'I called my manager and said, 'Oh, sorry for everything.' Because now I know what it's like because it's exactly like looking in the mirror,'' Lambert says. Continue reading…

More Cherry Valley is on the way for Carter Faith fans. Ella Langley, Lainey Wilson, Miranda Lambert, Megan Moroney. These are some of the biggest female names in country music as we speak. But there is another woman not on this list that you need to tune into if you’re not already. Carter Faith will be the next it girl of country music — mark my words. And she is well on her way to making that statement come true. Ahead of last year’s ACM Awards, Ella Langley shared that she felt like Carter Faith was going to be the next hot name in country music, a very similar prediction to how Lainey Wilson mentioned Ella’s name the year prior. Ella Langley knew what she was talking about because last year, Carter Faith released her debut record, Cherry Valley, and it took the world by storm. The blonde firecracker with booming vocals has a voice you would not expect from her petite frame. Faith describes herself as “a cowgirl hippie and sometimes kind of trippy,” and I think that hits the nail on the head. Her vocals embrace the roots of classic country, with some songs carrying a whimsical’ 70s-inspired groove. Her lyrics detail life events through a comedic lens, and others strike a deep chord. Although Faith did not come from a musical family, she was bitten by the country music bug when she stumbled upon her grandfather’s country music cassette tapes. After studying those for quite some time, she began teaching herself music, first by learning to play the piano and guitar. Faith then began to take music more seriously after her first heartbreak at 16, penning a tune about the anguish her heart endured. Since releasing her debut single in 2020, Faith has collaborated with artists like Sam Williams, Alison Krauss, Tyler Halverson, Corey Kent and more. But Faith really solidified her status as a force to be reckoned with on her debut record, creating an experience that transported fans to a whimsical place called Cherry Valley. View this post on Instagram Cherry Valley is filled with wild nights, heartbreak, growth, and lyrics that cut like a knife. The project turned a lot of heads here at Whiskey Riff, earning the title of the Best Debut Album of 2025 and landing at #15 on the 40 Best Country Albums of 2025. But beyond what we think here at Whiskey Riff, it turned heads by the big players securing a nomination for Album of the Year at the upcoming ACM Awards. Instead of receiving a New Female Artist nomination (like many up-and-comers do for their first nomination), her first ACM nod is for her stellar debut album, Cherry Valley, competing for the highly coveted Album of the Year. Undoubtedly, Faith and Cherry Valley absolutely deserve the nomination; however, it’s incredibly interesting (and rare) to see an artist’s first nomination be for Album of the Year. View this post on Instagram I think this nomination alone speaks volumes about how incredible this project is. AND she’s the only woman nominated in this category. To keep the Cherry Valley era going, today, May 15, the “Six String” singer announced that she will be gifting fans with a deluxe edition of the record, Cherry Valley Forever. Cherry Valley Forever, out everywhere on July 24, features five additional tracks and arrives on the heels of her historic ACM nomination. To give fans a taste of what’s in store for the deluxe edition of this record, Faith is sharing a brand new tune, “Ain’t Over You Yet.” The song, penned by Faith, Hillary Lindsay, and Steve Rusch, has been teased on social media, building significant hype ahead of this release. Sonically, this tune fits perfectly into the Cherry Valley fame as Faith delivers the heartbreaking lyrics of meeting up with a lover, knowing that the relationship is and has been over for quite some time. But she has a glimmer of faith that they might be able to turn things around and find that spark again. “I’m all gussied up to get down Beat a dead horse into the ground I’m standing on the curb, you’re picking me up Something ’bout tonight got me lonely enough So turn that radio on And love me all night to a sad song Yeah, baby, I can take another regret Kiss me like you ain’t over me yet” In the end, Faith knows that she’s hurting her own feelings by