German soccer fan came to America for the World Cup, ends up becoming country music's newest superfan | Music City Minute

US soccer runs on country music | Music City Minute

The U.S. Men's National Team doesn't just play country music after games. They play it before them too. We've talked about how John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" has become the unofficial anthem of the 2026 World Cup. But it turns out country music's role with Team USA goes way deeper than a postgame singalong. The U.S. head coach revealed this week that the night before every match, his coaching staff gets together and plays country music. The manager said he's become a genuine fan of the genre and even name-dropped three artists the staff has been spinning: Luke Combs, Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley. "We need them to come to games. They are very, very welcome here.” Meanwhile, "Country Roads" continues to be the soundtrack of the tournament. The song was included on the official USMNT playlist submitted to FIFA, and it's been blasted through sold-out stadiums after every match, win or lose. After the 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle, midfielder Weston McKennie was caught on camera singing along from the pitch, strumming air guitar while 67,000 fans belted out the chorus above him. The U.S. won Group D and faces Bosnia in the round of 32 on Wednesday. And if country music has anything to do with it, they're not done yet.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

Alan Jackson takes the show one last time | Music City Minute

Alan Jackson took the stage one last time Saturday night, and Nashville gave him a send off worthy of a legend. Saturday night at Nissan Stadium, 55,000 fans gathered to watch Alan Jackson close the book on a 35-year touring career. The show was called Last Call: One More for the Road, The Finale, and it lived up to every word. The evening started with a little drama nobody planned for – lightning rolled through Nashville forcing a full stadium evacuation right before showtime. But the weather cleared, and when Jackson finally walked out at 9:25, he did what he's always done. He kept it real. "We're not going to dwell on all this sad 'last show' stuff," he told the crowd. "I'm not dead." He joked that it had started to feel a bit like a funeral, watching all these stars sing his songs from heaven. "Two-step up and down the aisle, have a good time, have a drink," he said. "We'll try to play something you like." Before Jackson took the stage, the first two hours belonged to the artists he inspired. Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Eric Church, Luke Bryan, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson, Riley Green, Jon Pardi, Lee Ann Womack and more all covered Jackson's catalog. His great niece Carlisle Wright, whom Jackson personally invited to make her Opry debut just weeks earlier, opened the show. Then came the man himself with a 24-song set that covered decades of hits. George Strait walked out to join him for "Designated Drinker" and "Murder on Music Row." He closed the main set with "Chattahoochee" one final time before an encore of "Mercury Blues" and "Where I Come From." The whole thing is being filmed for an NBC special later this year. But for the people who were there, Saturday night in Nashville was something no TV broadcast will ever fully capture.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

Grand Ole Opry might get new owner | Music City Minute

Country music's most sacred stage might have a new owner. This is a big one. According to a report from Bloomberg, Ryman Hospitality Properties is exploring the sale of its 70 percent stake in Opry Entertainment Group, the company that owns the Grand Ole Opry House and the Ryman Auditorium. They've hired Morgan Stanley to find a buyer, and this comes during the Opry's 100th anniversary year. The sale wouldn't just include those two iconic venues. Opry Entertainment Group also owns WSM Radio, the station that launched the Opry back in 1925, as well as Blake Shelton's Ole Red locations, Luke Combs' Category 10 bar in Nashville and ACL Live in Austin. The remaining 30 percent of OEG is already held by NBCUniversal and a private equity firm. Ryman Hospitality confirmed they're "evaluating potential opportunities," but stressed no agreements have been reached and there's no guarantee a deal will happen. Executive Chairman Colin Reed pointed to the rise in global popularity of country music as a reason for the timing. No matter what happens, this has Nashville paying very close attention. The Opry isn't just a venue. It's the heart of country music. And whoever ends up owning it will be holding something that can't be measured in dollars.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

Kane Brown gets 23 stitches | Music City Minute

Kane Brown had a rough Tuesday. The 32-year-old country star was out golfing in Nashville when his own buddy hit a shot that caught him right in the head. The result? 23 stitches and a concussion. Brown shared photos of the gnarly injury on Instagram, showing blood on his ear and a row of stitches, with the caption, "Just a scratch." He followed that with another post saying, "They said it will prob get worse in the next 48 hours, but I'm alive and that's all that matters. Holy crap." His wife Katelyn added some context of her own, saying the ball hadn't been losing momentum in the air he was standing right off the side of the shot. "It could have been so much worse," she said. The injury forced Brown to miss his scheduled performance at Travis Kelce's Tight Ends & Friends charity concert Tuesday night in Nashville, where Taylor Swift and Lainey Wilson ended up stealing the show. Former NFL player Will Compton broke the news to the crowd, joking, "He says concussion, the football guys probably don't buy it." Brown says he's recovering and plans to be back on stage soon, just maybe not back on the golf course for a while.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.

Taylor Swift sings 'Love Story' with Lainey Wilson | Music City Minute

Taylor Swift just showed up in Nashville and sang "Love Story" with Lainey Wilson, and the internet is losing its mind. Last night in Nashville, Lainey Wilson was closing out her set at Travis Kelce's annual Tight Ends & Friends charity concert when she told the crowd, "I don't think y'all are ready for what's about to happen." Out walked Taylor Swift. The two proceeded to duet on Swift's 2008 classic "Love Story" as the crowd erupted. Before the song, Wilson shared that years ago she came to Nashville for CMA Fest and watched a 16-year-old Swift perform at the Riverfront Stage to about 30 people. "Four of them were me, my mama, my daddy and my sister," Wilson said. "I knew watching that day that it was something really special." The moment got even sweeter during the song's bridge when Swift sang "he knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring" and flashed her engagement ring from fiancé Kelce to screaming fans. Kelce hosts the event each year alongside George Kittle and Greg Olsen to raise money for charity, and the night also featured performances from Dan + Shay, Nate Smith and Chase Rice. This is the second year in a row Swift has made a surprise appearance. Last year she performed "Shake It Off" with Kane Brown. The performance also comes on the heels of Swift's new country-leaning song "I Knew It, I Knew You" from the "Toy Story 5" soundtrack, fueling speculation that a return to country could be on the horizon.   I'm Brailey, and that's your Music City Minute.