Charles Wesley Godwin's poignant new song 'Hey There Son' featuring Wyatt Flores out now

Check out the affecting advance track and accompanying video for the new song "Hey There Son" courtesy of Charles Wesley Godwin and guest Wyatt Flores...Robert Kinsler

Charles Wesley Godwin / Photo courtesy of the artist

Charles Wesley Godwin’s Poignant New Song “Hey There Son” Featuring Wyatt Flores Out Now

From left, Wyatt Flores and Charles Wesley Godwin

Watch the poignant music video HERE

Godwin's forthcoming new studio album Christian Name set for release on July 24, 2026 via Big Loud Records

A father declaring his love. A son saying goodbye. Charles Wesley Godwin takes listeners through a gamut of emotions on “Hey There Son,” out today (Friday, June 12, 2026). Featuring Wyatt Flores and co-written with Lori McKenna, the song is a cornerstone of Godwin’s upcoming album Christian Name, out July 24 via Big Loud Records.

“I started writing ‘Hey There Son’ in 2019, around the time my first son was born,” explains Godwin. “I’m a huge fan of Lori McKenna, and always felt like she’d be the perfect person to help me finish it. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to bring it to her in 2024, and we knocked it out in an afternoon. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the room by the time we finished.”

“When Al and I started recording it, I knew I wanted that perspective shift in the final verse, and Wyatt was the obvious choice,” says Godwin. “He’s incredible, and his performance took the song to the next level. I’m really proud of this one.”

Christian Name is an intensely personal collection of songs, but it’s more than just another body of work; it’s how Godwin learned to live again. Through moments of mourning. Through tales of redemption. And ultimately, through a tried-and-true reaffirmation of his faith.

“These songs really meant a lot to me,” Godwin explains. “There’s parts of me and parts of the things that I’ve gone through in the last couple years that are in each and every song on this album.”

While Christian Name is without question a highly personal affair for Godwin – he took direct inspiration for both the album title and album cover from his late grandfather, Charles Godwin, a Methodist preacher –  he’s quick to note how critical a role his creative community of friends and musical collaborators played in the album’s conception.

Not only does Christian Name include a pair of thrilling feature collaborations – the earworm “Better That Way” with Luke Combs and the remarkable “Hey There Son” featuring Flores – but it’s also the result of Godwin partnering with some of music’s most treasured songwriters: Stephen Wilson Jr. (“Brand New”),  Liz Rose (“I Caught The Sunrise”), Lori McKenna (“Hey There Son”), Aaron Ratiere (“God’s Been Good To Me”), Travis Meadows (“Try Again,” “Every Once In Awhile”), Scooter Carusoe (“Better That Way,” "Hallelujah High,” “Place I Know”), and Tom Douglas (“Street Advice”). The album was produced by Allegheny High guitarist and Godwin’s longtime producer Al Torrence.

“I had a lot of help with this album — I sought out people and they brought a lot of the hope and the light and the lighter moments of the album,” Godwin offers. “That was a lot of their influence. The album needed that.”

Godwin will tour extensively in support of Christian Name. “The Christian Name Tour” kicks off July 14th in Sioux Falls, SD and runs through mid-November, with a return to Red Rocks on October 15th. In addition to his own headline shows, Godwin will be doing a co-headline run with Dylan Gossett this Summer, and he’ll open for Kacey Musgraves on her “Middle of Nowhere” tour this Fall.

For more information, including Godwin's upcoming tour dates, visit his official website HERE.

New music: Kacey Musgraves, The Knack, Duke Robillard

In this column I showcase the latest album releases from celebrated country music great Kacey Musgraves, power pop heroes The Knack and legacy blues singer-songwriter/guitar master Duke Robillard.

