Alanna Conaway

As anticipated, Little Big Town‘s summertime anthem, ‘Pontoon,’ has officially been certified platinum for digital downloads exceeding one million copies sold. The tune was an instant smash for the four-piece group following its release, and it has also become the highest-charting single of their career.

Brian Kelley and Tyler Hubbard of newcomer country duo Florida Georgia Line cover all the important bases in the music video for their latest, ‘Cruise’ — party scenes (complete with a paint fight finale), beautiful girls, a playful round of strip poker, and of course, live performance shots, which show any non-believers out there why they are one of the most talked about new acts in country music.

Carrie Underwood has been putting in countless hours preparing for her forthcoming 2012 Blown Away Tour, which will criss-cross the U.S. starting this month. And according to the ‘Good Girl’ superstar herself, fans should expect the trek to be nothing short of amazing — even she can’t wait to see all of the puzzle pieces put together.

The best songs on country radio typically stem from co-writes where everybody has a good time. That was the case for Dierks Bentley‘s ‘Tip It on Back’ lyrics. Penned by Tully Kennedy (who is also the bass player in Jason Aldean‘s live and studio band, as well as co-producer of Thompson Square), Jon Nite and Ross Copperman, the tune came to life as the latest single from Bentley’s ‘Home’ album. Rea

Even though Eric Church recently said he would be stepping away from the spotlight in the new year, he’ll still be on the radar. As a way to thank his loyal followers for hundreds of sold-out concerts, Church will be releasing his very first live album in the beginning of 2013.

One of the great things about having a summertime No. 1 on country radio is the rooftop parties to celebrate. That’s exactly the kind of party Brantley Gilbert decided to throw for his latest chart-topper, ‘You Don’t Know Her Like I Do,’ on Wednesday afternoon (Aug. 22) in Nashville.

Jake Owen has been named the headliner of the this year’s CMT on Tour package, which will also feature rising stars Love and Theft and Florida Georgia Line as supporting acts. The 2012 CMT on Tour: The Summer Never Ends trek is set to kick off on Oct. 10 in New York City and wrap on Dec. 15 in Owen’s hometown of Vero Beach, Fla.

It’s easy to count on a hit when Toby Keith and Bobby Pinson write together, a fact which holds true with the ‘I Like Girls That Drink Beer’ lyrics. The song is the singer’s first single from his forthcoming new album.

Last weekend, Craig Morgan hosted his 6th annual Charity Motocross Ride, Concert and Sporting Clay Shoot just outside of Nashville, and the event was once again a huge success. Over $70,000 was raised for the Craig Morgan Charity Fund, a component fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Ricky Skaggs is readying the release of his latest bluegrass project, ‘Music to My Ears,’ which is scheduled to hit stores on Tuesday, September 25. The album will contain 11 all-new tracks that will not only please his loyal bluegrass fans, but his more country followers, as well.

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw‘s Brothers of the Sun Tour has continuously reached new heights night after night, most recently with their performance at MetLife Stadium over the weekend (Saturday, Aug. 11), where they set a local record.

Newcomer Jana Kramer‘s voice will soon be heard more than ever before, as the brown-haired ‘One Tree Hill’ star has signed on to sing the well-known Nationwide Insurance jingle, ‘On Your Side,’ in a new series of commercials.