Adele & Taylor Swift Move on Country Radio with Chris Stapleton
There is a new pop invasion happening at mainstream country radio, and the conduit is Chris Stapleton.
Taylor Swift released Red (Taylor’s Version) as the latest installment of her re-recorded albums on November 12th, and on November 15th, a bonus song from the set called “I Bet You Think About Me” featuring Chris Stapleton was sent to country radio. Sending a single to country radio is not unprecedented for Taylor Swift since she officially left the genre in 2014. “New Year’s Day” was sent to country radio in 2017 from her album Reputation, and fizzled at #41. In 2020, they tried out the song “Betty” from Taylor’s album Folklore, and it failed after reaching #32.
Though in some ways country radio seemed receptive to the one-off Swift single if it somewhat fit the format (both songs were a bit more understated and “rootsy,” though not really “country”), these songs really didn’t seem to fit the bill exactly. “I Bet You Think About Me” though, it is giving off strong indications it could have significant impact on country radio.
Receiving hourly radio play on iHeartMedia stations, “I Bet You Think About Me” became the coveted “Most Added” track on country radio last week, and debuted at an incredible #23 on the charts, already blowing all of the other post-country Taylor Swift singles out of the water. Expect the song to fall slightly this upcoming week as it loses its hourly spins, but there is a significant chance this single could be the big return to country radio Swift’s new label Republic Records has been gunning for.
Another interesting development: iHeartMedia has decided that moving forward, they will only play the re-recordings of Taylor Swift’s songs once they become available across all of the company’s stations as opposed to the original renditions done for Big Machine that were eventually sold off, stimulating the re-recordings. Since nearly all of Swift’s re-recorded material spans her country era, this also has a significant impact on country radio. It also signals a cozy relationship between Swift and iHeartMedia, which could have implications in the future.
“I Bet You Think About Me” was co-written in 2011 with Lori McKenna at McKenna’s house in Massachusetts when Swift was performing in nearby Foxborough. It’s a wordy, meandering, longish story full of rather spiteful rhetoric about a girl who grew up on a farm, fuming about some guy from a big city and high society. Like many bonus tracks, there’s probably a reason it was left off the original release. Remember, at the time one of the prevailing criticisms about Swift was how all of her songs were about her ex-boyfriends, which for the most part, they were. This one is apparently about Jake Gyllenhaal.
“I Bet You Think About Me” is also about as “country” as all of Taylor’s material from that time—meaning, not very country at all—with apologists leaning on the occasional harmonica as justification for its inclusion on country radio, and of course, Chris Stapleton’s appearance.
And it happens to be that Taylor Swift is not the only massive pop star who espied Chris Stapleton as a smart conduit for getting their stuff played on country radio. Even before Chris Stapleton’s meteoric rise from obscurity in late 2015, Adele had been one of his earliest champions, was one of the first to record one of his songs, and both Stapleton and Adele have spoken about their desire to collaborate someday. We finally receive that collaboration in the form of the song “Easy On Me,” which is one of the bonus tracks on Adele’s new album 30.
As opposed to just appearing as a harmony singer like he does on the Taylor Swift track, Stapleton actually sings verses on this soulful, emotionally-driven piano ballad with no percussion. Comparing it with the Swift single, “Easy On Me” is probably the superior selection. A solo version of the song is one of the anchors of Adele’s 30 album. And similarly to Swift’s “I Bet You Think About Me,” iHeartMedia has already graced “Easy On Me” with hourly radio play, meaning that it will also debut high in the charts, and likely be the “Most Added” track on country radio.
And herein lies the problem with all of this. Could you claim that one or both of these songs are better than your average selection at country radio, not taking into consideration genre? Perhaps. Similar to Jennifer Hudson and Chris Stapleton blowing everyone off the stage at the recent CMA Awards (where Stapleton walked away with 4 trophies), when you put a generational pop star up against the inferior talent of most of pop country, there is no competition.
