Music

Sure, lots of country star couples first met their better half at work: Blake Shelton first got to know Gwen Stefani on the set of The Voice, for example, and Carrie Underwood met her husband Mike Fisher backstage at one of her concerts.

But there are plenty of long-lasting loves that got their start before their careers started taking off. Luke Bryan and Caroline Boyer, one of the genre’s most beloved couples, first crossed paths as college kids at a bar called Dingus McGee’s.  Not only isn’t the bar’s name romantic, Caroline wasn’t immediately charmed by Luke’s big, boisterous personality.

“It took me a couple of days to realize this wasn’t just some drunk college guy — this is how he acts,” Caroline recounts in a spot for Jockey, a company for which both members of the couple serve as brand ambassadors.

George Strait and Alan Jackson have both got the Bryans beat, chronology-wise: Each superstar met his better half in high school. Brantley Gilbert and his wife Amber also met as teens, and Dylan Scott met his now-wife in middle school. Dierks Bentley met his wife Cassidy in middle school, too, and had a crush on her in 8th grade.

But Thomas Rhett just might have everyone else beat: He and his wife Lauren have known each other since their kindergarten days, and tried dating in high school but broke up for a while before ultimately getting married when Thomas was 22.

Now, their love story frequently serves as inspiration for his songs. As he sings in his 2017 hit “Life Changes,” “I’ve been waiting on her since the second grade.”

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Black Veil Brides are “taking time away” from their Trinity of Terror triple-headlining tour with Motionless in White and Ice Nine Kills after frontman Andy Biersack tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement posted to Twitter Sunday afternoon, Biersack shared he “started to feel an awful sicknesses come on out of the blue” following BVB’s performance in Chicago the previous night.

“[I] developed a high fever and chills,” Biersack wrote. “Unfortunately after multiple tests it is clear that both me and several other members of the BVB touring crew have tested positive for COVID.”

He added, “For obvious reasons and out of an abundance of caution we will be taking time away from the tour until we are cleared to play again.”

The tour will continue as scheduled with Motionless in White, Ice Nine Kills and opener Lilith Czar still playing, though fans who had their hearts set on seeing Black Veil can request a refund at point of purchase.

“We are truly sorry for this awful situation and promise to make it up to any of you looking forward to seeing us as part of the TOT tour as soon as possible,” Biersack wrote. “Thank you for your understanding and we can’t wait to get back out onstage to sing with you all soon.”

BVB drummer Christian “CC” Coma previously tested positive for COVID-19. In his absence, the band played several acoustic shows.

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True to his word, Machine Gun Kelly did not “lose to the Encanto soundtrack.”

The “Bloody Valentine” rocker’s new album, Mainstream Sellout, has debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, following in the footsteps of his first chart-topper, 2020’s Tickets to My Downfall.

“Against all odds…we went #1 again,” Kelly tweeted in celebration of the news. “You have my heart forever. Thank you.”

Mainstream Sellout moved a total of 93,000 equivalent album units in its first week, 42,000 of which were traditional album sales. It’s the first rock record to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 since AC/DC‘s Power Up accomplished the feat in November 2020.

Leading up to Mainstream Sellout‘s release, Kelly had been vocal about wanting another number-one record after notching his first with Tickets. In an interview with Billboard, he said, “One thing about Machine Gun Kelly: He doesn’t lose to the Encanto soundtrack.”

For what its worth, the Encanto soundtrack sits at number three on this week’s Billboard 200. The album previously led the chart for nine non-consecutive weeks, the most by far for any record in 2022.

MGK will launch a U.S. tour in support of Mainstream Sellout in June. The arena outing will also feature artists including Avril Lavigne, Travis Barker and WILLOW on the bill for select dates.

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Brothers Osborne and Carrie Underwood are reflecting on the weight of their Grammy Award wins.

Brothers Osborne, the duo of John and TJ Osborne, took home their first Grammy Sunday night for Best Country Duo/Group Performance, for “Younger Me.” The brothers got emotional onstage while accepting the award during the pre-show, as the song was inspired by TJ’s coming out journey after sharing publicly that he is gay in February 2021.

After accepting the award, the twosome turned to Instagram to share more about their win.

“We have so many people to thank but if there are two people that deserve notoriety it’s our younger selves. Little TJ and John stuck it out as awkward teenagers and proved what they were certain would happened and what their older selves probably doubted,” the duo wrote, adding that “it took years of grinding and hard work” to get here. “We will never forget this day for as long as we live. Thank you all for sticking it out with us through everything.” 

Carrie also walked away a winner, as her album, My Savior, picked up the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album. “I love this album ( #MySavior ) so much and I truly believe it is the most important album I have ever made! Thanks to all who supported! I am eternally grateful!” she wrote alongside a photo of herself backstage, proudly holding the trophy. 

The superstar also performed her new single, “Ghost Story,” live for the first time, while Brothers Osborne tore up the Grammys stage with “Dead Man’s Curve.”