Artist: Kacey Musgraves
Title: Middle of Nowhere (Lost Highway/Interscope)
You might like if you enjoy: Kacey Musgraves, Miranda Lambert, Willie Nelson, Billy Strings

Tell me more: Kacey Musgraves is back! The acclaimed country music artist's seventh studio album has been met with widespread acclaim and for good reason. The 13-track album chronicles life's ups and downs with authenticity, heart and an infectious musical soundscape that will keep discerning listeners coming back again and again. There are so many highlights on the album, country music lovers will want to dive into the track listing with abandon. Musgraves wrote many of the songs after a painful divorce and period of isolation so the songs have a heft that will resonate with a single listen. The reflective ballad "Back On The Wagon," accordion-drenched two-stepping duet with Willie Nelson titled "Uncertain, TX," steamy "Mexico Honey," irresistible "I Believe in Ghosts" and aptly-titled "Loneliest Girl" are among the great originals on the disc. The playful "Horses and Divorces" is a winning duet teaming the top-tier vocal talents of Musgraves and Miranda Lambert. Based on the strength of her fantastic performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, fans will want to catch her in concert this fall. Musgraves' forthcoming "Middle of Nowhere" Tour includes dates in Phoenix, AZ on Oct. 17 and in Los Angeles on Oct. 18 and Oct. 19. Information: kaceymusgraves.com. 

Artist: The Knack
Title: Knackology: The Zen Recordings (Omnivore Recordings)
You might like if you enjoy: Cheap Trick, The Knack, Badfinger, Matthew Sweet

Tell me more: The power and excitement of The Knack's explosive power pop-meets-New Wave sound shines across the 19 studio, live and demo tracks featured on the newly-released Knackology: The Zen Recordings. From the ferocious opener "Let Me Out" (recorded live in Los Angeles in 1978), intoxicating rockers "Pop Is Dead" and "Ambition" (the latter two cuts from the band's essential 1998 LP Zoom) to a terrific cover of Badfinger's 1970 Pete Ham-penned hit "No Matter What," a breezy 1973 demo of "That's What The Little Girls Do," power pop perfection courtesy of "Can I Borrow A Kiss" and a hard rocking "Shine" captured at Leeds in 1991, magic abounds on this must-have collection. Among the other standouts are energetic live takes on some of The Knack's most beloved originals; inspired readings of "(She's So) Selfish" and "My Sharona" captured at a concert in Mountain View, California in June 1994 as well as the affecting "One Day At A Time" recorded in 2002 will thrill new and long-time fans of the Doug Fieger-led troupe. Mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Michael Graves, the package also includes liner notes from Grammy-winning set co-producer Lee Lodyga. Information: omnivorerecordings.com. 

Artist: Duke Robillard and His All Star Band
Title: Blast Off! (Nola Blue Records)
You might like if you enjoy: Dr. John, Tommy Castro, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Allen Toussaint

Tell me more: Duke Robillard, who recently celebrated his 77th birthday, is firing on all cylinders across his latest album Blast Off! Indeed, the legendary singer-songwriter/guitar great along with his All Star Band explore his love of blues, soul, R&B, jazz and more American roots genres across the 12-song collection. The album's parade of inviting cuts includes the exuberant Floyd Dixon-penned opener "When I Get Lucky," the jump blues sortie "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead (You Rascal You)," Chicago blues-styled ballad "Feel My Cares" showcasing Robillard's guitar chops and signature vocals, the instrumental swing foray "Play Boy Hop," soulful "Confusion" and lead guitar-anchored instrumental blues track "Galactic Grease." The album was produced by Robillard, and was recorded and mixed by John Paul Gauthier at Lakewest Recording in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. Information: nolabluerrecords.com. 

Robert Kinsler

New Music: Bobbo Byrnes' 'October'; Shania Twain's 'Queen of Me'

Singer-songwriter Bobbo Byrnes and Canadian country-pop songstress Shania Twain both have essential new studio releases available now.