But you also have a new crop of country women working to replace artists such as Taylor Swift who abandoned the format, and they are getting hopscotched and potentially shaded out by these big pop names. CMA Female Vocalist of the Year Carly Pearce’s single “Never Wanted The Be That Girl” with Ashley McBryde got leap frogged by Taylor Swift’s new single last week. Swift debuted at #23, while Carly Pearce was at #27. Miranda Lambert’s “If I Was a Cowboy” sits at #29. Morgan Wade’s debut country radio single is trying to find traction as it sits in the mid 50’s.
With all the talk about how country radio will only play a certain percentage of women, who those women are is important. It’s not that country radio should be hostile towards Taylor Swift or Adele. Since Swift left the format admitting she had always been more pop, in some ways country owes her a debt of gratitude for being honest—something many of today’s “country” stars should also try. And undoubtedly, Adele is one of the greatest singers of our time (as is Stapleton), and “Easy On Me” is a great song.
But nonetheless, these are pop stars using the country format for attention and notoriety. And no different than Bebe Rexha, Gwen Stefani, Pink, and other pop stars who collaborated with more native country acts and usurped attention from country’s women, their appearance on country radio is problematic. Deference should first be shown to the women who’ve shown loyalty to country music like Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, Miranda Lambert, and Lainey Wilson. Whether Chris Stapleton is involved, or not.
November 21, 2021 @ 11:39 am
Ahhh . . . yes.
Adele.
Country music.
It just begs a song about her finding love in rural America entitled “The Farmer in Adele.”
November 21, 2021 @ 9:07 pm
man I dont care I wanna get between em with a
great big ole comment like a
ole bodark fence post you can
hang a six reply thread from do some
Triggster twisters til the
cows come home and well be
haven us a time
November 22, 2021 @ 11:25 am
That’s EXACTLY what I was thinking!
November 21, 2021 @ 12:10 pm
“… their appearance on country radio is problematic.”
You sure about that? Anyone with me, that this all fits in PERFECTLY with “problematic” country radio?
Also, bring on the obligatory, automatic response of “at least he’s better than so and so,” but just when I thought I couldn’t be more tired of the pseudo country soul singer who writes ok songs…this comes along. You go though Chris, get that money.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:25 am
Good comment I’m glad people are waking up to this clown. Today you have my respect.
November 21, 2021 @ 12:10 pm
Adele seems to release the same stuff over and over again. Just so boring to me.
November 21, 2021 @ 12:26 pm
Not a fan of piano-driven ballads. Also, Stapleton long ago refused to be called the savior of country music. We can see why. He seems to love duet with pop stars in which they influence him rather than the other way around.
Now, if he would surprise us with a duet with Lainey Wilson or Ashley McBryde, then we would be on to something.
With Adele? Not.
November 21, 2021 @ 12:31 pm
Taylor Swift still singing about her ex-boyfriends after so many years is beyond tiring at this point.
November 21, 2021 @ 4:23 pm
Keep in mind that this was written in 2010-2012. She’s already past that stuff. Her last two records focuses more on fictional songwriting.
November 22, 2021 @ 4:35 pm
The fact that she works “kiss and tell” is one problem; get over it already. I get that she lost her masters and was exploited. But she exploited “country” to break into pop. That sucks as well.
November 21, 2021 @ 12:46 pm
I really, really wish Stapleton wouldn’t waste his credibility on hacks like those two.
November 21, 2021 @ 1:22 pm
But he has so what does that say about him?
November 21, 2021 @ 1:31 pm
I don’t have a problem with Chris Stapleton collaborating with whomever he chooses to. Better Taylor Swift and Adele than Nelly like Florida Georgia Line. But if the powers that be choose to push these songs to country radio, it’s going to popify the format even more than it was before.
November 24, 2021 @ 4:25 am
Lol. At the ” Popify” word! I agree 1000% with Trigger’s comment!
