By Judy Shields
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 03/22/2023
Apple TV+ adds more star power to music competition series “My Kind of Country” and announces Friday, March 24 global premiere.
Featuring Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves, with trailblazing artists Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck joining as scouts in the search for country music’s next big star.
Executive Producers Reese Witherspoon and long time friend – award winning global music star, Kacey Musgraves have long shared the belief that country music needs to open its doors. Inspired by their conversations, Reese partnered with Apple Music to bring you My Kind of Country – Apple’s groundbreaking music competition show that travels the globe to break the next big Country Music Star.
Leading the worldwide search for talented Artists are three trailblazing Country Artists, Jimmie Allen, Mickey Guyton & Orville Peck who act as Scouts to find Artists who have been trying to break into the mainstream, but have not had opportunities because they don’t fit the traditional country mold. The Scouts are passionate about inclusivity because they themselves were once considered outsiders in Country Music.
Jimmie, Mickey and Orville each invite 4 Artists to the home of Country Music Nashville, Tennessee to showcase their unique kind of Country. The Scouts will decide at the end of the showcase performances which Artists will remain in the competition, where they must brave Scout led workshops and eliminations to secure a place in the Finale. The Artists all hope to make it far enough to compete to win a life changing prize: $100,000 and unprecedented support from Apple Music to launch their kind of Country music for the world to hear and gain a highly coveted seat at country music’s ever expanding table. Get ready for incredible performances from next level Artists – the stakes are high and the dreams are even higher in My Kind of Country.
The Hollywood Times had the opportunity to speak with Scouts Mickey Guyton and Orville Peck.
Review
There are a couple of singing competitions out there, but Nashville has brought us one with artist from around the world, especially South Africa. BRAVO to executive producers Reese Witherspoon and Kacey Musgraves for bringing this show to AppleTV+. A must watch show full of entertainment and deep rooted stories that the three Scouts brought to Nashville. There are 12 artist that will play and sing for their dream of being a Country Music Artist. Showcased at several venues around Nashville like Dark Horse Recording Studio, The Nashville Palace, The Analog @Hutton Hotel and World Wide Stages Nashville brings excitement to this music competition. Judy Shields, The Hollywood Times
“My Kind of Country” is a fresh take on a competition series, breaking down barriers in country music by providing an extraordinary opportunity to diverse and innovative artists from around the world. Scouts Allen, Guyton and Peck each hand-pick a roster of exceptional up-and-coming artists and invite them to the home of country music in Nashville, Tennessee, to showcase their unique sound. The competition winner will receive a life-changing prize from Apple Music, receiving unprecedented support and exposure on the platform.
Witherspoon and Musgraves executive produce alongside Hello Sunshine’s Sara Rea and Lauren Neustadter; Sandbox Entertainment’s Jason Owen; the illustrious Emmy nominated showrunner Izzie Pick Ibarra (“The Masked Singer,” “Savage x Fenty Vol 3,” “Dancing With the Stars,” “Ladies of London”); and Done + Dusted’s Katy Mullan (“The Disney Family Singalong,” John Legend’s “A Legendary Christmas with John and Chrissy,” “The Little Mermaid Live!,” “Dear Class of 2020,” London Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies). Emmy Award-winning Adam Blackstone serves as music director (musical director to Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Faith Hill, Rihanna and for Super Bowl Halftime Show, the Academy Awards, the Grammy Awards, “The Masked Singer”).
Watch the trailer:
Jimmie Allen
Grammy-nominated and 2021’s CMA New Artist of the Year, Jimmie Allen has been blazing trails since the beginning of his breakout career, including two consecutive No. 1 hits off his 2018 debut album “Mercury Lane” and a Best New Artist nomination at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards earlier this year. He was also nominated for Male Artist of the Year at the 57th ACM Awards (which he co-hosted alongside Dolly Parton & Gabby Barrett) and Outstanding New Artist nominee at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards. Allen won both the ACM New Male Artist of the Year award and CMA New Artist of the Year award in April and November 2021, respectively.
In July 2020, Allen released his star-studded collaboration project “Bettie James” and in June 2021, Allen released the project’s follow up album “Bettie James Gold Edition.” His third album “Tulip Drive” was released June 24, 2022 and its lead single “Down Home” reached the top of the Country Aircheck/Mediabase chart in January 2023, marking Allen’s fourth career No. 1 hit. He has amassed more than one billion on-demand streams, graced the cover of Billboard, and performed on The Kennedy Center Honors, Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Good Morning America, TODAY, ACM Awards, CMA Awards, CMT Music Awards, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and more. He is a current member of the 45th Kennedy Center Honors Artists Committee.
