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Blake Shelton’s ‘Boys Round Here’… And Why I Don’t Hate It – Review

NOTE: This post is the opinion of a NashvilleGab writer and not necessarily the opinion of the owner. I respect my writers' opinions and their right to have them and hope that you all will too. In other words, please aim death threats at writer and not me. That is all. 

I expected to hate this song. I really did. All the opinions of my fellow critics of Blake’s recent musical offerings pointed to that exact conclusion, so I avoided it for a while. When I came to actually listening, however, I found myself – dare I say it – enjoying it?

Don’t get me wrong, Blake’s slow rapping is, for the most part, pretty terrible, but I hate all slow country rapping so that’s no surprise. The lyrics are also fairly appalling, as usual throwing in as many clichéd ‘countryisms’ (in fakery rather than truth) as is possible, for example “Drinking that ice cold beer, Talkin' 'bout girls, talkin' 'bout trucks, Runnin' them red dirt roads out, kicking up dust”, and phrases like “backwoods legit” that just screams ‘New Yorker trying to be country’ (yes I know Blake’s from OK). Then there’s all that horrible sexism that country songs are so keen on right now thrown in for good measure, “Yea, the girls 'round here, they all deserve a whistle, Shakin' that sugar, sweet as Dixie crystal, They like that y'all and southern drawl, And just can't help it cause they just keep fallin'”. Really? I mean REALLY?!

It’s not so much Blake, but more a wider problem of trends in country music that I have an issue with here, although Mr Shelton is certainly not off the hook for recording such a monstrosity of lyrical content. Aside from these aspects, however, ‘Boys Round Here’ is actually kind of… good?

Musically, a groove is instigated from the beginning that is pretty damn infectious. There’s some good slides and twang in there, and a multitude of different things going on. The chorus has fuller rockier production to give country fans something to hold onto, and even Blake’s rapping at times fits with the music rhythmically and creates a strangely perfect fusion. The Pistol Annies are barely audible which I’m disappointed with but their contribution works well, both in the call-and-response in the second verse and their gentle harmonies from then on. Whoever has mixed this has done a very good job.

I’m concerned that Blake identifies with this song as his life because a) it’s so over-done it sounds inauthentic and b) he’s super-rich, super-famous, and spends half of his time living in a mansion in LA and jetting all over the place to play for millions of people. He’s not the ‘good ole country boy’ he portrays himself as, and I see this song as further propaganda, over-done in order to compensate for the betrayal country fans may feel at his work on The Voice and in the pop music world. Like he’s trying to convince us he’s still just like us. I’m sorry, I’m not buying it.

But while I wouldn’t come out and say this is my favourite song, nor would I avidly recommend people listen to it (as it in all honesty reflects poorly on Blake as a person), I don’t mind it, and I have enjoyed listening to it to write this review. I guess pigs really do fly.

You can listen to 'Boys Round Here' here:

 

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Chart Roundup – Week of April 6th, 2013

Blake Shelton continues his successful run at the top of the charts this week with ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’, remaining at #1 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay. He has been knocked down to #2 on Country Digital Songs by Darius Rucker’s ‘Wagon Wheel’ however, which no doubt was helped by the release of the music video this past week. It is also sitting at #2 on Hot Country Songs, just behind Mr Shelton, but trails behind at #13 on Country Airplay, although this is the song’s radio peak thus far and it’s still climbing. Also near the top this week is Lady Antebellum and ‘Downtown’, at #4 on Country Airplay, #3 on Hot Country Songs and #4 on Country Digital Songs, as well as Hunter Hayes with ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’, at #2 on Country Airplay, #7 on Hot Country Songs, but down to #21 on Country Digital Songs.

Miranda Lambert is around this spot too with ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, #4 on Hot Country Songs, #3 on Country Digital Songs, and #8 on Country Airplay. Her album, ‘Four The Record’ is at #13. Lee Brice’s ‘I Drive Your Truck’ remains around the top 10 across the charts, with #3 on Country Airplay, #6 on Hot Country Songs and #11 on Country Digital Songs, with the album ‘Hard 2 Love’ at #14. It’s been a good week for George Strait, as ‘Give It All We Got Tonight’ is now at #14 on Hot Country Songs, #11 on Country Airplay and #9 on Country Digital Songs, and Florida Georgia Line own the Country Digital Songs chart, with ‘Cruise’ at #7 and their latest single ‘Get Your Shine On’ at #5. The latter also jumps up to #5 on Hot Country Songs and #10 on Country Airplay. ‘Here’s To The Good Times’ is at #3 on Top Country Albums.

