As we prepare to roll into 2013, we’re looking back at some of the highlights of the year gone by…

In January…

• Miranda Lambert kicks-off her new “On Fire” Tour, with guests Chris Young and Jerrod Niemann. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Casey James makes his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Carrie Underwood is among the stars joining the timeless Tony Bennett for the premiere of the PBS special Tony Bennett: Duets II (two), capturing the in-studio performances from his chart-topping album, also titled Duets II.
• Sara Evans releases Love Lifted Me, her third in a trilogy of fiction novels in collaboration with writer Rachel Hauck. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Love and Theft earns its first ACM Award nomination as Duo of the Year.
• Chris Young hits number-one with “You,” earning his fifth consecutive number-one single! (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Chris Young explains how he got the invitation to join Miranda Lambert on her “On Fire” Tour. (:23)
“Actually, it was her. It wasn’t a phone call. We were doin’ a show somewhere, and she was like, ‘You’re gonna go out with me on my tour next year, right?’ I’m like, ‘Uhhhh, sure! Like, really?’ ‘Cause we have the same manager, and so my manager was standin’ there, she goes, ‘She’s asking you.’ I’m like, ‘Uhh, yeah!’ So, that was the first time I’ve ever had someone ask me in person. That was the first time that had happened.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Casey James talks about performing on the Grand Ole Opry. (:40)
“It’s always exciting to play the Opry because it’s got such history. And you have all the people that you’ve listened to your whole life. I mean, pretty much everybody that I’ve ever looked up to has played at the Opry, and so, you’re sittin’ in a room where easily some of your heroes could have sat in the exact same space. And you have that sense of awe at all times. And, you know, I never really tend to get nervous when I’m gonna go play music because I love it, and it’s enjoyable to me, but there’s always that sense of wonderment, you know, and that’s always enjoyable. It’s a fresh feeling, and so, it gives you a little bit of a, like I said, a different feeling than most gigs. I mean, as it should. I mean, it’s the Opry.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Sara Evans says that the third and final book in her trilogy continues an underlying theme. (:48)
“Love Lifted Me is the name of the third book. The title truly sums up the whole story because everything that this girl, Jade Fitzgerald, has gone through, at the end of the day, and at the end of every situation, the solution was love. And the Bible tells us to love one another and put each other first, and so that was really the main point that we wanted to make with this whole story, in all three books, was forgiveness, love, grace, mercy, redemption, finding the good out of a terrible situation. And the main way to come out on the other side of any hard time, like the song ‘A Little Bit Stronger,’ the main way to do that is to love and to forgive.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Chris Young talks about his fifth consecutive number-one hit, “You.” (:32)
“As simple as this song is, it’s kind of got this really cool groove to it, and I was so excited that we went with this one because it is different, I think, than some of the other songs that I’ve had out. It’s definitely different when you listen to it back-to-back with ‘Tomorrow,’ where ‘Tomorrow’ is this big power-ballad love song, ‘You’ is almost kind of this fun, kind of like an R&B slash country feel on a song. And I got to use my falsetto on the song, got to play around a little bit vocally, and I just love everything about it.”

In February…

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jake Owen talks about “Alone with You.” (:43)
“I personally chose ‘Alone with You’ to be the single because I personally relate to that song. I know that I’ve had instances in my life where I’ve had that person that was just…they just really grabbed ahold of my heartstrings and kind of toyed with my emotions from time to time. And everyone’s got that person in their life at some point that they just can’t get enough of, and it’s probably not the best for them to be involved, but they do it anyways, and you do that only in turn to learn and know what is right for you. And, anyways, I think this song is a great way of sayin’ it, and it’s a kind of vulnerable way of sayin’ it from a guy’s perspective, and I think it’s a sexy kind of sensual tune that…it’s a little departure from ‘Barefoot Blue Jean,’ but it’s gonna…it’s definitely a side of me people need to see.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jake Owen says that he knows that “Alone with You” feeling. (:14)
“It’s this song that’s got this passion to it of ‘don’t put your lips up to my lips and tell me you can’t stay,’ and don’t tease me, you know, like, don’t mess with my mind. And I’ve had girls, (laughs) girls totally try to pull that on me before.”

