Oh, here we go again… Ella Langley is winding down from a massive 2025, which wrapped up at the 2025 CMA Awards. She won three awards for her hit duet with Riley Green, “You Look Like You Love Me,” including Single of the Year, Song of the Year (award goes to the songwriters), and Music Video of the Year. Of course, ever since that song first came out, fans have been speculating about whether or not Ella and Riley were ever more than friends, though both have denied it and say they’ve always been friends. However, that did not stop the internet’s fixation on the hope that they would become a couple, despite the number of times they confirmed they were nothing more than good friends who shared some stage chemistry while performing “YLLYLM” and “Don’t Mind If I Do.” And since that initial speculation about the status of Riley Green and Ella Langley’s relationship, the internet has become fixated on who the two might be linked to. Riley Green was thought to be seeing Megan Moroney while the Ella Langley rumors were swirling, and he has most recently been linked to Tucker Wetmore’s ex-girlfriend, Bryana Ferringer, who accompanied him at the CMA Awards. Bryana and Riley have been spotted together for months now, so I think it’s safe to assume they’re in some relationship, and it’s serious enough that he would go public with it at such a big event, though they notably did not walk the red carpet together, so there’s that. However, Green shares that she’s simply a friend. “It’s gonna be tough to tiptoe out of having a date to an award show. Yeah, I mean, you go to award shows all the time, and I’m always by myself, or I’ve got like, a security guy, or a buddy with me, so I took a friend with me to the award show. We had a nice time. My mom’s gone with me before. So it was my first or second award show date ever. I guess I’ve gotten big enough this is a really big issue, you know?” Ella also sparked rumors about a new man, John Sansone, whose name you might recognize from the reality show Farmer Wants a Wife. He ended up with a woman from the show, Claire, though they both reported on Instagram earlier this summer that they had broken up (no, I didn’t just know that… thanks, Google). John is a sixth-generation farmer from St. Louis, Missouri, where he operates a 170-acre farm that primarily produces soy, corn, and wheat, which he learned from his grandfather. He is also a cousin of Sophia Sansone, who is on Luke Combs’ management team and previously dated Riley Green… yeah, there’s a lot of moving parts here. And the plot thickens even more, and is getting a little messier, as Ella Langley and Tucker Wetmore have recently been spotted together in St. Barth. Over the last few days, fans speculated they could be in the same tropical location based on some Instagram stories and other social media content, and those speculations were confirmed true as they were spotted together at the Soggy Dollar Bar in the British Virgin Islands. @todays.country.tea @Ella Langley and @Tuck ♬ Rihanna Umbrella – Sᴛᴜɴɴɪɴɢ Mᴜsɪᴄ Of course, it did not take long for fans to make jokes about how Wetmore found himself a “Brunette,” or to make jokes about how this is a moment of revenge for both Wetmore and Langley to stir up dating rumors, given who they’ve been linked to in the past: “Revenge is best served in hookups and a #1 collab!!!!! Give us a song, babyyyy.” “They had the chance to do the funniest thing ever, and they did lol.” “Obsessed with thisssss.” “Now this I can get behind.” “This is the best thing I’ve ever seen. Even if it is just a publicity stunt, I don’t care. The tea is hot, y’all.” “Oh, the drama…” And if you look closely…Ella Langley is wearing the same sunglasses from Wetmore’s more recent post. View this post on Instagram While I have a feeling this could be similar to Megan Moroney and Riley Green hanging out in the same tropical location, it sure does have country fans wondering if there could be a romantic connection between the two. Only time will tell… While you’re here, fire up Wetmore’s latest single “Proving Me Right.” The post Ella Langley & Tucker Wetmore Ignite Dating Rumors (Shocker) After Being Photographed Together In The British Virgin Islands first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Always been a bit of a troublemaker, eh? Eric Church has certainly gained a reputation for being a bit of a rebel in country music. From infamously getting kicked off the Rascal Flatts tour way back in 2006 to telling his label that he would walk away from his record deal if they didn’t release “Smoke A Little Smoke” as a single, and even dropping a surprise album that he mailed to all of his fans for free without telling his label, Church has made a name for himself by doing things his own way – even if it got him in some trouble along the way. And as it turns out, that rebellious streak started long before he moved to