Singer-songwriter Charley Crockett has long been outspoken about his perspectives through his music, with songs such as “Music City U.S.A.” and “Game I Can’t Win” squarely taking on greedy music industry types.

He’s not afraid to call things like he sees them, whether in music or on social media. On Tuesday (Aug. 19), Crockett posted a lengthy message on Instagram, speaking out in defense of Beyoncé and her Grammy-winning country-inspired project Cowboy Carter, while also defending marginalized voices in country music and speaking out against hip-hop-infused “bro country” that has been so popular over recent years.

“Hey country folks. @beyonce ain’t the source of your discontent. It was 25 years of bro country. #1 country artist on earth listen’s to nothing but rap,” Crockett wrote. “Openly says he doesn’t really know any country music. Gotta respect his honesty. The machine points to a black woman who’s making a statement about marginalized people being removed from the conversation altogether, and somehow we all act like the entire pop industry didn’t just ambush roots music. These ‘country boys’ been *singing* over trap beats for years.”

Though Crockett didn’t mention him by name, some of Crockett’s comments seemed squarely aimed at Morgan Wallen. Wallen recently mentioned during a podcast interview with Theo Von that he “doesn’t listen to country music a whole lot” — though in that same interview, he also praised neo-traditional country singer Zach Top — while his I’m the Problem album has spent 11 nonconsecutive weeks at the top of the all-genre Billboard 200 chart.

From there, Crockett went on to criticize the Nashville music industry, saying it attempted, early in his career, to get him to release albums that were “pre written and recorded ready to just plug me in.”

“I have receipts. It’s harder than ever to keep the public’s attention,” Crockett wrote. “They said and I quote ‘we wanna get into country music where you have audience loyalty.’ Hot today, forgot tomorrow.”

He also seemingly took aim at country singer Gavin Adcock, who recently garnered controversy by criticizing Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter album during a concert and later seemed to note that his streaming numbers greatly benefited from the controversy.

“I really don’t believe her album should be labeled as country music,” Adcock said soon after making his initial comments against Cowboy Carter. “It doesn’t sound country, it doesn’t feel country, and I just don’t think that people who have dedicated their whole lives to this genre and lifestyle should have to compete or watch that album just stay at the top just because she’s Beyoncé.”

“I don’t need to put down a black woman to advance my music,” Crockett continued in his Instagram message on Aug. 19. “That’s just embarrassing to the idea of America and I got no respect for it.” Crockett then when on to praise another Black artist who is making a country-infused project, BigXthaPlug. BigXthaPlug’s upcoming album features collaborations with Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Darius Rucker and more.

“Somebody asked me why I listen to @bigxthaplug the other day. Easy. He’s genuine. A true story teller. The best hip hop sound to come out of Texas in this century. The challenges country music faces aren’t unique. It’s an issue in every *genre*. I don’t have a problem with Americana. I have a problem with being compartmentalized by the music business. Outlaw as a *sub genre* of country was artists standing up for their rights against a rigid system. Ain’t no reason to imitate @officialwaylon and @willienelsonofficial if you ain’t about the fight. Texas forever.”

Billboard has reached out to Wallen and Adcock for comment.

Several artists supported Crockett, with “You Ain’t Gotta Die (To Be Dead to Me)” singer Kaitlin Butts commenting on his Instagram post, “Read them to FILTH,” while country singer Chris Housman added, “YESSIR!!”

Another artist who responded wasn’t nearly so supportive: Adcock. The “Morning Bail” singer fired back on X, writing, “Somebody needs to tell the ‘act’ that has let out (the cover) of James town ferry 6 times he should just work on letting out quality original music I got more cows–t under my pinky then you have seen your whole f–kin life. Hank sr called and asked about the cosplay cowboy.” On Instagram, Adcock doubled down, calling Crockett “Dips–t of the week.”

Crockett recently released the album Dollar a Day, part of a trilogy of albums, on Aug. 8. Adcock released his Own Worst Enemy album on Aug. 15.

The once-proclaimed “Most Hated Man in America” is now vying to win back the nation’s love on America’s Got Talent — but Simon Cowell is no longer sure Tom Sandoval has what it takes.

On the show’s live episode Tuesday (Aug. 19), the ex-Vanderpump Rules star and his band, The Most Extras, put a jazz-rock spin on The Weeknd’s “Blinding Lights,” earning mixed reviews from the judges and possibly jeopardizing his future on the competition. Kicking off with a dramatic start, Sandoval began by playing a flashy riff on his trumpet while towering over the stage on a hanging platform, which then lowered to the ground as his band launched into its rendition of the 2020 four-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit.

