Okay, all you rabid Carrie Underwood fans out there. Her new single, "Good Girl"--which is the first cut off her upcoming fourth album--hits radio officially on Thursday. So you don't have very long to wait for some new music.

However, Underwood realizes how painful anticipation can be (even a mere 48 hours worth), and so therefore has decided to give everyone a sneak preview of the song. Carrie Underwood

In an unlisted YouTube video accessible from her official website, Underwood takes fans behind the scenes at the studio, where she explains she's spending her last day putting the finishing touches on the new album. While we're there, she decides to let us hear a bit of the music.

"I don't think I'm supposed to do this," Underwood giggles. "But I'm so excited about the first single 'Good Girl,' I thought I'd give you guys a little teaser."

Okay, Brooks & Dunn have been officially retired for almost two years now. We have a new album from Ronnie Dunn. So...the big question everyone wants to know...will Brooks ever release his own solo music?

Well, the answer is here, and it's yes! Brooks announced Friday that he'll be releasing his first single on March 19. The tune is called "New To This Town" and it features the legendary Joe Walsh (you know, just that guy from the Eagles).New solo music from Kix Brooks on the way!

Brooks, who co-wrote the song with his friends Marv Green and Terry McBride--both of whom have written hits for B&D in the past--will put out the single on Arista Nashville. The label also is home to Brooks & Dunn's catalog, as well as Ronnie Dunn's solo effort.

The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines has, certainly, never been known for holding back her opinion. Those who follow her Twitter account are well aware of this--especially this week, when the singer decided to make some observations about a fellow country artist's 2012 Grammy performance.

"Well the good thing about his mic going out is suddenly the song got a lot more in tune," Maines tweeted on Sunday, while apparently watching the Grammy Awards online. "By 'he' I mean whoever the guy was singing with Kelly Clarkson.""Pitchy" Aldean at the Grammys

That guy was, of course, multi-Grammy nominee Jason Aldean--performing the hit duet "Don't You Wanna Stay"--whom Maines termed "pitchy."

Miranda Lambert has never had a reputation as a shrinking violet--but she's attracting some attention this week for her acerbic comments toward R&B star Chris Brown, who was granted two performance slots on this year's Grammy Awards telecast.

"Chris Brown twice? I don't get it. He beat on a girl...Not cool that we act like that didn't happen," the country star tweeted on Sunday. "He needs to listen to Gunpowder and lead and be put back in his place. Not at the Grammys."Chris Brown needs to listen to "Gunpowder & Lead"

Lambert was referring, first, to the fact that Brown pleaded guilty in 2009 to assaulting then-girlfriend Rihanna--and, second, to her own hit "Gunpowder And Lead," which details an abused wife's plans to shoot her incarcerated husband once he's out of jail.

"His fist is big but my gun's bigger/He'll find out when I pull the trigger," is a key lyric from the tune.

Hey, so what are you doing at the end of the year 2012? How does an invite-only concert in Nashville, featuring five A-list country artists, sound?

Not too bad? I thought so! The good news is that you can enter to win a sweepstakes that just might put you on the guest list for this exclusive event. Ram Trucks has announced its "Road to the Ram® Jam" contest, which offers fans not only a chance to win an invite to the December 29 show (hotel and airfare included), but also the opportunity to gather up some other music-lovers' goodies along the way.

Throughout 2012, Ram will periodically announce each of the five artists that will be taking part in the Ram Jam. Fans can then check out the Road To Ram Jam site, which will have exclusive video content featuring the stars, the opportunity to win prizes including collectible posters and vinyl records, free music, and more.

The inaugural artist announced for the Ram Jam is Kellie Pickler, who is offering visitors to the Ram Jam site a chance to win a free download of her latest single, "Tough."Kellie Pickler

When one thinks of Taylor Swift, words like sweet, bubbly, and upbeat come to mind. Certainly not funereal, right? So it may come as a surprise that her new video for the single "Safe And Sound" was shot in a cemetery.

The moody, ethereal clip--which pays homage to the movie the song was written for, The Hunger Games--certainly is a departure for the usually sunny superstar. However, Swift, as she does with pretty much anything she tries, manages to nail her part perfectly.Taylor Swift in "Safe And Sound" video

As she explained to MTV, the shoot's location appealed to her (well-known) romantic side. "It's one of my favorite moments in the video; there's this wide shot, where I'm just kind of crumpled up sitting on a gravestone, and it's actually the gravesite of a couple who lived and died in 1853," she noted."I'm sitting here thinking, 'What were their lives like?' It's really eerie, considering what the movie is about and how it deals with life and death. It just absolutely blew my mind."

Swift cuts a spectral figure

Chances are, as a country fan, you've heard of the upcoming film Act Of Valor, which features a soundtrack composed of Nashville heavyweights--one of them being Keith Urban, who wrote an emotional ballad, "For You" specifically for the movie.Keith Urban's Valentine to you--a new song!

If you've been wondering how Urban's new tune sounds--well, guess what, you can hear it first, right now! We have the song in its entirety here for you to listen to, a week before the soundtrack hits stores.

Taylor SwiftThe 54th annual Grammy Awards proved to be yet another year in which country music rose to prominence, holding its own--and then some!--with the pop, rock, and rap worlds. Although country was only nominated in one all-genre category this season (Best New Artist, which the Band Perry lost to alt-rock act Bon Iver), the show was packed with high-voltage performances from Nashville artists, making it a night for any country fan to revere.

If you happened to miss the telecast on Sunday night, never fear, no need to fast-forward through your DVR recording--we at Ram Country have put together all the evening's best country moments. From the red carpet arrivals, to the acceptance speeches, to the blazing performances...it's all here.