The two gay dads who went viral for mocking their adopted baby crying for “mama” are getting trashed again, only this time it’s for quizzing their other adopted children on which of their dads is “hornier.”
The video of country singer Shane McAnally describing his adopted child as “homophobic” inspired social media users to start digging into old posts on his public social media accounts. Despite the massive amount of backlash, McAnally has not removed the video or gone private, opting instead to defend himself and express shock that so many people are upset.
In the latest video making the rounds, the person filming asks McAnally’s two other children a series of questions about him and his husband, instructing the children to select which father is “the best dancer” and “on their phone the most.” Among a series of innocent questions, one of the items that comes up is: “Who’s hornier?”
Thankfully, the children pause in confusion, with one saying, “What’s that?” as the men <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAbkKJkHmqh/">burst out laughing</a>.
Still, the clip has viewers reacting angrily to minors being exposed to sexual content.
“If that isn’t a red flag, I don’t know what is!!! WTF?!” one reaction <a href="https://x.com/MediumDebyOuld/status/2046518073994137971">said</a>. “Since when would children that age even know what horny means? And how would they then know which parent is the most horny? I think they need their hard drives investigating pronto!”
“Who talks to children like this? Disgusting,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/ceemorecutz/status/2046550391207100781">agreed</a>.
Other commenters shared links to recent court cases involving gay parents being prosecuted for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gay-couple-arrested-for-allegedly-sexually-abusing-creating-child-porn-with-adopted-sons">sexually abusing their adopted children</a>, including the case of two Georgia men who recorded themselves molesting brothers they had adopted and the U.K.-based gay couple who <a href="https://www.cps.gov.uk/north-west/news/cps-authorises-charges-against-two-men-following-death-13-month-old-boy-blackpool">raped and murdered</a> the 13-month-old they were in the process of adopting.
McAnally and his husband are still being criticized for mocking their newly adopted baby, calling out for “mama.”
“Hey, hey. Who do you want? Dada or Papa?” McAnally’s baby is asked in the video before he appears to reply “mama” as the men laugh.
“No, Mama. Do you want Dada or Pop?” the baby is asked again. “Who do you want? Dada or Pop?”
The baby again appears to ask for his mother before the man says, “There is no mama. I’m so sorry.” After the baby starts crying, the two men laugh at the reaction as they tell him he has “two choices,” but no mother. The video was captioned “who’s gonna tell him?” with the hashtags “comedy” and “standup,” as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/outrage-as-two-gay-men-mock-homophobic-baby-crying-out-for-his-mother">reported</a>.
The musician complained that the whole thing had been taken “out of context,” saying that he was “appalled” by some of the reactions he&#8217;s gotten.

The ‘Hornier’ Question Gay Dads Ask Their Young Kids

comedian

Country Music

General

LGBTQ

U.S.

Country singer Shane McAnally responded on Friday to a wave of backlash directed at him over a video he&#8217;d posted to Instagram. In the video, his five-month-old called out for &#8220;mama&#8221; — and he laughed as he informed the baby that he had two dads and no mama.
&#8220;We found it hilarious,&#8221; McAnally <a href="https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/2044911121916997764">said of the video</a>. &#8220;He&#8217;s five months old, he obviously doesn&#8217;t understand English.&#8221;
&#8220;Babies usually say dada first, but people wouldn&#8217;t then say the babies are only wanting their dads? It doesn&#8217;t really make sense,&#8221; he added.
The musician also complained that the whole thing had been taken &#8220;out of context,&#8221; saying that he was &#8220;appalled&#8221; by some of the comments he&#8217;d seen.
McAnally did not explain what &#8220;context&#8221; he believed critics were missing, but a number of them pointed out the fact that it was not the first time McAnally had set the baby up as a social media punchline: a video posted in December of 2025 showed the same baby, all smiles as dad (off-camera) talked about his siblings and pets — and then suddenly appeared concerned at the mention of &#8220;two dads.&#8221; The video, still pinned to McAnally&#8217;s Instagram page, is titled &#8220;6 week old homophobic baby.&#8221;
The country singer has been dabbling in stand-up comedy recently, but the &#8220;homophobic baby&#8221; got more backlash than laughs.
&#8220;He may say — oh it&#8217;s just a joke. But mothers don&#8217;t joke about their children this way. Frankly, no father I know does either. It&#8217;s like making a joke about your kid dying and it shows a tragic absence of familial connection. This baby is a fetish for them. God help this child,&#8221; Kira Davis <a href="https://x.com/Kiradavis/status/2045157915800285306">posted</a>.
&#8220;This is not the first time Tony winning musician Shane McAnally has made a joke out of his son&#8217;s instinctive desire for his mother, rather than two fathers. Children deserve better than this,&#8221; Concerned Women for America added.
The Daily Wire&#8217;s Michael Knowles called it &#8220;the most horrifying video I&#8217;ve ever seen in my life.&#8221;

