Country Music is on the Rise
The Chieftain reviews the best in country music right now
By Danny Dillon
Chieftain Staff
Country music has had an eventful
year so far. New albums were released
by artists across the board, from Zac
Brown Band to Luke Combs. On the
down side, Troy Gentry’s death in
September was heartbreaking, and then
the Las Vegas massacre happened this
month during a Jason Aldean concert.
But, to stay on a positive note, here
are the top albums of 2017:
“Welcome Home”
Zac Brown Band
ZBB teased us in early February with
the single, “My Old Man.” The heart-
warming song about dads everywhere
was a hit
during Fa-
ther’s Day.
On May 12,
ZBB released
the album,
including
the summer
hit, “Roots,”
which was
all about Zac Brown starting the band.
They performed at DTE on June 8 and
reports were that they were amazing.
You can never go wrong with ZBB.
“On the Rocks”
Midland
This Texas trio released
their popular single, “Drink-
ing Problem,” months before
the album was released.
Once out, the album com-
bined classic, old-school
Texas trio Midland successfully blends country genres
country with new pop-coun-
try, providing the perfect in-between.
excited to see what happens next with
“On the Rocks” is a masterpiece, and I
this promising artist.
would not be surprised to see this band
blow up within the next couple of years. “This One’s for You”
Midland is defi nitely a band you should Luke Combs
check out.
Luke Combs killed it this summer.
“From a Room: Volume 1”
Chris Stapleton
Stapleton gives us a more traditional
vibe on his new album. He seems to
stray from
the “Stadium
Country” trend
and really
brings us back
to country’s
roots. He re-
leased the most
Chris Stapleton
popular song
from the album,
“Broken Halos,” on April 14, and it was
on the radio almost immediately. I’m
After the album release in June, mul-
tiple songs blew up. You probably hear
“Hurricane” and “When it Rains, It
Pours” on the radio at any given time.
Combs’ fan base is growing fast, and I
don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.
This summer was an interesting
time for country, as bands and artists
are starting to find a middle ground
between pop-country and traditional
country. I expect to see a lot more over
the next year or so, with more new faces
popping up onto the scene. Whether
you like country or not, give one these
artists a listen with an open mind. Hey,
maybe you’ll change your mind.
FIELD DAY
Continued from Page 8
Despite stiff challenges this year, Padre Pio fi nished as Field Day’s top dog once again
B R OTHE R R IC E H IG H S C H O O L C H I E F TA I N
P AGE 3
athletic ability. Another dominating perfor-
mance by Pio in volleyball put another win
under their belt.
Pio and Raphael battled it out on the fl oor
in the dodgeball fi nal. The atmosphere in the
gym was great, thanks to the Senior class’s
awesome music playlist, and Raphael ended
up getting their revenge on Pio after Pio had
wrecked their chances of going undefeated
in the semis.
By pulling out the victory in dodgeball,
Raphael made the fi nal-score announcement
of Field Day 2017 a nail-bitter. In the end,
though, Padre Pio was top dog.
“I’m happy for all the Seniors who got this
fi nal win,” Carter said.
Will Padre Pio’s reign ever end? Will they
become the greatest Field Day dynasty ever?
Only time will tell.
O C T O B E R 2017