My Favourites (Not Based Entirely On Looks)

Every country fan has their favourite artist (no, they aren't all Luke Bryan.  But a lot of them are).  And while I do love me some Luke, there are a lot of musicians who I am head over heels obsessed with that I think deserve a mention as well.  So here we go, my Top 5 Country Artists:

#5 Jake Owen.  This man is an absolute gem.  He's gorgeous, he's hilarious, he's insanely talented, he tailgates with fans before shows, and basically goes above and beyond in every single way imaginable to make it known that he doesn't take his good fortune for granted.  His songs are both fun and also sincere, he can sing love songs or drinkin' on a tailgate songs, and either way he kills it.  He's great on Instagram and super interactive with fans on Twitter. Also, he might have the best hair in country music.  But don't tell Keith Urban I said so.

#4 Jason Aldean.  I first heard Jason Aldean on a late afternoon in July 2009, while sitting on tailgate with a boy, in a field full of horses.  This is the complete and honest truth.  So naturally, Jason has always had a special place in my heart.  His earlier songs especially hit home for me, but he has been a very consistent artist, putting out solid songs on every album.  'On My Highway', 'Don't Give Up On Me', and 'Texas Was You' are songs that I have played so excessively that I imagine they will never, ever leave my iTunes Top 25 Most Played.  As a sidenote, I would like to give Brantley Gilbert a shout out here, because he's written several Aldean hits and also because I just straight up love me some Brantley Gilbert.

#3 Luke Bryan.  Okay, you saw it coming.  For every reason I outlined in my Luke Bryan post.  Since I first laid eyes on Luke back in 2009 I couldn't deny the allure of his smile and his tight jeans.  Great performer, great songwriter, appreciates his fans, writes songs you can sing along to.  While Luke does have some serious songs (which are just as wonderful as the lighthearted fun-loving songs he's known for), basically Luke Bryan just makes you want to grab a 6-pack and some friends, spend a night in the moonlight by a bonfire and have one hell of a time, and sometimes that's exactly what you need.

#2 Eric Church.  Where do I even begin with this one?  Eric Church is legendary, in my mind at least.  He has released four albums, and with each new record he manages to both remind fans why they love him, and give them reasons to love him even more.  In stark contrast to most country stars today, Eric Church doesn't give a damn about your tanlines or your tailgates, and he has no problem telling you that.  Eric has spoken out against reality television and against the music industry in general, calling out that 'mainstream' and manufactured sound.  More than just respecting him for standing by his values, Eric Church wrote the first song that ever made me cry, 'Those I've Loved'.  Eric flew relatively under the radar until his second No.1 song, 'Springsteen'.  Called the best song of 2011 by many critics, I still consider it one of the best country songs I've heard in years.  More 'southern rock' than typical country, Eric Church is one of a kind.  Plus he looks damn good in those aviators he's always wearing.

#1 Kip Moore.  If you read the post before this, you get it.  If you didn't - you're missing out on a love story more epic than The Notebook.  But, in summary, Kip Moore is down to Earth, beautiful, wonderful, well-travelled, oh and incredibly talented.  There's a reason he continues to get nods as one of the hottest up and coming artists in country music.  His sound isn't like anything else.  He somehow manages to combine country and rock in such a seamless way that it sounds like it should be a genre all its own.  His husky voice, his bittersweet lyrics, from romantic ballads to party songs, Kip Moore does everything right.  This is one artists that I won't debate about, because there's nothing to debate.  Kip Moore is perfection.  And thus, my number one.

So Basically I Love Kip Moore and You're All Invited to the Wedding

Alright, so since this is a country music blog I am going to exploit that fact and use it to shamelessly gush about meeting Kip Moore (the dreamiest man in the history of dreamy men.  It's science).  So, children, let me tell you a tale...

Our story begins on the Oregon Coast (Cannon Beach, to be exact) in November, 2012.  I was down there for a few days with my at-the-time boyfriend and the whole town was deserted.  Because it was November.  On the Oregon Coast.  And to anyone who doesn't have a whole lot of Oregon Coast knowledge, that basically means wind, rain, windy rain, rainy wind, and basically an extremely dismal weather situation.  Regardless of the weather (which was miserable as predicted), the weekend was fun and on our last day we were blessed with some sunshine.  We had seen a cute little restaurant called Driftwood that we wanted to try, so we wandered over there for a late dinner on our last night.  Typically, the restaurant wasn't busy.  We were seated in a booth and only a few of the other tables were occupied.  As my boyfriend debated whether or not he wanted to try oysters, I glanced up at the door as a group of four guys walked in.  The hostess seated them at the booth behind ours, and even in the dim, candlelit setting of the tiny restaurant I just KNEW one of the guys was Kip Moore.  Who I was seeing in concert in Everett, Washington the next night. 