Artist: Bobbo Byrnes
Title: October (Kiss My Squirrel Music)

You might like if you enjoy: The Fallen Stars, Bruce Cockburn, Celtic folk, Americana

Tell me more: Bobbo Byrnes' new album October marks a welcome return for the talented singer-songwriter. Byrnes uses his gifts as singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin) to deliver a strong set of nine acoustic gems. While on tour in Europe in the fall of 2022, Byrnes had the opportunity to record at the legendary Hansa Studios in Berlin, Germany and at Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland. The results of those rich sessions have yielded selections that blend traditional folk with layered sound effects that provide enhanced soundscapes across the disc. "The Sea" benefits from an especially strong arrangement of more quiet verses that give way to driving instrumental sections; the dual use of driving guitar and mandolin further define this great cut. The lovely instrumental "October" fuses Byrnes' nuanced work on the acoustic guitar with the otherworldly layers of an e-bow. "Untitled" is a lovely and yearning nugget, with Byrnes' evocative vocals enhanced by sparse guitar accompaniment. Byrnes really immerses himself in a haunting Celtic-flavored cover of "Crooked Jack." His version of David Bowie's classic "Heroes" — the original version was recorded by Bowie at Hansa Studio in 1977 — is especially impressive, with Byrnes effectively building the power of the song with a combination of vocal firepower, well played rhythm guitar and soaring e-bow. Byrnes will celebrate the release of his new album October with a CD release show at The Harp Inn in Costa Mesa, playing 8-10 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9. Information: BobboByrnes.com.

Artist: Shania Twain
Title: Queen of Me (Republic Nashville)

You might like if you enjoy: Shania Twain, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor Swift

Tell me more: Veteran country-pop music favorite Shania Twain is back with her sixth studio album, Queen of Me. Twain's first new album since 2017's Now, Queen of Me is an effort that finds the beloved Canadian singer-songwriter taking aim at the charts with a disc full of catchy and accessible synth-anchored modern music. The material here is commercial to be sure, with the new single "Giddy Up!" an obvious shot at returning Twain to the attention of her millions of fans. The driving dance track "Waking Up Dreaming" is an especially strong song, with Twain's signature vocals used to perfect effect. Other strong entries on the album include the genre-bending electronica-meets-country nugget "Pretty Liar," shining pop tracks "Inhale/Exhale AIR" and "Number One," super bewitching dream pop sortie "Got It Good" and confessional "The Hardest Stone." Information: ShaniaTwain.com.

Robert Kinsler

MTV Reveals Kacey Musgraves Will Take The Stage At The 2021 “VMAs”

 Media Release    

MTV Entertainment Group & Paramount+ team up with Kacey Musgraves for global cross-brand takeover

 

First-ever MTV “VMAs” performance Sunday, September 12, 2021; watch the trailer HERE

 

Exclusive premiere of “justified” video on MTV & CMT TONIGHT at 12Midnight ET

 

“star-crossed” : the film to exclusively stream on Paramount+ beginning Friday, September 10, 2021

 

Photo credit: Sophia Matinazad

(NEW YORK, NY) — August 26, 2021 — MTV today revealed six-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves will make her long-awaited debut at this year’s 2021 MTV “VMAs” with a world premiere performance of her new title track “star-crossed” LIVE from Barclays Center when the show airs on Sunday, September 12 at 8PM ET/PT.

 

Beginning tonight, Thursday, August 26th at 9PM PT/12midnight ET, MTV and CMT will exclusively air the premiere of Musgraves’ music video for “justified,” her second song of her highly-anticipated fourth studio album star-crossed, arriving September 10 (Interscope/MCA Nashville). The video will make its premiere across MTV, MTV Live, MTVU, CMT, CMT Music and on the ViacomCBS Times Square billboard.

 

“Kacey Musgraves is an unstoppable entertainer and we are thrilled to have her partner with MTV Entertainment Group!” said Bruce Gillmer, Chief Content Officer, Music, Paramount+ and President of Music, Music Talent, Programming & Events, ViacomCBS. “From what will be an unforgettable first-time “VMAs'' performance to orchestrating a cross-brand premiere of her new single tied to her highly-anticipated “star-crossed” album and film, streaming exclusively on Paramount+ this September, we’re excited to be part of her next chapter as both an artist and creative.” 

