Country Universe writer and founder of The Musical Divide Zack Kephart continues his deep dive into the history of Modern Country Music, and he is now navigating through rocky waters:
Country music’s earliest years of the 2010s were as tame as the latter half of the decade that preceded it, and by then, country music’s newest superstars were varied and established. Of the ones who entered that way, though, only a few would remain that way throughout the course of a decade filled with change, upheaval, and a resurrection of age-old debates that have followed the country music genre since its earliest days.
Many of the artists featured in this section polluted the radio dial, but hang on through the feature and you’ll get an in-depth exploration of the gender imbalance during this time, as well as the rise of Jason Isbell and the return of John Prine.
More comments later, but I’d like to say this before I forget…
There was another really good protest song that came out about a year before FGL hit — Adam Hood’s “I’ll Sing About Mine.” It was aimed more at Alden and Kenny Chesney, but it was fitting for what was to come as well, IMO.
the pistolero,
Ah! Yeah, I know exactly what song you’re talking about. Good catch! Honestly just forgot to include that one.
I tell ya, the toughest part with this section was approaching bro-country objectively. Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean probably deserve bigger blurbs … but I can’t be the one to do that.