You’ve all heard it before: “I listen to everything except rap and country.” It’s the age-old adage of the music generalist. But as hip hop has become practically synonymous with pop music over the last decade or so, rap has all but dropped out of the expression. Country, however, stands firm as the most hated mainstream genre.
I can’t say I feel all that differently. Though I’ve voiced my appreciation for country music here and there, it’s not one of my favorite genres. However, I think it’s healthy to question your own beliefs every once in a while, and country gets more than its fair share of criticism. That’s why the first subject of this new article series, “In Defense Of,” is every music lover’s least loved genre: Country.
The Charges
Repetitive Lyrical Subject Matter: This is definitely country’s most heinous offense. Thousands of country songs have been written about drowning one’s sorrows in a few cans of dependable, American-made light beer. Thousands more have been written about grabbing one’s best gal and hopping into a dependable, American-made pickup truck. And God only knows how many songs have mentioned doing both. Country music has re-tread this same lyrical ground many times over, and for some it’s too off-putting to get past.
Twang: People hate Southern accents. I don’t know why, but they just do. That bias applies not only to innocent civilians, but to their musical representatives. One hint of twang in a singer’s voice and it doesn’t matter what they’re singing about, they’re done. Instrumentation can also be an issue. There are plenty of trebly-guitar haters out there, and the banjo is quite possibly the least popular instrument in the world (although the movie Deliverance is partially to blame for that).
Relationship With Women: If I were writing this article five years ago, I would’ve called it “In Defense Of - Bro Country.” Or maybe “God, I hate Bro Country.” But times have changed. Bro country, with its charming blend of classic tropes and blatant misogyny, may have dominated country music in the early 2010s, but the shtick got old. Instead, “boyfriend country,” popularized by artists such as Dan + Shay, dominates the airwaves. It’s certainly less objectifying than bro country, but women are still relegated to the role of object. Even after the death of bro country, women continue to play a supporting role in country music, whether that’s in the lyrics or the industry itself.
The evidence here is pretty damning. Country music has some flaws that even the most die-hard fan would have to at least acknowledge. So why give it a chance?
The Defense
Every Genre Can Be Repetitive: Drinking, materialistic pride, love-- these are universally appreciated parts of life (probably not in that order, but I’m not here to judge). Of course there’s a bunch of songs about them! Every genre from classic rock to bubblegum pop harps on these universal subjects, though the specifics might vary. Country certainly isn’t innocent of this excessive repetitiveness, but we should at least be consistent with our criticism.
The Twang Isn’t So Bad: To be honest, I don’t really have a logical defense for this. If you don’t like a certain timbre, I can’t argue that you actually do. But you should at least consider if your hatred of the twang is genuine, or if it’s just a result of a cultural bias.
Show Me a Genre Free of Sexism: Ok, maybe riot grrrl. But certainly not rock, or pop, or hip hop, or indie, or R&B, or EDM, or any other major genre within the scope of popular music. Again, this doesn’t excuse country music’s guilt, but it’s unfair to classify it as an issue unique to them. Seek out artists that don’t rely on sexist themes instead of writing off the genre as a whole.
Closing Arguments
Country music, like every other popular genre of music, is flawed. And while no amount of blog posts can change anyone’s inherent taste, I think that everyone (myself included) should have an open mind about country music. After all, some of the greatest songwriters of any genre have come from country. Artists like Dolly Parton, or Willie Nelson, or personal favorite Jason Isbell have all penned classic songs that transcend genre. And if you’ve completely written off country, adjacent genres like bluegrass, Americana, and southern rock might warm you up to country’s instrumentation and themes.
So, country haters— grab a beer, find a truck bed to post up in, and join me in giving country music another chance. Worst case scenario, we’ll just get more ammunition for our anti-country rants.
Lyle B.