Song was premiered on the Opry stage
CMT Next Woman of Country, Julie Cole and singer/songwriter/actor Charles Esten have released upbeat duet, “Worst Day,” to all streaming services. The song, as Esten explains, is “a flat-out banger about the joy of having that special someone you love beside you in the good times, and even more especially, in the hard times.”
The two revealed “Worst Day” live when Esten invited Julia onstage during his 150th Grand Ole Opry performance in late April. The honor was not lost on the rising star, who’ll make her own Opry debut this summer with a date to be announced.
“Chip and his wife Patty have become cherished friends, so I was thrilled just to be in the building, cheering him on. But to actually step into his spotlight and sing our song together is now one of my best musical memories of all time,” Cole shares.
Both artists are known for bringing attention to important causes. Esten is the National Honorary Spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Light The Night Walk in Nashville and is a Musicians On Call board member and volunteer. Cole, a women’s athletics advocate, has fundraised thousands to support women’s youth athletics, working closely with the Boys & Girls Club of America.
The viral build behind Julie cole signals that a new star with Houston-bred rhythm-&-attitude is on the rise. From opening her high school volleyball games with the Anthem, to performing at NFL, MLB, NASCAR, and ESPN events, to becoming one of CMT’s 2022 Next Women of Country, Cole has racked up 70 million cumulative streams. She is a prolific songwriter and collaborator whose duet with Alexandra Kay entitled “Best Worst Ex” was released in March 2022 and racked up over two million streams in three weeks and was added to XM’s The Highway rotation. Solo single “Side Piece” racked up over 19.5 million views, while “Thank God We Broke Up” took off after a TikTok tease earned 1.5 million views. On the road, Cole has opened for Dan + Shay, Dierks Bentley, Kane Brown, Carrie Underwood, Jon Pardi, Kenny Chesney, Riley Green, Niko Moon, and others, in over 12 countries. We chatted with her last month on the red carpet at the 2022 CMT Music Awards in Nashville.
Charles Esten is an American singer/songwriter and actor beloved for roles as Deacon Claybourne on CMT’s Nashville and Ward Cameron on the hit Netflix show, Outer Banks. Combining his talents has defined Esten’s career – he made his theatrical debut singing, acting, and playing guitar as Buddy Holly in London in the hit West End musical Buddy. While there, he appeared on the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? which led to a role as recurring cast member on ABC’s US version of the show. He has appeared on Drew Carey’s Improvaganza, performed frequent live improv shows, and played numerous TV roles on Big Love, The Office, ER, and more. As a recording artist, Esten has performed across the US and Europe on iconic stages like the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman, Royal Albert Hall, Stagecoach, the CMAs, and he is in the Guinness Book of World Record for releasing an original song, once a week, for 54 consecutive weeks.