Good news for all those Kacey Musgraves fans out there, as her critically lauded new album ‘Same Trailer Different Park’ debuts at #1 on the chart, while the lead single ‘Merry Go Round’ enjoys an 8-place leap to #10 on Country Digital Songs. She knocks Luke Bryan’s ‘Spring Break… Here To Party’ off the top spot, while the promo single from it, ‘Buzzkill’ drops 9 places to #25 on Country Digital Songs. Another new release this week, Justin Moore’s ‘Point At You’ comes in at #18 on Country Digital Songs.

Others in respectable positions on the charts this week include Carrie Underwood, Chris Young, Thompson Square, Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Jason Aldean, Eric Church and The Band Perry.

Check out my chart roundup next week to see where Blake Shelton’s ‘Based On A True Story’ charts, and whether it can knock golden girl Kacey Musgraves off the top spot.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Do Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert engage in phone coitus?

Blake has been making the media rounds all week, plugging his new album which has been getting rave reviews (especially from our very own Vickye.) I was part of the rounds on Tuesday so, as always, I whipped out the hard hitting questions.

Broadway: So you’re gone a lot. Miranda’s gone a lot. Do you guys ever engage in the phone coitus?

Cory: Oh my god!

Blake: Is that like the FaceTime thing? Or are you just talking about normal phone sex?

Broadway: Either. How do you guys, you know, keep it interesting, keep it fresh?

Blake: I just thought of something… now that’s an actual good use for Skyping. Now, now we’ve got a reason to use that.

Cory: There you go. The feature on the phone just became purposeful.

Blake: That’s right. Okay, maybe we will. Does that answer your question? Now because of you, you’ve changed the way we approach each other in intimate ways.

Click Here to hear the full interview

Posted by Broadway (Guest Writer) Listen to my radio show weekday mornings, 6-10a eastern on iHeartRadio and follow me on twitter @broadwayonair.

Blake Shelton Gets ‘Ten Times Crazier’ With New Song – Single Review

Update: To all you Blake fans coming here because Blake Tweeted about this post, this is the opinion of a NashvilleGab writer, not me personally. We're all entitled to our opinions and I'm a firm believer in letting people have their say. That said, again, this isn't my (NashvilleGab owner) personal opinion. 

I must admit Blake has been beginning to get on my nerves as of late, so perhaps that will color my review of his latest track. In my view stints like his on The Voice and his recent comments on traditional country music have prompted his move away from the country music he built his career on. Speak to anyone who disapproves of his current musical direction, and they will most likely state that they think he’s really talented, and his earlier stuff was better. But songs like ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’ lack substance, and Blake’s ‘good ole country boy’ character on The Voice is being reflected in the country clichés on his latest promotional release, ‘Ten Times Crazier’.

Musically, it’s less ‘pop’-orientated than its predecessor, but equally it sounds like most other things coming out of Nashville right now. There’s no originality to it, and could as much have been from ‘Red River Blue’ as it could have been from ‘Startin’ Fires’. It doesn’t offend me nor does it excite me (it worries me how often I have to say this about a song), but is pleasant enough that the mass audience will like it and blast it from their car radios driving down the highway during the summer. It places itself firmly within the context of summer song, with a repetitive riff and the classic sonic unit of guitar and drums that might as well have been lifted from every other mainstream male country artist around, with a steel guitar thrown in on the chorus for good measure (to make sure we’re not in any doubt of what music he’s creating, insert sarcasm here).

For the lyrics, I’m not surprised of what they’ve come up with, but it doesn’t mean I’m not disappointed. Including as many country stereotypes as they can possibly think of, this is like Blake’s theme song for The Voice and a hotbed of country boy mythology. Lines such as “Well I'm crazy about fast cars, football and guitars, All them old country songs daddy used to play, I'm crazy about Friday nights, cold beer and good times, Crazy about a summer day out on the lake” are adhering to the laundry list of countryisms pioneered by people like Jason Aldean, and frankly I’m bored now.

