AN “ANNOUNCEMENT OF HIS ARRIVAL” – ANN POWERS, NPR MUSIC
FEATURED ARTISTS INCLUDE BRAD PAISLEY, CHARLEY PRIDE, DARIUS RUCKER, MICKEY GUYTON, NELLY, NOAH CYRUS, THE OAK RIDGE BOYS, RITA WILSON, TAUREN WELLS & TIM MCGRAW
Combining his deep love of family and genre-spanning taste in music, platinum-selling singer/songwriter Jimmie Allen’s star-studded collaboration project, Bettie James, is OUT NOW everywhere via Stoney Creek Records/BBR Music Group.
The seven-track EP – co-produced by Allen and Ash Bowers – is a musical composition of love, heartbreak, perseverance, hope and faith with six brand new songs created with a variety of hitmakers. Bettie James was inspired by and named after his late father, James Allen, and late grandmother, Bettie Snead, who passed away in September 2019 and February 2014 respectively.
In celebration of the release, Allen will take over Billboard’s Instagram account today from 1pm-4pm CT. He will also spend time on his own Instagram, going live throughout the day with various collaborators from the project to provide fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the project’s creation.
Los Angeles’ Go Country 105 (KKGO) will feature a one-hour radio special at 7pm PT tonight in support of the project, playing Bettie James in its entirety. NPR also featured Bettie James on their weekly New Music Friday podcast as one of the top records out today, with Ann Powers hailing it an “announcement of [Allen’s] arrival” and a “huge step for country,” praising Allen: “I’m really glad that [he] had the vision to make that step.”
Tomorrow night, Allen will perform live on the historic Grand Ole Opry stage for their Saturday Night Opry livestream beginning 7pm CT. Click here for how to tune in.
Allen recently landed his second career No. 1 single when “Make Me Want To” notched the top spot on both the Billboard and Mediabase charts in March, marking the first time in history that a black artist launched their career with two consecutive No. 1 singles on Country radio. His first was the platinum selling No. 1 single “Best Shot” off his 2018 debut album Mercury Lane. Allen’s current single “This Is Us” with Noah Cyrus is also featured on the project – his fastest consuming single, garnering more than 30 million streams to date.
Bettie James – Track List:
(writers in italics)
“Good Times Roll” – Jimmie Allen, Nelly
(Jimmie Allen, Zach Kale, Nelly)
“Drunk & I Miss You” – Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton
(Tommy Cecil, Matt McGinn, Lauren LaRue)
“Made For These” – Jimmie Allen, Tim McGraw
(Jimmie Allen, Rob Grimaldi, Riley Biederer)
“Freedom Was A Highway” – Jimmie Allen, Brad Paisley
(Ash Bowers, Jimmie Allen, Matt Rogers)
“Why Things Happen” – Jimmie Allen, Charley Pride, Darius Rucker
(Jimmie Allen, Tate Howell, Cary Barlow, Brandon Day)
“When This Is Over” (feat. The Oak Ridge Boys) – Jimmie Allen, Tauren Wells, Rita Wilson
(Zach Kale, Jon Nite, Laura Veltz)
“This Is Us” – Jimmie Allen, Noah Cyrus
(Noah Cyrus, Tyler Hubbard, Jordan Schmidt, Ilsey Juber, Dernst “D’Mile” Emile II)