Tag: country music
"Old Town Road" Signals a Shift in the Music Industry
By: Eli Lefcowitz
The music industry has a new reason to worry, and it's all because of a certain country-rap meme song. Lil Nas X, a 19-year-old singer-songwriter who was virtually unknown a year ago, a $30 beat purchased online from a Dutch producer, and a racially tinged Billboard chart controversy combined to make "Old Town Road" the…
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards: the Good, the Bad, and the Unlistenable
By: Katherine Randolph
As we approach the dreaded/celebrated season in which celebrities gather in expensive outfits to recognize the best in television, film, and music, the Grammy Awards often stand out as the show for the people. Usually, the Grammys honor a range of music that is both critically acclaimed and commercially successful, an intersection where the Oscars…
The Weekly List: Jason Isbell Highlights
By: Brynne Long
At the age of 22, Jason Isbell joined the rock band The Drive-By Truckers, kickstarting an impressive country music career with the band. After dangerous habits including excessive drinking drove the Truckers to force him out, Isbell began an equally-worthy solo career. His independent albums, including Sirens of the Ditch and Southeastern reflect Isbell's life,…
Critical Voices: Thomas Rhett, Life Changes
By: Monica Cho
Life Changes is country pop act Thomas Rhett's third studio album since his 2013 debut. It is reminiscent of the transition seen in Taylor Swift's Red, with the sound caught somewhere in the limbo between country and pop music. Despite song titles like "Drink a Little Beer" that might suggest an older audience, his album…
Country Music Can Be Yours, Too
By: Anisha Pai
Five years ago, I would have laughed at the thought of writing this article. Country was one of my least favorite music genres. Though I'd hardly listened to it, I knew one thing for sure — country wasn't for me. Country was for white people who lived out on farms, who had been "American" for…