Born on 21 August, 1988, young country star Kacy Musgraves is making her statement in the world and it’s nothing short of fantastic. She has been writing and singing songs from the tender age of 8 and she knows about the required devotion to make it in the music industry. Kacy started selling demos when she was 18 while signed to an independent record label called Triple Pop. Now Rolling Stone magazine has branded her as one of the “loudest symbols of young country musicians” and this is based on her ability to embrace change.
Her first headlining tour was with Lady Antebellum in 2012 called “Owning the Night” and in the same year she recorded her solo debut at Mercury Records entitled “Merry Go Round”. One of the highlights in her blossoming career was the tour she recently finished with one of her heroes, Willie Nelson. Willie was so impressed with their collaboration that they decided to record a song together. It’s an old number Willie wrote in the 1960’s called “You sure this is where you want to be” and Kacy is very excited about the project. She said that it’s a song that still rings true after all these years and it never gets boring.
In March last year Kacy released her solo album “Same Trailer Different Park” featuring the above mentioned single. Two more singles off the album started appearing on the charts, “Blowing Smoke” and “Follow your Arrow”. The latter song reached Rolling Stone Magazine’s Greatest Country Songs of All Time, placing at number 39. Alison Krauss, John Prine and Lee Ann Womack are some of the people who have had a great influence on her road into the music world and it doesn’t look like anything is going to stop this train anytime soon. [amzn_product_inline asin=’B00B6QXN6U’]
Now Kacy will be building more bridges by joining Katy Perry on her Prismatic tour this year. It has already kicked off in late June and they plan on hitting 46 cities, including some Canadian venues. Katy asked her fans to post videos on why their cities are great and from there she chose some regular venues and some new ones based on the videos of her fans. The tour will also feature other stars like Capital Cities and Tegan & Sara.
Katy is going to sing songs from her latest album, Prism, and she will be doing some old favorites. What should be interesting is the 
combination of the genres. Katy is known for her glamour and wildly entertaining shows while Kacy has a knack for writing lyrics that break the conventional boundaries. Katy is pure pop and Kacy is traditional country, so the fans are sure to be entertained.
When Kacy was confronted about her outspoken lyrics by the media and critics, she simply replied that her lyrics aren’t controversial for her. It’s not her intention or passion to write something just for the sake of pushing buttons. She writes about things she finds relevant and she does it with an honest nature without a hidden agenda. These are the traits of musical legends and Kacy is on her way to becoming one.
Something Bad – Miranda Lambert ft. Carrie Underwood
Something Bad was not so bad for singers Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood as it hit number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songs. This scores Miranda with 5 number ones and Carrie with 13. Somethin’ Bad was the first time in over 20 years that two solo women artists had a number 1. Way to go ladies!
Two words come to mind when hearing the song “Somethin’ Bad” and that is “Girl Power”. It’s been two decades since a single by two solo female artists has reached the number one spot on the “Billboards – Hot Country Songs”, meaning that the collaboration between Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood is something to look out for. It’s a refreshing, in-your-face anthem for women all over the world and it’s performed by two very talented country singers.
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The individuals responsible for writing the song are Chris DeStefano, Brett James and Priscilla Renea. This was done while at a retreat in France and initially it was intended as a male/female duet. However, changes were made in order for Carrie and Miranda to sing it. One can describe it as the female version of the bro-country genre and it speaks to unity among women. Overall the critics have received the release with great optimism and “anthem” was a common word among them. The most impressive aspect of the song is the power both Miranda and Carrie puts into it. It carries an amazing energy and the combination between the two is hypnotic.
“Somethin’ Bad” features on the fifth studio album by Miranda called “Platinum” and was released as the second single two weeks before the album hit the stores. The duo performed it for the first time at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards on 18 May and the next day people were able to buy it. Neither Carrie nor Miranda is new to the country music scene. Since winning the 2005 American Idol competition, Carrie has broken several records in her career. For many she is the queen of country, but this shouldn’t come as a surprise. Her vocal ability is staggering, seeing as there isn’t a note this girl cannot sing. As for Carrie, she is a little powerhouse herself. Her approach is a little more edgy than Underwood, but together they reach the pinnacle of perfection.