In April…

• Miranda Lambert is a double-winner at the 47th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, claiming not only Album of the Year for Four the Record, but also her third consecutive win as Female Vocalist of the Year. Miranda also makes ACM history as the first female ever to win Album of the Year on three consecutive albums! She previously took home the honor for both Revolution and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Newcomer Tyler Farr makes his debut on the Grand Ole Opry. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Miranda Lambert talks about the experience of winning Album of the Year. (:21)
“Especially songwriters, I think all of us as artists put our heart and soul into albums, but you know, they’re your babies. And when you win Album of the Year, it’s like…I don’t know…it takes your whole…it takes all your energy to put together an album, and when you win Album of the Year, it feels very validating, and like, it’s a major deal, for sure.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Tyler Farr recalls touring the Grand Ole Opry before he dreamed of singing country music. (:26)
“I was actually lookin’ through pictures the other day. My mom showed me this picture when I was like 14 or 15. We took a trip to Nashville, and we toured the Opry, and they have a little thing where you can get up and get your picture taken with the Grand Ole Opry mic and stuff, and I’m about 14 and have, like, sunglasses on, lookin’ like a cool kid holdin’ this guitar. And so, it’s kind of funny. I had no idea I’d be singin’ country music then. It’s kind of funny how that worked out, though.”

In May…

• Carrie Underwood releases her fourth album, Blown Away. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Pistol Annies‘ very own “Holler Annie,” Angaleena Presley, celebrates her wedding to Jordan Powell, longtime tour manager for fellow Annie, Miranda Lambert.
• On May 7th, Jake Owen and Lacey Buchanan tie the knot in an oceanfront ceremony in Jake’s hometown of Vero Beach, Florida.
• With her single, “Ex-Old Man,” new on the radio, Kristen Kelly enjoys an exciting May that includes her May 5th Grand Ole Opry debut and the May 18th launch of a summer on tour with Brad Paisley. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Miranda Lambert tops the charts with the beautiful and poignant “Over You,” a song she wrote with husband Blake Shelton, inspired by the passing of Blake’s younger brother years earlier. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood says that keeping her fans guessing about what to expect is part of the fun of making a new album. (:59)
“I love all kinds of music. I love all influences of music, and I feel like you can listen to my albums, especially Blown Away, and find different influences in different songs. And it’s so much fun to not sing the same song for 14 tracks. (laughs) And it makes putting together a tour so much fun because you think of all the things visually you can do, creatively you can do, the clothes you can wear, different sections you can have with different kinds of songs in them, and I really feel proud in the fact that you don’t know what you’re gonna get from one of my songs. You don’t know, you know, ‘Oh, her next song’s coming out. What on earth is it gonna be like? Is it gonna be some giant ballad? Is it gonna be something that makes me cry? Is it gonna be something angry? Is it gonna be something sweet?’ Like, you just don’t know, and I’m proud of that. I love that. I have fun with that. And that’s what it’s all about. As long as I’m still havin’ fun and loving what I’m doing, I have to think that other people will, too.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Kristen Kelly feels very honored to perform on the Grand Ole Opry. (:20)
“To me personally, getting the opportunity to play the Grand Ole Opry, I…if that’s the last thing I do, I would be content. It’s a part of country music history, and knowing that I’m gonna get to be a part of it is just absolutely amazing.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Miranda Lambert shares the story of writing “Over You” with her husband, Blake Shelton. (:31)
“We started writin’ this song on the bus. I don’t even know why really. I think maybe we had been talkin’ about Richie and talkin’ about the wedding, you know, sayin’, ‘Wish Richie could be there at the wedding,’ and it just kinda came to us. He was playin’ this melody and kinda said (singing), ‘Weatherman says it’s gonna snow,’ and I was like, ‘That’s kinda cool,’ and then it just started kinda becoming about that subject, and I said, ‘You went away,’ and he said, ‘How dare you,’ for the line, and we both just broke down cryin’. And I’ve never cried writin’ a song before, and I don’t know that I ever will again.”

