Why Everyone Should Get Into At Least *SOME* Country Music

DISCLAIMER: This arguably might be the blog that the most people either a) disagree with me or b) come after me in the comment section. Music is one thing that people can be extremely particular about, and many are extremely quick to judge or offer criticism to a new genre of music they are unfamiliar with. Like I said, some of easiest ways to tick people off are to knock down their favorite musicians or songs. (We saw this in the Zoom chat when Tess said she didn’t like Taylor Swift. This still irks me…just joking.)

Country music has been around for decades, but recently has hit a surge in popularity in the last ten years. This partially can be credited to the blending of pop music and country music, resulting in less “twangy” lyrics or beats with a more cleaner, refined sounding song. Artists Dan+Shay exemplify this pop-country hybrid genre perfectly. Their songs are played on mainstream pop radio, while also on country-only stations. For those looking to break into the country music genre, this can be a great place to start. I know from personal experience (trying to forcibly shove enough country music down Tyler’s throat until he likes it for our trip down south this summer) that these pop-country hybrid artists net the most success when trying to get someone started on the genre.

This style of “pop-country’ isn’t widely accepted by all country music fans, however. Many believe that this style has transcended into solely pop music, and it is tainting the image of country music. Instead, people opt for newer country artists that still embody much of this “twang,” such as Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Morgan Wallen, Riley Green, or Jon Pardi. These artists stick to more traditional sounding country beats, and their lyrics focus on very common country themes such as alcohol, trucks, or their lovers and romances. Regardless of ones opinion on these artists, I personally enjoy a good mix of the two. Pop-country is no less valued in my musical taste, though I agree certain songs are starting to shift entirely away from the country genre entirely.

However, the true beauty in country music for me lies in its malleability. The largest misconception that I have ever heard surrounding country music is that it is only for summer time, or when on a lake or beach. While I agree that this is probably the picture perfect scenario for playing country music, I firmly believe country can be played during all seasons or all moods. I have sad country playlists, upbeat workout country, and summer country music. Each have different songs that can reflect different moods or vibes throughout the year. There is no specific calendar date or guideline that these country songs are acceptable or unacceptable to me, as they follow my emotions rather than the weather. That week we had this year in March when it was about mid 50’s, after the extremely cold week prior, I had my summer country music turned up with my windows down when driving. Again, it was mid-March and 50*, but the music fit my feelings and general vibe. On the contrary, softer, slower country with potentially sadder messages can be utilized during the gloomy days of winter, or when going through tough times, whether at school, with family and friends, or a (former) significant other. Simply put, there is no “right” versus “wrong” time to enjoy country music.

If you’re still skeptical on the whole idea of country music, all I can ask is that you give it a shot. I even catch Tyler singing along to some of the songs I play now (probably because I have played them so much the chorus gets stuck in his head). Below I have linked my own, 500+ songs, 28+ hour long country playlist with all the songs I enjoy (jban43 on Spotify). Give it a shot and hit shuffle. With summer on the horizon, it’s a great time to start getting ready for those days where listening to country music just seems right.