keeping this hope alive and knows it’s best to move on. Talk about a sad song that hurts too good. Carter Faith continues to prove that she is country music’s next it girl… Honestly, she might already be there. Turn “Ain’t Over Me Yet” all the way up. And just for fun. Ahead of this new release, Faith shared a snippet of this single being played on an omnichord. If you like what you hear and want to be transported into another universe, I highly recommend firing up this clip before you go. I might need a full omnichord version in the future… View this post on Instagram The post Carter Faith Announces Deluxe Version Of Debut Record, ‘Cherry Valley Forever’ first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

From the deluxe. Today, Megan Moroney released a new song called “Traitor (Roles Reversed),” which was originally included as a bonus track from the Target exclusive edition of her album Cloud 9. Even though it wasn’t released on the initial album on streaming or anything, it became a fan-favorite so I figured it wouldn’t be long until she put it out on streaming everywhere. It was written by Megan along with David Mescon, Emily Weisband, and Hillary Lindsey, and finds Megan very honestly confronting the fact that the guy she’s seeing is probably seeing another girl when they’re not together, even though he’s told her she isn’t his type and he “doesn’t think she’s pretty”: “She’s just a friend and I don’t have to worry ‘Cause she’s not your type and you don’t think she’s pretty Well, that’s kind of mean to say for someone you go out your way for Throw a party that you paid for, I’d put money that there’s way more But I won’t ask, why would I ask?” The chorus finds Megan explaining that the fights they have always turn her into the “crazy one,” when in reality, it’s this guy who is the “promise breaker” and “master manipulator”: “‘Cause I know how this’ll go, yeah, it’ll all be on me You’ll call me insecure, say you’ve never met a woman more crazy Look down and point your finger, say “We’ll talk about this later” Like you’re doing me some favor Yeah, you’re the promise breaker, master manipulator But you’ll call me the traitor Yeah, I’ll be the traitor” Like a lot of Megan’s songs, it’s super fun to sing along with and like I said, the fans already love it, so I have no doubt it will be a huge success, like the rest of the album. Cloud 9 debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, which is her first #1 debut on that chart. I’m still loving the two duets “I Only Miss You” with Ed Sheeran and “Bells & Whistles” with Kacey Musgraves, as well as “Medicine,” which is easily one of the most country songs on the very pop-leaning album, and is her current single at country radio. Megan is also the most-nominated artist for the 61st Academy of Country Music Awards which is airing on Sunday, as she racked up a total of nine nominations, including her first-ever nod for the coveted Entertainer of the Year award. The ACM’s will live this Sunday, May 17th at 8:00 PM ET / 5:00 PM PT. “Traitor (Roles Reversed)” Her Cloud 9 tour kicks off later this month. Cloud 9 Tour Dates: 29 | Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center 30 | Indianapolis, IN – Gainbridge Fieldhouse 2 | Chicago, IL – United Center 5 | Baltimore, MD – CFG Bank Arena 6 | Greensboro, NC – First Horizon Coliseum 8 | Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena 12 | Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center 13 | St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center 16 | Pittsburgh, PA – PPG Paints Arena 18 | Milwaukee, WI – Summerfest 19 | Grand Rapids, MI – Van Andel Arena 20 | Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena 7 | Boston, MA – TD Garden 9 | Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center 10 | Newark, NJ – Prudential Center 11 | Philadelphia, PA – Xfinity Mobile Arena 14 | Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center 16 | Orlando, FL – Kia Center 17 | Tampa, FL – Benchmark International Arena 18 | Sunrise, FL – Amerant Bank Arena 24 | Monticello, IA – Great Jones County Fair 25 | Minneapolis, MN – Target Center 26 | Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena 28 | Denver, CO – Ball Arena 1 | Portland, OR – Moda Center 2 | Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena 5 | Sacramento, CA – Golden 1 Center 7 | Los Angeles, CA – Crypto.com