November 21, 2021 @ 1:32 pm
Hacks? What the fuck are you yapping about?
November 21, 2021 @ 2:13 pm
Fuck yourself.
November 21, 2021 @ 2:17 pm
Awwww
November 21, 2021 @ 4:27 pm
Nice comeback, Kevin! Douche.
November 22, 2021 @ 7:46 am
Adele and Taylor appreciate you jousting for their honor.
Just remember the restraining order still applies.
November 21, 2021 @ 1:54 pm
Adele a hack? Lol come on
November 22, 2021 @ 6:29 am
You can say as much as you want that Taylor Swift isn’t country, and for the most part, I’ll agree with you.
But to call her a hack is just plain ignorant. To say she isn’t talented is just plain ignorant.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:28 am
What credibility? He’s been Nashville’s darling since day one. Manufactured to fill a void in their bro-heavy lineup by having someone look Iike DAC but with none of the balls and oh my oh my look how successful it has been!
November 23, 2021 @ 8:31 pm
Hacks? Hardly. You may not like her but Swift’s songwriting skill is undeniable. Adele’s not the best writer but her voice is transcendent.
November 21, 2021 @ 1:27 pm
The Taylor song sounds pretty harmless, for all its not traditional country, I can’t see it getting a lot of time on pop radio to boost its country figures.
Not sure what Stapelton was doing on the track.
Red was a classic album. Not country, although some songs were, but undeniably a pretty solid set of music. Not sure I want to hear it re-recorded. Glad I have the originals on cd.
November 22, 2021 @ 6:31 am
You’re missing out by not hearing the re-recording. The 10-minute version of “All Too Well” is song of the year material.
Hate me all you want, laugh at me all you want, but it’s true.
November 23, 2021 @ 5:25 pm
I tried to listen to the new version. It just seems all inheritantly pop sounding. Everything a bit dulled down. And the looped drums/machine track on All too well (10mins) wasn’t nice. I couldn’t do it.
I suppose the lesson is that even Taylor Swift can’t get back her childhood spark.
November 21, 2021 @ 1:29 pm
Taylor’s face makes me wanna eat 3 cans of corn and go sit on the pot. That’s really all I have to say about it.
November 22, 2021 @ 6:32 am
Nobody cares.
And “Brandon” isn’t triggering anyone and “Brandon” kicked Trump’s ass.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:58 am
I believe you. I swear I do. No really, you convinced me.
November 21, 2021 @ 2:00 pm
Miranda Lambert has a pure pop song out with Elle King that’s doing better on country charts than her own country song. Why isn’t she getting as much shit as Chris is for polluting the country charts with pop collaborations? Also all the women you listed Pink, Gwen Stefani, Taylor and Bebe had massive number one songs on country streaming and digital sales charts. It would be crazy for country stations to ignore songs that are huge hits with the average country pop radio listener which lets face it is the majority of country stations these days.
November 21, 2021 @ 2:27 pm
I think folks are focusing too much on the personalities involved in this story as opposed to the issue itself, and I’ll take some credit for that for not being expressive enough that this isn’t bagging on Adele, Stapleton, and Swift. I honestly don’t think Taylor Swift or Adele even care if their songs are played on country radio, and Stapleton was just being a gentlemen and singing on some songs. The issue is labels pushing this stuff, and country radio being receptive to it.
“…all the women you listed Pink, Gwen Stefani, Taylor and Bebe had massive number one songs on country streaming and digital sales charts. It would be crazy for country stations to ignore songs that are huge hits with the average country pop radio listener.”
The reason they have such huge numbers is because they are pop stars, and they have the benefit of drawing from both pop AND country audiences. If country radio is pushing these pop artists and ignoring country artists, then the country artists will be ignored, period. Which they often are. If country ignores them, they’ll still have plenty love from pop.