Much like his approach to music, Allen’s other creative pursuits know no boundaries. His debut picture book, “My Voice Is a Trumpet” – a powerful story about speaking up for what you believe in, at any age – was published in July 2021. Allen is currently on the road as a special guest on Carrie Underwood’s “The Denim & Rhinestones Tour” on all 43 U.S. arena dates through Spring 2023.
Mickey Guyton
Capitol Nashville’s Mickey Guyton “raises the rafters and distills emotion with impeccable clarity. Her high notes thrill, her nuance in storytelling captivates. A star for our times claims her place” (NPR). The four-time Grammy nominee and 2022 TIME Breakthrough Artist of the Year Guyton recently released songs “I Still Pray,” “How You Love Someone” and “Somethin’ Bout You” following her critically acclaimed 2021 debut album “Remember Her Name.”
With “Remember Her Name,” Mickey made history as the first Black artist to earn a Grammy nomination for Best Country Album. Title track “Remember Her Name” also landed Mickey with Grammy nominations for Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance. This follows Mickey’s groundbreaking Grammy nomination as the first-ever Black female solo artist to earn a nod in a country category (Best Country Solo Performance) for “Black Like Me” which she performed as part of the 2021 awards ceremony. “Black Like Me” was named one of the Top 10 all-genre songs of 2020 by NPR, Billboard and Associated Press. She also co-hosted the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS along with Keith Urban and she was named CMT’s 2021 Breakout Artist of the Year. Audiences around the world watched Mickey deliver a powerful message of inclusivity and togetherness with her “awe-inspiring,” “soulful and soaring” national anthem at Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles.
Mickey and her music have been featured on the cover of Billboard and profiled in The New Yorker, The New York Times and Rolling Stone. Over the last year she has been featured in American Songwriter, BBC News, CBS This Morning, Ebony, Elle, Ellen, Entertainment Weekly, Essence, HITS, Sesame Street, SHERRI, The Jennifer Hudson Show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine’s Vulture, PEOPLE, Pollstar, Sesame Street, TODAY Show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, USA Today, Variety, VIBE, The View, Vogue, The Washington Post and many more.
Orville Peck
Orville Peck is a country recording artist and songwriter known for his deep baritone voice, strong musicianship and songs that are sincere yet bold in their storytelling. Never confirming his identity, Orville, who is openly gay and lived an itinerant life across South Africa and the rural south, is never seen without his signature, fringed mask. Following the release of his self-produced debut album Pony in 2019, Orville signed with Columbia Records and released his Show Pony EP. Released to immediate critical acclaim early last year, the EP features a duet with global icon Shania Twain and puts Orville’s triumphant songwriting skills and intentional craftsmanship on full display. He then followed that up with “Bronco,” which he released in chapters, alongside a multitude of cinematic videos. He was also hand selected by Lady Gaga for her Born This Way 10th Anniversary album. Orville, known for his unique personal style, has collaborated with many fashion brands including but not limited to Dior, Michael KORS, ADIDAS X Ivy Park and Pamela Love amongst others. Known for his live shows, Orville was one of the first artists to return to touring and has toured across the US, Europe, Australia and Canada. He has had sold out shows at Hollywood Bowl and Ryman Theatre, as well as major festival appearances at Lollapalooza, Stage Coach and Coachella amongst others. When Orville is not performing or touring, he lends his time to activism and the causes he is committed to.
About Apple TV+
Apple TV+ offers premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, and is available to watch across all your favorite screens. After its launch on November 1, 2019, Apple TV+ became the first all-original streaming service to launch around the world, and has premiered more original hits and received more award recognitions faster than any other streaming service in its debut. To date, Apple Original films, documentaries, and series have been honored with 310 wins and 1,363 award nominations and counting, including multi-Emmy Award-winning comedy “Ted Lasso” and Oscar Best Picture winner “CODA.”
Apple TV+ is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $6.99 per month with a seven-day free trial. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch can enjoy three months of Apple TV+ for free. For more information, visit apple.com/tvpr and see the full list of supported devices.
