Do these people even listen to country music? I don’t watch the Fox singing show The Masked Singer, but if you’re not familiar with the premise, they basically take (usually B- and C-list) celebrities, put them in outrageous costumes, and make them sing while a panel of judges – and America – try to figure out who’s under the mask. It’s kind of a ridiculous concept, but honestly, I don’t hate it (even though I never watch it). There have been a few country singers appear on the show over the years, including Hunter Hayes, LeAnn Rimes (who won season 4), Sara Evans, and Jana Kramer. But it’s not all professional singers: There have been athletes like Antonio Brown and John Elway, actors, comedians, and even politicians like Sarah Palin and Rudy Giuliani. Like I said, kind of ridiculous, but it’s now in its 13th season so it must be pretty popular. Well it appears that there’s another country singer hiding under one of the masks of the current season, with the Mad Scientist Monster bringing a country sound to performances of “Unwell” by Matchbox 20 and “I Swear” by All-4-One (and, notably, John Michael Montgomery) during his two performances so far. Now, is it possible it’s not a country singer at all? Sure. But based on the clues, people think they’ve got it figured out. Each week the celebrity under the masks gives America clues to help piece together their identity, and so far we’ve learned that the Mad Scientist Monster told us that he was “on the path to become the best in his field” but was “sidelined” and later found his purpose. He also says he is “reinventing himself,” reveals that he (may have) been in a boy band, and met his significant other at a Friendsgiving dinner, but didn’t reconnect with her until later. And several on-screen hints include a baseball radar gun, a fish tank, a grandfather clock, a sandcastle, and a cruise ship. Based on the clues, it seems like the obvious answer would be Brian Kelley, formerly known as one half of Florida Georgia Line. Kelley was the “Florida” of the group, and the “beach cowboy” released his first solo album back in 2021 called Sunshine State of Mind – which would explain the sandcastle. And the cruise ship, obviously, is a reference to FGL’s biggest hit, “Cruise.” Kelley was also a baseball player in college, and was even scouted for the pros, before he ultimately decided to pursue music after being benched. And maybe the most obvious clue: Kelley met his wife Brittany during a Thanksgiving dinner, but didn’t begin dating her immediately, starting their relationship later when they reconnected. And when you hear his voice, it definitely seems like Kelley could be the singer under the mask: @maskedsingerfox I swear, this performance might pull a heart string or two! #MadScientistMonsterMask #TheMaskedSinger ♬ original sound – The Masked Singer Now, I’ve seen some people guessing either Kane Brown or Easton Corbin, and I could hear those too. But some of the guesses are so ridiculous that I’m not sure these people have ever listened to country music before. Quite a few people are guessing that it’s Garth Brooks (or Chris Gaines). it’s crazy how obvious that the Mad Scientist Monster on Masked Singer is either Garth Brooks or Chris Gaines — manic pixie dream girl (@GRANDDADWHATTHE) April 3, 2025 I was wrong on Kenny Chesney I believe, but definitely Garth Brooks for sure I’m actually — Aubrey Meyer (@AubreySchulz1) April 3, 2025 And some have even guessed Alan Jackson. That’s Alan Jackson! — Victini (@Victinitrainer) April 3, 2025 Alan Jackson! Can’t mistaken him! — crazieanimefan1 (@crazieanimefan1) April 3, 2025 Couldn’t agree about the #MadScientistMonsterMask if a country music legend is underneath his . Hmm, is that you, @OfficialJackson? #MaskedSinger @MaskedSingerFOX pic.twitter.com/WhN8bJdGYI — Miyuko (@Miyuko_junsei) April 3, 2025 Now, aside from not sounding anything like AJ, Jackson suffers from a degenerative nerve disease that makes it hard for him to walk – so there’s no chance that he’s out there in a mad scientist monster costume. (Besides, does anybody really think a show like this would EVER be something that Alan Jackson would do, even earlier in his career? Not a chance). Others think it’s a different country legend: George Strait. I would bet anything that this is George Straight!! — Stephanie (@HBJGR20) April 3, 2025 Like Alan, there’s no chance that King George would ever do a show like this, especially now that he’s semi-retired. But the more glaring issue is that it sounds nothing like him For some reason quite a few people are convinced that it’s Ronnie Dunn, but Ronnie has such a distinctive voice that I think it would be hard to mistake him for any of these other artists. I could definitely be wrong about my guess that it’s Brian Kelley. Maybe I’ll look like an idiot when it turns out that it really IS Garth Brooks under the mask. But for now, I stand by my statement: I don’t think these people have ever even listened to country music if they think Alan Jackson or George Strait is inside that costume. We've never seen a #MadScientistMonsterMask like this! #TheMaskedSinger pic.twitter.com/4xmaw6pefV — The Masked Singer (@MaskedSingerFOX) March 27, 2025 The post The Internet Is Trying To Figure Out Who This Country Singer Is On ‘The Masked Singer’ & The Guesses Are Just Ridiculous first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

If you are looking for the best selection, you need to plan your shopping trip on this day. Continue reading…

The self-proclaimed "American Bad A--" might have gotten himself in hot water. Continue reading…

