Oh, country music, the black sheep of the music industry. If someone did a survey, I bet they would find that 80 percent of CHARMS profiles say, “I love all kinds of music…except country lol.”
As someone who grew up listening to country and still loves it, I rolled my eyes at statements like that, assuming that those people had never given it a chance.
But then I got in a heated Snapchat messenger argument with one of my best friends from home. She grew up outside of Charlotte, the city I’m from, in a pretty rural setting, so her dislike for country is not due to lack of exposure. We’re both Jewish and pretty liberal, so she couldn’t understand how I could like an industry where the majority of artists are white, bible-thumping, Confederate flag-waving men.
That’s a fair point. Many country artists sing about a Southern paradise that is not open to everyone. In many country songs, women are reduced to objects, “Christian” is equated with “American,” and singers reminisce about the “good old days” without acknowledging racism.
Why do I still love it? Like any music industry, it cannot be reduced to one thing. Not all pop music is autotuned garbage, and not all rap music is sexist and violent. Every industry has nuance. The 52nd American Country Music Awards are this Sunday, April 2nd, and the artists and songs nominated are worth paying attention to.
Nominated for Best Female Vocalist, Maren Morris has been changing the face of country music since her hit single “My Church.” The song is catchy, but it also speaks to the spirituality of music, moving beyond the proselytizing often present in country songs. Kacey Musgraves is nominated for the same category, and she too has shaken up country. If you want a feminist anthem, look no further than “Good Ol’ Boys Club.” She mentions same-sex relationships and smoking pot in “Follow Your Arrow,” and tells people to avoid judgement in “Biscuits.” Musgraves has won two Grammys, two Country Music Awards, and an Academy of Country Music award, a sign that country is no longer the “Good Ol’ Boys Club” she sang about.
Another nomination to watch out for is the winner of best song. Eric Church’s “Kill a Word” has generated a lot of buzz. While the song avoids being outright political, Church mentions how he’d like to “hang hate so that it can’t be heard” and “turn lies and hate to love and truth.”
Those nominations, plus the new popularity of artists like Sam Hunt, who breach cultural divides in ways that Toby Keith does not, prove that country is changing. But even if it is, it’s not for everyone. Many can’t relate to songs about pickup trucks and bonfires, but I’d argue we can all relate to songs about wanting to unwind and have fun at the end of a long day. To me, country sounds like home, sunshine, and good times, so I’m glad it is becoming more inclusive.
