BTS smashes music records, Reese Witherspoon is going country, and more

Big news in music television, BTS celebrates with fans, plus which iconic venue is welcoming audiences back for live shows.

These are your Weekend Notes for September 5th, 2020.

We begin this week with some sad news. Blanco Brown is in the hospital due to significant injuries he sustained in a head-on collision near his home. Brown is most well known for his 2019 worldwide viral smash “The Git Up” and his current hit “Just The Way.” He remains hospitalized as of this recording.

Additional artists for the 55th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards — happening in just two weeks — have been announced. Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Dan and Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Mickey Guyton and Morgan Wallen have been added to the superstar lineup. All will perform their latest hits from the Grand Ole Opry House stage. Additional collaborations will be announced right up until the day of the broadcast, September 16th.

Meanwhile, the nominations for the 54th Annual CMA Awards have been announced. And Garth Brooks got his wish–he is not among the performers nominated for the coveted Entertainer of the Year trophy. Eric Church, Luke Combs, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, and Miranda Lambert are up for that category. Lambert leads with the most nominations, at seven chances to win. Along with the nominees, the Country Music Association announced it would forgo a live audience for the broadcast.

But one venue welcoming patrons back is the Ryman. The Mother Church’s first-ever livestream concert series, Live at the Ryman, has added a limited in-venue audience. The practice started yesterday, September 4th, for Scotty McCreery’s concert. Capacity for these shows will be capped in accordance with local health guidelines.

Now for some music television news.

AXS TV has greenlit a new documentary series, Music’s Greatest Mysteries, which will shine light on the unique and enigmatic stories that shaped the history of music. Spanning a wide variety of eras and genres, Music’s Greatest Mysteries will guide viewers on an immersive journey investigating the infamous myths and larger-than-life personalities which have come to define the music industry throughout the decades.

Apple has announced Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, an exclusive holiday event from the multi-Grammy award-winning artist. The special will debut globally on Apple TV+ this holiday season to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Carey’s signature “All I Want for Christmas is You.”

And Reese Whitherspoon is going country! The powerhouse producer is teaming with Apple TV+ to launch My Kind of Country, a groundbreaking global search for unconventional and extraordinary country music talent. The hybrid docu-competition series will break down cultural and musical barriers in the country music space, inviting innovative musicians to unleash their authentic voices and take center stage.

And finally this week, global superstars BTS celebrated their history-making No. 1 track “Dynamite” with a virtual press conference to thank the media and its fan ARMY for support. TMU attended the press conference. BTS is the first Korean pop act to top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart with their first-ever English language track. The music video for “Dynamite” achieved a YouTube record with over one hundred million views in its first day live. The song has also topped the iTunes charts in 104 regions, and Spotify’s “Global Top 50” chart, the very first for a Korean act.

The Music Universe founder Buddy Iahn will be filling in for me the next few weeks with extended versions of his Notable Releases. Weekend Notes will return soon. Have a great weekend.

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com