Gay Dads React To Backlash From Their ‘Homophobic Baby’ Video

Politics

After decades of being the songwriter behind some of country music&#8217;s biggest hits for artists such as Rascal Flatts and Montgomery Gentry, Jeffrey Steele is using his own voice on his new and most personal song to date.
&#8220;A Voice&#8221; is a patriotic plea for Americans to unite and stand up for truth, Steele told The Daily Wire. The single, released January 16, shares the stories of Americans who Steele says don&#8217;t always have a voice, but make up the backbone of the country.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a time in the world when we&#8217;ve been relying on government to take care of us,&#8221; Steele said. “This is a song about people taking care of each other.&#8221;
The lyrics for this song evoke powerful imagery with lines, &#8220;I’m the Soldier, I fought and died for you. Gave up my life to give you the right to live the life you choose,&#8221; and &#8220;I’m a laid off factory worker whose factory’s China bound. We’re the coal miners, firefighters, the Charlie Kirk choir all lightin’ our lighters, finally waking up, we had enough, of the liars setting the world on fire.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“A VOICE” is a battle cry and a hope. A reminder that our voices matter and real strength is speaking truth with courage. I wrote this for anyone who’s ever been afraid to speak up. Use your VOICE. Please repost &amp; download:<a href="https://t.co/6sQ5AZN0Zc">https://t.co/6sQ5AZN0Zc</a> <a href="https://t.co/GINwOzy3wO">pic.twitter.com/GINwOzy3wO</a>
— Jeffrey Steele (@JSteeleMusic) <a href="https://twitter.com/JSteeleMusic/status/2012170965623480553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
Steele said he was told to keep some of those lyrics out so the song would play on the radio, but the Hall of Fame songwriter said he refused to make concessions for more airtime.
&#8220;The radio stations won&#8217;t play their records if they speak politically or not, and it&#8217;s not really political, it&#8217;s just real. It&#8217;s really what&#8217;s happening in the world. I sing it for my friends who can&#8217;t sing it that are in the business, in hopes that the new artists coming up will write what they see out there in the world.&#8221;
&#8220;I mean, if you look at the 60s, you see the hippie movement, the folk movement, there was a narrative there. Right now, the conservative side doesn&#8217;t have that.&#8221;
Prior to the song&#8217;s official release, Steele had played it at his tour stops for the last several months. He&#8217;s played his hits, including &#8220;Something To Be Proud Of&#8221; recorded by Montgomery Gentry, &#8220;Stick That In Your Country Song&#8221; recorded by Eric Church, and &#8220;My Wish&#8221; sung by Rascal Flatts — Steele says nothing has gotten the crowd on their feet like &#8220;A Voice.&#8221;
&#8220;People are getting up, screaming, and cheering. It&#8217;s bringing out a feeling, and I think it&#8217;s the journey of the song.&#8221;
Steele doesn&#8217;t want fame or notoriety. His studio walls honestly don&#8217;t have room for more accolades, and that&#8217;s saying a lot because it&#8217;s a big house. He just wants &#8220;A Voice&#8221; to be a wake-up call for people to speak up for the truth, so the country can be a better place for all.
&#8220;Everybody right now is being told to pick left and right, and the only two sides we have are up and down. It’s good or bad. It&#8217;s surprising when you stand up, a lot of people will stand up behind you.&#8221;
&#8220;A Voice&#8221; is available on all music platforms. Steele&#8217;s tour dates can be found <a href="https://www.jeffreysteele.com/">here</a>.

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

‘It’s Bringing Out A Feeling’: Legendary Songwriter Gets Behind The Mic To Shift Culture In New Song

'It's Bringing Out A Feeling': Smash Hit Songwriter Uses Own Voice In New Song To Shift Culture

