Grab a glass of sweet tea, because this week had a little bit of everything: a stadium-sized announcement, a dad having the night of his life at the Opry, a country smash crossing into hip-hop, and a ’90s hero finally feeling like himself again. If one thread ties it together, it’s this: country isn’t just having a moment anymore, it’s the room everybody else wants to walk into.
Zach Bryan Goes Stadium-Sized (and New Music Lands Today)
Zach Bryan announced his Young Manhood and Other Donatable Organs Tour this week: 23 shows at 19 stadiums across North America and Australia, kicking off April 28, 2027, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis and wrapping December 18 in Brisbane. John Fogerty opens the spring dates, while Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentlemen join the summer run out west. The eight-song EP of the same name is out today, October 16, and general on-sale for tickets is October 23, with presales before that.
Why it matters: When an Oklahoma songwriter can put a Creedence legend on his undercard, it tells you exactly who is setting the pace in roots music right now.
Sources: MusicRow, Holler, Saving Country Music
Rhett Akins Gets the Best Birthday Present in Nashville
On Tuesday, October 13, his 57th birthday, Rhett Akins became the Grand Ole Opry’s newest member. Jon Pardi, who invited him back in June, made it official alongside Jamey Johnson, and Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean all turned up to sing with him. He opened with his ’90s hit “Don’t Get Me Started” and called it “the greatest night of my life.”
Why it matters: Akins has written hits for a who’s who of modern country, so this is the Opry honoring the person behind the songs, not just the name on the marquee. On Monday we looked back at Darius Rucker and Chris Young joining the Opry in October; Rhett just added his name to that tradition.
Sources: Country Now, American Songwriter
Ella Langley’s Song Is Everywhere, Even in Drake’s Catalog
Drake and Don Toliver’s “Solar Eclipse,” which interpolates Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week, while Langley’s original sat at No. 2 after its record-setting run at No. 1. She wrote it with Miranda Lambert, Luke Dick and Joybeth Taylor. It’s been an intense stretch for Langley, too: after cancelling a sold-out Tulsa show over a threat on October 9, she told her Lubbock crowd the next night that “a concert’s not worth a human life.”
Why it matters: When hip-hop’s biggest star builds a hit on a country song, it proves Nashville songwriting is the hottest currency in music right now.
Sources: Saving Country Music, Complex, Country Now
Travis Tritt Is Back on His Feet
Earlier this month Travis Tritt was diagnosed with pneumonia that he says had been lingering for about two weeks, forcing him to cancel or reschedule several dates. This week he posted a video on Instagram saying he feels like himself again, and he’s back for his last three big shows of the year: Durant, Oklahoma on Thursday, Tulsa tonight, and the Boots for Troops concert in Stagecoach, Texas on Saturday.
Why it matters: Tritt has always done things his own way, and seeing a ’90s icon bounce back and finish the year on the road is the kind of good news we were all hoping for.
Sources: Country Now, American Songwriter
Remembering Jimmy Carter, Nashville’s Storyteller
Longtime Nashville entertainment reporter Jimmy Carter died October 13 at 73, two days shy of his 74th birthday. For more than 20 years he covered country music for WSMV-TV Channel 4 and was a familiar face on Crook & Chase and WSM’s Coffee, Country & Cody, interviewing everyone from Dolly Parton to Garth Brooks. He also taught music business at Belmont University.
Why it matters: Long before podcasts and TikTok, reporters like Jimmy were how fans got to know their heroes, and a whole lot of country history lives in his interviews. Rest easy, friend.
Sources: MusicRow, Saving Country Music
Over to You
If you could only grab one ticket, is it Zach Bryan in a stadium or a night at the Opry like Rhett Akins just had? And be honest: did “Solar Eclipse” win you over, or are you sticking with the original “Choosin’ Texas”? Tell us in the comments, we read every one.
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