January 2021 – Country Universe

CU Archives – Forgotten Misses: Merle Haggard, “In My Next Life”

January 29, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 5

A decade-old look at a should’ve been hit.

Single Review: Eric Church, “Hell of a View”

January 29, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 2

Is it legal these days for a country song to celebrate leaving a small town?

Single Review: Jimmie Allen and Brad Paisley, “Freedom Was a Highway”

January 29, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 4

An unmitigated disaster.

Single Review: Luke Combs, “Better Together”

January 28, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 2

“Better Together” would be better together with fiddle and steel.

Single Review: Kane Brown, “Worship You”

January 28, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 7

Kane Brown’s “Worship You” is a heartwarming ballad with genuine emotion.

Single Review: Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard, “Undivided”

January 26, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 6

Three minutes of sparkling sincerity.

Single Review: Blake Shelton, “Minimum Wage”

January 26, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 6

Blake Shelton’s latest would be better if it was produced with the radio instead of the arena in mind.

A Country Music Conversation: Sirius Top 1000 Country Songs of All Time, #340-#331

January 25, 2021 Kevin John Coyne 11

As we inch closer to the top, the ratio of legends to newer artists is slightly more narrow. Six Hall of Fame inductees rub elbows here with established superstars, with only one relatively new act in the mix.

Identity Through Masculinity and Femininity: Johnny Cash, Tanya Tucker, Dolly Parton, and Puzzling Paradoxes

January 20, 2021 Zackary Kephart 2

A continuation of a previous essay, exploring identity formation through masculinity and femininity, and exploring the paradoxes and audience perceptions that come with both.

Album Review: Devin Dawson, The Pink Slip EP

January 19, 2021 Michelle Ivey 0

The Pink Slip is a promising new release from a quickly developing talent.