Nashville. Church grew up in Granite Falls, North Carolina, and as a teenage had the chance to work with the then-governor of his home state for a week as a page. As Church described it in a 2009 interview, the page program was basically just serving as a personal assistant to the governor: “When I was in high school, I was part of a program where I was a page for then Gov. James Hunt for a week – I ran errands, delivered mail, basically just did whatever they needed you to do.” Well as you can probably imagine, even back then, Church was the mischievous type – and managed to cause a security incident at the North Carolina state capitol: “On the last day, all the student pages get their photo taken with the governor in his office, so they rounded us up, stuck us in the room and left us there – unsupervised. Which was not a good idea. I decided it would be funny to sit in the governor’s chair and put my feet up on his desk – which I did. What I didn’t know was that had I tripped a silent alarm – suddenly, the office was swarming with security.” Honestly, none of this surprises me at all. And luckily, once they realized what happened, it turned out to not be a big deal – until the governor came in for the picture: “When they finally realized it was just some dumb 16-year old acting stupid, things quieted down. But when Governor Hunt finally entered the room for our photo, the first thing he asked was, ‘Okay – which kid was sitting in my chair?'” Classic Church. Of course since then Church has gotten to know many governors of his home state. He performed his song “Carolina” at the inauguration of Governor Beverly Perdue back in 2009, and more recently spent plenty of time with now-former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper as Church stepped up to help his community in the wake of Hurricane Helene last year. Music brings us together, especially during difficult times. Thanks to @lukecombs and @ericchurch for giving their time and talents to make tonight’s Concert for Carolina happen. pic.twitter.com/jJyl3Fe4um — Governor Josh Stein (@NC_Governor) October 26, 2024 Earlier this year, new governor Josh Stein joined Church to break ground on a new housing development being built by Church’s Chief Cares foundation to provide homes to those in North Carolina: It was an honor to break ground on a new housing development in western NC with @ericchurch and Chief Cares. These new houses are going to keep folks from Avery County right where they belong – at home. pic.twitter.com/WjAJJGmFbo — Governor Josh Stein (@NC_Governor) April 12, 2025 And Church has even partnered with the state for a tourism campaign to promote the area and invite visitors to return to North Carolina. #BREAKING: Country Music Star, Eric Church, who is building 200 homes for Hurricane Helene victims, has donated his song "Carolina" to boost tourism in Western North Carolina. The ad, which was created ENTIRELY by Appalachians, is titled: "Calling You Home" Gives me chills. pic.twitter.com/hbg3yhO00F — Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) July 2, 2025 But now he knows to keep his feet off the desk when he visits the governor’s office.The post Eric Church Once Set Off A Security Alarm When He Put His Feet On The North Carolina Governor’s Desk first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

The infiltration of AI in music has even the younger artists of the genre a little freaked out. Braxton Keith stopped by the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast for our final episode of the year (don’t worry, we’ll be back in 2026). The young country star talked about how he avoids burnout with a busy touring schedule, what it’s like to play 150 shows a year, how his band is like family, and that he actually comes from a family of dentists. Obviously, he veered off his family’s path and has become one of the shining examples of neotraditional country music. Braxton Keith is helping to keep that sound alive, and spoke on how important it is for the younger generation to experience the country sounds of yesteryear, and even touched on how often he’s asked if he’s related to Toby Keith. But one of the standout moments from our time with him was Braxton’s thoughts on AI in music. You’ve surely heard about the AI-generated song that topped the Billboard Country Digital Songs Sales chart in the past couple of months, right? Whiskey Riff reported that a track titled “Walk My Walk,” by an artist called Breaking Rust, had seemingly fooled the masses. It’s a complete AI creation all around – from the artist, to the music video, to the song itself. Braxton Keith certainly saw all of that, and noted that with the influx of AI, music is at somewhat of a crossroads. However, he still thinks that the modern day is the best time to ever be alive in the history of music: “We’re facing some other scary stuff that’s happening to music all the