For those fans who don’t know, both Carrie and Miranda are 30 years old and both released their debut albums in 2005. They also share the experience of having multiple number one hits and “Somethin’ Bad” recently joined them. When Miranda heard the song for the first time she knew it was going to be great. She also knew it was the perfect song to sing with Carrie. For some time now they wanted to perform a song together and Miranda didn’t waste any time in contacting Carrie. As a result, country music has received a new girl anthem driven by a fearless beat.
Tray Fanjoy is responsible for the video, which was released in late June. He presents the video as a trailer for a movie and used Belle Boyd and Priscilla Parker as the jewel thief characters for the sexy singers. In the “trailer” they ride on motorbikes, partake in jewel heists and play poker. The song peaked at number 1 on the Hot Country Songs Billboard and 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fans can expect to hear it for a while, because it’s just that good. Hopefully it will spark another powerful collaboration between these two country stars.
Willie Nelson – Just Breathe
Just Breathe is a song from Willie’s Heroes album which peaked at number four on Billboard’s Top Country Albums and reached number 18 on the Billboard 200. This is a father and son duo that demonstrates a strong chemistry between the two.
Don’t Wait Up for George – Shooter Jennings
Paying tribute to a musical legend by covering the songs is always a gamble. Artists run the risk of being compared to the legend they pay tribute to and in reality this can’t be done. Ultimately it comes down to adding personal style while implementing the inspiration that particular legend left behind. This is the case for Shooter Jennings and his tribute to the great George Jones. Apart from just listening to his music, Jennings had a personal connection with Jones thanks to his father Waylon Jennings. For Shooter, George was a family friend and his personal touch to the three cover songs is evident.
Don’t Wait Up is a short, 5 song EP Jennings recently released. It features two of his own songs and three renditions of popular George Jones songs. It’s obvious that the EP received mixed critique, but in the end beauty is in the hearing of the listener and nobody can dispute that Jennings poured a lot of emotion and thought into the 
arrangements. The first original song is entitled “Living in a Minor Key” and it was specifically written by Jennings for Jones to record. Unfortunately this never happened and Jennings decided it would be a nice fit for the short list. It is a basic tune that captures the good and the bad experiences in life perfectly, meaning Jones would’ve sung it flawlessly.
The second original song is called “Don’t Wait Up” and it sees Jennings honoring Jones with his familiar style. It is based on the thoughts of infidelity in terms of pop-culture and real life. Even though the girl in the song has no problem breaking hearts, the “hero” of the story doesn’t take it lying down. As for the cover songs, Jennings kept the focus on sounding original instead of trying to duplicate the voice of George.
Along with Katy Cole, Jennings takes on the deep and dark “If Drinking don’t Kill me”. It embodies the feeling of never ending torture through memories. No bars are open and the alcohol simply isn’t good enough to take away the pain. The duo provides a strong performance and leaves the listener with the haunting torture. 
The second cover “She Thinks I still Care” features a more electronic sound, but not without the darker touches. It tells the story of denial. Jennings admirably pushes through the song like a brave shoulder, but the words don’t hold any truth. In fact, Jennings does a great job by showing his hidden feelings while singing the supposedly detached lyrics.
The last cover song is called “The Door”. It is hard, brooding and slow, capturing the spirit of Jones in a different light. It is this mixture of sound that Jones would’ve appreciated and supported. Jennings doesn’t even remotely sound like Jones, but anyone who is familiar with his music will be able to hear the influence.
Overall it’s a solid EP and “Don’t Wait Up” can be considered as a great sentimental tribute to a hero and mentor. Instead of trying to mimic Jones, Shooter Jennings made the songs his own and that is a lot more interesting than another karaoke session.
Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson – The Story of Outlaw Country
Outlaw Country may be thought of as a branch of country music. Beginning in the late 1960s and gaining popularity in the 1970s. Origins of Outlaw Country are centered around Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson along with Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, David Allan Coe and his Eli Radish Band, Kris Kristofferson, Leon Russell, Hank Williams Jr., Townes Van Zandt, Billy Joe Shaver, Steve Earle, and Gary Stewart.
Here’s a video that exposes the roots of The Outlaw Movement.
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