At this point in his career, Kip Moore wasn't super well known.  I mean, he was well known to me because he's obviously my soul mate, but to other people he was probably somewhat less recognizable.  Anyways so moments after he walks by I start loudly whispering to my boyfriend that Kip Moore was at the next table, and he was adamant that I was a) insane, b) drunk or c) both.  He reasoned with me that there was no reason for Kip Moore (who was currently on tour) to be in a little beach town on the Oregon Coast in the middle of November.  It just didn't make any sense.  And I supposed he was right.  I hadn't really gotten that good of a look, and the argument he made had a lot of sense to it.  So I shrugged off my maybe-but-probably-not semi-celebrity sighting and went about enjoying my last dinner in Cannon Beach. 

A little bit later I got up to go to the washroom, and as I was walking towards the restrooms you can probably guess who was walking out and back towards his table.  Maybe-Kip.  I looked up at him and he was looking back at me and we had the most intense eye contact that two strangers have probably ever had, and NEITHER OF US LOOKED AWAY.  It was borderline awkward but also the best moment of my life, and anyways then we walked past each other so unfortunately you have to break eye contact at that point (tragic).  After that moment, I was (95%) sure I was sitting one booth away from Kip Moore.  But what was I going to do?  Casually walk over to his table and say "Oh hello, you don't know me but I know you, or at least I think I do because I'm pretty sure you're a country music star and I'm here with my boyfriend but I think we just had a moment outside the washroom."?  Not a chance.  So, alas, it was not to be.  We went our separate ways.  I thought that was the last I would ever see of Kip Moore, until...

My sister won meet and greet passes to his Vancouver show two weeks ago.  What are the chances?  Slim.  So slim that this just furthers my belief that the Gods of Fate are pushing for me and Kip to be together.  It was the day of the concert (which we did not have tickets to) and there was a contest on Twitter where you could tweet #PacificColiseum and possibly be randomly chosen for a meet and greet.  And my beautiful, wonderful, stupidly lucky sister happened to be picked.  Before I knew what was happening we were scrambling to get ready and make our way into Vancouver for the show.  If you know anything about meet and greets, you're probably aware that they sound a heck of a lot more glamorous than they really are.  It is a 30 second experience, made up usually of a quick hi-how-are-you, possibly getting something signed, and then posing for one photo.  I wasn't expecting much, and to be honest I was just hoping to make it through the whole experience without crying or throwing up.  There were about 30 of us total, some of who had won passes and others who had paid for them.  I've never been so nervous (and really, I don't get nervous easy).

The line went quickly, and before I knew it I was two feet away from Kip Moore and my sister was hopping around on one foot trying to get her boot off for him to sign.  As he looked to see who was next, he looked past Kelsey and caught my gaze.  Butterflies.  He signed Kelsey's cowboy boot, they posed for a photo, and then I was up.  Oh.  My.  God.  I walked up and he smiled (siiiighhhh) and said hi and I said hi and he asked my name and if I was excited for the show, I said that I was and we smiled for the camera and I was thanking my lucky stars that I hadn't thrown up on him (yet).  As he reached over to sign my meet and greet pass (I had been far too anxious to remember to bring anything real for him to sign) he looked up at me and said, "You look really pretty tonight."  Pardon me?  Did Kip Moore just say I was pretty?  Is this real life?  Shockingly I managed to say "Aw, thank you!"  He was giving me a quizzical look, and then he goes, "Are you from here?" and I said "Yes, well I'm from Langley."  He kept giving me that look and for SOME REASON that I still can't figure out, I go, "But I actually ran into you before in Oregon." (WHY WOULD I SAY THIS.  WHY AM I SO INSANE.  HE'S GOING TO THINK I'M A PSYCHO.  WHICH I PROBABLY AM.) He smiled and says "You're the girl from the restaurant!" (HE REMEMBERS ME.  WHAT.  HOW.  WHY.  I CAN'T.)  I say, "You remember?!" to which he replies "Yes!  I totally remember." and then I said, "I can't believe you remember... I seriously tell people 'sooo me and Kip Moore totally had a moment in Cannon Beach...'" (Aaaaand I'm a psycho again).  Shockingly, he thought that was hilarious and not totally creepy and he laughed again and asked me where I was sitting for the show.  When I told him I wasn't sure but probably somewhere way up in the middle of nowhere, he told me to tweet him who I was and where I was sitting and that if he had a chance before the concert started he'd try and get us better seats.  I said thanks and he said it was great to see me and I died a little bit and somehow managed to smile and walk out and up the stairs where I was reunited with Kelsey and could have my fan-girl freak out that I'd been wanting to have ever since KIP MOORE TOLD ME I WAS PRETTY.

