Looks like Dustin Lynch isn’t leaving “Party Mode” anytime soon.

The singer’s latest album, Blue in the Sky, features a number of songs that are feel-good, uptempo odes to his love of the water and summertime fun, and he’s keeping that theme going in the new music he’s currently writing and recording, too.

Dustin shared a clip of an unreleased song called “Fish in the Sea” on his social media this week, and the track would be right at home in the world of Blue in the Sky. Set on a hot summer day at the beach, the song’s lyrics take a break from work and responsibilities in favor of a carefree day off.

In fact, the new song even features the album’s title — Blue in the Sky — in its chorus.

“There’s a lot of rum in my coke / Rum in my coke / Got a tiki bar bartender floatin’ my boat,” Dustin sings. “A lot of blue in the sky / Blue in the sky / All the waves just wavin’ my worries goodbye…”

When he shared the clip, Dustin asked fans to let him know if he should put out the new song officially. Whether he does or not, there’s a good chance you might be able to hear him play “Fish in the Sea” live this year: His Party Mode Tour continues with another leg this fall.

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“Better Together,” Luke Combs’ romantic hit single from 2019, is one of the top choices for newlyweds picking wedding and first dance songs.

That news comes from wedding site Hitched.co.uk, which compiled data from Spotify playlists. Out of all popular playlists featuring the term “Wedding” or “First Dance,” Luke’s song appears in 211 of them, making “Better Together” the most popular wedding/first dance choice from the country genre.

Some fans might be surprised to learn that Dan + Shay don’t hold that title, as they’re known for their romantic songs that fans often use for proposals, weddings and other special events. But the ballad-slinging country duo is also a popular musical choice for those planning a wedding.

Out of all wedding-related Spotify playlists, their song “From the Ground Up” makes an appearance on just 85, and the artists themselves appear on 224 — meaning that Dan + Shay have so many wedding-ready songs, fans have several to choose from.

As an artist, Chris Stapleton appears on 179 wedding-related playlists; his song “Tennessee Whiskey” is the most popular selection, appearing 108 times.

Curiously enough, while Luke’s “Better Together” is ranked number five in first dance playlists, it’s tied in that spot with another song called “Better Together” — from a completely different genre. Luke’s song and Jack Johnson’s 2005 pop hit both respectively appear on 211 playlists.

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Chris Stapleton fans in Denver and Salt Lake City will have to wait another week to see the country star’s All-American Road Show.

After contracting COVID-19, he postponed three upcoming shows: One in Salt Lake City on June 23, and two in Denver on June 25 and 26. He’s already got make-up dates for all three shows on the books, however. They’ll now take place on July 1, 2 and 3.

“To all my friends in Salt Lake City and Denver, I am very sorry to let you all know that I have tested positive for Covid and will be unable to perform this weekend’s shows,” Chris wrote in a statement on social media, adding that anyone unable to attend the make-up dates should contact their ticket point of purchase for a refund.

“I want to sincerely thank everyone who has waited so long for these shows,” Chris added. “We are incredibly grateful for your patience, love and support, and can’t wait to see you next week.”

Chris’ All-American Road Show Tour is set to run through October.

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Keith Urban is officially back out on the road.

The country superstar headed to Florida over the weekend, where he brought his The Speed of Now World Tour to stops in Tampa and West Palm Beach. It marked the first time in almost four years that he’s toured the U.S., and Keith and the crowd were in full-blown party mode as he took the stage for a turbo-charged set.

“We made it!” Keith said from the stage during his tour’s opening night in Tampa. “Am I a bit nervous? Just a little! But, I’ve never been more excited to see so many people in one place!”

A short clip of the opening weekend captures the electricity of Keith’s set in Tampa. The next night, in West Palm Beach, that electricity returned — a little bit more literally — with storms in the area that delayed the show by more than an hour. Undeterred, Keith kept the party going late into the night, despite the fact that the storms had also forced him to cancel a night of rehearsals.

The tour, which features Ingrid Andress as an opening act, wrapped a string of U.K. shows last month and is now about to embark on a massive stretch of North American tour dates that will run through early November. First up are back-to-back Toronto shows on July 8 and 9, followed by a lengthy run across the U.S., including a hometown show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on October 7.

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Russell Dickerson and Jake Scott have a hit on their hands with “She Likes It,” but the country singer says the collaboration came about naturally and grew over time. 

Russell was inspired to write with the pop singer-songwriter after their mutual friend, hit songwriter Josh Kerr, shared some of Jake’s music. Russell reached out to Josh to set up a writing session for the three of them. 

“This collaboration with Jake is the definition of how something naturally happens. A friend of ours who we wrote the song with, Josh Kerr, posted one of Jake’s songs, and I was like, ‘Amazing, let’s get with him, let’s write,'” Russell recalls. “He ends up coming to town, and this is the second song we wrote together. And I was like, ‘Dude, we should put this out,’ because he’s got his fans, I’ve got mine. Why not reach a broader audience?” 