Also, there is a big different between adding a song to a rotation, and iHeartMedia making songs from Taylor Swift and Adele the biggest songs released to country radio on consecutive weeks by mandating hourly spins. These pop stars are benefiting from a program put in place to help country artists get heard. Adele and Taylor Swift won’t be injured in any way if country radio ignores them. Carly Pearce, Ashley McBryde, and Morgan Wade will.
November 22, 2021 @ 7:32 am
Totally agree with your comment A consumer. ???? Also as far as Gwen Stefani goes she is Blake’s wife and my guess is they will continue to record songs together and perform together. I mean whether you like them or not they had two huge massive hit country songs collaborating together not even mentioning their popular Christmas song . My son’s wedding song was Nobody But You as was it the wedding song for many others. It’s hard to argue with success in the music industry.
November 27, 2021 @ 7:34 pm
But what does success in the industry mean and for whom? In today’s music landscape the mainstream is actually the minority by the numbers of music fans in this country (country fans or otherwise).
November 21, 2021 @ 2:31 pm
Adele is an odd creature. She strikes me as a persona that appears to enjoy looking in the mirror too much whether it is singing or interviewing or anything else she does now. She’s come a long way from Chasing Pavements. Just not sure if the good outweighs the bad. Something just really odd about her now. Sometimes I think I liked her better when she was chubby but real as opposed to skinny and possibly narcissistic.
November 21, 2021 @ 2:35 pm
I’d rather have both of these songs on occasional rotation in country radio than anything by Walker Hayes, Sam Hunt, Dan & Shay, etc. The fact that mainstream radio will only play x amount of women country shouldn’t be a Taylor or Adele problem, but a problem with radio itself. In the end mainstream radio is going the way of newspapers
November 21, 2021 @ 2:43 pm
I’d rather scarf down a plate of chocolate covered dog turds than a plate of deep fried cat turds.
November 21, 2021 @ 2:59 pm
If only your opinion mattered on anything Honky.
November 21, 2021 @ 3:24 pm
You don’t mean that.????
November 21, 2021 @ 4:24 pm
Ask not what’s the matter with not mattering on this Country matter, ask why this matter matters to your country.
November 21, 2021 @ 11:02 pm
There’s a few of us that wouldn’t eat any kind of pet shit no matter the circumstances, but we probably aren’t country enough.
November 22, 2021 @ 6:49 am
…..”There’s a few of us that wouldn’t eat any kind of pet shit no matter the circumstances,”…..
I realize you didn’t do it on purpose, but you stumbled across my obvious point nonetheless, and for that, you deserve a pat on the back.
November 21, 2021 @ 4:21 pm
“The fact that mainstream radio will only play x amount of women country shouldn’t be a Taylor or Adele problem, but a problem with radio itself.”
Definitely. But even if country radio was a format that ONLY played women, if you had international megastars such as Taylor Swift and Adele coming in with singles, it’s going to push artists like Morgan Wade and Ashley McBryde trying to find traction on the format a notch down.
Country radio should be for country artists. Seems like a pretty simple philosophy.
November 21, 2021 @ 4:55 pm
“Country radio should be for country artists.” My local alternative rock station plays Cash’s Ring of Fire, because the mainstream country radio station won’t.
November 21, 2021 @ 2:51 pm
Murica!
November 21, 2021 @ 3:52 pm
God damn I cant stand Stapleton. Sings everything like an R&B singer and his songs are all mediocre garbage. Heard one of his songs and you have heard them all. Guy is a pop singer who writes generic sappy boring songs in any genre. Guy is not folk music let alone country.
November 21, 2021 @ 4:27 pm
Hahahaha. He is such an incredible over-singer. It is so gross that if you search Tennessee Whiskey on Google it says “Song by Chris Stapleton”. Why would you ever want to make such a self indulgent version of that song when DAC absolutely had perfected it?
November 21, 2021 @ 4:39 pm
Jones’ version of “Tennessee Whiskey” blows the other away.