In June…

• Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw launch their ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour with special guests Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Carrie Underwood hits number-one with “Good Girl,” the debut single from her new Blown Away album. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Kenny Chesney releases his new album, Welcome to the Fishbowl, and it becomes Kenny’s 11th consecutive album to debut at number-one on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums sales chart. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• At the CMT Music Awards, there’s a great moment when Carrie Underwood is seated next to her husband Mike Fisher, who’s seated next to Brad Paisley. And when Brad and Carrie win the award for Collaborative Video of the Year for “Remind Me,” Mike and Brad play it for laughs when Mike turns to hug Brad before turning to Carrie. It’s a fun moment, and right in keeping with the kind of relationship that the Paisleys and Fishers enjoy. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Kenny Chesney says that everyone was working very hard to make the ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour an awesome experience for the fans. (:59)
“We’ve tried really hard to give the fans the best experience possible. I mean, I think the one thing that you have to remember — people ask me for advice all the time about touring, about sellin’ tickets, about just the music business, period, and the one thing that I’ve always tried to remember, you know, especially since we’ve been headlinin’ our own shows is that you’re not just competing with everybody in the music business — not just my genre, but everybody. You’re not just competing with music. You’re competing with movies, you’re competing with sports, you’re competing with everyday life, you’re competing…people have options. And now they have not as much money as they used to to spend on those options. And the idea of somebody investing their life enough to come see us play means everything to us. So, that’s why we spend a lot of hours laboring over what can we do to make this experience the best it can possibly be.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood says that she appreciates a number-one single now more than ever. (:32)
“Getting a song to number-one definitely never gets old. In the beginning, you know, after American Idol, my first album, my first singles, I got so lucky, and so many people really got behind me from the beginning, and I had number-ones for, like, multiple weeks, and I was like, ‘This must just be the way it goes!’ And you know, throughout having more singles and more albums and stuff like that, I definitely learned it takes a lot of work to get a song to number-one, and it definitely makes you appreciate the number-one even more.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood is thrilled at the way that “Good Girl” has helped to introduce her latest album. (:27)
“You definitely want the first song off of any album to be impactful. You don’t want to spend all this time working and thinking about singles and what’s gonna happen and what should be first — you really plan it out, and you really want people to enjoy it. I mean, that’s kind of a little representation of what the rest of the album is gonna be like, so you want people to dig it. You want it to have a good response.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Kenny Chesney says that his new album not only has a different kind of sound, it’s also the most emotional album he’s ever made. (:42)
“There is a different sound of this record. Sonically, there’s a different sound. I think material-wise, there is a level of emotion on this record that I think is pretty evident, because I think that a lot of artists when they’re done with a record, they’ll say this is my favorite record that I’ve ever done, no matter if it is or not. I’m not sure it is, but I can tell ya, this record took me on an emotional journey that none of them have. And I think when you listen to this record and you hear that in these songs, there is a thread of longing on a lot of these songs, and it has an emotion to it that I’m not sure that we’ve captured on any other record before. And I’m proud of that.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood talks about her pal, Brad Paisley. (:35)
“Brad and I — I’ve always said, he’s like my big brother. I didn’t have brothers growing up, but if I had one, I would want him to be like Brad, and he has, you know, the best family. Kim and his kids are just absolutely amazing, and they’ve always been super-sweet to me. And it’s just nice to have people that you work with that you really enjoy, and you enjoy being around. And he and Mike have hung out together, and it’s just nice to have that in your life, where you can have people that are kind of in all aspects of your life — your work life and your personal life.”

