Whatever it is, it’s going to be good. Yesterday, four of country music’s biggest stars sent fans into a frenzy when they all posted corresponding cryptic posts on Instagram, hinting at some sort of collaboration. Eric Church, Morgan Wallen, Tim McGraw and Hardy all shared graphics that featured names of the McArthur family with birth and death dates (for some), and the dates seem to line up to create some sort of family tree.
During his show at The Anthem in Washington D.C. over the weekend, Church teased something coming this week, calling it “the s***”:
“On January 30, we’ve got a surprise coming. It’s the s–t.”
And the following night, he once again told the crowd about the as-of-yet-unannounced surprised:
“On January 30, something is going to happen and you’re going to f–king love it.”
While some speculated it could have to do with Eric releasing new music or something of that nature, it seems like some sort of collaboration between Eric and the other aforementioned artists is coming very soon. Chief was the first to post with a simple graphic that has the following in writing:
“Junior McArthur. b. September 2, 1945. d. April 4, 1967.”
And Morgan shared the following on his Instagram stories:
“Hunter McArthur. b. May 13, 1993.”
Hardy also shared one that says:
“Jones McArthur. b. June 5, 1968. d. January 5, 2025.”
Lastly, we have Tim McGraw sharing this:
“John McArthur. b November 2, 1920. d. November 22, 1963.”
Theories from fans have been flowing in, though it’s clear to me that whatever it is, whether it’s a song, album, EP or something of that nature, it’s going to hold a lot of historical significance. Many of the dates mark very important moments across American history, whether it’s World War II events, a Martin Luther King Jr. speech, or the assassination of John F. Kennedy… you can read much more about that HERE.
It’s certainly very intriguing, and considering how huge this is going to be considering the sheer star power that is involved, fans have been digging around to find whatever extra information they can about what this all means. And a fan account on Instagram shared the following song registered with the ASCAP called “McArthur,” which is credited to Hardy, Chase McGill, Jameson Rodgers and Joshua Bagles, though no performers were listed yet, though you have to imagine this song is part of whatever project is about to be announced:
Most telling of all, a fan found a graphic with the McArthur family tree on Eric Church’s app, which gives a lot more detail about each family member. I can’t personally find this graphic on the app, so it remains unverified, but it certainly looks legit and fits within some kind of likely “McArthur Family” narrative. It’s giving Yellowstone/Dutton family vibes.
It shows the artist that corresponds with each character, and gives their birthday and applicable death dates, along with the major historical event that corresponds with their life. It doesn’t include all of the historical events that fit the dates involved, however. In addition, we have their “implied roles” in the story, which has
“Patriarch/origin. The founding generation: America’s loss of innocence.
Second generation/inherited burden. Post-war child shaped by unrest.
The bridge generation: carries trauma into the modern era.
Living POV/final chapter: the one who can break or repeat the cycle.”
It’s obvious that a ton of work, thought and attention to detail has gone into this, and I’m excited for all to be revealed:
Eric previously said the announcement is coming January 30th, so we won’t have to wait too much longer to find out what it all means.
