11 April 2023

With a run of six sold-out shows solidifying his international foothold, Morgan Wallen kicked off his One Night At A Time World Tour on March 15 at New Zealand’s Spark Arena, leaving the New Zealand Herald proclaiming “the atmosphere was electric.” Wallen’s presence in Oceania was met with ecstatic fans screaming his name well before the first verse, as he traversed them through a 26-song setlist opening with his first career No. 1, “Up Down,” before diving into new music off his recently released third studio album, One Thing At A Time (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic) – which reached No. 1 on the New Zealand Top 40 Albums chart following the show. With additional stops at CMC Rocks in Ipswich, QLD; two shows at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney NSW; and two back-to-back nights at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, VIC; Wallen gave 90,653 fans abroad a first glimpse of his massive tour which will span a total of 65 shows and 30 stadium-plays this year. The milestone kickoff was met with another first for Wallen – as One Thing At A Time landed atop the ARIA charts, earning the superstar his first Australian chart crown. One Thing At A Time arrived March 3 as Spotify’s largest streaming debut of any genre in 2023 and the most streamed country album in a single day by a male artist, instantly claiming the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart, where it has remained for five consecutive weeks and counting. Hailed by New York Times as a “hit-stuffed streaming blockbuster,” the album broke multiple records upon its release, as Wallen surpassed Drake to become the artist with the most songs simultaneously charting on the Billboard Hot 100, with all 36 songs atop the chart. The streaming success of the album once again launched Wallen to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Artist 100 all-genre chart for his 11th career week, becoming the only core country artist to simultaneously rule the Artist 100, Hot 100 & Billboard 200 charts. One Thing At A Time has already yielded two No. 1 hits with 10-week No. 1 “You Proof” – the longest No. 1 in Country radio history – and “Thought You Should Know,” which remained at the top of country airplay charts for three consecutive weeks. Current singles “One Thing At A Time” and “Last Night” remain in the top-20-and-climbing on country radio, while “Last Night” continues to see success on pop charts, becoming Wallen’s first No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 all-genre chart. Internationally, the album continues to soar, as it reaches its fifth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Canadian Albums chart, with “Last Night” sitting at No. 1 on the Canadian Top 200 Songs chart. Wallen’s One Night At A Time World Tour is produced by Live Nation in North America/United Kingdom and Frontier Touring for Australia/New Zealand. It kicked off overseas March 15-25 with shows in New Zealand and Australia with HARDY, and is set to continue stateside beginning April 14 at Milwaukee’s American Family Field with HARDY; hitting New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Boston’s Fenway Park with Parker McCollum. The tour will return overseas this fall with stops in Canada before heading to The O2 in London on Dec. 3. ERNEST and Bailey Zimmerman will support across U.S. and international dates.

The Grand Ole Opry revealed the newest lineup of artists in its Opry NextStage program, which spotlights country music’s rising talent on the Opry stage and across Opry Entertainment Group platforms. The Opry NextStage Class of 2023 features eight acts: Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, ERNEST, Chapel Hart, Corey Kent, Kameron Marlowe, Megan Moroney and Ian Munsick. The Opry will officially introduce the new NextStage class with an “Opry NextStage Live” concert at Lava Cantina on May 10 at 2:30 p.m. in The Colony, Texas, preceding the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards on May 11 in neighboring Frisco, Texas. Tickets will be available through an exclusive pre-sale this Thursday, April 13 at 10 a.m. CT. General public on-sale will begin Friday, April 14 at 10 a.m. CT HERE. “Opry NextStage is a testament to the Grand Ole Opry’s longstanding reputation as a trusted curator in Country music and its commitment to nurturing and showcasing exceptional new talent, as it has done for almost a century” said Jordan Pettit, director of artist relations & programming strategy of Opry Entertainment Group. “This year’s new artist class, much like previous classes, showcases exceptional creativity across various musical styles, and we are excited to carry on the Opry tradition by introducing this exciting group of rising artists to fans.” For the remainder of the year, the new NextStage artists will receive dedicated support through featured original content, Opry performances and support across select Opry Entertainment platforms, including the Opry, WSM Radio and Circle Network. Since 2019, the NextStage program has introduced new talent to the country music fan base and featured artists such as Riley Green, Parker McCollum, Tenille Townes and Lainey Wilson, who all went on to earn ACM New Male and New Female Artist of the Year trophies the year following their NextStage inclusion. Other NextStage alumni include Priscilla Block, BRELAND, Callista Clark, Travis Denning, Tegan Marie, Niko Moon, Restless Road, Jameson Rodgers, Elvie Shane, Nate Smith, Morgan Wade, Hailey Whitters and Yola.