In July…

• The July 3rd passing of entertainment legend Andy Griffith is felt by many fans, including Brad Paisley, who asked Andy to star in the music video for “Waitin’ on a Woman,” which won the 2008 CMA Award for Music Video of the Year. At the time of the video, Brad said that Andy’s work has truly influenced his life. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Carrie Underwood is new on the radio with “Blown Away,” the second single and title track to her latest album. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• On the Fourth of July, President Obama and the USO honor our armed forces and their families with the fourth annual “Salute to the Military” USO concert, featuring Brad Paisley. Held on the White House South Lawn, the event also streams live to fans across the nation.
• On July 24th, Love and Theft release their self-titled album, their first for RCA, which features the singles “Runnin’ Out of Air” and the song that will become their first number-one smash, “Angel Eyes.” (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake Owen and his wife Lacey Buchanan Owen announce that the couple will be welcoming their first child, a baby girl, in November.
• Kenny Chesney hits number-one with his red-hot smash, “Come Over,” which earns RIAA certification as a Gold Digital Single in just over nine weeks, becoming the fastest Gold Single certification of Kenny’s career! (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  In 2008, Brad Paisley talked about Andy Griffith, explaining that Andy was more than just the perfect choice to star with him in Brad’s “Waitin’ on a Woman” video — he was also an important part of Brad’s life. (:40)
“He has influenced my life more than most people that I grew up with — and more than most people that I actually knew my whole life. I mean, his TV show, The Andy Griffith Show, was for me, just, without a doubt, one of the most influential things I have ever had in my life. I mean, it…it’s a big deal to me. I watch it. When I wrote an introductory letter to him, one of the things I said was that he’s helping to raise my son…and that’s a big deal. He really is. I mean, I think you could do far worse than to use The Andy Griffith Show as a guide for what, you know, the way to handle the issues that come up with your little boy.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood recalls hearing the song “Blown Away” for the first time. (:26)
“I remember where I was the first time I heard ‘Blown Away.’ It’s one of those songs for me, and I had listened to a ton of, you know, demos and stuff like that, people pitching their songs. And this one, I got an e-mail and started listening to it on my computer speakers, and then I was like, ‘Whoa!’ So I grabbed my headphones, and I plugged my headphones in, and I started it over, and I just got chills all over my body.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Love and Theft’s Eric Gunderson and Stephen Barker Liles say that their self-titled album really captured the sound that the guys wanted to define for the duo. (:38)
Eric: “Oh, yeah, I think it’s probably the most rewarding feeling that you can feel. I mean, I remember…”
Stephen: “It’s awesome.”
Eric: “…when we had our final, like, little listening party where we sat back, drank a couple beers, and listened on the big, $20,000 speakers at the studio, it was, I mean, really a feeling of accomplishment because there’s a lot of times where you can set out to do something and it doesn’t turn out how you wanted it to and you kind of just go with it. It evolves into something else, but I think from beginning to end with this project, we started off with a vision, and we didn’t let it get off track. We always kept it very close to what we wanted, and we wanted to make an organic record that featured our harmonies, our voices, and that breathed — that wasn’t over-produced — and I think we definitely did that.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Kenny Chesney says that the melodic appeal of “Come Over” is part of what drew him to the song. (:19)
“When you get to a point in your career that I am, you have to search for melodies that are just different. You just do. So I think that it was a perfect song for me, and it’s a song that I needed at this point in my career, and it was an incredible way to kick off the record, I think productionwise and emotionally ’cause it does set a tone.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Kenny Chesney says that there’s a lot to relate to in his smash single, “Come Over.” (:43)
“There is this fundamental, simple just-wanting-each-other. Being in that moment where you do feel a void, emotionally and sexually and physically. And I don’t know that I’ve ever had a booty-call song before, but this is definitely…this is definitely a booty-call song, but it’s more than booty call. It is a very emotional and it’s a…more of a comfortable song being with someone that you’re just used to being with because you just…the idea of moving forward is scarier than the idea of staying in what’s comfortable, and I think we all relate to that.”

