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Kane Brown earns his 14th career Top 10 hit on Billboard's Country Airplay chart, as "Backseat Driver" climbs to No. 10 this week. The track was written by Jacob Davis and Jordan Walker, and was produced by Dann Huff. It’s lifted from Brown’s recent record, The High Road, which debuted at No. 2 on the Top Country Albums chart back in February. The 31-year-old Brown holds the active streak record of seven straight Country Airplay chart-toppers, tying him with Jelly Roll, while Jelly aims to extend his success with tracks currently rising up the chart like "Heart of Stone" and "Hard Fought Hallelujah." Elsewhere, Morgan Wallen maintains his No. 1 position on Country Airplay for a second week with "I'm the Problem," the title track from his forthcoming 37-song album due out on May 16. Other songs from Wallen’s highly-anticipated album, including "Just in Case" and "I'm Not Coming Back" with Post Malone, are also currently rising on the Country Airplay chart ahead of the record’s release.

On Friday (April 25), Maren Morris announced the dates and details of her 2025 Dreamsicle World Tour. The country star will be promoting her fourth studio album, which is set for release on May 9. The jaunt features dates across North America running from May 30 to September 26, including stops in major cities like New York, Los Angeles, Nashville, and more, before moving to Europe in November. “Dreamsicle felt like it was already translating itself to a live environment while I was writing the album,” Morris shared in a statement. “It was coming to life in the studio without an audience, so I’m very excited to finally allow these songs to hit the air and feel them amplified by the energy of a crowd. It’ll be a dreamy experience all around for fans and for myself.” The tour will feature supporting acts Trousdale, Miya Folick, and Jade LeMac in North America, with Bea and her Business in Europe. General ticket sales start on May 2, with various presales available on April 28 and 30. 

May 30 — West Hollywood, CA @ West Hollywood Park
July 12 — Quebec City, QC @ FEQ
July 25 — Newport, RI @ Newport Folk Festival
July 29 — Park City, UT @ Deer Valley Concert Series (with Trousdale)
July 31 — San Diego, CA @ The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park (with Trousdale)
Aug. 2 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern (with Trousdale)
Aug. 3 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl (with Trousdale)
Aug. 5 — Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery (with Trousdale)
Aug. 6 — Sacramento, CA @ The Backyard (with Trousdale)
Aug. 7 — Jacksonville, OR @ Britt Pavilion (with Trousdale)
Aug. 9 — Ridgefield, WA (Portland) @ Ilani Casino Resort (with Trousdale)
Aug. 10 — Woodinville, WA (Seattle) @ Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery (with Trousdale)
Aug. 15 — Oklahoma City, OK @ The Criterion (with Miya Folick)
Aug. 16 — St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant (with Miya Folick)
Aug. 19 — Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre (with Miya Folick)
Aug. 21 — Grand Rapids, MI @ Fifth Third Bank Summer Concerts at Meijer Gardens (with Miya Folick)
Aug. 22 — Highland Park, IL @ Ravinia (with Miya Folick)
Aug. 23 — Hinckley, MN @ The Grand Casino Hinckley Amphitheater (with Miya Folick)
Aug. 31 — Selbyville, DE @ Freeman Arts Pavilion (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 2 — Toronto, ON @ HISTORY (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 3 — Lewiston, NY @ Artpark Mainstage Theater (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 5 — Boston, MA @ Leader Bank Pavilion (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 6 — Sidney, ME @ Bowl in the Pines (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 9 — New York, NY @ The Rooftop at Pier 17 (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 10 — Huntington, NY @ The Paramount (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 12 — Washington, DC @ Wolf Trap (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 13 — Bethlehem, PA @ Wind Creek Event Center (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 14 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia Presented by Highmark (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 16 — Virginia Beach, VA @ The Dome (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 17 — Cary, NC @ Koka Booth Amphitheatre (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 20 — St. Augustine, FL @ Sing Out Loud Festival
Sept. 22 — Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 23 — Wilmington, NC @ Greenfield Lake Amphitheater (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 25 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle (with Jade LeMac)
Sept. 26 — Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle (with Jade LeMac)