It also involves the cheesiest attempt at wordplay I’ve heard in a while, stating all the things he’s crazy about and then assuring said female recipient of the song “but I’m ten times crazier about you”. Oh, lovely.

Unfortunately the song’s only real redeeming quality is that it sounds exactly like most other hit songs on country radio. So you know, at least it’ll probably hit the top 10 or something, and then fade away into obscurity when Florida Georgia Line sing about another model in a bikini.

I don’t hate the song by any means, it’s just an addition to a set of events that have made me annoyed at Blake. I want to like his music, but he’s going to have to try a lot harder if he wants to gain the respect of those other than the indiscriminating pop fans.

You can listen to ‘Ten Times Crazier’ here:

 

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Chart Roundup – Week of March 30th, 2013

Country pop is sneaking up on the charts this week as Blake Shelton reigns with ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’, at #1 on Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay and Country Digital Songs. Alongside him are Lady Antebellum with ‘Downtown’ at #2 on Hot Country Songs, #4 on Country Digital Songs, and up at #6 on Country Airplay. Miranda Lambert is also clinging on to her place near the top of the charts with ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’, at #3 on Country Digital Songs and Hot Country Songs, although she’s still trailing at #11 on Country Airplay. Miranda’s 2011 album ‘Four The Record’ is up two places this week to #12 for its 72^nd week on the chart.

Darius Rucker’s ‘Wagon Wheel’ is still rising, at #2 on Country Digital Songs, while at #5 on Hot Country Songs and #16 on Country Airplay. Meanwhile Carrie Underwood’s ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ is holding onto its peak at #4 on Hot Country Songs, #2 on Country Airplay but is down to #12 on Country Digital Songs. The album ‘Blown Away’ is at #9. A new entry on the chart is ‘DONE.’ by The Band Perry, which debuts at #11 on Country Digital Songs, while their ‘Better Dig Two’ is at #10. ‘DONE.’ is at #26 in its third week on Country Airplay, with ‘Better Dig Two’ residing at #12 on Hot Country Songs.

Slowly climbing are Brad Paisley’s ‘Beat This Summer’ (#21 on Country Airplay) and Jason Aldean’s ‘1994’ (#23 on Country Digital Songs). Lee Brice (#6 on Hot Country Songs with ‘I Drive Your Truck’), Florida Georgia Line (#7 with ‘Get Your Shine On’ and ‘Cruise’ at #11), and Hunter Hayes (#8 with ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’ and #9 with ‘Wanted’) are all hanging around the top 10 across the charts. They have a challenger from Kenny Chesney in ‘Pirate Flag’, at #10 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, and #7 on Country Digital Songs.

Shooter Jennings impacts Top Country Albums with ‘The Other Life’ at #19, while Ashley Monroe’s new one ‘Like A Rose’ drops 8 places to #18. The true king of this chart however is Luke Bryan, whose recent compilation release ‘Spring Break… Here To Party’ is at #1 for its second consecutive week. His previous full-length album from 2011, ‘Tailgates and Tanlines’ jumps up to #7. However his latest not-really-a-single-it’s-just-sort-of-promotional-and-we-needed-a-song-out ‘Buzzkill’ drops 11 places this week to #16 on Country Digital Songs.

Others tearing up the charts and honourable mentions this week are Little Big Town for ‘Tornado’ (both single and album); Tim McGraw for ‘One of Those Nights’, his new single ‘Highway Don’t Care’, and the album ‘Two Lanes of Freedom’; Taylor Swift for the album ‘Red’; Eric Church for ‘Like Jesus Does’ and his album ‘Chief’ (86^th week and counting); Thompson Square for ‘If I Didn’t Have You’; Chris Young for ‘I Can Take It From There’; and Kacey Musgraves for ‘Merry Go Round’. Stayer of the week has to be Brantley Gilbert’s album ‘Halfway To Heaven’, which celebrates its 150^th week on the chart this week, rising back up to #17!

