Country Music Reloaded

The past and the future of country music

By: Peter Nomeland

In 2003, country music stations across the country announced that they would be taking the Dixie Chicks off of the radio. The group, which had won several Grammys and was primarily seen as the most popular and critically acclaimed country group of their generation, was shunned by their fanbase and the Nashville-based music superpower that was the country music scene. This was all because they had criticized George W. Bush and the invasion of Iraq. Twenty years after 9/11, much has been said about the years following that tragic day: how America “came together” and was united. Very famously, there was little pushback to the misguided invasion of the Middle East, which in some ways was understandable. But the right-leaning media didn't care, and suddenly one of the industry's biggest crossover stars was wiped out. This is an example of the strange political space that country music takes up in the American consciousness, and when you look at the issues that have generated significant controversies, they are the same as the ones we've seen divide us, as Americans, during the past decade.

When you ask someone what kind of music they listen to, the most common answer you will get is “pretty much everything… except country.” This is primarily due to the distaste many people have for mainstream country music: your Luke Bryans and your Florida Georgia Lines. But that does a disservice to the deep history of country music and its exciting future. Country music is more than a hundred years old, and it may shock people to know that it wasn't always about beers and jeans. Icons like Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson captivated listeners with their cowboy and outlaw personas and their songs about working men and the American West. But in the late 80s, there was a significant shift. The city of Nashville emerged as the hub of “real country music,” contrasted against the state of California, the liberal cesspool where artists like Fleetwood Mac got their start. Since then, the most mainstream country has been male-dominated, committee-written stuff that often sounds like the same thing over and over again. But a simple search through Spotify and Apple Music can help you to see the history of country music, which is much more significant and diverse.

Country music's “base” often criticizes more progressive artists like Kacey Musgraves and Jason Isbell, to name a few, for being quote-unquote “woke.” Or at least the base that listens to country radio, the same industry that shunned the Dixie Chicks back in the early 2000s. But the reality of the modern music industry goes beyond radio. It's all about curation and sharing music through playlists, which is how many younger people have cultivated their music tastes. People aren't just hip-hop fans or punk fans; they are music fans. Country music should be included in that, whether you've enjoyed it in the past or not.

When Taylor Swift made her transition from country artist to pop megastar, much was made in the media about why she made this decision. There might not be a more savvy artist in the business: she made the decision to expand her range, and she has continued to do so throughout her career. But what she has shown is that in music, you can make drastic changes and have it work out beautifully ("1989" and "folklore") or not so beautifully ("Reputation," which I maintain is the worst album of the 2010s). But at least she expands her range, which the powers that be in country music seemingly don't want from their stars.

In conclusion, I want to encourage you to listen to country music. Not the mainstream stuff that reaches the top of the charts, but the country music that is pushing the genre in an exciting and bold direction. Listen to Kacey Musgraves if you somehow haven't already. Listen to Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, and Brandy Clark. Hell, there are even mainstream artists I love, like Miranda Lambert and Eric Church. Because country music will eventually come back to the forefront of the industry—especially if Taylor decides that she wants to go back into it. Then it's a guarantee.