Country Music: Why it Deserves Better

What’s your favorite genre of music?  Pop, Rap, Disco, Rock?  Notice, when asked this question, no one ever answers that theirs is Country.  Why could this be?  It seems that in today’s society there is a negative stigma that comes right alongside being a country music listener.  Immediately when someone does confess to enjoying music with Southern roots, a target is placed on their backs, one they can’t seem to shake.  Why is it that in 2021, where everything is so accepted, Country music can’t be one of those things?

Let’s unpack a basic country song.  Vocalists, having a southern rasp to their voices, tend to talk about heartbreak, love, family, life, patriotism, religion or something along those lines, all while being backed by some form of an acoustic guitar.  Yes, there will always be your stereotypical truck song but what’s life to a country boy without a Chevy Silverado? 

Obviously, there is nothing blatantly wrong with songs that feature those themes.  There are pop songs that talk about love and rap songs and almost every other genre in between.  So why is it that Country is the one that gets thrown under the bus?  Yes, I know we live in the middle of Suburbia and not in Sneedville, Tennessee but that should not affect society’s acceptance of music genres.

After sitting in an American Popular Music class, hesitant to reveal my favorite genre for fear of backlash, I thought to myself, “this isn’t right”.  I may not be a fan of everything I see on the pop charts but that doesn’t mean that I’ll outright slander it.  It’s simple, everyone respects each other’s music tastes and moves on with their lives.  After all, there are many more pressing issues than ones surrounded by Spotify.

Though I could go on all day, I’ll leave you with one last idea.  Yes, history occurs and what happened in the South cannot be erased.  That being said, a lot has changed since the times of slavery and the Civil War.  People have evolved and preconceived notions of Southern people have faded.  It’s time that society stops pointing fingers at the country music community and moves on.  There are so many worse things in the world than people whose music taste involves a love of their country, respect for the ones who die for our freedoms, and, quite frankly, guys who take pride in their trucks.