Arena 11 | Glendale, AZ – Desert Diamond Arena 14 | Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center 15 | Tulsa, OK – BOK Center 16 | Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center 18 | Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena 21 | Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena 13 | Oslo, NO – Sentrum Scene 15 | Stockholm, SE – Annexet 18 | Cologne, DE – Carlswerk Victoria 19 | Tilburg, NL – 013 Poppodium 21 | Paris, FR – Le Trianon 23 | London, UK – Eventim Apollo 26 | Manchester, UK – O2 Apollo 27 | Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy 1 | Belfast, UK – SSE ArenaThe post Megan Moroney Releases Fan-Favorite Song, “Traitor (Roles Reversed)” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Paul Cauthen is friendly with a lot of artists in the country music world… but there’s one person that stands out to him as the “countriest person” alive. Big Velvet recently joined the Whiskey Riff Raff podcast and had plenty to share about his latest album, Book of Paul. The country singer also discussed how he got the nickname “Big Velvet,” why he likes to listen to music in languages that he can’t understand, and told us which country artists he’s currently listening to. Cauthen made sure to also shout out his fans for being there for him during his cancer journey. He happily shared that he’s still kicking cancer’s a**, and gave some further details about what his recovery process is looking like. And Big Velvet recently became a father and welcomed “Lil’ Velvet” into the world, so he touched on that, as well as his plan to give his son specific records throughout his life. One album that he’ll likely eventually hand over to his son is his very own Book of Paul. The project is unapologetically Paul Cauthen, and features two different collaborations. The one that I’ve revisited more than a time or two is the song Big Velvet did with Jake Worthington titled “Tossin’ Back Time.” Cauthen told us how that team-up came to be, and also gave Jake Worthington a compliment that he’d likely consider the kindest thing anyone could say to him: “He is the countriest man I know. Period. That’s the countriest man alive. That’s all I’ve got to say. We worked on it one late night in Tyler, Texas. We stayed up and hooped and hollered and got that verse in and he just smashed it.” It’s an incredibly fun drinking song, and it’s well worth your time if you haven’t had a chance to listen. Obviously, Paul Cauthen is a fan of Worthington. And though he proclaimed him as the “countriest man alive,” there are a number of other country music artists (along with some other genres) that he’s currently listening to: “I love Stephen Wilson Jr., I like Marcus King. I love Miley Cyrus, Kacey Musgraves. I love what Ella Langley is doing. I love Lainey Wilson. I’ve been a fan of Randy Houser’s voice. He’s one of my best buds… I like Carter Faith’s new album, ‘Cherry Valley.'” @whiskeyriff @Paul Cauthen #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff Heck of a list, and a bit of a mixed bag in terms of music taste. Cauthen went on to tell us that he got a chance to really connect with Stephen Wilson Jr. right before he took off, and also casually mentioned that he and the great, young Billy Strings stay in touch quite a bit. All in all, Paul is really appreciative of the artists he’s friends with, and feels like country music being in a good place is mainly due to the motivation of all the artists: “It’s just cool to have all these friends. It’s a really tight community of good people that are really serving the song. They stand out more than others. The song leads the way.” If you haven’t had a chance to check out Book of Paul, make sure to go do so. And you can hear more from Big Velvet by checking out the interview on YouTube or making sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here. We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts. Cheers, y’all. Audio Video The post Paul Cauthen Offers High Praise For Jake Worthington: “The Countriest Man I Know. Period” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Very well-deserved. Last night, Ella Langley was surprised with the news that she won the ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year ahead of her sold-out show in Savannah, Georgia as part of her The Dandelion Tour. She beat out a stacked group in Luke