Check out my chart roundup next week to see where Kacey Musgraves’ hugely anticipated new album will sit, plus other chart gossip.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Chart Roundup – Week of March 16th, 2013

This week Hot Country Songs has remained pretty static at the top, with Blake Shelton’s ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’ holding onto the top spot, both there and on Country Digital Songs. It rises two places to #5 on Country Airplay. The same is true for Hunter Hayes with ‘Wanted’, which stays at #2 on Hot Country Songs for its 54^th week on the chart. However, it is down to #5 on Country Digital Songs, with Hunter’s latest single ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’ sticking to #19 on the same chart. This song is at #6 on Country Airplay however, and #12 on Hot Country Songs, the self-titled album dropping to #7.

The Band Perry are also continuing to do well, with ‘Better Dig Two’ still at #3 on Hot Country Songs, #4 on Country Airplay and #6 on Country Digital Songs. ‘Done’, their new single, has not yet entered the chart. Tim McGraw is also riding high, #4 on Hot Country Songs with ‘One Of Those Nights’, #1 again on Country Airplay but down to #10 on Country Digital Songs. ‘Two Lanes Of Freedom’, the accompanying album, is at #3. Miranda Lambert is finally leaping up the charts after the release of the music video for ‘Mama’s Broken Heart. The single has climbed up to #7 on Hot Country Songs and #2 on Country Digital Songs, while still trailing at #14 on Country Airplay. The album, ‘Four The Record’ drops to #14 for its 70^th week on the chart.

It’s a mixed bag for Carrie Underwood, whose ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ remains at #5 on Hot Country Songs, falling to #8 on Country Digital Songs yet leaping three places to find #3 on Country Airplay. ‘Blown Away’, her previous single, is still proving moderately popular despite being out for months, at #22 on Hot Country Songs and #21 on Country Digital Songs, although it takes a massive fall from last week where it was #12. The album of the same name is at #10 on Top Country Albums. Another act climbing up are Lady Antebellum. ‘Downtown’ is now at #6 on Hot Country Songs, #4 on Country Digital Songs, and #9 on Country Airplay.

There are several new entries on the chart this week, including albums from Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell (‘Old Yellow Moon’ - #4) and The Mavericks (‘In Time’ - #8). As for singles, Connie Britton (playing Rayna James in ABC’s ‘Nashville’) just enters Country Digital Songs at #25 with ‘Stronger Than Me’. In addition, Blake Shelton’s ‘Ten Times Crazier’ comes in on the same chart at #20.

Other big charters include Little Big Town with ‘Tornado’ (#2 on Country Airplay), Florida Georgia Line with ‘Get Your Shine On’ (a recent music video has seen it shoot up to #3 on Country Digital Songs), Lee Brice with ‘I Drive Your Truck’ (#7 on Country Airplay) and Taylor Swift, more specifically with the album ‘Red’ (#1 on Top Country Albums). Honorable mentions go to Darius Rucker, Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, Jason Aldean, Gary Allan, Kenny Chesney, Thompson Sqaure and George Strait. Eric Church’s huge stayer ‘Chief’ falls slightly to #12 for its 84^th week, while his current single ‘Like Jesus Does’ remains at #24 on Country Digital Songs and #26 on Hot Country Songs, hopping five places to #17 on Country Airplay.

Tune in next week for another edition of my Billboard Chart Roundup.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Does Reba McEntire believe Blake Shelton cheated?

Reba called my show last week to plug Malibu Country and Blake's guest appearance, so I figured what better time to ask her about the rumor that circulated last week?

"You know what? If I was married to Miranda Lambert, that'd be the last thing that would be on my mind. Because that woman, she's fierce. I wouldn't want her on my bad side."

Reba also talked about Blake's possible spinoff, Malibu Country's chance of a second season, new music, and eating bull balls. Click Here for the full interview

Posted by Broadway (Guest Writer)
Listen to my radio show weekday mornings, 6-10a eastern on iHeartRadio and follow me on twitter @broadwayonair.

