Increased ICE Presence in NYC Billboard Vietnam Launches With Ho Chi Minh City Event Pharrell Gifts Beyoncé a Louis Vuitton Handbag Straight Off Fashion Show Runway It's how John Morgan's 'Kid Myself' operates, with an adult male drifting back in his mind to a time when he was young and stupid and likely let a good one get away. It's a little nostalgic and a bit melancholy, though not entirely either of those things. It's mostly just regretful, and the musical vibe of 'Kid Myself' fits that attitude to a T. 'This song is somewhat of an apology letter,' Morgan says, recalling a relationship he left behind in North Carolina. 'I wasn't able to be what they probably deserved.' It's not only about Morgan's experience. 'Kid Myself' is also his title. He logged it in the list of possible hooks he keeps on his smartphone, and it was waiting for him when he wanted a solid idea to present during his first co-write with Tyler Hubbard on June 8, 2024. 'I've obviously been a big fan of his for a long time with [Florida Georgia Line] and have heard a lot of good things about his writing as well,' Morgan says. 'So I was like, 'I got to bring at least one good idea.'' The night before, he scrolled through that list of titles, and 'Kid Myself' caught his eye. He tossed the words around in his mind and realized it lent itself to a classic country flip: 'I was just a kid myself' and 'I don't want to kid myself.' Then he played his guitar a bit, looking for a progression that matched the regret the title insinuated. 'It's not an F.U. kind of hook,' he says. 'I'm just telling facts of what it was at the time.' Morgan and Hubbard showed up the next day at the home studio of Jordan Schmidt ('God's Country,' 'wait in the truck'). Morgan didn't push his idea on them — in fact, they spent more than an hour chasing another song that didn't quite pan out. Finally, Morgan confessed that he wasn't feeling it and wanted to see what they thought about 'Kid Myself.' 'Kudos to John for speaking up,' Schmidt says. 'All of us want to write great songs and we respect one another, and if somebody in the room is like, 'Hey, I don't think this is it,' it's rare that you're going to get a lot of pushback from people.' Schmidt started building a track around Morgan's acoustic guitar progression, and they filled in the chorus using the hook as bookends. It opens with the guy recalling when he was 'just a kid myself,' lamenting how badly he handled the end of the relationship and working toward some acceptance that he destroyed whatever interest she once had for him: 'I don't want to kid myself.' 'I don't think he had the whole chorus sussed out,' Hubbard says. 'But he definitely had enough of an idea, concept and melody to get us going, to really hang the dartboard and give us a direction to shoot toward.' The verses maintained the same reflective tone as that chorus, drifting back lyrically to a time when the two people were young and carefree. She, however, grew up while he kept hanging out at bars, and by the end of the opening verse, he recognizes that he just couldn't give her what she deserved: 'a ring and a house with a dog and a couple of kids.' That last part inadvertently provides an extra interpretation to 'Kid Myself.' When Morgan sings the last line of the chorus — 'I don't want to kid myself' — he phrases it, 'I don't wanna kid myself.' Listeners who aren't staring at the lyrics are apt to hear it as 'I don't want a kid myself,' which would suggest they argued about what a family would look like or that he even impregnated her and abandoned her. It's not Morgan's story, but it is an interpretation he briefly considered when they cut the demo. 'I'm in the vocal booth, and [Jordan] just kind of let me vamp on the end for one pass,' Morgan says. 'I started saying that very thing — I was like, 'I don't want a kid myself/ Got a couple kids myself.' We were just joking around, but we all kind of looked at each other like, 'Should we try to fit that in there?' And I think we just came to the conclusion that there was already enough turns and we didn't want to confuse the listener.' Hubbard was impressed with Morgan's performance in the vocal booth. 'There's a lot of artists, myself included, that aren't first-takers [who] can just get in there and crush it on first take,' he says. 'John's one of those guys. I was blown away. This dude can really, really sing.' Schmidt hired guitarist Jonny Fung to add a few parts to an intentionally sparse demo. 'With a song like this, the music really helps set the tone and the melodies,' Schmidt says. 'The whole song is kind of based around the four and the five chord, and it never really resolves. That's kind of like the whole tone of the lyric, too, so it all fits together nicely in this tension.' Night Train Records founder Jason Aldean told Morgan, based on that demo, that 'Kid Myself' should be the next single. Morgan and producer Brent Anderson (Chris Janson, Dustin Lynch) created the foundation for the master version, working a day or two at a time between Morgan's tour dates at Anderson's home studio. Anderson recorded bass and drum placeholder parts, and they experimented with guitar and keyboard sounds on top of that. 