Combs, Riley Green, Megan Moroney and Morgan Wallen who were all nominated in that category as well. The Alabama native has absolutely skyrocketed to the top of country music over the last year or so, and more specifically, since late last year when she released her smash hit single “Choosin’ Texas,” which was included on her recent hit sophomore album Dandelion. She is one of the most-nominated acts this year, receiving seven nominations this year, including Female Artist of the Year, Single of the Year and Song of the Year for “Choosin’ Texas,” and Music Event of the Year for “Don’t Mind if I Do” with Riley Green. Honestly, the award could have gone to anyone in that category and it would have been very much deserved, but Ella’s career is skyrocketing right now and she’s managed to crossover very successfully into the mainstream world too, which is no easy feat whatsoever. She shared the news on Instagram, saying she feels “incredibly grateful” and is a “lucky gal”: “Feeling incredibly grateful. Two sold out shows & ACM Artist-Songwriter of the Year?! Thank you Estero, Savannah & the ACM Awards. I’m a lucky gal.” The ACM Awards will air live tomorrow on Prime Video from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas at 5:00 PM Pacific / 8:00 PM Eastern, and the show will be hosted by Shania Twain. View this post on Instagram The full list of nominees are below. 2026 ACM Awards Nominees Entertainer of the Year Luke Combs Jelly Roll Cody Johnson Megan Moroney Chris Stapleton Morgan Wallen Lainey Wilson Female Artist of the Year Kelsea Ballerini Miranda Lambert Ella Langley Megan Moroney Lainey Wilson Male Artist of the Year Luke Combs Riley Green Cody Johnson Chris Stapleton Zach Top Group of the Year 49 Winchester Flatland Cavalry Old Dominion Rascal Flatts The Red Clay Strays Duo of the Year Brooks & Dunn Brothers Osborne Dan + Shay Muscadine Bloodline Thelma & James Album of the Year [Awarded to artist(s)/producer(s)/record Company–label(s)] Ain’t In It For My Health – Zach Top; Producer: Carson Chamberlain; Record Company-Label: Leo33 Cherry Valley – Carter Faith; Producer: Tofer Brown; Record Company-Label: Gatsby Records / MCA Don’t Mind If I Do (Deluxe) – Riley Green; Producers: Dann Huff, Michael Knox; Record Company-Label: Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment I’m The Problem – Morgan Wallen; Producers: Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett; Record Company-Label: Big Loud Records Parker McCollum – Parker McCollum; Producers: Frank Liddell, Eric Masse; Record Company-Label: MCA Song of the Year “A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton; Songwriters: Chris Stapleton, Miranda Lambert, Jenee Fleenor, Jesse Frasure “Am I Okay?” – Megan Moroney; Songwriters: Megan Moroney, Luke Laird, Jessie Jo Dillon “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley; Songwriters: Ella Langley, Luke Dick, Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor “I Never Lie” – Zach Top; Songwriters: Zach Top, Carson Chamberlain, Tim Nichols “Somewhere Over Laredo – Lainey Wilson; Songwriters: Lainey Wilson, Trannie Anderson, Dallas Wilson, Andy Albert, Harold Arlen & Yip Harburg Single of the Year “6 Months Later” – Megan Moroney “Choosin’ Texas” – Ella Langley “I Never Lie” – Zach Top “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson “The Fall” – Cody Johnson Visual Media of the Year “6 Months Later” – Megan Moroney “A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton “Cuckoo” -Stephen Wilson, Jr. “Somewhere Over Laredo” – Lainey Wilson “The Fall” – Cody Johnson Music Event of the Year “A Song To Sing” – Miranda Lambert & Chris Stapleton “Amen” – Shaboozey & Jelly Roll “Don’t Mind If I Do” – Riley Green feat. Ella Langley “Trailblazer” – Reba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson “You Had To Be There” – Megan Moroney & Kenny Chesney Songwriter of the Year Jessie Jo Dillon Ashley Gorley Charlie Handsome Chase McGill Blake Pendergrass Artist-Songwriter of the Year Luke Combs Riley Green Ella Langley Megan Moroney Morgan Wallen New Male Artist of the Year Gavin Adcock Vincent Mason Shaboozey Tucker Wetmore- won Hudson Westbrook New Female Artist of the Year Mackenzie Carpenter Avery Anna-won Dasha Caroline Jones Emily Ann RobertsThe post Ella Langley Takes Home First 2026 ACM Award For Artist-Songwriter Of The Year first appeared on Whiskey Riff.