News

Tennessee

Editor’s note: This week, we’re reprinting some of our best stories from the past year. This piece delves into the negative impact that feminism has had on a generation of women.
Country artist Kelsea Ballerini has struck a chord with “I Sit In Parks,” a song about yearning for motherhood after being told that chasing career success would deliver deep and lasting happiness.
“I Sit in Parks” feels less like a song and more like a mirror held up to an entire generation of women who were told they could have it all if they chased achievement first and dealt with the marriage and family stuff later. It gives voice to the quiet grief of realizing the consequences of that choice.
And while Ballerini hasn’t said the song was autobiographical, that’s how many fans are seeing it.
Her lyrics begin with the image that many women know well but rarely speak about:
“I sit in parks, it breaks my heart, ’cause I see / Just how far I am from the things that I want / Dad brought the picnic, Mom brought the sunscreen / Two kids are laughing and crying on red swings.”
These lyrics aren’t about envy of another woman’s designer clothes or corner office. They speak of a deep, vulnerable ache for motherhood and family life.
“We look about the same age / But we don&#8217;t have the same Saturdays,” the song goes on. “Did I miss it?/ By now, is it/ A lucid dream? Is it my fault/ For chasing things a body clock/ Doesn&#8217;t wait for? I did the damn tour/ It&#8217;s what I wanted, what I got/ I spun around and then I stopped/ And wonder if I missed the mark.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kelsea Ballerini - I Sit In Parks (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Ccgd5MT9s4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ballerini’s frank admissions have emboldened women to weigh in on social media.
“Wow. The picture painted by Kelsea Ballerini in this song is tragic. How many hearts has feminism broken with its lies?” one person <a href="https://x.com/biblicalbeauty/status/1986955863370715335?s=43">observed</a>.
“This is grim,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/IndieLauraSDG/status/1987218755211104468">said</a> of the song. “I feel so sad for the girls who got duped into putting off the most important things in life.”
“My gosh, this is one of the saddest things I’ve ever read. I’m 45 with a 15-month-old, so this almost became my reality. An entire generation of women has been sold a bill of goods under false pretenses,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/Babelfish80/status/1987157480879604153">replied</a>.
“As a single girl in her thirties, I’ve never related to a song more,” a popular comment on the YouTube music video for the song says. 
“I wasn’t prepared for this. As a single girl at 39 this song hits so deep,” another person wrote.
Predictably, there were plenty who shot back, saying they were perfectly content in their choice not to have kids. But the marvel of Ballerini’s song isn’t just the message, but also that it’s coming from a mainstream artist.
It’s telling that at the same time this single started gaining traction, the radical pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights began circulating an <a href="https://x.com/ReproRights/status/1986939347250143385">old interview</a> with singer Stevie Nicks discussing how her abortion in the 1970s &#8220;allowed her to continue her career at the height of Fleetwood Mac.&#8221;
Nicks described her unexpected pregnancy as a “nightmare scenario” that would have “destroyed” the band. During that interview, she spent no time reflecting on how her life would have unfolded if she hadn’t decided to sacrifice her child on the altar of fame. It’s a much more common outlook that other celebrities have spoken of, while Ballerini’s wistful reflection on what could have been is almost never heard.
“So, I sit in parks, sunglasses dark, and I/ Hit the vape, hallucinate a nursery with Noah&#8217;s Ark/ They lay on a blanket, and God d*** it, he loves her/ I wonder if she wants my freedom, like I wanna be a mother/ But Rolling Stones says I&#8217;m on the right road/ So I refill my Lexapro, thinking…” she sings. 
Interestingly, Ballerini was married young and got divorced within five years because her husband, Morgan Evans, wanted to have children right away while she preferred to freeze her eggs and delay becoming a mom, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kelsea-ballerini-claims-her-marriage-ended-when-morgan-evans-wanted-kids-while-she-pursued-egg-freezing-route">reported</a>.
“That was something that we had talked about early on, and that was something that I was changing on,” the singer said during a 2023 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. &#8220;Cause he was ready. He was like, ‘I don’t want to be an old dad,’ is what he kept saying. And I was like, ‘I’m not there yet, and I can’t do that to save this and give you something that I’m not ready for.&#8217;”
Ballerini said she “wasn’t ready for kids” and decided to visit a doctor to discuss egg freezing, which she planned to do before turning 30. She didn’t discuss the appointment with Evans until later.
“It was not a good day,” Ballerini said of telling her husband about her plan. “And I think that was when I was like, there’s a fundamental difference here that has happened, that has shifted. And it’s no longer like, I don’t see this person, I miss this person, I’m alone, I’m lonely. It’s like, he wants something out of life … [and] I’m not there.”
The “Half of My Hometown” singer said she filed for divorce not long after that conversation in August 2022. 
There’s a chance Ballerini wrote the song to make money, knowing it would make headlines and she could capitalize on the buzz it would generate. There’s a chance she doesn’t regret her decision to chase a career rather than becoming a mom sooner.
But either way, based on the reactions and comments, there is a group of women who feel duped by the subtle yet relentless messaging to build their careers and identities first and worry about marriage and family later… or never.
In practice, biology never agreed to that timeline. These women were told that motherhood was a detour from fulfillment, not part of it, and that it was equally if not more noble to collect passport stamps. 
They were told motherhood was a cage. That freedom was the goal. Yet in this song, the woman with all the freedom and fame is also the one with a broken heart.