 

As previously announced, the global premiere of “star-crossed : the film,” starring Musgraves, will exclusively debut on Paramount+ in the US, Latin America, Australia, the Nordics and Canada beginning on Friday, September 10th. Fans outside of these markets can watch the film on MTV across its worldwide network of channels in nearly 180 regions. From MTV Entertainment Studios, “star-crossed” the film is directed by Bardia Zeinali and produced by Interscope Films and MCA Nashville, in association with Anonymous Content and Sandbox Entertainment.

 

“star-crossed” the film takes the music from the studio to the screen with gorgeous visuals and a sense of heightened reality envisioned by Musgraves and Zeinali and shot by Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Matthew Libatique (A Star Is Born, Black Swan. The 50 -minute movie was filmed over a 10 day shoot in Los Angeles and features cameos from Emmy Award-winner Eugene Levy, Victoria Pedretti (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, You), singer-songwriter Princess Nokia, Symone (RuPaul’s Drag Race winner) and comedian Megan Stalter.

###

About star-crossed THE ALBUM: The highly-anticipated fourth studio album from Kacey Musgraves arrives Friday, September 10 via Interscope/MCA Nashville. This marks the first album of new material from Musgraves since releasing her groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed album Golden Hour in 2018. The album finds Musgraves collaborating once again with co-producers and writers, Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, and was recorded in Nashville, TN earlier this year in just under 3 weeks.  The 15-song collection, structured as a modern-day tragedy in three acts, tells an extremely personal journey of heartache and healing and displays Musgraves continued growth as one of the finest singer-songwriters of our time. The title track written by Musgraves, Daniel Tashian, and Ian Fitchuk along with the film’s trailer are both out now. Check out the album bio here and title track “star-crossed” here. Pre-order the album here.

About MTV Entertainment Group:
MTV Entertainment Group reaches over 1.4 billion young people around the world across streaming, social and linear platforms in 180 countries and with more than 725 million social followers – making it one of the preeminent youth media companies in the world.  Connecting with its audiences through nine iconic brands including MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, CMT, Pop, Logo, Smithsonian, Paramount Net and TV Land, MTV Entertainment Studios produces award-winning series, movies and documentary films.

 

About Paramount+:

Paramount+, a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service from ViacomCBS, combines live sports, breaking news, and a mountain of entertainment. The premium streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. The service is also the streaming home to unmatched sports programming, including every CBS Sports event, from golf to football to basketball and more, plus exclusive streaming rights for major sports properties, including some of the world’s biggest and most popular soccer leagues. Paramount+ also enables subscribers to stream local CBS stations live across the U.S. in addition to the ability to stream ViacomCBS Streaming’s other live channels: CBSN for 24/7 news, CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis, and ET Live for entertainment coverage. For more information about Paramount+, please visit www.paramountplus.com and follow @ParamountPlus on social platforms.

Kacey Musgraves returns with fourth studio album 'star-crossed'

Today's big music news update: Kacey Musgraves is set to release her fourth studio album early next month. The media release is below...Robert Kinsler

LET ME SET THE SCENE…

 

KACEY MUSGRAVES RETURNS WITH HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED

FOURTH STUDIO ALBUM

star-crossed

 

ALBUM AND FILM OUT FRIDAY, SEPT. 10, 2021

star-crossed : the film TO BE RELEASED

EXCLUSIVELY ON PARAMOUNT+

 

“star-crossed,” TITLE TRACK AND FILM TRAILER BOTH OUT NOW

 

Six-time Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Kacey Musgraves will release her highly-anticipated fourth studio album star-crossed on September 10, via Interscope Records / UMG Nashville. star-crossed : the film directed by Bardia Zeinali, stars Musgraves, and will be streamed exclusively via Paramount+ on the same day. The title track written by Musgraves, Daniel Tashian, and Ian Fitchuk along with the film’s trailer are both out now. star-crossed is the first album of new material from Musgraves since releasing her groundbreaking and critically-acclaimed album Golden Hour in 2018. Check out title track “star-crossed,” here and check out star-crossed : the film trailer here.

