Is Morgan Wallen Derangement Syndrome a thing? Last year, Hayley Williams, lead singer of Paramore, released an untitled album, which fans have named Ego, that includes a song where she very much comes for Morgan. It has a very unique name titled “Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party (EDAABP),” and while she doesn’t say his name outright, it’s pretty obvious when you read the line about her being the the “biggest star at this racist country singer’s bar.” It’s the very first line in the song: “I’ll be the biggest star at this racist country singer’s bar No use shootin’ for the moon, no use chasing waterfalls I’m the biggest star at this racist country singer’s bar No use shootin’ for the moon, no use chasing waterfalls” So I guess you won’t likely ever catch her at Morgan Wallen’s This Bar & Tennessee Kitchen, which opened in 2024, but I’ll be honest, I used to absolutely jam to Paramore’s “Still Into You” back in the day and I loved their music. When I was in middle and high school, they were huge, and I was kind of a little emo girl so I loved them. And the band’s lead singer Hayley Williams is actually a Nashville native, believe it or not, though they certainly aren’t part of the country music industry. Paramore is one of the quintessential pop punk bands of the early 2000s. Their Spotify bio even says that “no one understood how a band so un-country could be from this strange little town called Nashville,” and I’d say that’s probably a perfect way to put it. And Morgan is obviously a polarizing figure, not only in country music but in the industry as a whole. From his past controversies that include multiple arrests for public intoxication and his more recent chair-throwing incident outside of Eric Church’s bar, Chief’s, to his highly-publicized and scrutinized use of a racial slur back in 2021, the “Last Night” singer has been no stranger to negative press over the past five years. Since the chair-throwing, he’s been pretty quiet and managed to stay out of trouble, and hopefully he’s really been able to learn from all of that, mature, and figure out how to handle the insane success and fame he’s found with his music career. But despite him be relatively out of the limelight for the past couple years, that hasn’t stopped a weird group of people obsessed with making “I hate Morgan Wallen” their entire personality… like Hayley. And during a show at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts on April 4th, Williams was on a tangent about “marginalized people” and “allies,” which led to her bring up Morgan. The video starts in the middle of her speech, so I don’t know more details around exactly what came before this, but she said that her hometown in Nashville deals with problems in terms of what she views as not protecting certain kinds of people, but she quickly transitioned to talking about Morgan. She previously confirmed it was about Morgan, not anyone else like, and she made that very clear when she told the audience that she “hate[s] Morgan Wallen,” saying she knew it would end up on the internet but she didn’t care: “It was something about being ‘concept neutral,’ and I just thought, ‘What a f***** bad time to be neutral on anything in this world. So shame on them and … marginalized people need allies and protection and support, so… Back home, we have the same s***, you know. and I hate it, because I grew up there, and it was so special and then I got older and I could see, I had different eyes to see it all. And they ruined Broadway… no shade if you want to travel down there and go honk tonkin’. I like that too. But um, I hate Morgan Wallen. Oh no. That’ll be on the internet. F***. Let’s play it.” The crowd loved it, they screamed and clapped when she said that, and I think she obviously knew that would be the reaction which is why she said it. They also collectively gasped in horror when she mentioned “concept neutral” so that tells you what kind of crowd you’re dealing with here… I honestly hate politics, I think both sides are pretty much awful in so many ways, but to call for love and support for people and then turnaround and say you “hate” someone you’ve probably never even met? That feels hypocritical at best, and it’s pretty funny, yet actually pretty sad, how she seemingly can’t get Morgan out of her head, going so far as to include him in a song. I’d be willing to bet he hasn’t even thought about her once since this song came out… he probably hasn’t even heard it. It’s not even a good song, and I think she’d be better off to move on from continually coming for Morgan when he’s the hottest and biggest thing in music and her career certainly isn’t what it used to be. But hey, Morgan living rent free in your head gets attention, and the virtue signaling gets praise from the media so… good for you, I guess? Listen at your own risk: The post Paramore’s Hayley Williams Says She “Hates Morgan Wallen” During Boston Show first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Do we think anybody would notice? Ella Langley‘s latest single “Choosin’ Texas” is already the biggest song of her career, and is on its way to becoming the biggest song of 2026 in ANY genre. After being released on October 7th, the track debuted at #37 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, launching