Best Of 2025: The Saddest Song Of The Year Exposes The Lie Of Modern Feminism

Entertainment

Feminism

Music

Country artist Kelsea Ballerini has struck a chord with “I Sit In Parks,” a song about yearning for motherhood after being told that chasing career success would deliver deep and lasting happiness.
“I Sit in Parks” feels less like a song and more like a mirror held up to an entire generation of women who were told they could have it all if they chased achievement first and dealt with the marriage and family stuff later. It gives voice to the quiet grief of realizing the consequences of that choice.
And while Ballerini hasn’t said the song was autobiographical, that’s how many fans are seeing it.
Her lyrics begin with the image that many women know well but rarely speak about:
“I sit in parks, it breaks my heart, ’cause I see / Just how far I am from the things that I want / Dad brought the picnic, Mom brought the sunscreen / Two kids are laughing and crying on red swings.”
These lyrics aren’t about envy of another woman’s designer clothes or corner office. They speak of a deep, vulnerable ache for motherhood and family life.
“We look about the same age / But we don&#8217;t have the same Saturdays,” the song goes on. “Did I miss it?/ By now, is it/ A lucid dream? Is it my fault/ For chasing things a body clock/ Doesn&#8217;t wait for? I did the damn tour/ It&#8217;s what I wanted, what I got/ I spun around and then I stopped/ And wonder if I missed the mark.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Kelsea Ballerini - I Sit In Parks (Official Music Video)" width="500" height="375" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4Ccgd5MT9s4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Ballerini’s frank admissions have emboldened women to weigh in on social media.
“Wow. The picture painted by Kelsea Ballerini in this song is tragic. How many hearts has feminism broken with its lies?” one person <a href="https://x.com/biblicalbeauty/status/1986955863370715335?s=43">observed</a>.
“This is grim,” another commenter <a href="https://x.com/IndieLauraSDG/status/1987218755211104468">said</a> of the song. “I feel so sad for the girls who got duped into putting off the most important things in life.”
“My gosh, this is one of the saddest things I’ve ever read. I’m 45 with a 15 month old, so this almost became my reality. An entire generation of women has been sold a bill of goods under false pretenses,” a third commenter <a href="https://x.com/Babelfish80/status/1987157480879604153">replied</a>.
“As a single girl in her thirties, I’ve never related to a song more,” a popular comment on the YouTube music video for the song says. 
“I wasn’t prepared for this. As a single girl at 39 this song hits so deep,” another person wrote.
Predictably, there were plenty who shot back, saying they were perfectly content in their choice not to have kids. But the marvel of Ballerini’s song isn’t just the message, but also that it’s coming from a mainstream artist.
It’s telling that at the same time this single started gaining traction, the radical pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights began circulating an <a href="https://x.com/ReproRights/status/1986939347250143385">old interview</a> with singer Stevie Nicks discussing how her abortion in the 1970s &#8220;allowed her to continue her career at the height of Fleetwood Mac.&#8221;
Nicks described her unexpected pregnancy as a “nightmare scenario” that would have “destroyed” the band. During that interview, she spent no time reflecting on how her life would have unfolded if she hadn’t decided to sacrifice her child on the altar of fame. It’s a much more common outlook that other celebrities have spoken of, while Ballerini’s wistful reflection on what could have been is almost never heard.
“So, I sit in parks, sunglasses dark, and I/ Hit the vape, hallucinate a nursery with Noah&#8217;s Ark/ They lay on a blanket, and God d*** it, he loves her/ I wonder if she wants my freedom, like I wanna be a mother/ But Rolling Stones says I&#8217;m on the right road/ So I refill my Lexapro, thinking…” she sings. 
Interestingly, Ballerini was married young and got divorced within five years because her husband, Morgan Evans, wanted to have children right away while she preferred to freeze her eggs and delay becoming a mom, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kelsea-ballerini-claims-her-marriage-ended-when-morgan-evans-wanted-kids-while-she-pursued-egg-freezing-route">reported</a>.
“That was something that we had talked about early on, and that was something that I was changing on,” the singer said during a 2023 appearance on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. &#8220;Cause he was ready. He was like, ‘I don’t want to be an old dad,’ is what he kept saying. And I was like, ‘I’m not there yet, and I can’t do that to save this and give you something that I’m not ready for.&#8217;”
Ballerini said she “wasn’t ready for kids” and decided to visit a doctor to discuss egg freezing, which she planned to do before turning 30. She didn’t discuss the appointment with Evans until later.
“It was not a good day,” Ballerini said of telling her husband about her plan. “And I think that was when I was like, there’s a fundamental difference here that has happened, that has shifted. And it’s no longer like, I don’t see this person, I miss this person, I’m alone, I’m lonely. It’s like, he wants something out of life … [and] I’m not there.”
The “Half of My Hometown” singer said she filed for divorce not long after that conversation in August 2022. 
There’s a chance Ballerini wrote the song to make money, knowing it would make headlines and she could capitalize on the buzz it would generate. There’s a chance she doesn’t regret her decision to chase a career rather than becoming a mom sooner.
But either way, based on the reactions and comments, there is a group of women who feel duped by the subtle yet relentless messaging to build their careers and identities first and worry about marriage and family later… or never.
In practice, biology never agreed to that timeline. These women were told that motherhood was a detour from fulfillment, not part of it, and that it was equally if not more noble to collect passport stamps. 
They were told motherhood was a cage. That freedom was the goal. Yet in this song, the woman with all the freedom and fame is also the one with a broken heart.

Kelsea Ballerini

The Saddest Song of the Year Exposes The Lie Of Modern Feminism

The Saddest Song of the Year Exposes the Lie of Modern Feminism

Celebrities

family

For the first time in history, the number one country song in the digital sales <a href="https://www.billboard.com/charts/country-digital-song-sales/">category</a> on the Billboard charts is AI-generated.
“Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust currently holds that honor despite not being attached to any human artist. There’s not much information available about the “musician” beyond an artist’s bio on Linktree that says, “Music for the fighters and the dreamers.”
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Breaking Rust - Walk My Walk ( Official Lyric Video )" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tx3OirkhX0g?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Breaking Rust has more than 39,000 followers on Instagram. The <a href="https://www.instagram.com/breakinrust/?hl=en">profile</a> includes videos and stills of a man in a cowboy hat standing in the rain.
News of the song topping the Billboard chart got mixed reactions on social media.
“80% of songs are auto-tuned, single-beat, 2-minute tracks. No sympathy there. But for the remaining 20% of artists who can actually sing, challenge, and surprise listeners? This is tragic,” one person <a href="https://x.com/paraclete06/status/1988295441612750968">wrote</a> in response to the news. 
“I have a feeling that Spotify might be PRO AI as they won’t have to pay royalties or any other fees in case the music is AI generated,” another <a href="https://x.com/hrishikesshhhh/status/1988550471074668883">observed</a>. “But it’s bad for listeners. Bad for artists.”
“A lot of people like AI music, and I don&#8217;t think any amount of shaming is gonna change that,” a third <a href="https://x.com/LegionOThought/status/1988299847678783533">argued</a>. “Just ask the vegans.”
The debate over using AI in creative endeavors has been raging for years and is back in the spotlight as it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between AI-generated content and human-generated content.
The media labor union SAG-AFTRA recently spoke out against a 100% AI-generated “actress” being touted by its creators as “the next Scarlett Johansson or Natalie Portman.”
The “synthetic performer,” which goes by the name Tilly Norwood, was concocted by the U.K.-based production studio Particle6.
Tilly Norwood’s creator, Eline Van der Velden, argued that the AI-generated character “is not a replacement for a human being, but a creative work — a piece of art.”
“I see AI not as a replacement for people, but as a new tool, a new paintbrush,” Van der Velden said, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-actors-union-slams-ai-synthetic-performer-pitched-as-the-next-scarlett-johansson">reported</a>. “Just as animation, puppetry, or CGI opened fresh possibilities without taking away from live acting, AI offers another way to imagine and build stories. I’m an actor myself, and nothing — certainly not an AI character — can take away the craft or joy of human performance.”