 

Photo credit: Sophia Matinazad

star-crossed, the album, found Musgraves collaborating once again with co-producers and writers, Ian Fitchuk and Daniel Tashian, and was recorded in Nashville,TN earlier this year in just under 3 weeks. The 15-song collection, structured as a modern-day tragedy in three acts, tells an extremely personal journey of heartache and healing and displays Musgraves continued growth as one of the finest singer-songwriters of our time. Pre-order the album here.

 
star-crossed : the film, takes the music from the studio to the screen with gorgeous visuals and a sense of heightened reality envisioned by Musgraves and Zeinali and shot by Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Matthew Libatique (A Star Is Born, Black Swan). “We wanted it to feel cinematic and epic without compromising the heart and the emotion,” Zeinali says, “to feel fantastical and heightened and tell her story through the lens of art and fashion.” The 50 -minute movie was filmed over a 10 day shoot in Los Angeles and features cameos from Emmy Award-winner Eugene Levy, Victoria Pedretti (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, You), singer-songwriter Princess Nokia, Symone (RuPaul’s Drag Race winner) and comedian Megan Stalter.  The global premiere of Kacey Musgraves’ star-crossed : the film will exclusively debut on Paramount+ in the US, Latin America, Australia, the Nordics and Canada beginning on Friday, September 10. Fans outside of these markets can watch on MTV across its worldwide network of channels in nearly 180 regions. star-crossed : the film is presented by Interscope Films and is an Anonymous Content Production in association with UMG Nashville, Sandbox Entertainment and Golden Girl Productions.

This writer last caught Musgraves at Coachella in April 2019. Read my review of her amazing performance HERE.

 

Kacey Musgraves at Coachella on April 19, 2019.
Photo credit: Courtesy of Coachella

star-crossed track listing:

1. star-crossed
2. good wife
3. cherry blossom
4. simple times
5. if this was a movie..
6. justified
7. angel
8. breadwinner
9. camera roll
10. easier said
11. hookup scene
12. keep lookin’ up
13. what doesn’t kill me
14. there is a light
15. gracias a la vida

AXS TV to Broadcast 'One World: Together At Home,' Live on April 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT

Cool! I was hoping we would get to see this in the U.S...Robert Kinsler

Sir Paul McCartney, seen here in front of Capitol Records in Los Angeles,
will perform as part of 'One World: Together At Home.' AXS TV will broadcast
the benefit concert event on Saturday, April 18, 2020.

Los Angeles, CA – AXS TV, the premier U.S. cable channel for music programming, is an official broadcast partner of One World: Together At Home—airing live and commercial-free on Saturday, April 18 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. The two-hour global special is presented by the Global Citizen international advocacy organization in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO), and curated in collaboration with Lady Gaga.

The Rolling Stones are set to perform as part of 'One World:
Together At Home' benefit concert.

One World: Together At Home is an initiative that provides all-star talent with a platform to entertain, address, and perform for their fans while educating millions of viewers worldwide about the WHO’s mission to prevent, detect, and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kacey Musgraves, seen here performing at the Stagecoach
Festival in 2015, will perform as part of 'One World: Together At Home.'
Photo: Kelly A. Swift

One World: Together At Home is hosted, in part, by late-night mainstays Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and Stephen Colbert, and also features appearances by Lady Gaga, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Elton John, Billie Eilish, Alanis Morissette, John Legend, Stevie Wonder, Kacey Musgraves, Chris Martin, Lizzo, Eddie Vedder, David Beckham, Billy Joe Armstrong, Idris Elba, Keith Urban, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the Sesame Street Muppets, and many more. The special will deliver an eclectic mix of taped and live segments that includes intimate performances, messages of hope, and sketches, among others, and also highlights powerful “On The Frontlines” profiles celebrating the courage and sacrifice of international healthcare workers striving to make a difference in the face of the virus.