In August…

• Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood are announced to return for the fifth consecutive year as hosts of the CMA Awards.
• Love and Theft mine their first RIAA Gold Digital Single with the success of their first number-one smash, “Angel Eyes.” (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake Owen is announced to headline CMT on Tour Jake Owen: The Summer Never Ends 2012, with special guests Love and Theft and Florida Georgia Line. The tour launches in October. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

In September…

• Kix Brooks releases his first post-Brooks & Dunn solo album, titled New to This Town. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Carrie Underwood‘s Blown Away album becomes a million-seller, certified RIAA Platinum. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake Owen releases his four-song Endless Summer EP. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Kenny Chesney is among the honorees at the 6th Annual Academy of Country Music Honors, a special event at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium where Kenny is celebrated with the ACM’s Crystal Milestone Award. A four-time ACM Entertainer of the Year, the award recognizes Kenny as an artist whose amazing career accomplishments have helped to promote the entire genre of country music.
• 12-year-old Chase Kurnick makes national news when Carrie Underwood pulls him from the audience at her Louisville, Kentucky, show in response to his concert sign asking her to be his first kiss. Chase — and the video of his on-stage, lip-to-lip Carrie smooch — make their way to NBC’s Today show, where Chase isn’t afraid to kiss and tell about his experience! The very fun interview is online here.

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Kix Brooks talks about his new solo album, New to This Town. (:39)
“I made a album that really is close to my heart, and it’s a whole lot of fun. For the most part, the music’s just…it’s kind of fun and games and hangin’ it out there and thinkin’ about gettin’ back in a lot of those clubs and festivals and gettin’ to play again. And over the years, it’s funny how walkin’ on the stage you’ll have some ballad that really emotionally meant a lot to you, and right before you walk out, you scratch it off (laughs) the set list ’cause you know they’re not gonna dig it! It’s like, you know, people come to enjoy themselves, and I think this album in a lot of ways is about that.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood worked to fill her Blown Away album not only with great songs, but also a lot of variety. (1:10)
“As different as every song on this album is from the one right before it, there were other ones that were like, even further out there. And it’s really important to me to give as much variety as I can in one CD and still make it all work together. You know, it’s this crazy puzzle, and you gotta figure out what pieces need to be in it, where they need to go, and what the song needs to be in between for it to like really make sense and feel good. And I have songs that are a bit darker, I have songs that are light and airy and earthy and happy sing-along songs, you know? I have a couple silly songs, I have some more traditional country songs than I’ve ever done before, you know, steel guitar, fiddles, Brad Paisley playin’ guitar, like, it’s country — and I’m so lucky I feel like I can do all of that in one CD, in one album, and people can get as much bang for their buck, you know? It’s not one or two singles and then a bunch of album tracks. These are all different, individual, awesome songs.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jake Owen talks about his new Endless Summer EP. (:47)
“This was just fun. Like, I didn’t put pressure on myself to make this album because no one expected anything from it, you know? I came to the label and said, ‘Hey, look, if you trust me the way you did the Barefoot Blue Jean Night album, I’ve already done these songs on my own, I didn’t spend a lot of money to make ’em, so it’s not a large investment, but I really, truly believe in the fan base that I’ve built on the road and the hard work that I’ve put into this. I believe that if we give the people that have supported me all these years some music to buy that’s not necessarily a promoted album, just let ’em…just put it out there, and see what happens. It’ll also add to my show out on the road. It gives me a few more songs to play that people know. And thankfully enough, the label said, ‘You know what, go ahead, let’s do it!'”

