First Play Friday with MJ (April 16)
Every Friday (between 10a-1p), MJ features SIX brand new songs from artists you already know and love, and artists you will get to know and love.
If you missed today’s FPF, check out the songs featured below!
ERIC CHURCH – BUNCH OF NOTHING
This week, we kick off FPF with a brand spanking new song from The Chief…Eric Church, who dropped “Heart” this morning, the first of three albums coming out this month! The first offering is gooood…right from the start. “Heart on Fire” opens the 9-track album that also features “Stick That in Your Country song,” “Crazyland,” and “Never Break Heart.”
This is Eric Church’s first album release since “Desperate Man” back in 2018.
“Bunch of Nothing” and its lyrics are already grabbing the attention of his Church Choir Fans. It’s about a supportive friend offering a shoulder for a buddy who is a bit melon collie over heartbreak.
All 24 songs that will appear on the Heart & Soul Collection, were written during a 28-day retreat in the mountains of North Carolina in early 2020.
Listen below!
TIM MCGRAW – CUTTIN’ ONIONS
Our next First Play Friday song comes from Tim McGraw who has released not one, but two digital deluxe versions of his No. 1 album Here On Earth today! The album was released last year, but this deluxe edition features new tracks including the recently released “God Moves the Pen.”
The Ultimate Video Edition features all tracks, along with the music videos for six songs, including “Here on Earth”, “I Called Mama”, “Undivided”, “Neon Church”, and more.
Additionally, a special edition 12” vinyl of “Undivided” will be available on June 12th for Record Store Day. An acoustic version of McGraw’s hit single, “I Called Mama,” will be on the B-side of the vinyl.
THOMAS RHETT – COUNTRY AGAIN
First Play Friday continues with Thomas Rhett who is taking a trip down memory lane in his new single “Country Again” from his upcoming fifth studio double album of the same name.
The song describes his current state of mind, and the little things that bring him joy. Rhett also shares his struggle with balancing work and life.
“It’s one of my favorite songs I’ve written yet and honestly just feels full circle in so many ways,” Rhett shared in a statement. “It’s about the crazy journey I’ve been on over the last decade and ultimately finding my way back home.”
The Country Again album comes out on April 30…but in the meantime, check out the title track.
BROTHERS OSBORNE – YOUNGER ME
Our next First Play Friday song comes from siblings, Brothers Osborne who released a new song titled “Younger Me,” today. It’s a song with memories from childhood and, specifically, this one finds TJ Osborne singing to his younger self.
Co-written with John Osborne, TJ wrote it in response to the support he’s received since coming out earlier this year.
“It’s a hard thing to describe and a very difficult thing to go through, and I even had a lot of support around me. But once I finally came out, I didn’t really understand the magnitude of how much people cared about me and loved me and supported me,” TJ told CBS This Morning at the time. “Had I known that the whole time, I would have done it probably a long time ago and saved myself a lot of strife.”
Listen below.
GORD BAMFORD – HEAVEN ON DIRT
Our next First Play Friday song comes from Australian-born and Alberta-raised, Gord Bamford, one of the most decorated artists in Canada with an impressive 26 CCMA awards, multi JUNO nominations and the only two-time winner out of Nashville’s Country Music Association (CMA) receiving the 2013 & 2015 CMA Global Country Artist award.
Gord is also known for giving back to the community!
The Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation has generated over $4.2 million since its inception in 2008 for children’s charities such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, numerous children’s hospitals across Canada and MUSICOUNTS.
Gord Bamford officially released a new song today, which is available wherever you get YOUR music.
In a social media post on Wednesday, Bamford announced the new single saying, “I have always been a guy that goes off my instincts and gut feelings. This song was written by some of my favorite hit songwriters and I feel very fortunate to have gotten to record it.
This type of song only comes along once in a lifetime so I hope you all love it as much as I do!”
BRIAN KELLEY – BEACH COWBOY
Our last FPF song comes from Florida Georgia Lines’, Brian Kelley, who…as mentioned earlier this week, released his debut solo EP called BK’s Wave Pack, which serves you with so many beach vibes.
All four songs on the EP immediately take you to somewhere tropical in your mind.
Brian Kelley recently sat with American Songwriter and said. “I feel so humbled by the support I’ve received from this project,” “The friends that helped bring this project to life, these songs have become our songs. Together, we are living them out down here; this isn’t a fantasy. Our process was really creative, but we never forced it. We did what felt right, working from our gut. That’s extremely important to create a vibe that’s authentic and real.”
BK also dropped four music videos, along with the release.
Both Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of FGL are up for Duo of the Year at the 56th Annual ACM Awards, this Sunday.
