- Interviews
- /
- News
- /
- Videos
Mitchell Tenpenny, Caylee Hammack & More Play The Song Association Game
Country Now had the chance to catch up with Mitchell Tenpenny, Caylee Hammack, Jillian Jacqueline, Bailey Bryan and Adam Hambrick…

Mitchell Tenpenny, Caylee Hammack
Country Now had the chance to catch up with Mitchell Tenpenny, Caylee Hammack, Jillian Jacqueline, Bailey Bryan and Adam Hambrick before they took the stage at the sold-out Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater on Friday (June 7) during CMA Fest.
To make things interesting, we decided to put their musical knowledge to the test and play a fun round of The Song Association Game.
Here’s how it worked: Country Now gave the artists a word and they had to say the first song that came to their mind after hearing the word. For example, we said “rain” and Tenpenny’s answer was “Let It Rain” by David Nail. Some of the words even stumped them!
Watch it all go down in the clip above.
A portion of proceeds from tickets sold for the Firestone Country Roads Stage at Ascend Amphitheater benefit the CMA Foundation and its mission to shape the next generation through high-quality music education.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.