This week’s crop of new music features Chase Rice honoring his late father through his new music, while Benjamin Tod teams up with reigning Americana Music Honors & Awards entertainer of the year winner Sierra Ferrell. Meanwhile, “A Lot More Free” hitmaker Max McNown, Ian Munsick, Anna Vaus and more offer new tunes.

Check out all of these and more in Billboard‘s roundup of the best country songs of the week below.

Chase Rice, “You in ‘85”

Chase Rice may be known for writing and recording bro-country hits such as co-writing Florida Georgia Line’s RIAA-Diamond certified hit “Cruise,” but over his most recent projects, he’s made it clear that bro-country sound represents his past, not his present — as his new music leans toward rootsier, raw-rock driven sounds, trading party anthems for introspective lyrical themes. His newly released album Go Down Singin’ continues to evince his matured songwriting, particularly on “You in ’85,” a song that pays homage to Rice’s late father, serving as both a catalog of memories he has of his father, while also acknowledging the mannerisms they share. “You always said I was gonna look just like you/ Now this man in the mirror’s the proof,” he sings, as his voice conveys a crackling warmth of self-reflection and an easy-going comfortableness with his new sound.

Benjamin Tod feat. Sierra Ferrell, “One Last Time”

As singer-songwriter Tod, the former frontman for the Lost Dog Street Band, gears up for his new solo album Shooting Star (out Oct. 18 on Thirty Tigers), he welcomes reigning Americana Music Honors & Awards winner Sierra Ferrell on this sparse piano arrangement, with gospel music-inflected background harmonies and swaths of steel guitar lending a rustic, elegant aura. “I’m a fool for the darkness and a fiend for the light/ Could you blame me one last time,” they sing, their voices blending sumptuously, while wrapping their distinct drawls around each lyric, drawing out the song’s tension and longing with every vocal inflection. On Shooting Star, Tod dabbles in country music from a span of decades, proving the deep-seated influence of Nashville-area hometown.

Anna Vaus, “Happy Trails”

Southern California native Anna Vaus has put in the work in Music City over the past several years, inking a publishing deal with Big Machine Music and penning songs recorded by Keith Urban, Carly Pearce and others (Vaus also performed with Urban at the 2024 CMT Music Awards). With “Happy Trails,” she issues the lead single from her own debut album, one steeped in the sounds of ’70s Laurel Canyon with a Nashville sense of lyrical detail.

Vaus’ own “Happy Trails” embodies much the same sentiment of the Dale Evans-written, Roy Rogers-performed 1952 classic of the same name, though here, Vaus sings a story close to her own, of wishing the best to a friend who is setting off on a jet plane to chase their dreams in Music City. She employs a classical country construction, detailing simple well-wishes such as warm coffee and flowers growing in a yard, before digging deeper on lines such as “I hope you learn to love the parts of you you hate/ And the things you cannot change ’cause therein liеs the heart.” A solid, promising start from this established songcrafter.

Max McNown, “Snowman”

McNown’s “A Lot More Free” has escalated up the viral charts, and he’s followed with the just-released EP Willfully Blind. “Snowman,” featured on the EP, captures his longing over a once-blazing romance that transformed into the chilliest of receptions whenever he sees his ex. Over polished acoustic production, he considers, “You said goodbye and I said see you round/ Cuz a boy don’t close a book/ Until he knows a story’s done.” McNown wrote “Snowman” with Paul Duncan, Cory Asbury, Paul Mabry and Michael Farren.

Ian Munsick, “Western Woman”

Wyoming-born Munsick earned an RIAA Gold-certified song with his Cody Johnson collaboration “Long Live Cowgirls,” and he reprises that theme on his new solo track, “Western Woman,” which Munsick wrote with Billy Montana and Randy Montana. In his new song, he acknowledges the appeal of the way of life from the coasts, but sings that ultimately, “My kinda darling is grounded as a fence post/ She got wild in her smile, dust on her jeans.” Mandolin playing from Charlie Worsham and fiddle work from Tim Hayes serve to further heighten the song’s Western sound.

