I hear it all the time, whether it’s meeting a new person or during ice-breakers in class. A student will say “I like all music, except country” and the whole class will agree. After giving k-pop a chance back in September, when I switched lives with my roommate, I ended up having a new appreciation for K-pop and put my preconceived thoughts behind me. So why are there so many country music haters? Here are some reasons why everyone should give country music a chance, and no I do not own a big green tractor or a cowboy hat.
- There are many misconceptions
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Not every country song is about riding in your pickup truck, wearing blue jeans and drinking beer. While there are some that do just that, the majority of country songs cover a wide range of topics such as relationships, patriotism, and even girl power. The lyrics of the majority of country songs are very relatable and do not soley pertain to people who live in the South.
- It’s heartfelt
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If you like ballads, country music will be perfect for you. Songs like “In Case You Didn’t Know” by Brett Young and “From the Ground Up” by Dan + Shay are the perfect songs for a wedding or to ball your eyes out while eating a pint of ice cream. What makes country so amazing is that not only is the music great, but the lyrics are very special and meaningful to artists and to their listeners. Country is much more than random lyrics thrown together to a catchy beat, which is something that has become increasingly popular in the pop and rap genres.
- It is cleaner than most popular music
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Country is the perfect genre to put on in the car when your parents or grandparents are with you. This way you can avoid turning the volume down for every curse word said. Popular music has become polluted with curse words and singing about money and power, so listening to country is a great escape from the popular songs.
- There are many empowering songs
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Some of the most empowering songs I love are from country artists.”Follow Your Arrow” by Kacey Musgraves is the ultimate girl power anthem that will remind you to do our own thing and not care about others opinions. Other songs like “Most People Are Good” by Luke Bryan remind us to stay positive and have faith in others around us when it seems like there is so much negativity in the world today.
- Some country songs are the ultimate bops you need to add to your playlist
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Not all country songs are slow and lyric-based. Songs like “This is How We Roll” and “Cruise” by Florida Georgia Line are the perfect songs to add to your summer playlist for when you’re driving with your windows down.
- There is an artist out there for everyone
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All country artists sound different and sing about different things that relate to them. If you want to listen to artists who are country but also somewhat pop listen artists like Sam Hunt and even old Taylor Swift (yes she actually used to be country before going totally pop.) These artists are easy transitions when you are first getting into country.
You don’t have to be obsessed with country, but everyone should definitely give it a chance. Who knows you could be missing out on a genre that you end up loving and bopping to from now on!