Reba McEntire scored her first #1 album on the Billboard 200 this week with Duets, proving stronger than Kanye West who sold 226,000 in his second week on the chartts, compared to Reba’s 301,000. Why wasn’t there a Reba-Kanye collaboration?! Maybe on Kanye’s next album, Continuing Education.
Dolly Parton debuts her single “Better Get to Livin’” tonight on ABC’s inexplicable mega-hit “Dancing with the Stars.” Dolly actually turned down an opportunity to be a celebrity dancer because she “couldn’t dance” — which is nice Dolly speak for “do I look like washed up 90210 cast member? I actually am a celebrity, fool!” Or something like that.
First off, I gotta say I found this item at Country Universe, which if you’re not reading, you’re not keeping up with country music.
It’s Sugarland covering my favorite Beyonce song “Irreplacable,” a funny and feisty pop number about how her man is, in fact, not irreplacable. The song begins with the misleading lines “to the left, to the left” which sound like dance instruction, but are actually orders for her man to pack up his stuff. (See the original video here)
I never really thought about it, but the song certainly has a country attitude. I’m lukewarm on the cover, but kudos to Sugarland for branching out and actually trying to connect with other genres of music.
Steve Earle’s new album Washington Square Serenade was inspired, not surprisingly, by his recent move to New York City. The long-time Nashville resident is a Manhattan convert:
“When I lived in Nashville full time, I’d go crazy after three weeks, being trapped in my car and having to drive everywhere,” he says. “But in New York, I don’t mind being in a three or four-block area because the whole world’s there. I very rarely travel more than a mile from my house, but within that mile, I can see any movie or buy any book. For two dollars, I can begin a journey to anywhere in the world. The world kind of comes to you in New York.”
He also says in his interview with CMT.com that he believes Nashville doesn’t support singer-songwriters and he is experimenting with hip-hop beats!
Perez Hilton’s got blogger game.
So jealous!
Seems like Reba McEntire is everywhere these days, on Oprah, on the View, Lifetime reruns her sitcom every 20 minutes even though it’s a half-hour show; I think I may have seen her behind me on the bus yesterday and now she’s Billboard Magazine’s first-ever Woman of the Year and — quite possibly — has the #1 album this past week. So I guess my question is: why now? Just credit where credit is due? Why has been the 2007 been the year we decided that Reba would ascend to the level of the Dollies and Lorettas?
I really thought the whole Jessica Simpson goes country thing would fade way, but, alas, no according to Papa Joe Simpson: “Everything in our business is about beats and I think she really wants to sing and country music still believes in that. She’s a singer from top to bottom. And everything in the music business, especially pop music, has moved away from singers. And I think country is the the only pure, storytelling kind of genre left.” [D-Listed]
Um. If memory serves, Jess has only ever sang one country song and she ran off the stage crying. At least she already has the line of hair pieces.
The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame will induct Flatt & Scruggs and Hank Williams Jr on October 10.
I guess the country music establishment is finally ready for some football.
Whoa, it’s been a month since I last posted! Sorry guys, I got distracted by a side project. Never fear, I am back for an all-country Autumn. Those of you who made it past the first 10 minutes of MTV’s VMAs last night may have noticed that Carrie Underwood lost the Best New Artist moon man to Gym Class Heroes, but if you made it that far, there’s a 50/50 chance you were punched out by Kid Rock.
 | Misty on Mission Statement |
 | irreplaceable lyric on Another Country Replacement: T… |
 | Lawrence on Mission Statement |
 | Lauren on Underwood to perform at G… |
 | Due West on Gettin’ Yo Street Cred… |