Getting down to the wire. The NCAA Final Four is still a couple of days away, but before the #1 seeds face off in what might be the most boring March Madness we’ve had in a while, we’ve got plenty of excitement for you in our annual Whiskey Riff Madness tournament. This year for our annual tournament we teamed up with our good friends at Rock the Country, a festival for “We The People,” to bring you a bracket for “We The People” featuring 64 of the most red, white and blue-blooded American country songs of all time – and let you, the readers, vote for your favorites. Throughout the entire tournament, Toby Keith is a strong favorite to win it all. I mean it’s hard to deny that when you think of patriotic country songs, he’s the first name that comes to mind. But as the rounds have gone on, the competition has only gotten stronger. And now we’re down to just four heavy hitters left. But before we start voting on the Final Four, let’s take a look back at the Elite Eight. We had more votes this round than any round so far in the entire tournament, thanks to some campaigning from Toby Keith’s team themselves: "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" and "American Soldier" have made it to the Elite Eight of @WhiskeyRiff's American Madness bracket. Let's get em to the Final Four! Vote here: https://t.co/SE6HdxQCCg https://t.co/ATURwHVarQ — Toby Keith (@tobykeith) April 2, 2025 You love to see it. So it should be no surprise that both “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” and “American Soldier” easily won their matchups – setting us up for a Toby vs. Toby matchup to see which song will represent the Big Dog Daddy in the championship round. On the other side of the bracket, the matchups were much closer: “Ragged Old Flag” by Johnny Cash went back and forth with “Ballad Of A Southern Man” by Whiskey Myers for pretty much the entire tournament before eventually pulling away and sending the Man in Black to the Final Four by the smallest of margins. And in our final matchup, Justin Moore’s “Small Town USA” but up a good fight but ultimately wasn’t able to top Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning),” rounding out a Final Four that features all legendary country artists. Here’s a look at the updated bracket: Voting is open NOW for the Final Four, and ends at 11:59 PM central time on Friday, April 4. You can vote down below, or by clicking the link here, and you can vote as many times as you want if you have a favorite that you want to see move on to the next round. As we saw in the last round, every single vote counts, so throw a few extra votes to your favorite song if you really want to see it stay alive. And of course if you haven’t already, start making your plans to celebrate America in person this summer at Rock the Country, coming to a small town near you with so much good country music you’ll want to run out and buy a suit like Kid Rock wore in the Oval Office. Loading… This year, Rock the Country will feature a stacked lineup featuring headliners Kid Rock, Nickelback, Hank Williams Jr. and Lynyrd Skynyrd, along with performances from incredible artists like Travis Tritt, Treaty Oak Revival, Tracy Lawrence, Aaron Lewis, Big & Rich, Shenandoah, and more. The lineup varies by city, so make sure to check out the closest one to you and get your tickets soon before they’re sold out and you’re left on the outside looking in like the British were in 1776. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Peachtree Entertainment (@peachtreeentertainment) Rock the Country Dates: April 4-5 – Livingston, LA April 25-26 – Knoxville, TN May 2-3 – Poplar Bluff, MO May 9-10 – Ocala, FL May 30-31 – York, PA June 13-14 – Hastings, MI June 20-21 – Little Rock, AR July 11-12 – Ashland, KY July 18-19 – Sioux Falls, SD July 25-26 – Anderson, SCThe post WHISKEY RIFF MADNESS: American Madness Presented By Rock The Country – Final Four Voting Is Now Open first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Going back into the archives. In the age of pop stars going country, I find this early adopter to be one of the most fascinating collaborations of the last half-decade: Kesha and Sturgill Simpson. Back in 2019, Kesha teased a new song called “Resentment,” which would later appear on her 2020 album High Road. While some thought this might be Kesha’s take on a country song, it’s far from that. If you are plugged into social media at all, you might know that Kesha has gone through a lot in the public eye over the last decade. In 2014, Kesha accused Dr. Luke, one of her former producers, of sexual, physical, emotional, and verbal abuse, and attempted to break her contract with his label, Kemosabe Records. After Kesha’s accusations, Dr. Luke filed a defamation lawsuit, noting that her claims were false and defamatory. While the two reached a settlement agreement in 2023, Kesha’s nearly decade-long battle was very tumultuous. During this time, she released music that detailed her experiences, and helped her therapeutically during that horrible time in her life. One of those songs that was very healing for Kesha was “Resentment,” which featured Sturgill Simpson, Brian Wilson, and Wrabel. Leading up to the song’s release, Kesha took to social media to share how much this song meant to her. “‘Resentment’ is such a powerful and destructive emotion and in my experience is more complex than hate or anger. Brian Wilson is one of my personal musical heroes, so when he said he would collaborate with me on the recording… that moment was one of the most exciting in my career. Still can’t even believe it. Then add in Sturgill, who I have all the respect in the world for and admire so so much, as well as my close friend, the insanely talented songwriter Wrabel. This record feels more like a dream than just another song to me, I hope y’all like it.” (1/3) https://t.co/1sINPn1HRo Resentment is such a powerful and destructive emotion and in my experience is more complex than hate or anger.@BrianWilsonlive is one of my personal musical heroes, so when he said he would collaborate with me on the recording pic.twitter.com/0fW7dDHk4a — kesha (@KeshaRose) December 12, 2019 The lyrics of this song are raw and powerful, embodying Kesha’s sound at this time in her life. So, where does Sturgill fit in? Unlike many pop artists today trying to collaborate with country artists on a twangy song, Kesha brought in Simpson to highlight his vocal talent in the background of this track and add depth to the harmonies with his thick, rich voice. While this track might not be one I reach for on a day-to-day basis, I love that Kesha didn’t bring Simpson onto the track to make something that’s not “her,” nor did she expect Simpson to sound like something that he’s not. This is how you showcase a country talent in a space where they are not known. Simpson sounds incredible supporting Kesha on this moving song, and it blends their two genres together seamlessly. Maybe some of the pop artists wanting to get in on the country action should take notes from 2019 Kesha. She was onto something then, and this approach would do well today, six years after the single’s release. Check it out. The post Did You Know That Sturgill Simpson & Kesha Have A Song Together? first appeared on Whiskey Riff.