Chase Rice’s Music Video for ‘I Hate Cowboys’ Proves One Thing


Chase Rice hates cowboys like you hate a rival football team. It’s game recognizing game.

On Friday (Jan. 6), Rice revealed “I Hate Cowboys,” one of two songs that make up the title of his I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell album (Feb. 10). The new music video is nothing short of a tribute to cowboys — heck, he even worked with Cheyenne Frontier Days to grab the most captivating footage.

If the clip proves anything it’s that Rice doesn’t hate cowboys — he probably even wishes he was one. Several known rodeo stars ride bulls and broncs between shots of Rice walking around the ring, singing his song. If you look close enough, you’ll even spot Chris LeDoux.

Rice’s lyric explains that he hates cowboys because they’re always stealing his girl and he can’t do much to stop it. The power ballad is personal without feeling like the singer has ripped out a page from his diary. It’s almost amusing to hear him shrug his shoulders at some of the most iconic parts of that lifestyle.

“I hate cowboys / They think they’re scared of nothing / They run their mouths about bulls buckin’ / But eight seconds ain’t that long / I wish they’d stay their a– at home,” he sings to close verse one.

Across what Rice is calling his most authentic record yet, he strips away layers of production that often covered up what he was trying to say. The result — at least as we’ve heard it so far — has been a more dynamic mix of songs and styles.

“There’s no tracks anymore. I’m done with the track world. That was a phase of my life and it’s in the past,” he told Taste of Country to close 2022.

To introduce the song, Rice appeared on Good Morning America and explained why he chose a photo of his father for the album’s cover. As host Michael Strahan (a former football player for the New York Giants) introduced the song, the studio snickered.

“I hate Cowboys too, but it’s a different kind,” he says, referring to the rival Dallas Cowboys.

“Key West & Colorado,” “Way Down Yonder” and “If I Were Rock & Roll” are three more songs from I Hate Cowboys & All Dogs Go to Hell that Rice has already shared. He says to expect a heavy dose of the new music when he begins his Way Down Yonder Tour in March.

50 Classic Country Artists Today’s Fans Should Know

Today’s country music stars owe a debt of gratitude to the legends who formed and cultivated the genre, starting in the early 20th century. These 50 classic country artists remain relevant today. Some developed a style that’s emulated on today’s country radio. Others set a bar for vocal talent or songwriting skill.

This list of 50 influential classic country artists features country music singers who started their careers before 1990. It’s ranked by each artist’s current influence on the country music format today, not individual, lifelong impact. Tell us where we got it right or wrong on Twitter.



Hank Williams Jr.’s Son, Sam Williams, Comes Out as Gay


Hank Williams Jr.’s son, country singer Sam Williams, has come out as gay in the music video for his new song, “Tilted Crown,” and a subsequent interview.

Williams’ new video loosely documents his growing up, and it shows him kissing his boyfriend on camera for the first time.

As People reports, Williams spoke to Hunter Kelly on Apple Music’s Proud Radio With Hunter Kelly podcast, where he revealed that he had previously planned to address his sexuality in a video for another song that did not come to pass. The directors of his new video felt strongly that including the kiss would help tell the authentic story of his life.

“At first I kind of thought that, ‘I’m tackling something else with this.’ And I thought that maybe that’s for another project,” Williams states. “But again, I felt like I was promoting invisibility, like I wasn’t being visible and wasn’t being myself. And I just thought it was the perfect opportunity to just show who I was.”

Williams tells Kelly that his pronouns are he/him and that he identifies as gay.

“And I’ve never said that to anybody else,” he admits. “I mean, people at my label know and people in my personal life know, but this is the first time that I’ve ever been, besides a show or two, that I’ve ever been this public about it. And it is scary, but it feels good.”

Williams grew up in the rural town of Paris, Tenn., and he says that he struggled to hide his sexuality and fit in with the crowd growing up. He’s hoping that his coming out openly can help another child who might be struggling with the same issues right now.

“So I think at the end of the day, that’s one of the most important reasons why I’m being so open,” the 25-year-old singer shares.

The “Tilted Crown” music video also touches on his relationship with his sister, Katie, who died in a car crash in 2020. Williams tells Kelly that he came out to his sister while they were four-wheeling in Alabama just months before her death. Her reaction was “so emotional,” he recalls.

“I think that she could see pain that I was in from hiding that and just had no idea. And I was like, ‘There’s been some situations that have made me uncomfortable, and I just want you to know.’ And I could just see that there was such a pain there of not knowing,”

Williams’ “Tilted Crown” video also depicts an older man who actively tries to push the young boy character to act more “manly.” He’s received feedback from fans who believe that’s a depiction of his own relationship with his famous father, which he says isn’t entirely accurate.

“That’s not necessarily playing my dad, that’s playing society as a whole,” he explains, adding that society expects and encourages certain behaviors in young girls, and a separate set of behaviors for young boys, regardless of whether or not they fit those children’s individual interests.

