Trace Adkins explores every facet of love on his new album, Love Will…, and he’s lined up some special guests to help him sing about that enchanting and often elusive emotion.

Grammy winner Colbie Caillat joins Trace on “Watch the World End,” a song you can stream now at TraceAdkins.com.  Trace also welcomes Exile to sing on a cover of their 1978 #1 hit “Kiss You All Over,” while the Harlem Gospel Choir lends their voice to the title cut, “Love Will.”

“I can’t say enough about what Colbie, the Harlem Gospel Choir and Exile brought to the table in their own way,” says Trace. “It is an honor to have such talented performers, songwriters and producers join me on the most inspiring, satisfying album of my career.” 

Love Will… is available for online pre-orders April 2.  If you pre-order the project at iTunes, you’ll get an immediate download of “Watch the World End” with Colbie Caillat.

Track Listing:
“When I Stop Loving You”
“So What If I Do”
“Come See Me”
“Right Now”
“Every One of You”
“The Altar of Your Love”
“Kiss You All Over” (Featuring Exile)
“If the Sun Comes Up”
“Say No to a Woman”
“Watch the World End” (Featuring Colbie Caillat)
“Love Will” (Featuring Harlem Gospel Choir”

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Thompson Square‘s Keifer and Shawna Thompson rocketed to stardom quickly over the past few years, and the story of that journey is told on the duo’s sophomore album, Just Feels Good.  Being on the road with the likes of Jason Aldean, Lady Antebellum and, now, Luke Bryan, have had a big impact on the album’s sound too

“We kind of stretched out on this album,” Keifer tells ABC News Radio. “We wanted to play around with a lot more different sounds.  So, sonically, this is not going to even closely resemble the first album.  It’s completely different as far as from a sonic standpoint.  It’s just a 2.0 version of us.”

That experimentation even led Shawna to rap on the new song “Testing the Water,” but the entire project is grounded in Keifer and Shawna’s shared experiences.

Says Keifer, “You can actually sequence the album to the point where it starts when we very first get together on a song called ‘That’s So Me and You’ all the way to ‘What Am I Gonna Do,’ which is a song about Shawna’s dad that we just lost.”

Since those songs they wrote are so personal, any songs that came from outside writers had to reflect Keifer and Shawna’s story too.

“That’s what you have to have when you find outside songs because people are writing for their experience,” Keifer explains.

Thompson Square will support their new album with a concert at Livestream.com Thursday at 4 p.m. Eastern.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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The country music history book has been rewritten, and we’re guessing Reba must be smiling from ear to ear right about now.

According to the new edition of Joel Whitburn‘s Hot Country Songs 1944 – 2012, Reba has overtaken Dolly Parton as the most successful female act ever based on data from Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart.  Yahoo! Chart Watch reports that Alabama remains the top group, and Brooks & Dunn hold on to their status as the top duo in country music chart history.  Eddy Arnold is the top male artist and top artist overall based on those Hot Country Songs figures.

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The 48th Annual ACM Awards won’t be handed out until April 7, but a few of country’s hottest stars have already been named winners in the off-camera categories. Jason Aldean has been selected to the Crystal Milestone Award in recognition of his sold-out stadium concerts this year. Notably, Jason will become the first country artist to headline a show at Boston’s Fenway Park later this year.

Blake Shelton is being honored with the Gene Weed Special Achievement Award in recognition of his “unprecedented, unique and outstanding achievement” as a coach on NBC’s The Voice. That position has catapulted Blake to household name status and led to his own NBC Christmas special last December.

The Jim Reeves International Award goes to Lady Antebellum this year for their contribution in taking country music to the world. Since their global hit “Need You Now” topped the charts around the world, Lady A has taken their live show to 11 countries on three different continents. Those international dates include three sold-out shows at the Sydney Opera House in Australia and a spot opening for Bruce Springsteen at London’s Hard Rock Calling festival in Hyde Park.  

This year’s Cliffie Stone Pioneer Award goes to The Judds and the late Keith Whitley. The Judds won seven consecutive Vocal Duo trophies from the ACM Awards in the 1980s, and scored 14 #1 hits in less than a decade. Keith Whitley’s small but influential catalog includes the chart-toppers “Don’t Close Your Eyes,” “I’m No Stranger to the Rain” and “When You Say Nothing at All.” He’s also regarded as one of the most respected vocalists of his era. Whitley passed away in 1989 at age 33.

Legendary songwriter Guy Clark and the late Hank Williams are being honored with the Poet’s Award, which honors songwriters who have made outstanding musical and/or lyrical contributions to country music.

These off-camera winners will be recognized at the 7th Annual ACM Honors taking place September 10 at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.