Hunter Hayes, “In a Song (Lost & Found)”

Hunter Hayes revisits to his previously-released “In a Song,” originally featured on the Encore edition of his 2011 self-titled album. The new version retains the largely pop sonics, but showcases his matured vocal while still giving the song a youthful, refreshed patina. The song is one of three remixed and remastered renditions of his previously-released songs on his upcoming EP Lost & Found.

If that guy on stage at Dino’s Lounge in Las Vegas singing karaoke sounded a bit better than the average drunk piker from Minnesota, it’s because he did. Coldplay singer Chris Martin took a break from his band’s Music of the Spheres global juggernaut tour to have some fun in Sin City this weekend when he went incognito as a schlumpy business man on a bender while filming the video for the group’s next Moon Music single, “All My Love.”

In town for a special set on night two of the 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival, Martin ducked into the beloved karoake bar for an post-show bit of business casual fun. Dressed in a too-big, boxy suit, bad copper wig and nerdy glasses, Martin took the stage holding a single balloon on a string to sing the swoony ballad from the band’s upcoming 10th studio album, due out on Oct. 4.

In fan video of the moment, Martin sways nervously on stage as people chatter in the background and occasionally whoop at the singer’s performance. At one point, he calls a woman up on stage, hugs her and hands over the balloon so he can power through the rest of the song unencumbered.

Dino’s posted a clip from the surprise performance — which ends with Martin ripping off his wig to wild cheers from the fans in the room — writing on Instagram, “THANK YOU CHRIS MARTIN @coldplay FOR CHOOSING US TO RECORD YOUR MUSIC VIDEO WITH 🤯 SUCH A VIRAL MOMENT. BIGGEST SURPRISE OF THE YEAR. Thank you again for being such a cool dude. Good luck on the new album & we hope to see you in the future.”

Moon Music, the follow-up to 2021’s From Earth With Love, has been previewed so far with the singles “Feels Like I’m Falling in Love” and “We Pray” featuring Little Simz, Burna Boy, Elyanna and Tini.

Check out Martin’s costume below.

It was the Boss set you were kicking yourself for missing. After a world tour in which they largely hewed to a familiar set list, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band ripped up the playbook last weekend during their Sept. 15 headlining slot at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival in Springsteen’s old Asbury Park stomping grounds in his native New Jersey.

At his final scheduled show in the U.S. for now, Springsteen looked out at the huge crowd spread out along the beach and ripped off an instant-classic three-hour-plus show full of hometown stories and some of the beloved (and deep cut) tracks fans yearn for. Now, whether you were there and can’t stop thinking about it, or couldn’t make it, the whole set is available on CD and as a stream via nugs.net.

According to the show notes, the Sea.Hear set included the tour premieres of the songs “Blinded By the Light,” “Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?,” “Thundercrack,” “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” and “Meeting Across the River,” as well as the returns of “Local Hero,” “Jungleland” and “Jersey Girl.” The set also marked the return of backup singer Patti Scialfa during “Tougher Than the Rest” after she’d sat out a number of shows over the past year while battling the blood cancer multiple myeloma; Scialfa revealed her diagnosis in the recent documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Springsteen posted a video recap of the Sea. Hear set on his Instagram over the weekend with highlights from the triumphant gig.

In addition to the above, the set also included: “Hungry Heart,” “Racing in the Street,” “Wrecking Ball,” “Thunder Road,” “Born to Run,” “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” among others. The Sea.Hear set joins more than two dozen live album streams Nugs.net has available from the tour, including shows at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., as well as gigs in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, London, Stockholm, Helsinki and Barcelona, and many more.

Also, just in time for the sprint to the Nov. 5 presidential election, Springsteen released the 15-track live collection The Live Series: Songs of Conscience over the weekend. The collection of live performances recorded between 1981-2023 features songs that ask hard questions about where we are, where we’ve been and where we’re going, including “This Land Is Your Land,” “The Promised Land,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” “57 Channels (And Nothin’ On),” “Souls of the Departed,” “Long Walk Home,” “The Rising,” “Sun City” and “Last Man Standing,” among others.

Listen to Songs of Conscience here.

Jay-Z and Roc Nation teamed up with SL Green and Caesar Entertainment in late 2022 to launch a bid to open New York City’s first full-scale casino in Times Square.

