For the past five years, there has been a rise of a certain genre in modern culture. In order to be considered a singer in this upcoming genre, you must have a southern drawl and cowboy boots. Their loyal, devoted fans must love the summer and be enthralled with sharing their emotions. The genre is none other than country music; a style of sound which has quickly become the defining musical genre for the nation. While many are aware of the songs and their respective artists topping the country charts, it can only be speculated as to why country music has all of a sudden become the latest American trend.
Sophomore and country enthusiast Rachel Fox believes she may have the answer to the question. “Country music has become increasingly popular throughout the years because many of the country stars have incorporated elements of pop and rock into their music, making it more appealing to a wider audience.”
Fellow sophomore and country lover Jackie Leming concurs with Fox. “I think that country has become really popular recently because a lot of country artists are incorporating other genres into their music. It seems like recently there is less of a separation between country and other types of music like rock and pop. Now country songs can appeal to a wider range of listeners,” Leming said.
Most people believe that country music is attributed to a change in its sound. ABC News reports “many record labels and radio stations no longer believe traditional country can sell.” Since the beginning of this fall season, ABC has intertwined with the country music world with their new hit drama, Nashville. This hit show’s singles no longer reflect a traditional country style. This is due to the fact that country music no longer reflects the greats’ rhythms such as that of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, or Dolly Parton but instead has tried to mix pop with country.
Having toured with Shania Twain for nine years, music professor Marc Muller is well aware of the ins and outs of the music industry and has reached his own conclusion for country music’s recent popularity. “The state of country music, as with any genre, is in a constant state of flux,” Muller stated. “One factor is when an artist pops up with a new spin on American country music and redefines the boundaries of the genre. That was certainly the case with Shania Twain, my former boss. She entered with a new ‘pop country’ sound that made a huge impact on the industry, spurring many offshoots. It seems Carrie Underwood has taken over Shania’s torch, as well as Taylor Swift.”
As Muller mentioned, much of this popularity can be attributed to the 22-year-old Taylor Swift. Releasing her first album at age 16, Swift has quickly become the face of modern country music. Swift has merged both country and pop vibes allowing her to reach a broader audience.
In fact, some do not consider Swift country anymore such is the case of the New York Times. “Taylor Swift, eight years removed from her debut single, has become one of the most important pop artists of the last decade,” the New York Times states. It is obvious that Taylor Swift’s unique blend has been working well in the industry since she has graced Billboard’s Top 200 over 50 times, has earned the prestigious popular music award the Grammy six times and was recently named the 2012 Entertainer of the Year by the Academy of Country Music. Since her system has worked so well, many country megastars have followed her lead, such as Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert and Hunter Hayes.
Radio professor Aaron Furgason reinforces that the ‘country’ genre is now mixed with pop and rock by giving his own opinion on why country has recently captured America’s attention. “Country is not country anymore. Look at the review of the Zac Brown band at IZOD center. The playlist included covers of Nirvana’s ‘All Apologies,’ Aerosmith’s ‘Sweet Emotion,’ Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman,’ as well as covers of Stevie Wonder and Van Morrison. How are any of these songs related to country music?”
While country music has been changing the radio waves, it also has quickly become a ‘free living’ lifestyle according to many teenagers. “I believe that country music promotes the things in life that do not come with a price, such as love, family, and faith,” Rachel Fox claimed. “These things are not lavish or luxurious, but are promoted through country music as the most important thing one’s life can hold.”
Jackie Leming also supports the ideal that country music inspires a carefree lifestyle. “Country music is feel good music because a lot of songs are about family, friends, love and happiness which are all things that people can relate to,” Leming added. “I think that the carefree vibes that come from the music rub off on the people who listen to it.”
As previously stated, the reason for country music’s increasing popularity can only be speculated. Whatever the reason may be, Muller believes that country music will continue to be strong/ popular and is here to stay. “I don’t believe it will fade. It will perhaps morph into the next big artist’s take on country music. In today’s digital age artists and musical styles come and go so fast. It’s hard to tell if something is fading or becoming popular really, due to the extremely low shelf life of any artistic venture today,” Muller said.
Furgason adds to Muller’s statement by explaining that country music is not only capturing the public’s heart but is also dimming other genres popularity. “Country, at least in this market is replacing Rock Music. Thunder 106 used to be Modern Rock HTG. NYC, the largest radio market in America, has no new Rock music station. Country music is safe, non-threatening and consumable by the masses. New rock music is not any of those things.”
On the other hand, Music Professor Adrien Synnott believes country music is not taking over any specific genre. “[Country music] has always gone through cycles of popularity,” Synnott continued, “Country music is part of the history of rock music, and each genre feeds off the other.”
Even though this new, nontraditional country music may or may not be diminishing other genres, the type of sound country provides is what society has prescribed for. Whether country music has been on the rise due to incorporation of other genres or just because their industry promotes a laid back lifestyle, it is hard to argue that country music is simply a trend.
IMAGE TAKEN FROM cmt.com
