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.