‘You Ain’t Dolly (And You Ain’t Porter)’ Ashley Monroe and Blake Shelton With A Little Country Relief – Review

I’m not sure whether this song is intended to be Ashley’s follow-up to ‘Like A Rose’, but I can certainly see it being a single at some point if not the next one to be released. The song, as the title suggests, is a tribute to the greatness of Dolly Parton and the late Porter Wagoner, who played a huge part in launching Dolly’s legendary career through his equally legendary nationally syndicated television show. Their seven years of duets won several CMA Awards and they had many chart-topping hits, before Dolly decided to leave and explore her opportunities outside Porter’s TV show.

So who better to sing about when it comes to a tongue-in-cheek duet song, that brings the song’s characters back down to reality, with great lines such as “she’s a little bit fuller, and you’re a whole lot shorter” and “I’m the reigning queen of... karaoke night”. It’s an amusing storyline that any couple can sing to each other (perhaps drunkenly), and have a good laugh, acknowledging their wishes to be the great Dolly and Porter, but also seeing where they fall very short. I think, despite his recent comments about ‘old farts and jackasses’, Blake was actually a great choice to sing with on this one. He delivers it well, with a cheeky smirk that really puts his parts across well, his sense of humor being his most famous (infamous?) personality trait.

The song is simple, both lyrically and musically, and retains the same musical grounding most of the way through, harking straight back to the sound and era that Dolly and Porter were singing in, late Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan. In fact, apart from obviously sounding a lot cleaner than the older recordings, it could well have come from that era, and I was impressed with the ambition to keep the song firmly within that era without an attempt to ‘modernize’. Characterized by a twangy electric guitar sound (of course!), and a smooth but dynamic fiddle line joining the guitar solo, with plonky piano filling in the verses. It does seem strange that Blake would choose to sing this kind of song after the comments he made, and perhaps I would go as far as to say hypocritical, considering his claim “nobody wants to listen to their grandpa’s music”. Well, this IS people’s grandpa’s music now, just about. So why would you make a recording you don’t think anybody wants to listen to?

Ashley’s performance is, of course, flawless, and at times her floaty tremolo reminds me of Dolly, with Blake although perhaps falling short of the great Porter, at least having the same tone of voice. Perhaps that’s why it works so well, in my opinion.

I really hope this gets released as a single, as I think country radio could do with a healthy dose of traditionalism, and the ‘kidz on the street’ these days could get a taste of what great country music sounds like. After all, I started off listening to Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood when I was young, and now I love this, so perhaps exposure is key to knocking some country sense into people and showing them what’s out there. As a huge Dolly fan myself, I love this song. It’s great fun and a wonderful tribute that I’m sure if Dolly has heard she approves of.

You can pre-order Ashley Monroe’s new album ‘Like A Rose’ here (released tomorrow, March 5) and you can listen to ‘You Ain’t Dolly (And You Ain’t Porter) with Blake Shelton here:

 

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com

Chart Roundup – Week of March 9th, 2013

Blake Shelton’s ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’, has become his 8^th consecutive #1 song as of this week on Hot Country Songs, and his 13^th overall, also hitting #1 on Country Digital Songs. On Country Airplay it trails at #7, but is up 3 places from last week, with only 4 weeks until his upcoming album ‘Based On A True Story’ will enter the chart. Hunter Hayes is down from Blake’s surge, to #2 on both Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, with ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’, his current single, slowing making its way up Country Airplay to #8 this week and #10 on Hot Country Songs. Overall his self-titled album drops to #4.

The Band Perry are still riding high, with ‘Better Dig Two’ remaining at #3 on Hot Country Songs, rising to #3 on Country Digital Songs, but being knocked off the top spot on Country Airplay by Tim McGraw’s ‘One Of Those Nights’ being spurned on by the success of his new album, ‘Two Lanes Of Freedom’. The Band Perry’s new single ‘Done’ was only released to radio last week, and thus has yet to impact the charts, but the impending release of their sophomore album ‘Pioneer’ on April 2 will certainly produce momentum for the group. When it comes to Tim McGraw, who topped TBP at radio, for a seasoned artist in his mid-40s he’s certainly not letting it stand in his way. As well as his 33^rd Country Airplay #1, He’s back up to #4 on Hot Country Songs, at #6 on Country Digital Songs, and holding on to the #2 spot on Top Country Albums.