November 21, 2021 @ 6:01 pm
Stapleton is a product. He should be referred to in future as “Product Stapleton”.
He owes much of his fame to copying Al Greene’s voice, an Etta James sound, and a DAC song.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:32 am
Another one. Great job! I couldn’t agree more.
November 21, 2021 @ 4:24 pm
What’s the problem? Let pop people collaborate with country artists, let country musicians collaborate with rappers, let metalheads take a country song and heavy it up, it’s all creative and it’s fine. Artists do not have to stay in their lane, why should they?
November 21, 2021 @ 4:30 pm
13 paragraphs in this article. Not a single word decrying artists from different genres collaborating with each other.
November 21, 2021 @ 4:50 pm
But if all stations, of all genres, had the attitude that they should just play pure examples of their genre, then collaborations (and music that doesn’t fit into a particular genre) don’t get played anywhere.
Are you saying it’s okay for a country/rap collab to be played on a rap station but not a country station?
November 21, 2021 @ 5:07 pm
Country stations should play country music. Hip-hop stations should play hip-hop music. All genres feed into “pop” music, meaning whatever is popular at the time. If a song combines both hip-hop and country elements, the question should be, is it more country or hip-hop? What genre is the primary artist more native to? I don’t like Florida Georgia Line. Their music combines elements of hip-hop. I don’t like the fact they’re on country radio, but that’s probably where they belong over anywhere else.
I don’t even mind these songs being played on country radio, if a local programmer chooses. But for them to take advantage of hourly plays and become the biggest debut singles on the format comes at the expense of country singles. That’s not cool.
November 21, 2021 @ 7:15 pm
So what you’re saying is…country artists should literally spit on pop stars.
-Cathy Newman
November 21, 2021 @ 5:16 pm
The Taylor song is more country than most (all?) of what country radio’s playing at the moment.
November 21, 2021 @ 10:54 pm
Again though, the biggest problem isn’t they play these songs. It’s that they are better than a lot of “country” songs they do play. Mainstream country radio is so sad.
November 22, 2021 @ 12:01 am
Chris Stapleton has built a brand for himself as an “authentic” artist, and is arguably the most acclaimed mainstream male artist of the 2010s who isn’t in rap music. It isn’t just Taylor and Adele. Justin Timberlake, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, Ed Sheeran and Bruno Mars… Half of them in the past year or so, too. Notably, these artists are all big on the Adult Contemporary format, and most of them are not really the type to feature rappers on their songs (due to their styles of music and/or the demographics of their audiences)—so they’re going for the next best thing: Stapleton. They want a slice of his acclaim and “authentic” branding, as well as the cross-genre promotional opportunities. We’ll probably see him collaborate with several more big AC-leaning pop acts in the next few years, but working with him is just a trendy thing to do… and trends fade.
As for the hourly-spin radio deals, that’s unfortunately standard fare, and has been for ages. I assume some of the major country stars get similar deals for their lead singles; nearly every major pop star does. It’s all a matter of the industry manipulating things so that new releases from big stars will be “instant hits,” because there’s hardly such a thing as a slow climb for stars anymore; it’s all “instant success” or “flop.”
Adele’s Stapleton remix is like a Target exclusive or something, so I imagine they’ll probably only push the song for the week to try to drive up first week album sales. Perhaps radio will embrace it, but I don’t expect much.
I’m not sure about Taylor’s song. It’s very wordy, has a very brief hook/chorus, and is fairly unrelatable with the New Money vs Old Money conceit of the song; I wouldn’t be surprised if it failed to breach the top 20. But she did make a video for it, which she never bothered doing for New Years Day or Betty. I get the sense that she’s been testing the waters this year as she gears up to rerelease Taylor Swift and Speak Now, which will presumably have more “country-adjacent” material. She didn’t really push a country single from Fearless, but I did hear the Urban and Morris played collabs a few times. Now she’s giving this a proper push. She’s easing her way back in, I think; there’ll likely be one country radio push each from her debut and Speak Now. I doubt we’ll get another “country” album from her anytime soon, though.
