NEAR TRUTHS: REALIGNMENT AND RECOGNITION
Underscoring the year's biggest stories (11/19a)
NEAR TRUTHS: THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
Nervous time in the music biz and beyond. (11/16a)
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NOW WHAT?
We have no fucking idea.
COUNTRY'S NEWEST DISRUPTOR
Three chords and some truth you may not be ready for.
AI IS ALREADY EATING YOUR LUNCH
The kids can tell the difference... for now.
WHO'S BUYING THE DRINKS?
That's what we'd like to know.
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WHAT IT IS: Chezile’s psychedelic indie-pop hit “Beanie” is reaching new heights nearly a year after it dropped. With 800k daily streams and 20% week-over-week growth for the past two months, the viral track fast-tracked Chezile—pronounced “Che-zill”—to 4m monthly Spotify listeners. With 45m+ global streams and 125,000 UGC video creations, “Beanie” continues to hit new daily streaming peaks and is currently climbing 20+ Spotify Global Viral charts. Building on this momentum, the Albuquerque native has released new single “Wally,” positioning him as an artist to watch.
ALBUM: 47 (EP)
RELEASE DATE: 11/28/23
SINGLE: “Beanie”
INTERNET: 3.9m+ monthly Spotify listeners, with editorial support on Bedroom Pop, sexy indie, Indie that hits different, borderless, more; viral TikTok and Instagram Reels content translating to streaming increases and follower growth across social platforms; 125k+ UGC videos on TikTok and Reels
PRESS: Sheesh Media, (“Chezile is quickly and surely becoming a must-know name in music”), PLAYDATE (“With an ethereal sound that doesn’t sound like anything else out right now, the success of Chezile is inevitable”), more
MANAGEMENT: James Dai & Sami Bass/Soka Talent Group
WHAT IT IS: Braxton Keith calls San Antonio home, but in recent years the 20-something songwriter has been leaving town every weekend with his band and heading to the next show. Inspired by the traditional twang of storytellers like Marty Robbins and Merle Haggard, he writes songs that blend modern sounds with the best elements of old-school country. This fusion of contemporary and classic influences reflects Keith’s Texas roots, allowing him to create autobiographical music that resonates with universal experiences.
ALBUM: Blue (EP)
RELEASE DATE: 12/6
SINGLE: “Cozy,” “Fall This Way” (11/8), “Chase You Down” (11/29), “Blue” (12/6)
LIVE: Supporting Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, Tyler Childers, Ashley McBryde; headlining Billy Bob’s Texas, Cain’s Ballroom, NFR Texas Takeover; performed at ACL Fest, Greenville Country Music Fest, Live on the Plain, 57 South Music Fest w/Parker McCollum, Lone Star Jam, more
INTERNET: 80m+ global streams; 166k+ TikTok followers, 86k+ Instagram followers, 3k+ Facebook followers, 8k+ YouTube subs
RADIO: Apple Music Radio Studios w/Ward Guenther
PRESS: Holler Country (“10 Country and Americana Artists You Need to Know”)
BOOKING: Evergreen Artist Group
PUBLISHING: Liz Rose Music Publishing
MANAGEMENT: Emily Vincent & Alex Torrez/Torrez Music Group
WHAT IT IS: Born and raised in Kentucky, singer-songwriter Kelsey Hart has made an impact with his debut radio single, “Life With You,” which is now Top 40 at Country radio. The track has garnered 468m+ TikTok views, 758k video creations and 100m+ global streams, contributing to his 122m+ career streams. It also hit #1 on SiriusXM’s The Highway Hot 30 Weekend Countdown and debuted Top 10 on the Country Digital Songs chart. As a songwriter, Hart has penned songs for such hitmakers as Jake Owen, Dylan Scott and Trace Adkins.
ALBUM: Life With You
RELEASE DATE: 5/31
SINGLE: “Life With You”
LIVE: iHeartCountry Festival 2024; introduced by Blake Shelton at Ole Red Nashville tour date; opened for Dierks Bentley, Cole Swindell, Dwight Yoakam
INTERNET: 122m+ global streams; 468m+ TikTok views, 758k+ video creations; 229k+ Shazams; 13.7m+ YouTube views; Facebook reach +862% last 30 days; 803k+ total social audience
RADIO: “Life With You” Top 40 at Country radio
PRESS: MusicRow, Holler Country, more
BOOKING: Marc Dennis/CAA
PUBLISHING: Mike Curb Music
MANAGEMENT: Chris Alderman/Riverwood Entertainment