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Trace Adkins is Keepin’ it Country:
Category Archives: The Voice
The Voice: Team Blake Advances to Top 10
Team Blake advances another week and is stronger than ever!
It was Top 12 time on The Voice this week, and the voting was left completely up to the public. The coaches did not get a vote nor could they save anyone. Usher and Shakira each ended up losing a team member in Vedo and Garrett, respectively, while Team Blake & Team Adam remained in tact.
That means Danielle Bradbery, Holly Tucker, and The Swon Brothers move on! Blake sure did put together a powerhouse country team.
Congrats, Team Blake! We’re rooting for you. Keep it up and keep it country!
The Top 10 take the stage Monday night on NBC at 8/7c!
Check out the video of Blake performing with his team on Tuesday:
Blake Shelton is Keepin’ It Country on The Voice!
With auditions, battle, and knockout rounds complete, The Voice will be moving on to live competition next week.
This week, Blake, Adam, Shakira, & Usher each chose a final four to represent their teams. The competition is fierce this season and is sure to be great entertainment.
Our very own country rep, Mr. Shelton, is a 2-time Voice champ and reigning winner. He’s kept it pretty diverse in the past, but he is country strong with Team Blake moving forward.
The remaining team members are Danielle Bradbery, Holly Tucker, Justin Rivers, and The Swon Brothers. While there was a great deal of talented artists, I definitely think Blake got it right this week.
There really is only one artist on the original Team Blake that I hoped would have made it to the playoffs, and that is Caroline Glaser. I wish Blake had decided not to pair her and Danielle against each other in the battle rounds. I would have liked to have seen both of them representing Team Blake in the live shows. However, Caroline is with Team Adam now, and that really is the beauty of the steal. It allows the coaches to keep talent that maybe would have been let go too soon.
Will Blake and his country crew make it a 3-peat this season? There are some powerhouses this year, especially on Team Adam. While we know that Blake’s buddy, Mr. Levine, is always gunning to take the title from him, Shakira and Usher are definitely equally determined to win it all. The next few weeks should be a good battle!
The live rounds kick off on Monday night on NBC at 8/7c. Don’t miss it!
Team Blake!
Angie Johnson to perform at The Julep
Sony Music Nashville artist, Angie Johnson, whose debut EP, Sing For You, hits stores May 21, 2013, is scheduled to perform at the prestigious Julep Ball 2013 on Friday, May 3. This marks the second year in a row Angie has been invited to appear at the Kentucky Derby’s most high profile pre-party.
Over 1,200 people are expected to attend The Julep 2013 at The KFC Yum Center, which benefits the James Graham Brown Cancer Center. Celebrity guests include actors, athletes, politicians and more.
Currently a Tech Sergeant in the 571st Air National Guard Band, Angie gained international fame when a video of her performing a rousing rendition of Adele’s hit “Rolling in the Deep” was posted to YouTube. The clip, which can be viewed here, has received over 3.2 million views.
Her four-song Sing For You EP includes two songs she co-wrote. The heart-wrenching title track is a moving, true-to-life ballad that showcases Angie’s powerhouse vocals and emotional range. The collaboration, with SESAC Songwriter of the Year Catt Gravitt and renowned producer Josh Leo, was lyrically inspired by Angie’s numerous deployments, along with shared personal accounts of mental and physical pain, by her fellow troops on and off the battlefield.
Angie Johnson to release debut EP
New Sony Music Nashville recording artist Angie Johnson is set to release her debut EP, “Sing For You,” on May 21st. The four-song EP will include her co-written title track “Sing For You,” a moving, true-to-life ballad that showcases Angie’s powerhouse vocals and emotional range. Produced by Josh Leo (Love and Theft, Alabama) the EP will be available digitally and at select retailers.
It’s a big step for the former The Voice contestant, who shares:
“I’m fired up about getting new music out to folks. So many talented people contributed to this project and the experience was humbling and inspiring for me. A lot of heart and personality went into this music and the result is really special, and REALLY fun. It’s a little bit of spit and a lot of shine, and I’m proud of that.”
Angie Johnson Sing For You EP official album cover.
Angie Johnson Sing For You EP track listing:
1. Sing For You Angie Johnson/Catt Gravitt/Josh Leo (BMI/SESAC)
2. Grandpa’s Farm Brent Cobb/Adam Hood/Jason Saenz (BMI)
3. Runaway Cary Barlowe/Sara Haze/Catt Gravitt (SESAC/ASCAP)
4. Swagger Angie Johnson/Josh Leo/Phoenix Mendoza (BMI)
Angie’s announcement comes on the heels of her first trip to the Academy of Country Music Awards, where she announced her debut EP on the awards show red carpet. Highlights of her ACM trip included an impromptu acapella performance of “Heartbreaker” during ACM FanJam at The Orleans Arena, a performance of the national anthem at the ACM Party for a Cause, and time with several of her musical influences and fellow upcoming artists during Cabela’s Great Outdoors Archery Event as part of The ACM.
“The Voice” Is Back
Let’s talk The Voice!
The hit singing competition is back for season 4, and it’s better than ever.
With Usher and Shakira filling Cee Lo and Christina’s spots, we have some new personalities in the mix. And that mix works amazingly well. The four coaches seem to have a great chemistry and a friendly competitive rivalry. We know we love Blake and Adam, but Usher and Shakira might be the perfect additions. The banter is funny and witty, and there just seems to be a genuine respect among the group. I like it… a lot.
First, let’s look at our country boy’s team. So far, Blake has picked up 3 team members: Cara & Rhian Morgan (The Morgan Twins), Danielle Bradbery, and Christian Porter.
The Morgan girls are the first set of twins to ever appear on The Voice. With their harmonized runs on Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’,” they got all four coaches to turn around.
