The journey continued this week on The Road, CBS’ new country music competition series created by Blake Shelton, Taylor Sheridan, and Keith Urban. The remaining nine artists, handpicked by the trio, traveled to their third performance stop at The Oklahoma Ranch in Oklahoma City, where they once again competed for the chance to become the opening act on Keith Urban’s tour.
This week’s performances were split over two nights, with each contestant required to showcase both an original song and a cover. Audience votes determined the standings before judges made the final decision on who would stay on the tour bus.
The first night featured performances from Cassidy Daniels, Cody Hibbard, Jenny Tolman, and Forrest McCurren. While Daniels and Hibbard have scored high in previous weeks, Hibbard faced an unexpected challenge: he was battling kidney stones during his performance. Tolman and McCurren, who have both found themselves near the bottom in earlier episodes, were looking for redemption with their songs.
In a surprise moment that energized both the crowd and the contestants, Tour Manager Gretchen Wilson opened the evening’s performances with her hit “Here for the Party,” drawing cheers and setting the tone for a competitive night.
At the close of the show, the two lowest vote-getters faced review from Shelton and Urban, and one artist was eliminated from the competition. The remaining five contestants will return to the stage next week, where another elimination awaits.
The winner of The Road will earn a performance slot at Stagecoach, a recording contract, and a $250,000 prize.
The Road airs Sunday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CBS, with episodes available the following day on Paramount+.