Cowboy

AI-Generated Hit Reaches No. 1 On Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales Chart

AI-Generated Country Song Reaches No. 1 On Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales Chart 

Artificial Intelligence

Billboard

Music Industry

Daily Wire podcast host Isabel Brown on Tuesday put together a tribute episode to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk on what would have been his 32nd birthday. Brown invited big-name country music artists and smaller indie acts to discuss faith, music, and Kirk’s impact on the world.
Legendary country star John Rich also stopped by “The Isabel Brown Show” to pay tribute to Kirk and discuss what it means to stand up for faith and principles in the entertainment industry.
“As an American, you always have this decision to make at some point, especially in today&#8217;s culture, and that is, ‘Am I willing to say what I really think and stand for what I really stand for, knowing I&#8217;m going to take a horrible bloody nose in my career or possibly worse?’” he told Brown, adding that he “wrestled with that for many years.”
“My American dream was to play country music, be on the radio, play the Grand Ole Opry, write hit songs, all of that,” Rich went on. “And so knowing that the industry was so liberal, if I came out swinging as a Christian conservative patriot, I’m probably going to be short-lived from that point forward … And sure enough, that was the case. I’m not on the radio anymore. I don’t get invited to their big fancy parties. But on the other hand, I can say whatever I want to.”
“I can speak the truth,” the singer said. “And, you know, Charlie represented that. I mean, you see a guy who knew that walking into those situations was going to be uncomfortable at the least and potentially dangerous, which now we know it was actually deadly to walk into those situations. But he represents what it means to be a real Christian.”
“Real Christians don&#8217;t just speak the truth when it&#8217;s comfortable,” Rich added. “Matter of fact, quite the opposite.”
The singer also mentioned Kirk’s legacy, with more young people following his example and getting married and having children. 
“It&#8217;s literally the greatest feeling a person can ever have, as you know and as I know,” Rich said of marriage and parenthood. “And I think that that has been downplayed, ridiculed, demonized, even to go out and get married and have kids. I mean, we&#8217;ve seen it in the media.”
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He added, “‘No, you don’t need to do that. You need to be a Kardashian. You need to be a pro athlete. You need to be this, be that.’ What about just being a regular, good dad or a regular, good mom? And they’ve never really talked about the benefits you get back to yourself when you become a good dad or a good mom. There’s nothing in the world that compares.”
Rich said the Christian revival that was set in motion following Kirk’s assassination has been inspiring.  “I do think with Charlie’s death, the mask of shallowness has been pulled back off of our culture … It’s giving people a line of sight into the real deep things of life that really matter.”
The country star also offered advice to anyone seeking to live a better life. 
“Put things into motion that will outlive you,” he said. “That way down the road when you&#8217;re no longer here, whether you die at 31 or 110, somebody somewhere gets to hear or see you do or say something that impacts them long after you&#8217;re gone.”
He went on, “It&#8217;s okay to go be successful, but your focus should be significance in your music, in your art, in what you say, in your speech. In shows like this, say things that will outlast you. That would be my advice.”
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Singer Matthew West agreed with all points and also discussed the challenges of being the father of teenagers. He said he’d “been a fan of Charlie’s for a long time” and was always “inspired by his bold stance, but also the way that he exercised his right to free speech in such a respectful way.”
“I have teenage daughters, you know, who need young influencers like Charlie showing them the way and speaking into their lives like Charlie,” West said. He added that in the aftermath of Kirk’s assassination, he felt a “stirring,” which was noticeable when he performed his song “Unashamed” several days later at a stadium in Pennsylvania. 
“I definitely have felt just a stirring taking place and a spiritual awakening, as well as just a cultural awakening of going, ‘What kind of voice am I gonna have in the world? And am I willing to use it even if it comes at a cost?’”
West emphasized the impact Kirk was able to make despite being young. “There’s a verse in the Bible that says, ‘Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers,’” he said, referencing a passage that’s been used in reference to Kirk many times since his death.
The singer said the hatred against Kirk is also very revealing as it’s proof of “the legitimate spiritual warfare that we as Christians do believe is constantly raging on around us at all times.” 
West said his takeaway is to be even bolder in his faith despite the backlash he may experience. “There&#8217;s a line in one of my songs called ‘Unashamed’ and it&#8217;s made me think about Charlie,” he told Brown. “And every time I find myself singing it on stage since Charlie&#8217;s death, I think about him and I think about like, I just, I almost sing it kind of angry. And the line says, ‘I don&#8217;t answer to the crowd/ I answer to a King/ So the louder they shout/ The louder I sing.’” 
West also performed a song he wrote as a tribute to Kirk, which came to him on the night of the assassination. 
“September 10th, after we found out that Charlie had gone home to be with the Lord, I gathered my wife and my two daughters together and we talked about it and we prayed … later that night, I heard a song coming from my daughter’s bedroom and she was just up there, my 19 year old daughter with her guitar and she was singing &#8230; this old hymn  from my childhood.”
He added, “And I went to bed that night and … a Bible verse woke me up early that morning. I don’t want to romanticize it, but literally that’s what happened.”
The singer-songwriter said the idea of God being close, even in the face of a tragedy, inspired the song “Be Close,” which he performed on the tribute episode.
Brown’s tribute episode, “A Life Worth Singing For,” also included insight and reflection from Cole Swindell, Abe Parker, and Anne Wilson.

