MUSIC

He's Country's Next Big Thing. Here's Why...

His latest single "Neon Fools" is sexy, melancholic, and has us all thirsty for what he has coming in 2020

Adam Doleac is the name on everyone's lips in Nashville.

After a year of playing to tens of thousands on tour, amassing millions of streams online, and dropping a video featuring Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph, you wouldn't believe things could get any better for the rising country superstar. Cut to one record deal with Sony Music later and rethink what you believe. Doleac is one of those artists who sets your expectations high, leaps over them, then rinses and repeats. With that in mind, get excited, because he has an early Christmas gift for the world in the form of his latest single "Neon Fools."

In a word, the song is sultry. Filtered drums, minimalist slide guitar, and piano chords holding down the melody, all while Doleac silvertones his way through a set of lyrics showcasing him at his best. He plays off his natural charm, flirty but imperturbable, and sings about an ill-advised romantic interlude under neon light. Gospel vocal accents add to the track's ethereal elusive texture, all of which is countered by Doleac's voice. He acts as a grounding point amongst the smoke and mirrors of the song. For all of "Neon Fools" misguided amorosity, he always brings us back to what is tangible: the perfection of the present moment.

It's easy to love Adam Doleac. Apart from his genuine presence and gentle demeanour, he knows how to be genre accessible without pandering. For country fans he's an in-road to a more pop sound; for pop fans, he's a perfect entry point for country. But it's more than that. Gateway appeal is one thing, staying power is another. Doleac somehow has both. He's simultaneously a one-night stand, and the guy you can bring home to your folks. It seems like a magic trick, but the more you listen to him the more you feel it. While you wait for more, you can listen to "Neon Fools" and get excited for what the New Year will hold.

Check out Adam Doleac at AdamDoleac.com, and follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Listen to Adam Doleac on Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora

The Irish country singer tackles grief, growing pains, and daddy issues on her superb sophomore album, Not the Girl, out now.

Perfectionism can backfire, but not for Holly Macve.

The Galway-born, Brighton-based country crooner wrote the songs on her sophomore album Not the Girl — out last Friday, May 14 — several years ago, but at the time, she wasn't ready to fully realize them.

Keep ReadingShow less

Cristóvam releases new single "Love Be On My Side"

Cristóvam's single "Love Be On My Side" just dropped, and it is not one to miss.

The single, which was recorded between Namouche Studios in Lisbon and Cristóvam's own Fortitude Studios in the Azores, has a tasteful balance of grittier tones and softer folk/country flares.

Keep ReadingShow less
MUSIC

Is Morgan Wallen Just a Scumbag?

This morning it was revealed that Wallen's use of a violent, racist epithet seemed to give his career a boost.

Morgan Wallen arrives at the 53rd annual CMA Awards on Nov. 13, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn

Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

At a maskless pool party in Tampa, Florida, last night, Diplo caught the attention of TMZ after he spun "Heartless," his country-pop duet with singer Morgan Wallen.

The performance came mere days after Wallen was caught on camera drunkenly spewing the n-word, the latest controversial act in what has become a tiresome cycle of lewd behavior from the singer.

Wallen's career briefly hit a snag as a result of this particular incident. He was not only suspended from his label, but his music had been removed from multiple radio outlets.

Keep ReadingShow less
Music Features

PREMIERE: Kendal Conrad's "Better On" is "The Sexiest Song" She's Ever Written

The budding country super star, whose new single premiered exclusively on Popdust, gave us the track's backstory.

Kendall Conrad

Better On

She has opened for 32 of country's biggest stars including Blake Shelton and Hunter Hayes, has sang alongside Keith Urban on MTV, and has performed at massive functions across the country for years.


"Those big moments felt so rewarding," said Conrad, whose new song "Better On" premiered exclusively on Popdust today. "The hard part as an artist is to be able to sustain that level of success." Conrad, who started singing country tunes at a young age, has recently performed on more patios than stages due to the pandemic, but her determination in the face of changing times is telling of Conrad's work ethic. "I do feel like I lost momentum," she said. "I had plans and a lot of opportunities coming up, but I've really grown my social media engagement, played virtual shows...performing on patios has definitely kept me busy! Discovering new ways to engage with my fans and promote my music has kept me sane."

Keep ReadingShow less