all the way to #7 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, both of which were career-highs for the “you look like you love me” singer. And by December 2nd, it became Langley’s first career #1 hit on the Hot Country Songs chart, becoming the fastest solo female song to reach the top 10 at US Country Radio this decade, taking just eight weeks to crack the Top 10. The meteoric rise has only continued, and on Monday, February 9th the song hit #1 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart, while Ella also became the first woman ever to triple up and score #1s on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay and Hot 100 chart simultaneously. The smash hit has now spent five weeks atop the Hot 100, extending Langley’s lead for the longest-running hit by a female country singer. Additionally, she’s now just the second woman to hold a #1 hit on the Hot 100 this decade, joining Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License,” which spent eight weeks on top in 2021. Pretty impressive. Of course the song’s popularity has been driven in part by TikTok, with over 200,000 videos on the platform featuring the official sound and untold thousands more featuring the song. But not all of them get the lyrics right… Chances are, you’re probably familiar with the REAL words to the song: “She’s from Texas, I can tell by the way He’s two steppin’ ’round the room And judgin’ by the smile that’s written on his face There’s nothin’ I can do It doesn’t take a crystal ball to see A cowboy always finds a way to leave Drinkin’ Jack all by myself He’s choosin’ Texas, I can tell” But as it turns out, those lyrics aren’t what everybody hears when they listen to the song. There are a couple of “misheard” versions that are going around on TikTok – and they give the song a whole new (and generally NSFW) meaning: @mavaldez.tx Now I can’t unhear it #countrymusic #ellalangley #choosintexas #cowboy #jackdaniel ♬ Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley Yeah, that’s not at ALL what she said. And that’s not the only reimagined line that people are sharing: @mavaldez.tx Replying to @rileymfer or whatever Ella Langley said! #ellalangley @Ella Langley ♬ Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley Completely ruined the song for me. Seriously, I can’t scroll TikTok now without seeing somebody butchering the lyrics: @natejohnson0021Texas doesn’t sound too fun AT ALL.♬ Choosin’ Texas – Ella Langley @skylerridner5Weird flex but okay♬ original sound – Colin @jmariebtst She’s so real #ellalangley #choosintexas #forted ♬ original sound – ricardo111177 (Those lyrics should be “I’m eastbound and down and I can’t help but cry, ’cause I-40 gets lonelier with every mile,” just in case you aren’t familiar). As it turns out, Ella is familiar with the “misheard” lyrics, and discussed the trend during an appearance on This Past Weekend with Theo Von. And she even revealed that her dad is a fan of the “I can’t help but cry cause I farted” videos. But apparently the alternative lyrics present another from for Ella: She’s afraid she’s accidentally going to sing them during a live show. “I fear that a lot. I really do. Cause I have the thing about me where it’s like I have one specific thing I should not say and then I’m accidentally going to probably say it. I don’t know why.” It seems like Ella got a kick out of all the memes sharing the misheard lyrics, admitting that it’s helped the popularity of the song: “I think that it’s it’s whatever people want to do with the song, you know? And once I put it out there, it’s like who knows what could happen. And I like I said, this is what’s going to keep songs alive.” And as she admits, some of them sound pretty accurate: “It does sound too close. It does sound real close to that. I think it does. It does. And that like I’ll get songs stuck in my head and parts to it and I just have that right there stuck in my head like on repeat over and over again now.” The good thing is I doubt anybody would notice…and even if they did, they’d probably just think their ears are playing tricks on them. But maybe she should try it out sometime and see if the crowd catches on. The post Ella Langley Admits She’s Afraid She’s Going To Slip Up & Accidentally Sing TikTok’s Alternative Lyrics To “Choosin’ Texas” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Fans are buzzing with anticipation as whispers of new music from Morgan Wallen fill the air. What's coming next? A double album, perhaps? Continue reading…

The bus is ready to hit the road again, but the driver is still fighting to recover from his stroke. Continue reading…

