New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Country darling
Ashley Monroe received her first two Grammy Award nominations today for Best Country Album—for her universally praised album The Blade, produced by
Vince Gill and Justin Niebank—along with a nod for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for her No. 1 duet with
Blake Shelton, "Lonely Tonight."
"Today I woke up and saw a lifelong dream come to life. I'm truly so grateful and so proud to be nominated for a Grammy!" Monroe exclaimed. "Thank you to
Vince Gill and Justin Niebank for helping me create a record I couldn't be more proud of. And thank you to
Blake for asking me to sing on 'Lonely Tonight' with him. Wow… I came out like a rose."
The Blade, which shot to No. 1 on the iTunes Country Chart upon release, has been named to several Best of year end lists, including NPR, Rolling Stone, TIME, PopMatters and Paste. TIME gushed, "Ashley Monroe commands the spotlight: She's got a sweet, yet steadfast voice that brings to mind the coo of Dolly Parton, and her whip-smart lyrics quickly reveal she's nobody's fool… The Blade [is] a razor-sharp collection of newly minted, yet classic, country," while NPR declared, "The Blade is virtuosic on so many levels, from the wide and deep emotional intelligence of the songwriting to the way it traverses styles, showing her well-cultivated grasp of Glen Campbellesque pop and bluegrass, vanilla pop and serious torch and twang."
Meanwhile, "
Lonely Tonight" became Monroe's first No. 1 at country radio as a performer earlier this year, and was certified Gold by the RIAA. The single also earned the pair nods from the ACM, CMA and CMT Awards this year.
CRITICAL QUOTES ABOUT THE BLADE:
The New York Times |
Ashley Monroe watched the recent controversy in country music about the presence and power of female singers at the genre's center — or lack thereof — with a shrug. For years now, she's essentially opted out of discussions like that in favor of making impressive… music that answers only to itself, and to country's varied history, not its narrow present
Rolling Stone | Destined to be one of the year's top albums. | An instant classic.
Time | Monroe proves that for some salads, the tomatoes are all you need.
Associated Press | Reminiscent of Dolly Parton, Monroe uses [her voice] with restrained beauty, and she knows just when to turn up the heat or heartbreak.
NPR | Timeless. | The Blade aims to do more than start conversations; it's here to win hearts en route to cementing Monroe's status as a superstar.
Billboard | Monroe sings these songs with exquisite, bruised sensitivity. | 4 out of 5 stars
Pitchfork | This is country music for headphones | 7.5 out of 10
Spin | She was discovered by
Vince Gill at 15,
Jack White at 18, and at 28, she's poised to eclipse them both.
Yahoo! | Strong, solid, and one of the year's best country albums by far.
Entertainment Weekly | The Blade will further solidify [Monroe] as one of the genre's defining female voices.
Stereogum | It doesn't matter when or how you jump on the
Ashley Monroe bandwagon, but you need to make that leap. | Monroe is more than happy to take her place in the legacy of badass country women who bring darkness into the spotlight."
US Weekly | impressive versatility, velvety vocals | 3 out of 4 stars
Paste |
Modern country's old soul | 8.9 out of 10 stars
Vulture (by New York Magazine) | [The Blade] positions [Monroe] as one of the most dangerous songwriters in the business."
For more information about Monroe, please visit www.AshleyMonroe.com or www.facebook.com/ashleymonroemusic. Be sure to follow @ashleymonroe on Twitter and @ashleymonroemusic on Instagram.