Isabel Brown and John Rich

John Rich Reflects On Charlie Kirk’s Legacy: ‘Say Things That Will Outlast You’

John Rich Reflects on Charlie Kirk’s Legacy: 'Say Things That Will Outlast You'

Charlie Kirk

Country singer

Country Singers

Isabel Brown

John Rich

The Daily Wire

Daily Wire podcast host Isabel Brown released a special tribute episode in honor of Charlie Kirk’s birthday on October 14, which included interviews with some of the best voices in country music, including recording artist Cole Swindell.
The 42-year-old Grammy Award nominee says he’s never been the same since learning about the tragic loss of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” singer opened up to Brown about how the news inspired a soul-searching look at his own life and ultimately led him to write the emotional song, “Make Heaven Crowded.”
“I was getting ready to go on the road,” Swindell said, recalling the moment he found out Kirk had been assassinated. “Me and [my wife] Courtney and our brand new baby girl, we were just laying around and talking and we had the news on and all of a sudden she got a text from a friend that told us the news. We’re like, no way, no way. And so we flipped on the news and we&#8217;re following it and it&#8217;s just the feelings … I don&#8217;t know that you can actually put what you were feeling into words other than just couldn&#8217;t believe it. It was just a shock and sad, scared, mad, just a lot of it.”
“We just celebrated our first wedding anniversary as a husband. Just had our first kid as a father. I think it hit everybody a little different,” Swindell added.
For many, Charlie Kirk’s death marked a cultural moment &#8212; but Swindell said for him, it served as a spiritual reckoning.
“I hate that something like this had to happen,” he told Brown. “I feel like bad things happen and it brings us all together and then we slowly drift back apart, and this is just something that I think a lot of us drew the line. This is it. I mean, a guy just got assassinated for believing how I believe, except for he was a little more bold about it. And I think that’s what got me.”
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Swindell described feeling convicted about how he was living his own life, including how much he talked about his beliefs.
“It made me look in the mirror. Somebody that&#8217;s living like I should be living and spreading the word as a Christian, what I should be doing with the platform that I have,” he said. “I just think a lot of us are fed up with feeling like we can&#8217;t say how we believe. I mean, there’s no harm in that. And like I said, I&#8217;m a loving person, I&#8217;m not judgmental. I kind of stay out of the way and do my own thing and try to be good to people, and that&#8217;s just not good enough anymore. I have to influence other people to be good to people.”
Swindell said he never met Charlie Kirk personally, but said he’s been learning more about him every day.
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“Even this song … I happened to run across a clip of Erika [Kirk] the first time she spoke after, and that really is what hit me the hardest. I’d heard ‘make heaven crowded,’ I’d seen the phrase, but it never hit me like when I watched her say that. ‘Charlie, you alongside Jesus, doing what you always wanted to do, ‘make heaven crowded.’”
For Swindell, those words turned into a tribute. “You keep seeing the word &#8216;revival,'&#8221; he said. “And I believe it. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life. If there’s ever a chance for us to stand up and to keep this going, we cannot lose this feeling right now. It just feels like everybody knows that we’ve gotta do something. And Charlie is a huge part of that.”
Swindell reflected on Kirk’s well-known passion for strong families, something that has taken on new meaning for him since becoming a husband and father. “I have chills, because that is something I see him talk about: get married, have kids,” he said. “And I don&#8217;t know that until you do that, you really understand. Now I understand why he was saying that. Even just the getting married part for me, that took me a little longer. But once I&#8217;ve done it, it&#8217;s like, man, I wish I would have found this sooner.”
He went on, “Then you have kids, and we just had our first little daughter two months ago, and just, my gosh. I mean, now you wanna go tell people you have to do that. There&#8217;s nothing else like it. No matter what you do for a living, what you&#8217;ve accomplished, it does not, I mean, looking into her eyes, knowing that nothing else matters. Why would you not want to share that with people? Why would you not want people to feel that?”
That conviction became the heart of his new song, a spontaneous release that wasn’t planned, but felt led by God.
“I just put out an album in June,” Swindell went on. “I had no plans of putting music out, but obviously nobody had any plans of this happening. Just to write a song that was something that was on my heart.”
He continued, “I’ve literally been praying and praying about just personally, do I still need to do this? Can I, should I hang it up, be a dad? And like I said, the song, the reaction, I think it was the Lord telling me, look, your career is not over, you&#8217;re just not going any further without me. My wife told me that, and I believe it.”
Swindell described how the song’s impact has gone far beyond what he expected. “To play it live and to see the reaction now, to see the American flags, the freedom shirts start showing up in the crowd, it’s just, it’s real. And man, like I said, this song is, if it helps one person, if it changes one person’s heart, then it’s done its job, I feel like.”
For Swindell, the song isn’t about career milestones or chart performance. It’s a mission statement. “This literally is to honor Charlie and to spread Jesus everywhere we can,” he said. “That’s why I do believe I have a platform, and just people that do … just use it for good.”
He hopes others will take that challenge seriously.
“Anytime I’ve ever taken a chance and written something I was scared to maybe put out there, you find out there’s so many other people that feel just like you. And until you take that step and put that out there, you may never know,” he said. “There’s so many people out there hurting that need it, and they may look up to you. And the fact that, you know, if you can ever let them know, like, hey, I’ve been through stuff, too. That’s all we’re trying to do. We’re trying to connect through music.”
“I think that’s what I’m called to do from here on out,” Swindell added.
Brown&#8217;s tribute episode on what would have been Kirk&#8217;s 32nd birthday, titled &#8220;A Life Worth Singing For,&#8221; also included insight and reflection from country star John Rich, Matthew West, Abe Parker, and Anne Wilson.