@morgan_twins: Still in Awe that 4 chairs turned around! We feel so blessed! Thank you for the love! #thevoice
Danielle is a 16-year-old country singer, who impressed us with her version of Taylor Swift’s “Mean.” Danielle is one of my favorites so far, and I see her doing very well on Blake’s team.
@dbradbery: I’d like to say Thank you so much to everyone, y’all have no idea how much this all means to me, I feel so blessed!! Y’all are amazing <3
Christian is a singer-songwriter from Pennsylvania who caught everyone’s attention with his cover of LMFAO’s “Sexy And I know It.”
@porterchristian: Thank you guys so much! I can’t even handle the support and all the tweets!
Congratulations to Team Blake! We’re excited to watch.
However, there was one country girl that I felt Blake missed out on. You know I’m talking about Tawnya Reynolds. I was surprised that Blake did not turn his chair for her, but he only has so many spots and needs a diverse team so I get that he has to let some country talent go in the process. Anyway, Tawnya will be just fine and is with Team Shakira!
All of the auditioners did a really great job, but two people stood out for me so far… Sarah Simmons and Judith Hill. Both girls chose Adam… I must say that Team Adam has some powerhouses already.
Audition episodes will continue for the next couple of weeks before they head into the Battle Rounds. Tune in Monday and Tuesday nights on NBC!
The Voice’s Cassadee Pope Joining Rascal Flatts & The Band Perry on Summer Tour
Winner of the third season of NBC’s The Voice and Team Blake member, Cassadee Pope, will be joining Rascal Flatts and The Band Perry on tour this summer!
Cassadee shared on Twitter:
@cassadeepope: Incredibly excited to announce I will be supporting the Rascal Flatts tour this summer. I’ll be playing right before The Band Perry. Yay!
More details will follow soon!
For tour dates, check out Rascal Flatts’ website: http://www.rascalflatts.com/events.
Join Us For Our Twitter Chat with Adley Stump Tomorrow February 4th
On Tuesday, February 5th, Adley Stump from NBC’s The Voice & Team Blake will be appearing on our Keepin’ It Country Presents Stageit stage. However, in preparation for her big Stageit show, she’ll be joining us tomorrow February 4th at 10PM EST/ 9PM CST for an exclusive Twitter chat!
To participate in this exclusive event:
- Make sure you follow both @keepinitblog and @adleystump on Twitter;
- When you tweet questions, or send a message to Adley, tweet both @keepinitblog and @adleystump and include the hashtag #getstumped;
- We will streamline the questions and send them to Adley and she’ll answer them for all of Twitter to see!
Even if you don’t have any specific questions for Adley, we would still love for you to join and chat. We are looking forward to another fun Keepin’ It Country Twitter event and cannot wait to hear what Adley will share with our readers!
Then, come back on Tuesday night for our exclusive Stageit show with Adley at 10PM EST/ 9PM CST. She’ll be performing some of her faves and giving away prizes. You can grab your tickets for that event here.
Interview: Trey Graham, Everybody!
A few of us have followed Trey Graham since about 2005 — back when he hit the road as background vocalist on Kelly Clarkson’s tour. Trey won the hearts of Kelly’s fans with his stellar vocals and endearing personality. After taking a slight detour for a bit, Trey is back on the road toward a music career, and we couldn’t be more excited to see where this journey takes him! We caught up with Trey and learned about his past, his present (he is currently auditioning for NBC’s The Voice!), and predict great things for his future. Without further ado, Trey Graham everybody!
Cherie Oakley Releases New Single
You remember Cherie Oakley. Superstar songwriter, The Voice contestant, background vocalist for several hit artists, and recent interviewee on Keepin’ It Country. Well, since Cherie’s run on NBC’s The Voice, she has barely had a moment to sit still while her career has been off and running. And now, her new single, appropriately titled “Off I Go”, is getting ready to hit iTunes any minute! We hear this single is upbeat and exudes attitude, and if this sneak peek of the cover is any indication, Cherie’s single will be incredibly sassy and sophisticated!
Keep your eyes on iTunes over the next few days for the official release of “Off I Go” and make sure to download this surefire spectacular single. You may want to learn the words so you can sing along … you know, in case Cherie happens to be one of our upcoming performers on “Keepin’ It Country Presents” or something!
Country Music Blog Rodeo: The Year of the Country Crossover
Over the last few years, country music has certainly expanded beyond the old stereotype of boots, big hair and ten-gallon hats. Artists like Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum have huge pop hits, the Zac Brown Band & Jason Aldean sell out Madison Square Garden and the Scotty McCreerys and Tate Stevens of the world rise to fame via televised talent shows. On the flip side, Mumford & Sons get played on country radio, UK-lite-rocker Ed Sheeran tours with Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson performs on the CMA’s. Over the last few years, it has become commonplace for country musicians to dabble outside of their genre, and if January of 2013 is any indication, this trend is only going to continue into 2013.
Interestingly enough, I grew up claiming that I loved all music “except country.” (Seriously – I think I wrote that on my Myspace…don’t judge me, I’m from NY.) However, after being taken to see Rascal Flatts at Madison Square Garden, my perspective on the genre completely changed and I was hooked. Now I’ll listen to anything from Garth to Reba to Taylor to Jason. However, if you were to ask a purist of country music, they’d probably argue that Rascal Flatts is just a boy (err, man) band in cowboy boots, Taylor is a dubstep-loving pop act and Jason’s renegade hick-hop style bastardizes country music. Yet, on the heels of Aldean selling out a show at New York’s Madison Square Garden in mere minutes, I’d argue that the biggest development of country music in 2013 will be the pure magnitude of its reach and ability to cross over, while also openly welcoming those who dabble and stretch the ideas of what typical “country” is.