During her final show of her Las Vegas residency on April 12, Carrie Underwood was reunited with Noel Miller, a Make-A-Wish recipient with a severe heart condition she first met 15 years ago. The country superstar also donated over $235,000 to the foundation, a portion of which came from her residency ticket sales. Underwood, who has been a WishMaker for nearly 20 years, emphasized the importance of supporting Make-A-Wish and brought Miller on stage to sing "All-American Girl" with her during the emotional performance. "They make dreams come true for kids who need it and deserve it who are in some really dark times in their lives," she told the crowd. Underwood capped off her Reflections residency at Resorts World Theatre after a historic three year run that began back in December 2021, and she now looks forward to returning to her American Idol roots by serving as a judge on the show. 

Drew Baldridge finds himself on the brink of possibly securing another No. 1 hit with his current Top 15 single, “Tough People,” following up the success of his groundbreaking self-released No. 1 hit from 2024, "She's Somebody’s Daughter.” Working alongside Luke Combs to co-write the impactful song with Adam Sanders and Jordan Walker, Baldridge initially hesitated to cut his own version of the track, since Combs recorded it first. However, with Combs' encouragement and support, Baldridge took the leap, and the song is currently climbing the charts. In addition to his musical achievements, Baldridge launched The Tough People Fund earlier this year to "highlight those individuals, families and communities that are experiencing the toughest of times." Baldridge became the first self-funded artist to reach No. 1 on country radio with their debut single, and the success of “Tough People” should continue his rise in the country ranks, along with his upcoming support slot on Bailey Zimmerman’s New To Country Tour this summer. 

On Tuesday (April 22), the Tennessee Board of Parole unanimously recommended that Governor Bill Lee consider pardoning Jelly Roll for his past convictions. The move could potentially allow the singer to travel internationally for performances. After a nearly two-hour session that included testimony from Nashville Sheriff Daron Hall and others, it is now up to Gov. Lee to make the final decision on the pardon. Jelly Roll, born Jason DeFord, expressed gratitude for the board's decision after he shared with them his story of redemption through music, while highlighting his desire to inspire others facing similar challenges. “This was incredible,” Jelly Roll said of the board’s decision. “I pray this goes through. But today was special for me, regardless.” The singer's criminal record has previously hindered his ability to perform overseas, but the potential pardon could remove legal barriers and open up new opportunities for him to share his uplifting musical message with his fans around the world. 

Runaway June. Photo: Gregg Rothe

Bailey Zimmerman and Luke Combs are getting ready to release their new collaboration, "Backup Plan," teasing fans with a sneak peek of their anthem in a recent Instagram video. Zimmerman currently has a hit collaboration with BigXThaPlug, “All The Way,” which debuted at No. 4 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, and this pairing with country superstar Combs should be another big hit for the rising star. The duo did not give a specific release date for the highly-anticipated duet, hinting only that the song will be "coming soon." Combs has some high-profile festival appearances scheduled this spring/summer, beginning with his headlining set at Stagecoach this weekend, followed by the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee, and Newport Folk Festival in Rhode Island. Zimmerman’s next show is May 3 at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, and he’s also scheduled to play Morgan Wallen’s Sand in My Boots festival in May, and at June’s CMA Fest in Nashville. 

Photo: Andrew Wendowski

During an appearance on Friday Night Takeover with Rob + Holly, Keith Urban reflected on his recent performance at Opry 100, while also discussing his latest album, HIGH, and his forthcoming new TV series with Blake Shelton, The Road. Urban said that it was a unique experience singing one of Crystal Gayle's hits in front of the legendary singer at the Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration. "They asked me to do a song from one of the Opry members, and then one of my own songs," Urban recalled. "For some reason I just thought about Crystal Gayle, and I was like, 'oh, I might do 'Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.' I love that song, and, so I did it and they invited Crystal to be in the audience. It's a little intimidating. It's very strange when the artist is sitting in the audience watching you play their song." Urban also shared his excitement about his upcoming music competition reality show, The Road, which is set to premiere on CBS in fall 2025.