In October…

• Miranda Lambert and Dierks Bentley announce their 2013 Locked & Reloaded Tour, set to begin on January 17th.
• Brad Paisley releases the digital single for “Southern Comfort Zone,” the first new music from his upcoming album, set for release on April 9th. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Carrie Underwood hits number-one with “Blown Away,” the second chart-topping single from her Blown Away album. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jerrod Niemann releases his new album, Free the Music, an exciting, musically inventive collection right in line with what Jerrod’s buddy Chris Young has to say about Jerrod’s approach to music. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake Owen‘s four-song Endless Summer EP debuts on Billboard‘s Top Country Albums sales chart at number-two and scores big with online fans, becoming the number-one digital country album of the week! (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake Owen launches his CMT on Tour outing with a sold-out show in New York City.
• Kristen Kelly releases her self-titled, four-song digital EP, featuring her recent hit, “Ex-Old Man.” (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Brad Paisley talks about his new hit, “Southern Comfort Zone.” (:25)
“Well, I’ve got this new single out called ‘Southern Comfort Zone,’ and it’s evolving for me, what it means. I had this sentiment I wanted to express, which was that leaving the South sort of makes you love it more and that there are great parts of the world that expand your mind and make you see where you’re from in a new way and makes you really appreciate this great place called the South or Tennessee or Alabama or Mississippi or you name it, wherever you’re from.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood says that there’s something special about her smash “Blown Away” that inspired her to show another side of herself. (:41)
“I’m really glad that I had a song with the title ‘Blown Away.’ You know, the song, it’s…the whole album’s not like that song — which is good because (laughs) it might be just too much drama to handle I think if all the album was like ‘Blown Away.’ But it was just such a cool…I mean, ‘Blown Away’ — you think of something that’s just gonna blow you away. You think of something that’s gonna surprise you and excite you and think, ‘What just happened?!’ You know? So, it was strong, it was fierce, and it…I feel like it gave me license to shoot for the cover art and everything like that and get to be fierce and get to be strong and get to be, you know, kind of sexy, and I don’t know, just kind of show a different, stronger side of myself.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Chris Young talks about Jerrod Niemann and his approach to music. (:42)
“He’s one of my favorite people. Just a very, very laidback guy, very different style, very different sound, and he knows exactly what he wants to do. And that’s not true of a lot of musicians. Some people are just kind of like, ‘I want to have a hit.’ Jerrod’s one of those artists where when you sit down and talk to him, you realize he’s like, ‘Yeah, I want to have a hit, too, but I want to have a hit making music that I want to make.’ And it’s rare to see somebody that knows exactly what they want. Goin’ in the studio with that guy is just crazy ’cause he’s got…’Okay, what if we put a harp right here on this record?’ and you’re like, ‘What??’ He goes, ‘Yeah, yeah, no, stay with me!’ And I mean, just some of the ideas that he uses in studio and on his music is just brilliant.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jerrod Niemann talks about his new album, Free the Music. (:34)
“Free the Music has so many different meanings to me. It bein’ the name of the album represents a lot. It’s…when you see the words ‘free the music,’ I hope that you think, ‘That’s what I want to do when I get off work,’ or when I get out of school or when kids are too loud or husband or wife or whoever — just when you need a minute to yourself — that’s what we made this album for. Because we freed our minds to make this album. We took all musical rules that we had known, and we threw them out the window and just rolled with it, you know, with all these different things that inspired us. And that’s what Free the Music is about. It’s about just escaping from the moment that you don’t (laughs) want to be in.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jake Owen says that it’s an amazing feeling to see the success of his new Endless Summer EP. (1:06)
“I’ve been at the point in my career and life — and not just music, but many instances where you want people to care. Like, I remember, like, the reason I left Tallahassee, Florida, early — left my twin brother there, all my friends, dropped out of college with nine hours of school left — and moved to Nashville is ’cause I wanted people to care. I wanted to sing my songs. I wanted to sing songs that were about my life. I wanted to be an artist, but I wanted people to care about what I was doing. And I moved to Nashville — it’s taken me this six, seven, eight, nine years of my life to build a brand of who I am and what I’m all about. And to put out an EP now, or an album — whether it’s Barefoot Blue Jean Night or this new Endless Summer EP — and see the reaction to it, completely now fills that feeling that I always wanted. It’s validation that people do respect what I’m doing, and they want to hear what I’m doing, and they care. And now they’re waiting to see what it is that you’re gonna bring to the table, and you know, you can’t bring somethin’ that doesn’t taste good to the table. You gotta keep on bringin’ the yummy treats, man. So I gotta bring some yummy treats!”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Kristen Kelly talks about her new four-song digital EP, simply titled Kristen Kelly. (:21)
“I feel like all four songs show a different side of who I am as an artist, but I feel like cohesively they work, and they go together. And I feel like it’s a good representation of the fact that there’s a bit more grease than polish in my music, and I’ve got the country influence, I’ve got the classic rock influence and definitely the blues influence.”