'There kind of wasn't really any rules,' Anderson says. 'It was just me and him there, ordering Uber Eats, and my wife keeps bringing us whatever kind of cookies or anything else. You're just down there throwing stuff at a wall until you listen back and go, 'Man, I'm really proud of that.' ' Morgan played a solo as well that had a lonely, '80s Britpop sound. The actual notes weren't nearly as important as the tone. '[Writer-producer] Derek George has a Telecaster that I, for all intents and purposes, have stolen,' Anderson says with a laugh. 'I tell him all the time, 'Man, I'm going to give that back.' 'It's OK, just get it back when you can.' I've had it for a year, and I have no intention of giving it back.' They brought in steel guitarist Mike Johnson to create the final instrumental piece of the puzzle, and they had drummer Rob Ricotta and bassist Caleb Bates — both members of Morgan's touring band — replace the placeholder rhythm section. Morgan was intentionally emulating Aldean, who uses his own band in the studio. Ultimately, Night Train/Broken Bow released 'Kid Myself' to country radio via PlayMPE on May 28 as a follow-up to his Aldean collaboration, 'Friends Like That,' which peaked at No. 2 on Country Airplay. 'There's a lot of details of my story in this song, and so I felt like it represented me really well as an artist,' Morgan says. 'I'm still on the front end of showing people who am I as an artist and what makes me different than everybody else.' Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Daily Mail
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Taylor Swift fans convinced she dropped MAJOR clue about new album in live show
Taylor Swift fans are convinced she's gearing up for a return to her country roots after a surprise appearance at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville. On Tuesday, the pop icon, 35, shocked a crowd of lucky fans with an impromptu performance of her hit single Shake It Off, which prompted social media to explode with theories that she may be teasing a country-inspired TS12. While Swift hasn't confirmed any details about her 12th studio album, like a title or release date, fans on X believe she dropped several not-so-subtle hints, including a noticeable comeback of her signature country twang. Other clues included performing alongside country music singer Kane Brown on stage, not far from her hometown of Hendersonville, Tennessee, and having her high school best friend, Abigail Anderson, in the audience. 'Taylor's country twang in this!?! Her performing to a small crowd in Nashville. She's going back to her roots. It's so serious to me,' one X user tweeted. 'The prospect of ts12 potentially being a country album is making me feel physically sick with excitement.' Another wrote: 'My delusional self is making this an easter egg for TS12 being country and back to her roots and her performing this in nashville WHERE SHE STARTED adds onto it.' 'TS12 Country would be hot! Especially Travis rocking the cowboy hat,' a third gushed. Swift rocking out to Florida Georgia Line's Cruise, which was performed by Chase Rice, also raised eyebrows as she famously danced to it at the 2013 CMT Awards. Others predicted that Swift may have been signaling that the release of her re-recorded, self-titled debut album may be imminent. Last month while revealing she bought back her masters, the superstar stated she 'already re-recorded' her 'entire debut album.' 'And I really love how it sounds now,' she gushed in a statement about her 2006 record on her website. Her debut album, which established her status as a rising star, featured hits like Tim McGraw, Teardrops on My Guitar, Our Song, Picture to Burn and Should've Said No. Her latest performance, at a concert hosted by boyfriend Travis Kelce, marked her return to the stage for the first time since regaining control of her entire recorded music catalog. While speaking to the audience about her decision to sing on Tuesday, she told them 'we planned that three minutes ago.' She dedicated her performance of Shake It Off 'to our favorite players.' It was an intimate venue for Swift to perform in after selling out the biggest stadiums around the globe on her historic Eras Tour. Nashville's Brooklyn Bowl hosts up to 1,200 people while her biggest Eras show was at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia, where 96,000 people went to see her. In a handwritten letter posted on her website, last month, Swift, who is worth over $1 billion, revealed the money she made from her lucrative Eras tour last year helped bankroll the purchase of her old material and 'her entire life's work'. She said: 'All I've ever wanted was the