Allen’s New Single “Make Me Want To” was Most Added at Country Radio in First Week with 61 Stations Reporting; Nominee for New Male Artist of the Year at 2019 ACM Awards
On the heels of the release of his second single “Make Me Want To,” now in its fourth week at Country radio, and a first-time nomination this week for New Male Artist of the Year at the upcoming ACM Awards, country music breakout Jimmie Allen and fellow country newcomer Abby Anderson have released their own cover of the hit song “Shallow.” The GRAMMY and Golden Globe winning smash performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper in the critically acclaimed and Oscar nominated film “A Star is Born” is up for “Best Original Song” at the 91stAcademy Awards ceremony airing this Sunday, February 24.
The accompanying video shows a split screen of Allen and Anderson going about their daily lives before uniting in the studio to deliver the passionately soulful chorus together in perfect harmony. Watch the video here.
“‘A Star is Born’ was one of my favorites from last year, and the performance of this song in the film really moved me as an artist,” shares Allen. “I had chills! Getting to cover ‘Shallow’ with my good friend Abby was such a cool experience. She’s an incredible vocalist, and I’m excited for fans to hear our take on the song.”
“I think I speak for everyone when I say that I bawled like a baby during ‘A Star Is Born.’ The song ‘Shallow’ immediately stood out to me,” says Anderson. “When Jimmie called and asked if I would sing on this song with him, I was honored. I mean I’m no Lady Gaga, but working on this with Jimmie, who pours his whole heart into a song vocally, was an absolute joy.”
Allen burst onto the country music scene with his breakout three-week No. 1 debut single, “Best Shot,” described by Rolling Stone as a “rare honest love song, with a catchy, melodic chorus that flirts with pop-rock power balladry,” and enabled the Delaware native to etch his name in history as the first black artist to launch their career with a No. 1 at Country radio.
The pop-infused follow up single, “Make Me Want To,” is the second from Allen’s Stoney Creek Records / BBR Music Group debut album Mercury Lane, which The New York Times asserts is one of 2018’s strongest and describes it as “a conventional country album, filled with songs about the small details.” Allen is currently supporting Kane Brown on his Live Forever Tour where he continues to break new ground for African-American country artists. He will also be hitting the road this summer as support on Chris Young’s Raised on Country Tour and Rascal Flatts’ Summer Playlist Tour.
As announced earlier this week, Anderson is set to open for Rob Thomas as direct support on Thomas’s Chip Tooth Smile Tour. The 44-date tour kicks off in Red Bank, NJ on May 28 and runs through August 4 with stops in New York, Los Angeles and Nashville.
Named one of The Bobby Bones Show’s “Class of 2019,” Anderson is also one of MusicRow’s “Next Big Thing for 2019,” and is included in Sounds Like Nashville’s “19 New Country Artists to Watch in 2019,” NYCountry Swag’s “2019 Artists to Watch” and Country Music Tattle Tale’s “Artists to Watch in 2019.” Armed with that support, Anderson is set to take the stage at several music festivals this year including Stagecoach, Tortuga Music Festival, Country Thunder, and Off the Rails Country Music Fest. Making her first international appearance, Anderson is due to perform at C2C in London, UK on March 8. Finishing up in the recording studio now, Anderson is set to release new music on Black River Entertainment this spring.
Fans can stream Allen and Anderson’s version of “Shallow” here.