Lady Antebellum’s ‘Downtown’ is creeping up the radar during their 3^rd week on the chart with a #4 spot on Country Digital Songs, up to #9 on Hot Country Songs, and #12 on Country Airplay. Their new album ‘Golden’ will be released May 7, so still time for ‘Downtown’ to dominate the charts before the new record drops. Carrie Underwood hasn’t been so lucky, as the rise on the charts she experienced last week possibly due to the new inclusion of YouTube streams has tailed off a little, meaning ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ is down to #5 on Hot Country Songs and Country Digital Songs, although it’s up two places to #6 on Country Airplay. The album, ‘Blown Away’ is down to #7, the title track dropping 11 places on Hot Country Songs to #21, and 7 places to #12 on Country Digital Songs.

It’s been a mixed bag for Taylor Swift too. With ‘Begin Again’ up at #3 on Country Airplay this week after accusations flying of the label using payola to push a single many argue is past its peak, it falls to #16 on Hot Country Songs and leaves the Country Digital Songs chart altogether. Meanwhile the previous single ‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ is persevering at #11 on Country Digital Songs and #12 on Hot Country Songs. Other tracks holding mid-top 10 places across the charts are Little Big Town’s ‘Tornado’ (#6 on Hot Country Songs), Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Cruise’ (#7 on Hot Country Songs) and Gary Allan’s ‘Every Storm’ (#8 on Hot Country Songs). Florida Georgia Line’s new single ‘Get Your Shine On’ is also doing well after a video was released (#9 on Country Digital Songs), with their album at #3, while Miranda Lambert’s ‘Mama’s Broken Heart’ and Lee Brice’s ‘I Drive Your Truck’ appear to be on the cusp of hitting it big.

Honorable mentions go to Kenny Chesney, Kacey Musgraves, Dierks Bentley and Jason Aldean, and Eric Church is back in the top 10 again with his long-staying award-winning album ‘Chief’, in its 83^rd week. The just-released 5^th single from the album ‘Like Jesus Does’ leapfrogs 9 places to #24 on Country Digital Songs this week.

Tune in next week for a new chart roundup.

Posted by Vickye (Guest Writer).
If you want to check out my own blog it's For The Country Record, and you can follow me on twitter @planmymistake. You can email me at vickye.countrymusic@gmail.com.

Chart Roundup – Week of March 2nd, 2013

Hunter Hayes continues (and extends) his renewed strength on the charts this week with hit song ‘Wanted’, potentially due to Billboard’s recent announcement of inclusion of YouTube views (using official audio) in compiling the charts. He remains at #1 on Hot Country Songs, and jumps up to #1 from #5 on Country Digital Songs. In addition, his latest single ‘Somebody’s Heartbreak’ climbs up one place to #9 on Country Airplay, with his self-titled album finding itself two spots higher at #3 this week. Blake Shelton also seems to be affected by the methodology change as well as general popularity, his January release ‘Sure Be Cool If You Did’ now up to #2 on Hot Country Songs, #10 on Country Airplay, and #2 on Digital Country Songs. His new album ‘Based On A True Story’ (due March 26) no doubt will also do well.

However, The Band Perry aren’t letting go of their chart domination just yet. They remain at #1 on Country Airplay with ‘Better Dig Two’ this week, #3 on Hot Country Songs and actually move up the chart to #4 on Country Digital Songs. Their new album, ‘Pioneer’, is due April 2 and no doubt will also shake up the sometimes slow-moving album chart. YouTube plays also seem to have aided Carrie Underwood, the climber of the week, as the plodding climb of ‘Two Black Cadillacs’ for several months has finally sped up to allow the song to find #4 on Hot Country Songs, leap seven places up to #3 on Country Digital Songs, and has also moved up to #8 on Country Airplay. Her album, ‘Blown Away’ is back at #6 on Top Country Albums for its 42^nd week on the chart, with the single of the same name having a new lease of life, jumping back into the top 10 of Hot Country Songs, from last week’s place of #19. It also is now at #5 on Country Digital Songs, seven places higher than it was last week.