It will not come to surprise to most that I love country music. My main country playlist has over 500 songs at 28 hours long. I am fully aware that country music is not for everyone, but I feel as though a lot of people have a predisposed hate for it without even trying it. Before I started listening to country music, I also judged it as well, but once I gave it a chance and started listening to Luke Combs, I never looked back. Today, there are a lot of variations of country music, ranging from pop country to folk. As summer approaches, here are the reasons why I believe country music should be on your summer playlist and some of my favorite songs to get you started.
Start With Pop Country
If you enjoy pop music, start easing your way into country by listening to modern pop country hits. Popular artists include Kelsea Ballerini, Dan and Shay and Kane Brown, who have produced more pop-style country songs. Even some of Taylor Swift’s and Carrie Underwood’s songs can also be considered pop country music as well. This will allow you to ease your way into country music as some of their songs are more pop-focused, so it will not feel like you are listening to country music.
Listen to the Modern Mainstream Artists
Luke Combs and Morgan Wallen are a couple of my favorite country singers. A lot of people listen to their music and they are really popular, so their music might be a good place to start. Both Combs and Wallen just dropped new albums in March, so there will be plenty of songs to listen to. I would recommend Morgan Wallen’s most popular song from his new album, “Last Night,” or some famous classics “Chasin You,” “Wasted on You,” or “Sand in my Boots.” The first country song that got me into country music was “Hurricane” by Luke Combs. From his new album, I really like “Fast Car” and “5 Leaf Clover.” If you want to listen to some older Combs classics, “When it Rains it Pours,” “Forever after All,” or “Beer Never Broke My Heart” are great options. Some other popular artists include Blake Shelton, Tim McGraw, and Luke Bryan.
Make It Your Summer Aesthetic
Country music is also arguably more popular in the summertime, as songs focus on the small-town summer nights, cruising on a boat fishing, or driving in a pickup truck to watch the sunset. I listen to country music all year round, but something about driving to the beach blasting “Slow Down Summer” by Thomas Rhett or “7 Summers” by Morgan Wallen completes the experience. Here is my current summer 2023 playlist — it is a work in progress, but here are some summer-themed songs to get you started.
Viral Tik Tok Country Songs
TikTok is known for blowing up artists and making songs go viral, and this is also true for country artists. Songs like “Truth about You” by Mitchell Tenpenny, “5’9” by Tyler Hubbard, and “Fancy Like” by Walker Hayes are a few country songs that went trending on the app. So if you are an avid TikTok user, you have probably heard of them at one time or another. I would try to listening to these songs fully to get acquainted with the music.
Find Ways to Relate to the Music
I know a big part of the ‘country hate’ is the same recurring themes, and I will be the first to admit that a good majority of the songs are focused around beer, trucks, cowboys, boots, small towns, and the Southern countryside lifestyle. There are also songs about relationships and life, successes and failures, like all genres of music. I love living in the Northeast and I still find ways to enjoy the ‘Southern countryside’ themed music. Personally, I live in a small town, so I love driving through my town while listening to my “Small Town Life” playlist.
Female Country Artists
I also love listening to female country artists that produce songs about women empowerment, confidence and other relatable topics. The industry has really successful male country artists, but there are also some really great female country artists too. I love Lainey Wilson and her song “Things a Man Oughta Know,” Carly Pearce’s song, “What He Didn’t Do,” and Priscilla Block’s song “Just About Over You,” to name a few.
Why I Think Country Music is the Best Genre
First of all, I listen to country music because it makes me happy. Whenever I am sad, I like to listen to happy country songs to make me feel better or when I am walking around campus I always have one of my countless country playlists on shuffle. Secondly, it is easy to understand the messages of the songs, unlike some genres such as rap, which could be challenging to understand certain lyrics. Additionally, the country community is close as many artists love to work with each other and see each other succeed. A lot of bigger artists help smaller artists grow their platform and artists collaborate with each other on songs and albums.
Now if you are ready, here is my 28-hour Country Jams playlist that I started when I first started listening to country music two years ago. I still add to it when I find new music, and it is the longest playlist I have created. I know it is challenging to get into a new genre of music, but hopefully, my tips and song suggestions will allow you to give country music a chance.