 

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The ACM Experience event in Las Vegas is shaping up to be as big as the ACM Awards themselves. 

The event runs April 5 through 7 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino, and this year’s ACM Awards co-host Luke Bryan has signed on to host the ACM & Cabela’s Great Outdoors Archery Event on April 6.  Luke’s pal Jason Aldean is taking part in that event along with Kix Brooks, Easton Corbin, Justin Moore and newcomers Chris Janson, Jon Pardi and Thomas Rhett.

Easton and Thompson Square also will sign autographs at the Ram Ride and Drive test track within the ACM Experience.  In addition, fans can meet Thomas Rhett and Craig Campbell as part of the event’s Diet Dr. Pepper Red Carpet Experience, and Dustin Lynch and Joe Nichols will sign autographs at the ACM Expo presented by Roper.

For more information on all of these events and artist appearances is available on the ACM website.

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Brantley Gilbert is going up against his fiancé, Jana Kramer, and his pals in Florida Georgia Line in the fan-voted race for ACM new artist of the year this year, but don’t worry about any awkward moments between these friendly country stars. Brantley says it’s OK whoever takes the trophy home.

Florida Georgia Line actually opened shows for Brantley a few years back, and he tells ABC News Radio, “I couldn’t be more proud of those guys. They’re kicking some tail right now.  It really wouldn’t hurt my feelings regardless of who wins.” He adds, “If Jana or I win, it’s going to the same house. If Florida Georgia Line wins, they’re on the label with us, so it’s all still in the family.”

Brantley points out that all three acts have already won ACM Awards too. He took the ACM new male vocalist trophy while Jana has been named ACM new female vocalist, and the Florida Georgia Line guys are getting some hardware as the ACM new duo or group winners. All three acts will accept their awards and perform on Monday night’s GAC special ACM Top New Artist: 2013, hosted by reigning new artist winner Scotty McCreery.

As for Jana, she sees winning an ACM Award as a big vote of confidence from country fans and industry insiders alike.

“To be a part of a family, and to be even acknowledged is something that I’m like, “What?” Jana tells ABC News Radio. “So, it’s really cool. I feel like I’m doing something right, finally.”

Jana and Brantley will display their individual ACM trophies on their respective shelves in the music room downstairs at their house in Nashville. While Jana admits Brantley has a lot more industry accolades to display than she does right now, she says with a laugh, “I’m just gonna have my one little trophy in the middle. It’s gonna be great.”

Fan voting in the ACM new artist of the year and entertainer of the year categories is now underway at ACMVote.com. Fans can vote once per day until the 48th Annual ACM Awards are handed out Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS. Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton serve as co-hosts.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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Blake Shelton returns for a fourth season as a coach on NBC’s The Voice Monday night with veteran coach Adam Levine and new coaches Usher and Shakira. Blake has coached the winning contestant on the last two seasons of the show, but the new coaches have been coming on very strong as they’ve filmed this season’s blind auditions.

Blake says, “It wasn’t play time. They were very serious. They were determined to win this thing, you know. Adam and I were like, ‘Hey! Alright, I see how it is now, you know.'”

When trying to recruit team members, Usher and Shakira actually used Blake’s winning streak against him. They told the hopefuls there was no way Blake could win the show three seasons in a row, and their tactics really messed with Blake’s confidence.

He says, “Then I started going, ‘I bet people are tired of me winning.  I probably won’t win this thing three years in a row,’ and it starts working into your own mind.”

This season of The Voice is the first one without coaches Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green, though they both have an open invitation to return to the show in the future. Blake knows he can’t stay on The Voice forever either. When he decides to leave the show, Blake says it will be for good.

“I don’t see me ever walking away and then coming back,” he explains. “That just doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s a phase, and once that chapter’s over, it’s over.”

Blake Shelton will welcome Sheryl Crow as his team mentor this season, and Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott will provide guidance for Adam Levine’s team too.

In other Blake news, his new album, Based on a True Story…, comes out Tuesday. Look for him to promote it with a performance on NBC’s Today Tuesday morning followed by appearances on Live! with Kelly and Michael and NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday.

Blake’s promotional rounds continue on NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno on April 2 and CBS’s The Talk and E!’s Chelsea Lately on April 3. The promotional blitz culminates with Blake co-hosting the 48th Annual ACM Awards with Luke Bryan on Sunday, April 7 on CBS.

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Rum is never in short supply at a Kenny Chesney concert, and now it seems Kenny is launching his own line of the libation, Blue Chair Bay. There is a video of Kenny introducing the beverage posted on YouTube. In the clip, Kenny explains all the elements he worked to capture in the taste of his rum.

More details on Kenny’s rum are expected soon, and fans can keep an eye on BlueChairBay.com for any developments.