Stepping off the platform, Sandoval went on to deliver a breathless, oftentimes pitchy performance of The Weeknd’s chart-topping lyrics. What he may have lacked in vocal delivery, however, was arguably made up for in energy and spirited dance moves — but Cowell wasn’t sold. As confetti rained down, the notoriously harsh critic interrupted the performance to press his letter “X,” prompting a horn to blare with loud disapproval.

When it came time to deliver critiques, Cowell naturally didn’t hold back. “I like Tom, and I like the band, however, you’re judging this performance — it didn’t sound great.”

“It didn’t,” he continued as Sandoval nodded. “It might just be from where I sat, but that did not sound good, I’m afraid.”

Fortunately for the hopeful — who later contested that his in-ear monitors hadn’t been working properly — the other judges had different opinions. “The sound was not amazing, but this was super entertaining,” said Sofia Vergara, while Howie Mandel cheered, “You’re good people having a fun time, and that’s what this show is about.”

“You make me smile,” added Mel B, who gave the performance a standing ovation and urged America to vote for Sandoval.

The polarizing showcase comes about a month after Sandoval’s initial audition for AGT aired. Moments before performing A-ha’s “Take On Me” with The Most Extras and earning unanimous “yeses” from the judges in June, the aspiring musician shared his hopes for the show. “Couple years ago, I made some really bad choices and was involved in a very bad cheating scandal, and I let down a lot of people,” he said at the time, referring to his widely publicized affair with Vanderpump castmate Raquel (now Rachel) Leviss.

“It pretty much destroyed my life,” he continued, referencing how The New York Times had dubbed him the “most hated man” in the country. “I just hope the audience and the judges see who I am as a musician.”

Ironically, Sandoval also told Billboard in an interview shortly afterward that he was hoping to work on his singing abilities ahead of his “Blinding Lights” performance. “I’ve been vocally training every day and just doing the best I can to keep improving myself,” he said at the time.

Watch Sandoval’s latest performance on America’s Got Talent above.

Find out if Tom Sandoval and The Most Extras move on in the competition when viewer votes are revealed Wednesday (Aug. 20) at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

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We love Pedro Pascal, and we have a feeling you do too. He holds the unofficial title of the nation’s “Daddy,” and is a talented actor to boot. The actor has had a number of big moment the past few years, starring in hit films and TV shows such as Game of Thrones, Narcos, The Last of Us and so much more. Pascal’s latest project, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, received some positive reviews following its release back in July.

The star’s rise to fame was not instant, but rather, a gradual process, one that is well-documented in an unofficial illustrated biography titled Hispanic Star: Pedro Pascal. If you want to learn more about your favorite actor with dynamic visuals and engaging storytelling, this hardcover book is currently on sale and available for preorder on Amazon for $18.99. You can also grab the book via Kindle for $9.99 and a paperback version for $7.99. The book drops on Sept. 2.

The biography, written by Claudia Romo Edelman and Karla Arenas Valenti and illustrated by Marcelo Baez, takes readers through the Chilean-born actor’s upbringing in San Antonio, Texas, where his family found asylum during the Pinochet dictatorship. Despite this, Pascal had an imaginative childhood and an obsession with movies that brought his passion for acting to the forefront.

Readers are treated to colorfully illustrated scenes of Pascal’s time at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he fostered that love of acting by diving into some of film’s classics. Eventually, the book explores how Pascal became a household name through shows such as Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian and The Last of Us. This would make a great gift for the Pascal fan in your life. The pricing is perfect, especially with the 5% off. We’ve got a feeling that the Pedro stans, both young and old, will go crazy over this book.

The aforementioned Hispanic Star series is published by Macmillan Publishers. The book series covers many iconic Hispanic and Latinx folks from various areas of entertainment and politics, including Bad Bunny, Selena Gomez, Celia Cruz, Sonia Sotomayor and Roberto Clemente, among others. Each book in the series is an interactive way to get kids to learn about important Hispanic and Latinx figures, both past and present, in an easy-to-digest manner. The illustrations are playful and the accompanying copy is informative but light. You can shop for more books from the series right now on Amazon.

Shop More of the Hispanic Star Series on Amazon

'Hispanic Star: Sonia Sotomayor' by Claudia Romo Edelman & Nathalie Alonso, Illustrated by Alexandra Beguez

$6.99

Buy Now On Amazon

An illustrated biography of Sonia Sotomayor’s life.

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'Hispanic Star: Roberto Clemente' by Claudia Romo Edelman & Sara E. Echenique, Illustrated by Manuel Gutierrez

$5.18 $8.99 42% off

Buy Now On Amazon

An illustrated biography of Roberto Clemente’s life.

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'Hispanic Star: Selena Gomez' by Claudia Romo Edelman & Karla Valenti, Illustrated by Alexandra Beguez

$6.99

Buy Now On Amazon

An illustrated biography of Selena Gomez’s life.

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