CMT Blog: Videos

Taylor Swift is going to be both the host and the musical guest on Saturday Night Live this Saturday (Nov. 7). Is that even possible, for someone to perform country music AND be truly funny in the skits?

Yes. And I know this because of Garth Brooks. He did the same double duty when he was at the top of his game, and I think really surprised everyone with a sense of humor that seemed to come very naturally. Like when he's being teased backstage by the irresistibly sexy Mango (Chris Kattan). Or when Tracy Morgan is totally bad-mouthing Chris Gaines right to Garth Brooks' face. "He's a weedy beedy bing bong freak. And he's soft. He's fat. If you were that big, they'd be calling you Girth Brooks." But the very best was when Garth played Milo Jenkins, who sells his soul to the devil (Will Ferrell) to write him a hit song. Like "Fred's Slacks." It might be hard for Swift to beat that. But she has taken Garth Brooks' advice before, so I'm guessing she'll follow in his footsteps again this weekend. She told MTV she wanted to look nothing like herself. "I told all the writers, 'Don't count anything out. I want to go completely, 100 percent in.'" Then she said cast member Kristen Wiig was one of her comedic inspirations. Which really makes me hope they do a skit with Wiig as the one-upper, trying to one-up Swift. Like, "You got a songwriting deal when you were 14? I got one when I was still in my mother's womb." Or, "Both your albums went platinum four times? My albums have gone platinum, like, platinum times. Elvis was totally jealous." And they'd have to do something about Kanye. "Kanye West barged in on your VMA speech? He barges in on me more. He barges into my house, my dressing room, my car. He's obsessed with me. He thinks I'm the greatest comic of all time."

For years I've been curious about the CMA Songwriters Series in New York City and since it coincided with this trip, I caught the early show last night (Nov. 5) at Joe's Pub. The lineup was pretty remarkable: host Bob DiPiero, Jessi Alexander, Jon Randall and Mark D. Sanders. DiPiero opened with "Blue Clear Sky," co-written by Sanders and recorded by George Strait. On his next time through, he played "Southern Voice," the new single from Tim McGraw. Randall offered a new song he co-wrote with Brad Paisley and Bill Anderson, "If You Can't Make Money, Make Love," an incredibly catchy and fun tune. Sanders told the audience that songwriters always know they're onto something when the crowd sings along with a song they've never heard before, which is exactly what happened.

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The truth is, Jason Aldean is letting his followers see something before everyone else sees it. And it's his brand new video for "The Truth." You know, the song where he tells his ex that she should lie to everyone about his whereabouts because he's gone crazy, so just don't tell 'em all the truth? That song. The lies he's asking her to tell paint a picture of what the video could look like: He may be on the West Coast, Vegas, visiting friends or getting into something bad for him. But we won't really know until Nov. 10 when a sneak peek becomes available at twitter.com/jason_aldean and twitter.com/FollowCMT. But tomorrow (Nov. 6) you can at least see behind-the-scenes stuff from making the video on CMT.com. And if you miss the Twitter sneak peek, you'll have to wait until the video makes its world premiere on Nov. 12 on CMT.com.

Gosh, I've been singing Dolly Parton's "Here You Come Again" since before it was even appropriate for me to be singing such lyrics. There I was, an 8-year-old running around the house singing about an irresistible man looking better than a body had a right to. But I didn't know and, then again, I didn't care. I just knew I loved the music I was hearing. And I still do. So, if you enjoy Dolly as much as I do and didn't get the chance to see her perform this classic No. 1 hit live in London recently, pull up a chair, turn up the speakers and take a front seat. From the first notes, I bet you will be wrapped around her little finger. Oh, here I go again.

Never send a boy to do a man's work -- that seems to be Greg Hanna's motto in his new video, "It's a Man's Job." And while many occupations will benefit from some fresh blood, there's one place where Hanna knows that experience will always trump youth. And no, it's not bed building (although having your "workspace" set up just the way you like it is a key to happy employment -- just another piece of knowledge that doesn't come over night). He says any kid can swing a hammer or walk the high steel, but loving his woman is something only a man (like him) can do.

Nobody has proclaimed it Carrie Underwood month in any official capacity. But when you look at her schedule, it's very clear that she owns November. There was her performance (in a gray dress and purple tights!) on Good Morning America this morning (Nov. 3) to celebrate the release of Play On, and on Thursday (Nov. 5) she'll be hanging on Live! With Regis & Kelly. She does Good Morning America again from Nashville on Nov. 11 -- the morning of the CMA Awards. Then oh yeah, she's hosting that ceremony on Nov. 11. The night after that, an A&E: Biography of her life will air. After that, it's The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on Nov. 16, The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Nov. 18, Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Nov. 19 and a performance on the American Music Awards on Nov. 22. And then? God willing, she will get some much needed R&R after the whirlwind that comes with promoting what I'm sure will be another multi-platinum album.

I was always a big fan of Julie Roberts, right from the get-go. She was cute, sweet and likeable. But she also had a badass edge to her voice that gave her music a little less perk and a lot more depth. Like on "Break Down Here." What a song that was: "Everything I own's in the back in a Hefty bag/I'm out of cigarettes and I'm down to my last drag." Sounds pretty desperate coming from her. But it sounds just as haunting coming from the tall drink of water that is Trace Adkins.

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Patty Loveless started off her show at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium Monday night (Nov. 2) by saying that it was good to be home. The Georgia resident did formerly live here in Middle Tennessee but I suspect the remark also had something to do with setting the audience up for a night of rootsy, down-home music. With the stage decorated with throw rugs, vintage lamps and acoustic instruments, she repeatedly referred to it as her living room and treated the crowd with the warm and friendly manner of a hostess being asked to sing for her guests. And they kept asking for about two hours, with Loveless reminding fans that they were "in it for the long-haul." Two hours may not seem that long, but with the emotional roller-coaster she took us on, I don't think a crowd could handle much more.

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Toby Keith and the tag team match of Blake Shelton and Trace Adkins head up a batch of seven videos that were screened by the CMT New Music Video Evaluation Team. Joe Nichols says goodbye to a dear old friend of his. Bucky Covington takes a rock song live. Gene Watson and Rhonda Vincent look at a sad family situation. John Fogerty remembers the Everly Brothers. And you can meet the new sister group, the McClymonts.

Artist: Toby Keith
Video: "Cryin' for Me"
Director: Michael Salamon

Toby Keith has written a song and a video tribute to his late friend, basketball great and jazz bassist Wayman Tisdale. He says goodbye to his friend in a very personal way.

Panelists' comments: "Damn, that was sad." "But so sweet." "Amen ... what can you say." "I think he did a great job with it."

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I always knew there was a common element that brings high class broads, stuffy rich guys and rednecks together. And according to the outstanding video for Blake Shelton's new "Hillbilly Bone," it is good country music. Long story short, Shelton and Trace Adkins walk into a five-star white-tablecloth restaurant full of uppity folks whose jaws are dropping. Especially when Shelton grabs the wine from the sommelier and drinks from the bottle, and Adkins takes a sip from his own jug of ‘shine. By the end, though, everyone has found their hillbilly bone down deep inside and they start singing and dancing. Even the old lady swinging her pashmina around like a stripper.