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Watch now: How "Dark Horse" Devin Dawson went from metal maniac to country star

ABC/Image Group LAThanks to his first big hit, "All On Me," the lead single from his debut album Dark Horse, Devin Dawson is one 2018's country stars to watch.  It's hard to believe the Orangevale, CA native once thought he'd make his living playing heavy metal music.

Though Devin grew up listening to country music, he cut his musical teeth playing in a metal band.  But he says switching genres wasn't as difficult as you might think.

"[F]or me, it was more of like a renaissance...going back to what I started with," Devin explains to ABC Radio. "I wrote my own songs in my room, by myself, for myself, and I was kinda trying to emulate these country songs that I had grown up listening to."

Devin laughs, "I remember sitting in the front of the van being like, 'I'm never gonna stop playing metal! I'm gonna rock out for the rest of my life!' And I grew out of it pretty quick, man."

According to Devin, writing those songs in his bedroom was "fulfilling" than metal. "Those songs eventually took over more of my heart," he says.

But his time as a heavy metal rocker definitely left its mark on Devin's album, Dark Horse -- and he's proud of that.

"I will never stray away from...the way that it's shaped me, being in a metal band," he tells ABC Radio. "Whether it's my live show, or whether it's songs...on my record that kind of tip the hat a little bit to the angst, and the rock influence in my sonic identity.  "I will never hide from it...It's something that shaped me for the better."

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Kelsea Ballerini had a blast at the Super Bowl

ABC/Image Group LAKelsea Ballerini traveled to Minneapolis for Super Bowl LII this weekend and her time was nothing short of magical. The singer, along with husband Morgan Evans, shared her whirlwind weekend in Minnesota where she partied wit...

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WATCH NOW: Post Super Bowl, Chase Rice reveals who he was rooting for, and who he wanted to see during halftime

ABC/Image Group LALike many country fans, Chase Rice thought Chris Stapleton might make an appearance during Justin Timberlake's Super Bowl LII halftime show performance Sunday night. At the Country Radio Seminar in Nashville today, the former college football star told ABC Radio that he was rooting for Stapleton...as well as for the New England Patriots.

"I thought we were gonna have a little bit of country last night, I'm not gonna lie," Chase tells ABC Radio. "I thought Stapleton was gonna work his way in there, he never did. But man, I thought it was great, I thought it was entertaining."

Chase adds, "Timberlake does what Timberlake does. He's a pro about it, he gets up there, does his moves, sings his parts, and he knows what he's good at...he put it out there last night."

As for the Patriots, Chase, a one-time NFL prospect, says he's been a fan of the team since high school because he "likes the way they win."  While he no longer plays, he says he's brought the football mindset to his country music career.

"In my mind, I'm like, 'Hey, it's the best song, if you're the best guy, it's your spot,' and that's not always the way it is," he admits. 

But, he adds, "I'm not gonna let outside stuff affect who I am and what I'm gonna do and what my job is. My job is to write songs, sing 'em, get 'em out there and have people sing 'em back to me, and make sure that those people singing back to me have the absolute best time of their lives."


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