opportunity to work hard enough to be able to one day purchase my music outright with no strings attached, no partnership, with full autonomy. ' Swift then thanked Shamrock Capital for their 'honest, fair and respectful' way they handled the deal, adding: 'I really felt like they saw it for what it was to me: My memories and my sweat and my handwriting and my decades of dreams.' She then joked: 'My first tattoo might just be a huge shamrock in the middle of my forehead.' Justin Bieber's old manager Scooter controversially acquired the rights to Swift's material for $300 million after buying her old record label, Big Machine Media, in 2019 before selling them on to Shamrock Capital for profit. The Love Story singer, who branded Scooter a 'bully' for tactics, was unaware of his plan and also claimed when she previously approached Big Machine label head Scott Borchetta about buying her masters beforehand, he allegedly would only sell her them one at a time, starting from her earliest, least-profitable recordings. In exchange for the option to buy the masters back, Swift claimed she would have to record a new album for the label in exchange for each old recording she bought, shackling her to Big Machine for years to come just when she was eager to leave the label. The singer posted an emotional Tumblr telling fans she made the 'excruciating choice to leave behind my past. 'Music I wrote on my bedroom floor and videos I dreamed up and paid for from the money I earned playing in bars, then clubs, then arenas, then stadiums.' She added: 'Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine the buyer would be Scooter. 'Any time Scott Borchetta has heard the words 'Scooter Braun' escape my lips, it was when I was either crying or trying not to. 'He knew what he was doing; they both did. Controlling a woman who didn't want to be associated with them. In perpetuity. That means forever.' She added that when she heard the news: 'All I could think about was the incessant, manipulative bullying I've received at his hands for years.' Swift then listed a string of examples accusing Kim Kardashian and Kanye West – then Braun's client – of bullying. Shamrock acquired the master recordings to Taylor Swift, Fearless, Speak Now, Red, 1989 and Reputation – which Swift has now regained ownership of, having previously led a campaign to re-record her first six albums, four of which she's successfully completed. Reputation (Taylor's Version) was heavily tipped to be her next release and the singer addressed the rumors in her open letter, saying it's the 'one album I thought couldn't be improved upon by redoing it' but teased she may still record another version, as well as offer up 'unreleased Vault tracks' from that album. Swift also noted that re-recorded the entirety of her debut self-titled album which, like Reputation, will 're-emerge when the time is right.'
Perth Now
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
'It wasn't an easy decision': Country star Hardy axes European dates at last minute
Hardy has axed his European tour at the last minute. The country star was set to kick off the run at Copenhell festival in Denmark on Thursday (19.06.25), and was later due to play Birmingham, London, Manchester, Glasgow, Belfast and Dublin. Without giving an explanation, he stated it "wasn't an easy decision" to make. He penned on Instagram on Monday (16.06.25): "I have decided to cancel the European leg of the JIM BOB TOUR. "It wasn't an easy decision but one I had to make for my band, crew and my family. "Please know that I love you all and I will be back as soon as I can. "Refunds will automatically be issued by your point of purchase." The tour was in support of his 2024 LP Quit!!. The 34-year-old star - who first made his name as a songwriter for Florida Georgia Line - is due to continue his North American leg on July 18 at Country Thunder Wisconsin. Hardy's recent work includes contributing to Post Malone's upcoming follow-up to 2024 chart-topper F-1 Trillion. Malone told Billboard of working with collaborators including Ernest, Thomas Rhett and Hardy in Nashville: 'We just have fun. We just sit and f***ing talk and make songs. And so I'm pretty excited for the new record already.' Malone noted how he'd 'made probably 35 songs; it's just a matter of which one's rock, and which one's sock." He continued: "I sit there and listen to these songs, and I usually hate listening to my music, but listening to the band play, I get so excited.' Speaking about how he incorporates all his different styles – also including rock and pop - into one seamless set, the Circles hitmaker said: 'You put a twist on the instrumentation and the musicianship of it. We have Lillie [Mae] playing the fiddle and Cheese [Chandler Walters] playing the steel [guitar] and incorporating that into the old songs and then transitioning into the new s***… that's always been the thing about me, is it's all just f****** music.'