Isabel Brown and Cole Swindell

Singer Cole Swindell Tells Isabel Brown How Charlie Kirk’s Death Changed His Life

Faith

Country music icon Dolly Parton addressed rumors that have been circulating this week about her being very ill and possibly close to death.
The 79-year-old recording artist posted a video to social media that included the cheeky caption, “I ain’t dead yet!”
“Today is October the 8th, and obviously, I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry,” Parton said while perched on a stool in front of a green screen. “Before I got started, I wanted to say &#8230; I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here!”
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I ain’t dead yet! <a href="https://t.co/Mp553laadI">pic.twitter.com/Mp553laadI</a>
— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) <a href="https://twitter.com/DollyParton/status/1975970769407705160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2025</a></blockquote>
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She continued, saying she wanted to “put everybody’s mind at ease” and addressed all the fans who had expressed concern that Parton was sick.
The “Jolene” singer said she appreciated everyone’s prayers. “I want you to know that I’m OK,” Parton went on, saying that she had neglected her health after the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March of this year.
Parton explained that her doctor advised her to take care of some health concerns that were “nothing major,” which caused her to cancel some appearances and added fuel to the speculation that she was sicker than she let on.
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“I’m not ready to die yet,” Parton concluded. “I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working. So I love you for caring, and keep praying for me.” 
Rumors of Parton not doing well began when she postponed her highly anticipated Vegas residency. Those rumors reached a fever pitch earlier this week when the singer’s sister, Freida, posted on social media about needing prayers for Parton’s health.
&#8220;Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly. Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead [sic] to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me,” Freida posted to Facebook. 
“She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!&#8221;
Several hours later, Freida clarified her comments after panicked fans feared the &#8220;9 to 5&#8221; hitmaker was on her deathbed.
&#8220;I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly,&#8221; Freida wrote in a follow-up. &#8220;She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference.&#8221;

Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton Addresses Serious Illness Rumors: ‘I Ain’t Dead Yet!’

Dolly Parton Addresses Serious Illness Rumors: 'I Ain't Dead Yet!'

Country star Zach Bryan is facing some serious backlash online following the release of his anti-ICE song, “Bad News.”
The lyrics specifically target Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers with lyrics that say, “ICE is gonna come, bust down your door / Try to build a house no one builds no more / But I&#8217;ve got a telephone / Kids are all scared and all alone.”
“I&#8217;ve got some bad news / The fading of the red, white and blue,” the song goes on.
The song’s messaging has inspired country fans to come out in force to blast Bryan for his anti-ICE stance.
“Who&#8217;s ready for the Zach Bryan-Dixie Chicks tour? Prob a huge Bud Light sponsorship for this one,” country star John Rich joked on X, mocking both the Chicks’ infamous 2003 feud with President George W. Bush and Bud Light’s controversial tie-up with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney.
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Who&#8217;s ready for the Zach Bryan-Dixie Chicks tour? Prob a huge Bud Light sponsorship for this one.<a href="https://t.co/6XrEVTsRV0">https://t.co/6XrEVTsRV0</a>
— John Rich🇺🇸 (@johnrich) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnrich/status/1975211160648732779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“Nashville is full of guys like this,” Rich wrote in a follow-up.
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“&#8217;Cocky motherf****** ain’t they. And ICE is gonna come, bust down your door. The fading of the red, white, and blue.&#8217; He just drew over 112,000 fans to what became the largest concert in U.S. history last week. Now, that will never happen again. When will they learn?” conservative podcast host Benny Johnson <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/1975290487926935876">wrote</a>. 
“We were just invaded by over 10 million illegal aliens and who does Zach Bryan cheer for? The illegals,” another commenter wrote. “I smell a boycott brewing.”
“Dear Zach Bryan, F*** you. Sincerely, American Patriots,” another popular comment <a href="https://x.com/Notwokenow/status/1975258380299116710">said</a>. “ICE agents risk their lives daily. Violent leftists throw bricks at them, attack them, spit at them, even shoot at them. And this is the song he released. Career over.”
The song release comes after a recent episode of “Law &amp; Order: SVU” portrayed ICE agents as villains who target innocent immigrants to deport for no apparent reason.
Rapper Bad Bunny, who was just tapped to play the halftime show at the Super Bowl in February, has avoided touring in the United States due to a perceived threat that ICE could pose to his fans.
“…There was the issue of — like, f***ing ICE could be outside (my concert). And it’s something that we were talking about and very concerned about,” he said.
Meanwhile, ICE has been hard at work enforcing the federal immigration laws and has been villainized for its trouble. 
Attacks on ICE agents and their families have skyrocketed nearly 1,000% in just eight months — and many are pointing the finger at Democrats and the media for painting them as villains.