Keith Urban performing at Staples
Center in 2007.

Over the past three weeks, the Together At Home series has featured performances from artists including, Chris Martin, John Legend, Charlie Puth, Common, Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, Niall Horan, Steve Aoki, Jennifer Hudson, Miguel, H.E.R., Anthony Hamilton, Rufus Wainwright, Hozier, and Julianne Hough, among others, in support of the WHO and Global Citizen’s campaign.

“It has been truly inspiring to see so many iconic performers dedicating their time and talents to bring a bit of light to this uncertain situation,” said Sarah Weidman, Head Of Original Programming, Development and Multi-Platform Content for AXS TV. “Global Citizen has a strong history of bringing together incredible talent from across the entertainment spectrum in their fight to enact important change all around the world, and AXS TV is proud to join forces with them and the World Health Organization as a broadcast partner for One World: Together At Home.”

For more information about Global Citizen and their campaign to support the WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund, please visit globalcitizen.org and follow @GlblCtzn Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using #GlobalCitizen.

To learn more about WHO’s response to the pandemic and the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, please go to www.who.int/COVID-19 and follow @WHO on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and TikTok.

###

About AXS TV

AXS TV is a leading music, entertainment, sports and lifestyle U.S. cable network controlled by Anthem Sports & Entertainment Inc., and originally founded by entrepreneur Mark Cuban. The network is currently available in 50 million homes and on digital platforms, including Philo, Sling TV and AT&T TV NOW. AXS TV’s programming appeals to an impassioned fanbase, delivering eclectic content in a wide variety of areas including music performances, celebrity interviews, documentaries, pop culture, combat sports, and professional wrestling. The channel is the home of IMPACT Wrestling, one of the world’s largest entertainment properties, and the English-language broadcasts of the top Hispanic MMA promotion Combate Americas; as well as original programming featuring legendary newsman Dan Rather and music icon Sammy Hagar, among many others.  For a list of providers and territories, visit axs.tv/subscribe. For more information, see www.axs.tv, or follow the network on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. Press information is available at axstvmediacenter.com.

ABOUT GLOBAL CITIZEN: 

Global Citizen is the world's largest movement of action takers and impact makers dedicated to ending extreme poverty by 2030. With over 10 million monthly advocates, our voices have the power to drive lasting change around sustainability, equality, and humanity. We post, tweet, message, vote, sign, and call to inspire those who can make things happen to act — government leaders, businesses, philanthropists, artists, and citizens — together improving lives. By downloading our app, Global Citizens learn about the systemic causes of extreme poverty, take action on those issues, and earn rewards, which can be redeemed for tickets to concerts, events, and experiences all over the world. To date, the actions of our community, along with high-level advocacy efforts and work with partners, has resulted in commitments and policy announcements from leaders valued at over $48 billion, affecting the lives of more than 2.25 billion people by 2030. For more information, visit www.GlobalCitizen.org.

ABOUT THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION: 

The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations’ specialized agency for health. It is an inter-governmental organization and works in collaboration with its Member States usually through the Ministries of Health. The World Health Organization is responsible for providing leadership on global health matters, shaping the health research agenda, setting norms and standards, articulating evidence-based policy options, providing technical support to countries and monitoring and assessing health trends. Learn more at www.who.int.

ABOUT THE UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION:

The UN Foundation brings together the ideas, people, and resources the United Nations needs to drive global progress and tackle urgent problems. To support the work of the World Health Organization (WHO) in its global work on COVID-19, UN Foundation helped launch the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund that has raised more than $100 million in less than two weeks for lifesaving work around the world. Learn more about the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund at www.covid19responsefund.org. Learn more about the UN Foundation at www.unfoundation.org. Follow @unfoundation on Twitter and Instagram, and @United Nations Foundation on Facebook.