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Brad Paisley will release a special edition of his new album, Wheelhouse, exclusively at Cracker Barrel on April 9.  That’s the same day the project hits stores everywhere, but the Cracker Barrel version includes three exclusive bonus tracks.  Cracker Barrel is also sponsoring Brad’s summer tour.

Brad’s new album features the #1 hit “Southern Comfort Zone,” the current single, “Beat This Summer” and collaborations with everyone from rapper LL Cool J and pop star Mat Kearney to Charlie Daniels and Dierks Bentley.  That diverse lineup is an indication of the kind of freedom Brad gave himself creatively on this album.

“The real test for me as a musician, songwriter, artist, whatever, is to see what happens when you take off the restrictor plate,” Brad says of making Wheelhouse.  “You take off the muzzle a little bit and see what you write.  See what you write when you don’t think there’s boundaries.”

Brad wrote and recorded this album in a farm house on his property near Nashville, which freed him up from having to deal with booking time in a traditional recording studio.  That was a blessing and a curse at different times during the recording process.

He says, “It’s a good way to do it, but you have to kind of keep yourself on track because there’s nothing like clocking in somewhere to make you busy.”

The fact that Brad produced this record on his own kept him focused on staying creative too.

“There was so much that was riding on it that the pressure of making sure it was what I wanted it to be kept me busy, you know,” Brad says, adding, “I can always find inspiration to create a song if there’s enough going on in my life.”

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Dustin Lynch is set to make his late night TV debut Monday performing on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! Look for Dustin to sing his latest single, “She Cranks My Tractor,” as well as his #1 debut hit, “Cowboys and Angels.”

Dustin is now on the road with Justin Moore‘s Outlaws Like Me tour, and he’ll join Keith Urban‘s tour this summer. Go to DustinLynchMusic.com for a complete list of tour dates.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

 

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Alan Jackson headlined the Stars Go Blue benefit concert for the Colon Cancer Alliance Wednesday night at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, and Alan has a very personal connection to that cause.  His wife Denise survived a battle with colon cancer several years ago, and she is the person who convinced Alan to perform the show.

Alan was happy to oblige saying, “That’s the easiest thing I can do is walk out there and sing, and it’s nice to have your music do something other than just go out and entertain people normally, and be able to use your music to help a cause like this.”

Though many of the audience members had been through cancer battles of their own, Alan made it clear he was there to have a good time.  The set list was dotted with Alan’s mighty catalog of hits including “Livin’ on Love,” “Gone Country,” “Chasin’ That Neon Rainbow,” “Good Time” and many more.

The only somber moment of the night came when Alan performed “When I Saw You Leaving,” an emotionally charged song Alan wrote about Denise’s cancer battle.   It was the first time he’d performed that song since recording it for his 2012 album, Thirty Miles West.

Country newcomer Craig Campbell opened the show, and he sought out a spot on the bill because of his personal experience with colon cancer.  Craig’s father died of the disease at age 36, and that has prompted Craig to get screened regularly.

He says, “I’ve been having colonscopies.  I’ve had two.  I’ve had one at the age of 26 and one at five years.  But yeah, it’s a personal thing.”

Craig has opened shows for Alan before, but he’d never met the country legend before Wednesday night.  Craig and Alan have the same producer, Keith Stegall, so they had plenty to talk about when Alan invited Craig onto his bus before the show.

Says Craig, ” When I walked on his bus, we was talking a minute, and then he’s like, ‘Keith played me your album.  I love it.’ And then he started naming off songs off my record.  I just thought that was the coolest thing.”

For more information on the fight against colon cancer, go to CCAlliance.org.

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Lee Brice‘s star is on the rise thanks to his #1 hits and his recent stint on Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley‘s Locked and Reloaded tour. He’ll play to many more fans on the road with Brad Paisley and Chris Young from May to October.

Lee tells TheBoot.com, “Being out with Brad is gonna be an experience that I’ll have with me all the rest of my life. I’m really excited about that.”

Lee heads to Nebraska for a show this Saturday night. He’s taking some time off in April to tie the knot with his longtime girlfriend Sara Reeveley.

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Tim McGraw has been at the top of the country music world for the better part of two decades now, so it’s hard to believe he’d never taken his music to London until last weekend.  Tim made multiple media appearances on top of playing the C2C: Country to Country Festival at London’s 02 Arena.  All the promotion paid off when Tim’s latest album, Two Lanes of Freedom, bowed at #1 on the iTunes Country Album chart in the U.K. this week.

Tim also took the stage with his pal Ne-Yo at the R&B star’s London show to sing their song “She Is.”  Ne-Yo will be one of the special guests on ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night. That show tapes in Las Vegas April 8 and will air on CBS at a later date.

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