Swift definitely has a strangle hold on the social media with nearly six million Twitter followers, close to 20-million Facebook fans and a career that launched by singing songs on MySpace. This is not to say that Taylor isn’t a talented singer/songwriter, has done wonders to bring awareness to country music and has deserved all the accolades she’s earned. The girl has a future in politics. I’m just saying.
Lady Antebellum also had their humble beginnings ala MySpace, but with just 300,000 fans on Twitter and a mere 4 million Facebook followers, Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood’s success may seem to pale in comparison with Lady Tay.
Not so fast. The trio was named Vocal Group of the Year for the second time Sunday (not fan voted). Their album, “Need You Now” (also not fan voted), got Album of the Year honors and the smash song of the same name won three Grammys.
They started a world tour in Australia with Keith Urban on Friday, and on July 7 are the headliners at Country Concert in Fort Loramie. And just this week, “Need You Now” became the No. 1 most downloaded country song of all time, surpassing Taylor’s “Love Story.”
I’ll admit it; I contributed to their success. I have “Need You Now” as the cell phone ringtone when the man calls. On our Facebook page (we have 4,300 fans, no threat to Taylor or Lady A), we asked for ringtones. Jason Aldean’s “She’s Country” leads the way, with a sprinkling of Kenny Chesney and Easton Corbin thrown in there. And of course, there’s the wise guy whose ringtone is Blake Shelton’s “Kiss My Country (blank).” But with a half million Facebook fans and more than 200,000 Twitterers “getting the real BS from Blake himself,” Lady A may have something to worry about. Then again, probably not.
Readers can contact Nancy Wilson, a morning-radio personality at WHKO-FM (K99.1), by email through k99online.com.
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