That’s exactly what the song did, as it expanded both singers’ fanbases. Russell cites it as his fastest-climbing song at country radio (it’s currently in the top 30 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart), accumulating the most streams of any song from his catalog. 

“A broader audience is exactly what’s happened,” he says. “It’s been absolutely explosive, and it makes me so happy that people are loving this song. It’s a perfect summertime jam, so I just can’t believe it.” 

“She Likes It” has been certified Gold by the RIAA. 

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Luke Combs certainly had a happy Father’s Day: He became a father for the first time.

On Twitter, Luke posted a photo of himself and wife Nicole, cradling their newborn.  He wrote, “Welp he decided that Fathers Day would be a good time to show up. I couldn’t agree more. Me and Nicole are over the moon in love with this little guy. Mama and baby are healthy and we’re back home now with family. Life is good. Everyone welcome Tex Lawrence Combs to the world!“

Nicole posted the same photo, and wrote, “It’s going to be hard to top this past Father’s Day. Welcome to the world, Tex Lawrence Combs. You are the best chillest angel boy and I’m so happy I was chosen to be your mom. These are the days.”

Prior to Tex’s arrival, Nicole said on her Instagram Stories, “Picking a boy name was EXTREMELY difficult for us,” adding, “It’s a family name but also pretty unique, I think.”

Luke, meanwhile, told the Tennessean  that he’s totally down to change Tex’s diapers, explaining, “She had to grow him for nine months, so I figure I can at least do something at this point.”

Luke’s next impending arrival is his new album, Growin’ Up, out this Friday.

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Jimmie Allen and Lindsay Ell team up in the video for “Tequila Talkin‘,” their duet that’s featured on Jimmie’s album Bettie James Gold Edition. 

Brett Eldredge has released livestream footage from the album release event for Songs About You live in Nashville. 

Kip Moore teased in a Twitter video that he’ll be releasing new music this week on TikTok. 

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Carrie Underwood is back on top. 

Following the release of her new studio album, Denim & Rhinestones, on June 10, the project has debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #10 on the all-genre Billboard 200, marking her 10th consecutive album to debut inside the top 10 on both charts. 

The project sold 31,000 equivalent album units in its first week. The American Idol winner began her chart-topping streak with her 2005 debut album, Some Hearts. Prior to Denim & Rhinestones, Carrie led both the Top Country Albums chart and Billboard Top Christian Albums chart with My Savior in 2021. 

Denim‘s lead single, “Ghost Story,” is also climbing the charts and is currently inside the top 15 on country radio. 

She’ll embark on the Denim & Rhinestones Tour from October through March with opening act Jimmie Allen.

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Wine connoisseur Kelly Clarkson will not be standing for red wine slander — even if it’s from Maren Morris.

Kelly welcomed “The Middle” singer onto her daytime talk show Tuesday and confronted her about a 2018 tweet in which she said, “Guys, I hate to tell you this, but red wine is gross.”

The Grammy winner had fired back, “#Blasphemy …..I mean, maybe you haven’t had the right glass of Pinot Noir is all I’m saying. This calls for a winery tour!  Seriously, we have to fix this.”

It’s been three years since that infamous exchange, and Kelly begged to know if Maren had a change of heart.

“I’m trying to get cooler with reds,” Maren admitted, adding she is still a “white [wine] girl.”

That wasn’t good enough for Kelly, so she wheeled out a full wine tasting to convert “The Bones” singer. Maren was handed a glass of Pinot Noir — as well as a complete description of what it was going to taste like.  

Maren only had one question before taking a sip –“Will it get me drunk?” 

“Yes!… I mean, people have told me,” Kelly joked. She was then vindicated when Maren said she not only liked the wine, she makes an exception for Pinot Noirs because they’re “not gritty.”

It shouldn’t shock fans that Kelly is a staunch supporter of red wines. She once had a web series titled Minute and a Glass of Wine and previously said she prefers drinking red wine to working out.

“This just in…. I still hate working out. I’m sweaty, red, and not any thinner,” she had tweeted. “People say it’s good for your heart…. but people also say red wine is good for your heart. I mean, I’m just stating facts here people. Who am I to ignore science?!”

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ACM Party for a Cause is drawing several country stars to its lineup. 

Darius Rucker and Brothers Osborne — who were named Duo of the Year at the 2022 ACM Awards — are among the performers who will take the stage at Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville on August 23. The annual live event benefits ACM Lifting Lives, the ACM’s charitable arm that provides aid to members of the country music community through grants, health programs and more. 

Travis Denning, Sara Evans, Blanco Brown and Caylee Hammack will also perform.

Party for a Cause will take place in Nashville for the second year in a row the night before the ACM Honors, which will be at the Ryman Auditorium on August 24. Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert and Shania Twain are among the honorees.  

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