Alan Jackson has been pretty vocal about his opinion on modern country music. In an interview with GQ last year, he said, "There’s some good music out there, but there’s not really much at all that’s real country music anymore on the mainstream country charts — what is nominated for awards." But he’s not one to just sit around and complain. He’s doing his part to get more of the traditional sound back in modern country music (which, by the way, always happens in a cycle, so everybody calm down).

Alan’s got a bar in downtown Nashville called AJ’s Good Time Bar, and he’s got a full slate of up-and-coming artists who perform there. Now, he plans on taking a few of them on the road with him for his 2019 Tour. Randy Houser and William Michael Morgan are already set as openers, but on select dates through September, he’ll bring along some of the acts from the bar, too. You get to pick them.

There are 21 choices, with videos of each performing a song at AJ’s, and you have until February 8 to pick your favorite. The top two will be announced on social media. How can you even stand all this power you have?

Vote here.

Here’s just one of the choices.

Lauren Jauregui has a new song out, More Than That, and with the track she’s ready to fully launch The Year of Lauren.

Looking back on her time with Fifth Harmony, she points out that she was in the group from ages 16 to 22, saying “That’s 6 years of my life that I dedicated.. 6 very transformative years. Like, of adolescence, where I’m supposed to be discovering myself. And I realized, this year, that I was so consumed by working, and being part of a group, that I didn’t at all get to figure out who I was as an individual.”

But now she’s got that time, and a whole world of solo music is opening up to her. Lauren says she’s been writing poetry and stories her whole life, but only began writing music this past year, and that some of her new songs are inspired by "relationship energy", and "the state of the world & my personal expression in it."

Lauren also talks about wanting to get into the same room as Beyonce or Pink, two artists who inspire her, and shares the best career advice she’s gotten to date - “Never take more than you give or give more than you take.”

So what’s up for LJ in 2019? An album for one. And a tour! She’s also set goals to learn how to produce music and how to play an instrument. Sounds doable.

We’re really looking forward to everything Lauren has to offer! Check out her new song alongside other up and coming artists on Slacker’s New Pop Now station!