Chris Stapleton walked away as the most winning country act of the night for Best Country Album, Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance.

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Dolly Parton is once again showing her support for her fellow Tennesseeans affected by the recent wildfires in her home state.

“It looks scary on TV, but I’m proud of how everyone in the area has pulled together like they always do,” the singer shared on socials. “I’m especially proud of the brave men and women who are working to contain the fire. I know there are some folks who have been affected, and I hope that you will join me in saying a prayer for them.”

The fires have caused an extensive mandatory evacuation in the Wears Valley Fire location, which is near Pigeon Forge. That’s close to Dolly’s birthplace of Sevierville, and is home to her theme park, Dollywood, though the singer assured fans that the park wasn’t impacted.

“During this time, I’ve also remained in touch with my people at Dollywood who have assured me that everything is okay there,” she noted.

Throughout her ascent to superstardom, Dolly has maintained close ties with her home state through her Dollywood Foundation. At present, the foundation’s website directs visitors wishing to support those affected by the fires in the Gatlinburg region to MountainTough.org.

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The beloved Late Late Show with James Corden segment “Carpool Karaoke” is finally returning after a two-year hiatus, and superstar rapper Nicki Minaj will be the late-night host’s first guest to take part in the popular sing-along showcase.

In the Twitter announcement on Friday, James Corden revealed the exciting news by sharing a promo video of the new installment and revealing that both Minaj and singer Camila Cabello will be featured in upcoming segments. 

The skit, which usually features musical artists who ride in a car with Corden and sing along to some of their greatest hits, was on pause for two years due to the pandemic and social-distancing guidelines.  

Speaking of the show’s musical guests in a past interview on The Ellen Show, Corden said, “It feels like there’s a whole raft of artists that we are desperate to do it with.”

Stars and celebrities that have made previous appearances on the segment include Mariah Carey, Michelle Obama, Missy Elliot and Jennifer Hudson. 

The first new episode of Carpool Karaoke, featuring Minaj, will air this Wednesday, April 6, while Cabello will appear on the April 18 episode.

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If you’re a fan of Bridgerton, chances are you’ve recognized several modern-day songs playing in the background as orchestral pieces, such as Taylor Swift‘s “Wildest Dreams” and Maroon 5‘s “Girls Like You.”

Alanis Morissette was the latest artist to have one of her hits transformed by the popular Netflix series, now in its second season — giving a Regency era-twist to the Grammy winner’s “You Oughta Know.” The cover played during the fifth episode, when Kate, played by Simone Ashley, and Jonathan Bailey‘s Anthony Bridgerton resist their feelings for one another because of the scandal it would cause. 

Fans fell in love with this classical cover — and so did Alanis.  So, she kicked things up a notch by lending her vocals to the instrumental version, which you can listen to now on YouTube.  

Accompanied by Duomo and Kroma Strings, Alanis sings along to the slowed down and violin-heavy adaptation of her revenge hit. The “Ironic” singer, dressed in a red suit, sits on a stone bench under a magnolia tree to belt out the impassioned track as scenes of Kate and Anthony’s rollercoaster romance flash across the screen.

Fans praised how the singer transformed her tone, effectively changing her once angry breakup anthem to make it sound full of heartbreak and pining.

Here’s hoping Alanis has now sparked a trend and more artists decide to sing along to their Bridgerton versions of their biggest hits.

Bridgerton is streaming its second season on Netflix.

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Last August, Hardy got down on one knee on the rose-strewn floor of a historic Mississippi theater and proposed to his longtime love, Caleigh Ryan.

While the newly affianced couple’s special moment was certainly the stuff of fairy tales, organizing the wedding hasn’t always been nearly so romantic in the months since, Hardy admits. “We just fired our wedding planner,” the singer said with a chuckle backstage at the ACM Awards in February. “That’s an update.”

In between co-writing sessions and a rigorous touring schedule, Hardy says it’s been difficult to nail down dates, details and just about everything else about the ceremony.

“We’re just trying to get married in October sometime. We’re still looking at venues. It’s tough, man,” he continues. “We want to have a big wedding with a lot of people, and we’re trying to figure out the right venue for it. It’s been tough, but I think we’re getting there.”

He says “we,” but Hardy is quick to give his bride-to-be the credit for most of the planning. “Caleigh’s taking the reins, no doubt,” he acknowledges.

“And she’s got a little bit more time on her hands. But I’m very responsive,” Hardy goes on to say. “I told her from the beginning: I care, but I don’t have an opinion. So it could be whatever she wants.”

The ceremony may still be in the works, but the couple have already put together one heck of an engagement party. In February, Caleigh shared a string of snapshots of the dazzling, impeccably decorated event, complete with a muted pastel color scheme, wedding-themed duds for the future bride and groom, and a gigantic lit-up sign that reads “Engaged.”

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