Zach Bryan

Country Singer Zach Bryan Torched After Dropping Anti-ICE Song

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)

Social Media

Country singer Jason Aldean released an acoustic cover of Luke Bryan’s song “Drink a Beer” as a tribute to slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 
The black and white video shared to Instagram is captioned “For Charlie.” It shows Aldean sitting on a kitchen counter, guitar in hand, while his wife Brittany stands beside him. Brittany also sings with her husband in the clip.  
“Drink a Beer” was written by Jim Beavers and Chris Stapleton and became a number-one hit for Bryan, as fans connected with the deeply emotional message. 
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“Funny how the good ones go/Too soon, but the good Lord knows/The reasons why I guess,” the lyrics say in part. 
“Sometimes the greater plan/Is kinda hard to understand/Right now it don&#8217;t make sense. I can&#8217;t make it all make sense/So I&#8217;m gonna sit right here/On the edge of this pier/Watch the sunset disappear/And drink a beer.” 
Social media followers expressed their love for Aldean’s cover of the song, calling it “beautiful” and “touching.”
Earlier in the week, Brittany had posted on social media that she was moved by Kirk’s memorial service and was going to try to “live like Charlie,” as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jason-aldeans-wife-brittany-vows-to-live-like-charlie-after-attending-memorial-service">reported</a>.
“This man’s legacy that he has left, the impact that he has had on so many people … like, I knew he had impacted a ton of people, but this was just, this feels different.”
She said that Kirk’s legacy was “so big” and that he “had a different purpose in life.” 
“There was just a different plan that was greater for him that God knew,” Brittany added. “They keep saying, ‘Live like Charlie.’ So I’m going to. I’m going to really try to do that.”
Kirk was assassinated on September 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University. His memorial service, 11 days later, was attended by 100,000 people along with nearly the entire Trump administration, and was streamed by 100 million viewers worldwide.

Jason Aldean Brittany Aldean

WATCH: Jason Aldean Shares Moving Acoustic Tribute To Charlie Kirk

Jason Aldean

singer

Country singer Morgan Wallen will not be submitting his top-selling album, “I’m the Problem,” for Grammy Awards consideration, despite its massive popularity with fans.
The album is currently in the top position on the Billboard 200 chart for the 11th non-consecutive week, per <a href="https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/morgan-wallen-im-the-problem-not-submitted-2026-grammys-1236047754/">Billboard</a>, but that didn’t sway the recording artist to submit any of the 37 songs on the album for consideration. 
“I’m the Problem” included massive hits such as “Lies, Lies, Lies,” “What I Want” featuring Tate McRae, “Love Somebody,” and the title track, “I’m the Problem.”
As of Thursday morning, Wallen has not issued a statement on why he’s not submitting the album or any of the songs. There’s speculation that it’s because the country star felt snubbed by the Grammys before as he was never nominated until being acknowledged for the hit single “I Had Some Help,” which he made with Post Malone, in 2025.
The duo got nominated for Best Country Duo/Group Performance and Best Country Song thanks to that song. Ultimately, &#8220;II MOST WANTED&#8221; by Beyoncé featuring Miley Cyrus won best duo and “The Architect” by Kacey Musgraves took home best song.
This all comes after Wallen was ostracized from the music community in 2021 after video footage of him using a racial slur went viral. The country singer apologized at the time, but the Academy of Country Music Awards and the Country Music Association Awards disqualified Wallen from eligibility for awards that year. The ban has since been lifted.
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Since then, Wallen took home Entertainer of the Year in 2024 at the CMAs and won three ACM awards.
While most artists do submit for the Grammys, in the past, some big names have opted not to, usually after feeling like they’d been snubbed. Both The Weeknd and Drake have opted to not submit albums to the Grammys for this reason, as the outlet noted.
Wallen is fine with going against the mainstream. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/morgan-wallen-causes-stir-for-abruptly-exiting-snl-stage-get-me-to-gods-country">made headlines</a> in March after appearing on “Saturday Night Live” and abruptly exiting the stage before all the other cast members. The singer later posted a photo of a private plane to social media and included the caption, “Get me to God’s country.”
He followed that up by selling merchandise bearing the same message.
The 68th Grammy Awards are scheduled to air on CBS on February 1, 2026.

Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen’s Popular ‘I’m The Problem’ Album Won’t Be Submitted For Grammys

Grammy Awards

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