In November…

• At The 46th Annual CMA Awards, Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw win Musical Event of the Year for “Feel Like a Rock Star.”
• Miranda Lambert continues her reign as CMA Female Vocalist of the Year, winning the title for the third consecutive year, as well as winning Song of the Year for “Over You,” written with her husband, Blake Shelton.
• People magazine’s November 12th issue spotlights Chris Young as its “Sexy Man of the Week.”
• Miranda Lambert opens The Pink Pistol, her own store, in Tishomingo, Oklahoma.
• Kenny Chesney announces his ‘No Shoes Nation’ Tour, launching March 16th, 2013, at Tampa, Florida’s Raymond James Stadium. Officially dubbed Corona Light Presents Kenny Chesney’s ‘No Shoes Nation’ Tour, starring Kenny Chesney, the stadium tour will feature special guest Eric Church, as well as Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves, with Zac Brown Band stepping in as special guest on select dates.
• Chris Young kicks-off his Liquid Neon Tour, with guests Thomas Rhett and Joanna Smith, with a sold-out show at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
• Love and Theft‘s Eric Gunderson and his wife Emily announce that they are expecting their first child on May 18th of 2013, and the couple subsequently share the news that the baby will be a boy.
• Jake Owen hits number-one with “The One That Got Away,” becoming his third number-one hit in a row. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Carrie Underwood performs the television debut of her new single, “Two Black Cadillacs,” on the American Music Awards and wins Favorite Album – Country for Blown Away. This year’s AMA win marked Carrie’s 7th American Music Award and her fourth win for Favorite Album – Country, meaning that all of Carrie’s albums are now AMA winners! (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Kristen Kelly’s new EP attacts critical acclaim, including no less than The New York Times, in a review that praises, “Some singers get by on the strength of their attitude, some on the strength of their songwriting and some on the strength of their voice. Kristen Kelly … has plenty of the first two, but it’s the third that sets her apart.”
• Jake Owen and his wife Lacey celebrate the November 22nd Thanksgiving Day birth of their first child, daughter Olive Pearl Owen, who will be known as Pearl. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jake Owen talks about songwriting and his hit, “The One That Got Away.” (:30)
“It’s an interesting thing to watch somethin’ that you write that’s a personal experience turn into an experience that everyone relates to. You don’t think of that when you go to write it, but, like, it’s just one of the perks of the job to watch something just really relate to someone that you’d have never in a million years thought that would have happened, but it’s also what allows us to keep on keepin’ on havin’ a job and pay the bills and things like that, so it’s…I’m (laughs)…I’m very thankful that people relate to my music.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Carrie Underwood talks about buying music — and making music (1:26)
“I’m one of those, like, old-fashioned, I guess you could call me now, old-school people that I like to go out and buy an album. There’s something about it. There’s something about holding it in your hand, you have the CD, you can put the CD in your car, you see the pictures, you see the words, you see the thank-yous — like, there’s so much love that goes into creating an album, and a lot of times, I feel like people miss it because they’re not physically holding it in their hands. And that’s today, you know? It’s so great for me ’cause I’ve bought CDs three times that I’ve lost three times, and now I get to go — I buy my favorite songs (laughs) on iTunes! It’s awesome! And rediscovering stuff, and things that you don’t really see sitting on the shelves in a CD store anymore, you know, you can go on iTunes and find, and it’s absolutely amazing. But it’s also forced all of us to really bring it on an album. You want people to buy the album, so you have to make every single track on that album spectacular. I have 14 songs on this album. I basically have to have 14 singles on this album — because I want people to want it. I want people to be able to want to listen to the entire album, from front to back, and get the big picture and understand what I’m trying to do and where I’m going with it. You know, of course, if anybody gets into any of my music, whether it’s one song or all 14, I mean, it’s a victory, you know? But I would much rather them, of course, buy 14 awesome songs rather than pick a few out.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jake Owen says that he wants his daughter to know that he’s here for her, now and always. (:32)
“I told Lacey the other day, I said, ‘You know what? If our girl will look at me the way that you look at your dad, and if our girl will talk about me to her friends and her boyfriend or her husband one day the way that you talk to me about your dad, then my job in life will be complete.’ Because a dad to a girl is a role model, and it’s someone that she can count on and stand behind, and it’s my dying goal to make sure that my daughter knows that, that I’m here for her and for no matter what.”