“My relationship with my dad wasn’t really like that at all,” he adds. “He didn’t push me to be in music. He pushed me go to hunting, I do have to give him that. He did push me to go hunting. I just wanted to clear that up just in case… It’s a little bit hard for me to watch because it’s just so honest, and it just brings back so much, and it’s all there on the surface.”

Williams released his latest project, Glasshouse Children: Tilted Crown, on Oct. 14. His interview on Apple Music’s Proud Radio With Hunter Kelly airs on Sunday (Oct. 30) at 5PM ET.

11 Country Singers Who’ve Come Out as Gay:





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Michelle Wright Displays Classic Country Influences in New Video


Michelle Wright is showing off her connections to classic country in her new song, “Heartbreak Song,” and she’s letting Taste of Country readers see her new video for the song first in an exclusive premiere.

The Canadian-born country singer released a new album titled Milestone on Aug. 26, marking the latest release in a career that dates all the way back to 1988. She’s scored 25 Top 10 hits across the course of her 12 albums since then.

“Heartbreak Song” is a co-write with an artist who’s made a splash in recent years.

“My co-writer Adam Wakefield was in my band a few years back, and I was always a fan of his talent. I was thrilled to see him do so well on The Voice, and I enjoyed watching his success, both as a solo artist and with his band Texas Hill,” Wright states.

“We talked several times over the years about writing together, and I am so glad we finally made it happen. We needed one more song for this record, and I knew this was the one as soon as we finished it.”

Wakefield also appears in Wright’s new video for “Heartbreak Song,” which eschews flashy production for a simple black-and-white approach that focuses on them performing the song together.

“We all agreed that the music video needed to be simple and intimate in hopes that the listener could see and feel the emotion that Adam and I experienced while we were writing it,” Wright relates. “And having Adam appear in the video with me was the cherry on top.”

“When the label told me how much they loved this song and wanted to do a video, it made me so happy. This song harkens back to my days listening and performing the country music that I grew up on. I hope that Merle would be proud of me.”

Michelle Wright’s Milestone is currently available across a wide array of digital music providers.

Top 10 Country Songs of 2022 So Far, Ranked

There are plenty of feel-good country jams on this list of the top country songs of 2022, but the No. 1 song is a gut punch. These 10 songs are ranked by critical acclaim, radio and sales success, and importance to the genre.
Five of the 10 artists made our Top Country Songs list from 2021 as well, but there are no repeats. If a song made a previous list or didn’t spend most of its time on the charts in 2022, it’s not eligible. So, before you ask where your favorite song is, be sure the miss isn’t just a technicality.





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Leslie Jordan’s Final Interview Teases New Country Music Project


Actor and comedian Leslie Jordan wasn’t done with country music yet, and a new interview makes it clear country music hadn’t had enough of him, either.

Jordan — who died on Monday (Oct. 24) at age 67 — sat down CBS News’ Anthony Mason two weeks ago in Nashville for a piece scheduled to air in November. However, the tragic news accelerated what might end up being his final television interview.

Watch the full career-encompassing interview below. Portions were filmed at Nashville’s Eastside Bowl, where Jordan was filming a new music video with country duo LoCash and “The Git Up” singer Blanco Brown.

Brown shared a short clip on Instagram on Oct. 21, with Jordan commenting, “I am so proud of this song. Thanks for making it happen.”

One day before Jordan died in a vehicle crash in Hollywood, he shared video of himself singing with songwriter and producer Danny Myrick. There, he teased even more new music. The clip is of him singing the same song he sings to close the interview with Mason, but the Instagram video includes this caption:

“Danny helped me with a new original song that should be comin’ out real soon. Love. Light. Leslie.”

A new post at @thelesliejordan indicates his fans won’t have to wait long to hear and see what the new project was. In a matter of hours, the photo received more than 100,000 comments and nearly two million likes.

Jordan told Mason he’d found a home in Nashville and felt comfortable in the community. Stars of all ages and calibers embraced him as well, some even going as far as to sing with him. An album of gospel songs called Company’s Comin‘ (2021) included songs with Dolly Parton, Tanya Tucker, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile and more. That same year, Jordan would appear at the ACM Awards in Las Vegas.

Popular roles movies like Ski Patrol and The Help, plus television shows like Will & Grace are how Jordan became famous, but his star began to burn its brightest during the COVID-19 pandemic, when he started posting two videos a day to Instagram. For 80 straight days he kept up this pace, and millions fell in love with his relatable observations and humor.

PICS: Remembering Leslie Jordan’s Best Country Music Moments

Take a look back at the special moments and incredible collaborations from the life and career of beloved comedian, actor and personality Leslie Jordan, who died Oct. 24, 2022, at the age of 67.

R.I.P.: 27 Country Singers and Songwriters Who Died Too Soon

These country singers had so much more to give. See 27 country singers who died much too soon: Keith Whitley, Mindy McCready, Troy Gentry and more.





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