What’s it going to take for Chief to finally get the recognition he deserves? Of course Eric Church has won one CMA Award for Entertainer of the Year, and been nominated for the top prize four times at the CMA Awards and three times by the ACM Awards. But it’s been 6 years since Church has received a CMA Award nomination, and 5 years since he’s even been up for a trophy at the ACM Awards. This should be the year those streaks end. It’s been nearly a year since Church released his latest album, Evangeline vs. the Machine, and took a creative risk most in country music would never dream of taking. The album featured only 8 tracks, unlike the 20+ track mega-albums that most artists are releasing these days, and was backed by a full orchestra and choir. Unlike other albums where it’s easy to skip around and pick out your favorite tracks to listen to, the album was one cohesive work, with each song flowing into the next with an orchestral transition that made it one big 38-minute work of art. It was a masterpiece. Which meant that when it was time to take the album on the road for his Free the Machine Tour, there was only one thing to do: Take the orchestra and choir with him and perform the entire album front to back. Now, I say that like it’s obvious, but the truth is there is nobody else in country music who would dare try – or even think of – doing any of that. Nobody else is touring with a 25-piece ensemble that includes a horn section, a string section, and a full choir, and nobody else would open up every stop on their tour by playing their entire album in order. (For most artists these days, playing an entire album front to back would take up the entire show). But that’s why Church is such a creative genius who’s so far ahead of the pack: It may have been out of the box, and it was certainly pushing the envelope, but for him it seemed natural. Nobody in the crowd second-guessed a thing when Roy Agee performed a trombone solo, or when Michelle McClary played a French horn introduction to “Evangeline.” And the crowd roared every time Armand Hutton “gave them that low down” on “Smoke a Little Smoke,” with his booming bass voice echoing through arenas. @_aaronryan Friday night Church. “Smoke a Little Smoke” & “Proud Mary.” @Eric Church #ericchurch #joannacotten #fyp #countrymusic ♬ original sound – Aaron Ryan It was a creative feat unlike any other we’ve seen – and Church executed it to perfection. While most artists save their biggest hits for the end of their concerts, the Free the Machine tour featured “Springsteen” smack dab in the middle of the setlist – and served as an exit point for many of the musicians on stage, whittling the ensemble down to just Church, Joanna Cotten, and his original band for the second half of the show. And by the end of the night, it was usually just Church with his guitar, playing whatever he felt like playing, often digging deep into his bag of tricks to brush off songs that are rarely heard on tour these days. But there were also plenty of surprises along the way courtesy of special guests, in the form of the opening acts that Church brought along with him on tour. I was lucky enough to be in Texas when Church welcomed Stephen Wilson Jr. to the stage for back-to-back performances of “Seven Spanish Angels,” and I can tell you that I will forever be chasing the high that I felt in that moment. And along the way, crowds were also treated to duets with incredible artists like Ashley McBryde, Ella Langley, 49 Winchester, Marcus King, and others. That’s one thing that’s special about an Eric Church show: You never know what you’re going to get. You can look up previous setlists online before the show, but those are useful for about 9 songs. After that, you’re just along for the ride as Church decides where you’re going – and often, those decisions are made on the spot. The Free the Machine tour was truly unlike any other in country music. Church regularly played for 3 hours on each of the 46 scheduled dates, and with two dates left on the schedule he’s managed to play more than half of the songs he’s released in his career – by my count there are only 40 of 108 that haven’t made an appearance on the tour so far. Can you imagine any other artist breaking out that much of their catalog on a single tour? But the most magical part of the tour isn’t the setlist or the orchestra: It’s the feeling inside the room as an “army of Friday night soldiers” gather together, roar at the noise of the poet’s rhyme, and create memories backed by melodies from one of the greatest artists of our generation. It’s watching Church clearly have as much – or more – fun on stage as everyone in the crowd. It’s getting to hear Joanna Cotten’s powerhouse vocals give goosebumps to all those sweaty people standing shoulder to shoulder. And it’s knowing that, as Church closes his show with “Through My Ray Bans,” you can rest assured that he means it when he says he wishes things could stay the way he sees them at that moment: Just 15,000 people coming together for their love of music. In the past year, Church has released a new album, performed two sold-out album release shows in Nashville, took over Red Rocks for three different shows on three separate nights (including one fully acoustic), continued to step up for his community in North Carolina that’s still recovering from Hurricane Helene, was recognized with the ACM Icon Award at last year’s ACM Honors, and this weekend he’ll wrap up a tour unlike any other in the history of country music. If that’s not a resumé worthy – in fact, demanding – to be recognized as Entertainer of the Year when nominations are announced, I don’t know what else it’s going to take. I know nominations come out soon for the ACM Awards, and will be revealed later this fall for the CMA Awards. I just hope voters do the right thing.The post Eric Church’s ‘Free The Machine’ Tour Is Further Proof That He’s The Entertainer Of The Year first appeared on Whiskey Riff.