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Jake Owen is grateful for the two dads who are there to help him learn to be a great father. (:59)
“I’ll definitely be the guy that babies his little girl. You only grow up once, and I want my little girl to look back and think how great a dad I was. And I told my wife something, you know? When I first met her father, I was a bit intimidated by him, but also I was a bit turned off in the sense where I wanted him to be more friendly to me and buddy-buddy, and he was tryin’ to prove a point in a sense like, I’m not your buddy: I’m the father of this girl you’re about to marry. And I need to know that you’re gonna respect her, and I need to know that you’re gonna love her and take care of her the way that I have loved her and taken care of her, her entire life. And once I understood where he was comin’ from, and once he understood where I was comin’ from, we have hit it off, and he has become one of the great, great additions to my life that I really need. I mean, he does a lot of things different than my dad. And so I have two dads now. I have my father, and I have my father-in-law. And I get to learn from both of them in order for me to be the best father I can be.”

In December…

• Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Kenny Chesney are among the top stars honored on the 2012 CMT Artists of the Year special. (AUDIO INFO BELOW)
• Jake Owen performs his number-one hit, “The One That Got Away,” on the American Country Awards, where he walks away with the award for Artist of the Year: Breakthrough Artist.
• Carrie Underwood is a two-time honoree at the American Country Awards, taking home Artist of the Year: Female, as well as Single of the Year: Vocal Collaboration with Brad Paisley on “Remind Me.” Carrie’s wins bring her ACA total to 11, as she continues to be the most-awarded artist in the show’s three-year history.
• Miranda Lambert is a triple-winner at the American Country Awards, with honors for Single of the Year: Female, Music Video of the Year: Female, and Most Played Radio Track: Female, all for her gorgeous number-one single, “Over You.”
• Carrie Underwood earns a GRAMMY® nomination for Best Country Solo Performance for her chart-topping “Blown Away,” while the song also earns a Best Country Song GRAMMY nod for writers Josh Kear and Chris Tompkins.
• Miranda Lambert’s Four the Record is nominated for a GRAMMY® Award for Best Country Album.
• Jake Owen‘s final headlining CMT on Tour date doubles as his annual hometown benefit with a sold-out concert in Vero Beach, Florida, raising $125,000 for children’s charities supported by the Jake Owen Foundation, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and youth organizations in Indian River County, Florida — among them, Autism Speaks and the Mardy Fish Foundation.
• Brad Paisley will be featured on the 29th annual Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade TV special. After previously contributing songs for the soundtracks to the hit films Cars and Cars 2, Brad will join Cars characters Lightning McQueen and Mater for a parade performance in the new Cars Land at Disneyland Resort. The Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade airs December 25th at 10am, ET, on ABC.

012 REWIND: A Year in Highlights" width="16" height="14" />  Miranda Lambert talks about award-show honors, including being named among CMT’s Artists of the Year. (:24)
“It’s awesome, CMT Artists of the Year — I guess all of these things that you get nominated for or bein’ celebrated for, it’s just…you know, you work your butt off all year long and, you know, write songs and tour and plan your next year, and I work with the Pistol Annies, and it’s just like you put your nose to the grindstone, and the stress and all that pays off when you know that people are enjoyin’ it and celebratin’ you for it. It really feels good.”