With a finite amount of licenses expected to be granted by New York State in 2025, Roc Nation is looking to improve their bid’s attractiveness with an unprecedented commitment to the community surrounding the potential Caesars Palace Times Square casino in Manhattan.

Roc Nation announced on Monday (Sept. 23) that the group will commit $15 million from the casino upon the bid’s approval to benefit the Hell’s Kitchen community. The initiative showcasing their commitment to the area comes as part of a $250 million benefit package.

“We are New Yorkers,” Jay-Z said in a statement. “Supporting and providing opportunities for our neighborhoods and community isn’t just a part of Roc Nation’s ethos; it’s our collective responsibility.”

Hov continued: “Any proposal that wins a gaming license will undoubtedly profit. Our vision is to give back to New York and ensure that the Broadway community, Hell’s Kitchen, and the surrounding businesses and areas all benefit. And not just for a minute, but for the long-term.” 

In addition to the newly-announced $15 million, NYC residents will also receive regular grants consisting of 0.5 percent of the casino’s total profits, which will be well into the millions of dollars.

SL Green EVP Brett Herschenfeld added: “We partnered with Roc Nation for a reason, and are thrilled to support any Roc Nation-led community initiative that extends the benefits of this project to more New Yorkers.”

Jay and Roc Nation’s proposal will build a casino to replace an existing building on Broadway and bring a limited number of hotel and restaurant attraction options to the area.

The Roc Nation mogul’s competing against bidding groups led by billionaires such as New York Mets owner Steve Cohen, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, developer Stefan Soloviev and grocery store tycoon John Catsimatidis.

Jay-Z has been busy on the gambling side extending his empire. A Fanatics Sportsbook — which Jay’s the co-owner of — opened its doors inside the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City earlier in September. Jay celebrated the launch with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and hosted a $250,000 blackjack tournament alongside Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin.

Sabrina Carpenter enjoys a sweet return to No. 1 in Australia, and another chart double.

The U.S. pop singer and actor’s hit album Short n’ Sweet rebounds 2-1 on the ARIA Chart, published Friday, Sept. 20, for its third non-consecutive week at the summit.

Meanwhile, Eminem’s The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce) blasts 48-2, following the release of the “Expanded Mourner’s” edition, featuring two new tracks and a new cut of “Fuel.” The LP logged two weeks at No. 1 in July.

Closing out the top three on the latest ARIA Chart is Billie Eilish’s Hit Me Hard And Soft, up 4-3, ahead of collections by Chappell Roan and the Weeknd, respectively.

The top debut on the latest frame belongs to Keshi, the Asian American artist and former oncology nurse, as Requiem, his sophomore album, opens at No. 14. That’s a significant improvement on the No. 72 peak for his debut album from 2022, Gabriel.

Aussie alternative rock newcomers Surf Trash ride the wave to No. 17 with their debut album The Only Place I Know, the best-placed homegrown LP on the chart. Hailing from Lake Macquarie, New South Wales, the band is led by Andrew Scott (drums/ lead vocals), Lachlan Jackson (guitar), Patrick Russell (guitar) and Nick Scott (bass). U.K. and Europe tour dates will kick off in February 2025.

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart, Carpenter’s “Taste” retains top spot for a fourth consecutive week, ahead of Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars’ “Die With A Smile” and Billie Eilish’s “Birds Of A Feather,” respectively.

According to ARIA, female artists have claimed No. 1 on the tally for seven straight weeks.

The top debut belongs to Canadian singer and songwriter Tate McRae with “It’s OK, I’m OK,” new at No. 14. McRae has landed top 10 hits in Australia with “You Broke Me First,” which hit No. 7 in 2020, and with 2023’s “Greedy,” which climbed as high as No. 2.

Finally, the Weeknd fires up with “Dancing In The Flames,” new at No. 19. “Dancing,” lifted from his forthcoming album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, is one of his 36 top 50 hits on the ARIA Chart, a tally that includes “Blinding Lights,” which reigned for 11 weeks in 2020 and finished the year as the best-selling single. The Canadian artist will embark on a stadium tour of Australia this October; his After Hours Til Dawn trek will visit Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium for two shows, and Sydney’s Accor Stadium for a pair of concerts.