Anyways, the show was amazing, Kip Moore is as talented as he is beautiful and if you've never heard Hey Pretty Girl, go listen.  You won't be sorry.

What Makes Luke Bryan So... Luke Bryan?!

I could ask you who the hottest man in country music is, and chances are that before I finished my sentence you would have shouted out "Luke Bryan!!!".  And, well, you wouldn't be wrong.  Luke Bryan has taken the country music world by storm, and seemingly overnight.  Just hearing his name sends women into a frenzy, and yet, in an interesting twist, guys seem to love him almost as much.  While the ladies focus mainly on his tight jeans, his dance moves, and that faaaantastic butt, guys just love how down-to-earth and fun Luke Bryan seems.  He likes to kick back and have a beer after a long day, he goes fishing on his rare days off, he wears baseball hats, he tends not to shave, and he sings songs that make you want to party.  In a sense, Luke embodies the cliché saying "girls want him and guys want to be him."  So what did he do to warrant this incredible popularity?  What makes Luke Bryan so damn... Luke Bryan?!

Having been a loyal Luke Bryan fan before most people had any idea that Luke Bryan even existed, this is a subject of great interest to me.  What does an up and coming country music artist have to do to go from being just another musician to being a household name?  Luke released his debut album "I'll Stay Me" in 2007, although he had been song writing for well known performers long before that.  For example, many people who claim to be Luke Bryan's biggest fan don't know that Billy Currington's most well-known hit 'Good Directions' was written by Mr. Bryan himself.  Luke gained some popularity with his song 'Rain is a Good Thing', but it wasn't until he released the undeniably dance-able single 'Country Girl (Shake It For Me)' that his career really took off.  From then, Luke has been unstoppable.  The song 'Drunk On You' off his third album really solidified Luke Bryan's place as one of the biggest superstars in country music.

Luke Bryan is an artist who goes above and beyond the call of duty.  He's the guy taking selfies with girls in the crowd at his shows.  He's the one drinking moonshine on stage, taking beers out of fans hands to shotgun between songs.  He releases a special "Spring Break" EP every March, with four or five new, fun songs for fans to get excited about.  Luke Bryan embodies the fun, rowdy, carefree life he sings about on his albums.  When he gets up on stage, he shines.  His energy and his enthusiasm are undeniable.  He loves being in the spotlight and never for a second comes across as a person who takes his success for granted.  When I saw Luke perform last year at Watershed, he grabbed a neon pink trucker hat off of a girl in the front row and wore it for the entire show.  Printed on the front of the hat were the words "Big Booty Hoe".  You can call him a lot of things, but Luke Bryan definitely doesn't take himself too seriously.

But not everyone is fooled by Luke's down-home charm and booty shakin' dance moves.  In a fairly recent interview with Barbara Beam, an on-air personality for Vancouver radio station JRFM, Zac Brown (of the Zac Brown Band) stated that Luke Bryan's hit song 'That's My Kinda Night' was "the worst song [he's] ever heard."  To Zac's credit, he did make sure to mention that he loves Luke and that he has put out some great music (true) but when it comes down to it, this specific song is kind of garbage (also true).  In 'That's My Kinda Night' Luke Bryan casually tosses together all the necessary ingredients to produce a number one country single in 2014: Moonlight?  Check!  Tailgate?  Check!  Big truck?  You betcha!  Sun tans?  Obviously!  Hot girl, beers, summer night?  Check, check aaaand check!  So was it a cop out?  I guess it was.  But as long as Luke keeps showing up excited to perform for his fans, putting on a great show every night and shaking that ass of his, I don't think many more people will be complaining (sorry, Zac).