time. I don’t know what exactly is going down, but I do think this is a great time to be alive for music. It’s a big movie, we’re all watching it right now. We’ll see what happens.” If it is, in fact, a movie, then the antagonist would undoubtedly be artificial intelligence. No one really knows what AI could become, and what boundaries it would have, if any at all. There’s a lot of unknowns with the technology, and a lot of concern with the minimal guardrails around it. That aspect of it all, especially when you talk about AI and music creation together, worries Braxton Keith: “I’m worried about it. I’m pretty scared about it. My cousin came up to me at my debut for the Opry and was like, ‘You’re screwed. I’ve been messing around with the AI songwriting thing.’ I said, ‘Don’t say that. Why would you say that to me?’ I’ve been down the rabbit hole, and there’s some scary theories, (like AI) copyrighting every melody known to man. I’ve heard it all, and I hope they don’t. That would be really scary if they took the human-ness out of music. I think it kind of loses its special thing.” That copyrighting every melody theory really does sound like something out of a movie. Luckily for us, if the antagonist of this figurative film is the soulless AI, the protagonists are all of the songwriters and musicians out there working hard to create things on their own… like Braxton Keith. As long as artists stand their ground and insist that the human element remains within music, the industry should continue to exist and prosper. And the good guys always win in the movies, right? And you can hear more from Braxton Keith on that matter by downloading the podcast on Apple Podcasts. Just search “Whiskey Riff Raff” or click here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Braxton Keith On The Worries Of AI Infiltrating Country Music: “We’re Facing Some Scary Stuff” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Sad country music reigns supreme no matter what time of the year it is… Even during the holidays, I simply cannot get enough. It’s hard to find really good, high quality sad country Christmas songs, and as I’ve mentioned several times already this holiday season, I’m not really into Christmas music at all (I promise, I’m not a total grinch)… but when it comes to sad Christmas songs that really seem to hit home, of course country music does it best. I’ve managed to narrow down 12 of my favorites in case you wanna have a blue Christmas this year… or have heard “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” one too many times. For a lot of people, this is a beautiful time to reconnect with friends and family, and while I’m not saying you should walk around feeling sad during the holiday season, I think we all have moments where we feel sad for any given personal reason, and these songs will certainly help you feel a little less alone. Merry Christmas, y’all. Let’s get into it… “Hard Candy Christmas” — Dolly Parton This tune was famously included in the soundtrack for The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and was actually written by Carol Hall and not Dolly Parton. It peaked in the Top 10 on the country charts and has been certified Gold by the RIAA, and is right in Dolly’s wheelhouse, as she sings about a time when families could only afford to buy their children hard candy as a Christmas present, pretty similar to her own upbringing in rural east Tennessee. Though Dolly maintains that she doesn’t really consider it a Christmas song, this is one of the classics and a holiday standard, in my humble opinion. “Christmas Morning” — Megan Moroney The most recently-released song on this list from Megan Moroney’s 2024 Blue Christmas… duh EP, “Christmas Morning” is an original she wrote alongside frequent collaborators Ben Williams, Mackenzie Carpenter and Micah Carpenter. She sings about her relationship falling apart just in time for Christmas, and how it’s taken away the joy of the season because of how heartbroken she is. “Christmas Makes Me Cry” — Kacey Musgraves A truly stellar modern, original Christmas song, Kacey included “Christmas Makes Me Cry” on her 2016 A Very Kacey Christmas. It was co-written by her along with Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark, where she details how, even though it’s supposed to be the most wonderful tome of year, it makes her feel blue as she realizes another year has gone by and not everything is all sunshine and rainbows. “Lonely Christmas Call” — George Jones Released in 1962, “Lonely Christmas Call” tells the heartbreaking story of a husband who just wants his wife to come back for the holidays and spend it with their kids. It’s not clear if she up and left or if the couple got divorced, but it’s a heartbreaking Christmas song, no doubt about it. Not that it comes a surprise, because sad songs are obviously a George Jones specialty: “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” — Elvis Presley The song was first written by lyricist Kim Gannon and composer Walter Kent and recorded in 1943 by Bing Crosby, who made it very popular and scored a top 10 hit with it. Honestly, there’s no feeling worse than wanting to be home for the holiday’s and the homesick feeling that comes along with not being able to be there with friends and family for whatever reason. Hearing it always makes me feel so nostalgic and teary-eyed… And while this might not technically be a country song, Elvis is a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, so I say it counts in my book for the purposes of this list. There’s just something extra melancholy about the way Elvis sings it, and it was included as part of the tracklist for his 1957 Elvis’ Christmas Album. “White Christmas” — George Strait I guess this one isn’t necessarily a stone cold country heartbreaker like some of the others here, but there’s a certain wistful nostalgia to it that always makes me feel a little bit sad. George Strait included his rendition of “White Christmas” on his 1986 Merry Christmas Strait to You! album, which has since been certified double platinum by the RIAA. “It Won’t Be The Same This Year” — Vince Gill This might be the saddest one on the whole list. Vince included “It Won’t Be The Same This Year” on his Let There Be Peace on Earth holiday album, which he dedicated to his half-brother, Bob. Bob was in a severe car crash at the age of 22, when Vince was only 11, and suffered severe brain damage as a result. He continued to struggle for the rest of his life, ultimately losing contact with his family, and as Vince sings, “it won’t be the same this year” without him, as Bob passed away in 1993. If you’re missing a loved on this Christmas, definitely give this song a spin: “If We Make It Through December” — Merle Haggard An all-time great Merle Haggard song, this solo write became one of the beloved and signature songs of his career, and peaked at #1 on the U.S. Hot Country Songs chart. “If We Make It Through December” was the lead single for his 1973 album Merle Haggard’s Christmas Present, and became the the title track to a non-Christmas album four months later. He was inspired to write it after a conversation with one of his band members who was going through a divorce,  and it’s an all-time classic. “Blue Christmas” — Loretta Lynn The late, great Loretta Lynn included her version of “Blue Christmas” on her 1966 eighth solo studio album and first Christmas album, Country Christmas. It’s definitely a bit more upbeat than the others on this list, but Mrs. Loretta certainly nailed her version of the song Elvis first made famous. “Pretty Paper” — Willie Nelson Willie Nelson penned this one based entirely on an incredible and true story, but it was first made famous by Roy Orbison, when his version peaked at #15 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Willie later recorded his own version of the song in 1964, and again in 1979, for his own Christmas album. It’s become a Christmas standard, and is easily one of my favorites to listen to this time of year. “Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)” — John Denver Written by Bill and Taffy Danoff, “Please Daddy (Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas)” was originally recorded by the late John Denver and included on his 1975 Rocky Mountain Christmas album, after it was initially on his Farewell Andromeda record. The narrator begs his dad not to get drunk on Christmas so his mom doesn’t cry. I guess it could be seen as more light-hearted and funny in a certain way, depending on how you want to look at it, but the beautiful thing about music is that it’s up for interpretation. In my opinion, if your mama’s cryin’ on Christmas, that’s pretty damn sad… “Please Come Home For Christmas” — Koe Wetzel In 2023, Koe Wetzel released his first Christmas EP Koe Wetzel Presents… Wetzel’s Wonderland, and he put out the second installment Chapter 2 last year. Still, his rendition of  “Please Come Home for Christmas” from the first edition remains a standout. The original was written in 1960 by Charles Brown and Gene Redd, and released the same year by Brown. It peaked at just #76 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, but has become a classic over the years. Koe’s reimagined version definitely has a lot of his signature Texas flair, and I think his voice sounds absolutely fantastic here. Definitely check it out if you haven’t yet, it’s one of the best covers of this song I’ve ever heard: That’ll do it for my list, what are some of your favorite sad country Christmas songs?The post 12 Of The Saddest Country Christmas Songs For Anyone Having A Blue Christmas first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Walker Hayes admits he's struggling with difficult emotions as the holidays grow near. Continue reading…