From Twang to Pop? The Changing Sound of Country Music

It's no surprise to anyone who has listened to country music in the last year or so that the traditional sound of country music is basically a thing of the past.  Gone are the days where George Strait and Garth Brooks were the kings, encompassing the typical Nashville sound in their many number one songs.  In their place, a new kind of country music royalty has emerged: the good looking, fun loving, day drinking country boy.  They like tailgating with their friends, partying in the summertime, and riding around town in their pick-up trucks while their cute, barefoot, blonde-haired girlfriend plays drums on the dashboard (did I just write a hit song?).  These guys sing about everything fun and carefree, they party with fans, they wear baseball hats instead of cowboy hats and they know how to write a hell of a catchy, hit single.  Need an example?  Luke Bryan.  More?  The boys of Florida Georgia Line.  And again?  Jake Owen, Chase Rice, Cole Swindell, Thomas Rhett... I think I've made my point.  Google it, if you must.  And actually, Google it anyways.  Because those are some dang good lookin' men.  Anyways, the point is that the things that made country country are being replaced by things that are distinctly NOT country.  Is this a bad thing?  To be honest, I'm not sure yet. 

There has been debate amongst country music fans for years about what IS country and what ISN'T country.  Ah, here I feel obligated to mention the infamous Taylor Swift.  Arguably the most debateable artist in country music, she started out as a sweet little sixteen year old wandering aimlessly around Nashville with her mom and dad, begging record companies to listen to her demo tape.  And by a stroke of good luck, she released a single.  It was 2006, 'Tim McGraw' was Taylor Swift's first song released to country radio.  And it was a good one.  Sweet but not childish, undeniably country sounding without any in-your-face twang, and also paying an homage to a beloved country music star, Tim McGraw.  When you think about it, she really could do no wrong with this single.  People loved it.  Taylor Swift gained popularity rapidly and her fan base seemed to grow larger and more loyal every day.  Eight years, four albums, and a whole lot of questionable decisions later, who knows what is going on with Taylor Swift anymore.  Is she country or is she pop?  Is she a self-made country music superstar or is she just another musician who sold out for fame and fortune?  If you want my opinion (and you're reading my blog so unfortunately even if you don't want my opinion, it's comin' at ya), Taylor Swift should have stopped after her debut album.  Granted, there have been a couple gems since then, but they have all been hidden amongst whiney, mindless pre-teen lyrics and desperately auto-tuned vocals.  Just.  Stop.  When the majority of your album is too pop-y to even be played on country radio, tossing in one or two acoustic songs that casually mention something remotely southern is not enough to qualify you as a country singer.  If Taylor Swift wants to be a pop superstar, then congratulations Taylor.  You are a world wide phenomenon.  But country?  Not a chance.

Whew.  That TSwift ramble got a little out of hand.  Thanks for sticking with me.  And sorry if you love Taylor (but if you do, you're wrong).  The point I was trying to make is that for years die-hard country fans (which, yes, I do consider myself) have been at the front of the hypothetical picket lines boycotting all things Taylor Swift.  "Not country!"  They'd cry.  "Pop isn't country!"  But now, with the absolutely mind-blowing success of Florida Georgia Line's catchy, summery, and maybe slightly pop-y debut single 'Cruise', are even the countriest country fans changing their tune?

The less twangy sound of modern country may be a bit more palatable for the moderate fan, the subject matter is fun and engaging, concerts are a big, drunken party, and let's be honest, the great looking men of the country world don't hurt either.  As a result of this, more people than ever are listening to country.  Artists like Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton have gone so far as to pioneer a whole new type of country: something called "Hick Hop" (I know, I cringed typing that.  I didn't come up with the name so don't shoot the messenger).  It's a hybrid sound, combining very twangy country lyrics with a sort of rapping, and you know what?  It works.  I don't love it, but I can't argue that it's catchy.  When done well, and strategically placed into a really great, fun country song, it just works.  What would the old country music greats think about this?  Would they think it was innovative and intelligent, a way to change up a stale genre and re-engage a younger audience?  Or would they consider it a cop out? 

So that's the question.  To write a number one country song in 2014, do you have to succumb to this more mainstream sound?  It seems like singing about a drunken summer night with your best buddies and some pretty girls guarantees you a number one.  Especially if you bust out a little "hick-hop" somewhere in the middle.  But there are artists (shout out to my man Eric Church, as well as Justin Moore) who refuse to change who they are and what they stand for.  You gotta respect someone who can say "Yeah, I know exactly how to write a hit song, but I'm gonna play what I wanna play anyways, and you can take it or leave it."  It will be very interesting to see where country music goes from here.  If it keeps changing at the pace it's changing, in a couple of years it may be impossible to tell whether you're listening to a country station or a Top 40 countdown.