I really wish she would have pushed “I Almost Do” instead of “I Bet You Think About Me;” I always felt like it was her country hit that got away—it’s like a ballad The Chicks would’ve released. But I guess she had to push one of the “new” songs, and this was the only real option for country radio; she could’ve tried pushing her recording of “Better Man,” but there’s no telling how trying to score a hit out of a song that was just recently a hit for someone else would have gone these days.
And I do think it’s pretty shitty how frequently (mostly male) country stars are collaborating with female pop stars on their singles instead of, you know, supporting the women of country. Not only does it reek of blatant corporate influence seeking cross-genre promotional opportunities, but it’s also insulting to all the women who actually make country music.
November 24, 2021 @ 1:14 pm
justin had rappers on his music since 2000 ? you know nsync kinda of started this trend …also stapleton was far from being mainstream when he worked with him..
November 22, 2021 @ 7:13 am
Chris Stapleton just seems to get a free pass from many real country music critics about having all these songs with “pop “ music artists. I don’t get it. Now if another male country singer did songs with so many different pop singers they would be criticized. Same goes with Miranda Lambert getting a free pass from the Nashville music critics about everything she does. That awful drunk song with Elle King is not country. It’s pop and also on the alternative rock charts. That non country Drunk ( And I don’t wanna go home ) song where all they do is scream the song Is where Miranda got all her streams this year. Not to mention it was performed on cm awards shows. Miranda’s current country cowboy song is not good at all. It’s really bad. Just because it’s a country song by Miranda doesn’t automatically make it a good song.????
November 22, 2021 @ 7:40 am
I thought Taylor picked a lane. I remember all that praise Trigger lavished on her for that. I told him at the time it was just a smokescreen. She is good at the narrative but only if you are blind enough to fall for the cutesy blonde act.
Stapleton was the false savior from the start.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:26 am
I still think Taylor Swift deserved praise for coming out and saying she wasn’t country, and how important it was to be honest about that. It set an example that others should follow.
November 22, 2021 @ 4:53 pm
The fact she exploited country and dirtied the waters is inexcusable. Disingenuous and craven from the start. Now, in her self serving intersects, she can be “honest” after raking in all the notoriety, fame and (contrived) drama making it even worse. Some artists are a fraud from the start (a “male star” manipulating charts for instance), but again, she “came clean” much later….
November 27, 2021 @ 7:32 pm
Meh- I don’t care for Taylor Swift but she just pulled from the Shania Twain play book. Except she didn’t release mutiple versions of the same album for both pop and country fans. She just made mostly pop music and sold it to country radio.
Then basically said she was going pop when many were giving side eye, “Gurl you were always pop”.
November 22, 2021 @ 7:43 am
Has Adele changed her entire look?
That photo looks completely different.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:38 am
I do agree that these collaborations shouldn’t be taking away from country artist on country stations but at same time, country stations have become more like pop stations so it doesn’t surprise me. It’s all about money when it comes down to it. If they feel they are going to get more listeners and props for it, they will keep doing it. Haven’t heard any of the songs mentioned so I can’t say anything about them but like I say, it’s not much different than what’s on there already.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:11 am
On the bright side, Adele’s ‘Easy on Me’ is a well written song with great vocals and stripped down production. If it performs well maybe it will open the doors for higher radio play for artists like Carly Pearce, Mickey Guyton or Brandy Clark.
The Taylor Swift song is a good B-Side that should be left for her fans.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:14 am
I haven’t trash talked this fat fuck in awhile but what? First Justin Timberlake and now Taylor Swift? What a joke. Did Merle cut tunes with Donna Summers? Waylon with Boy George? George Strait with Britney Spears? How does this industry beard still have any credibility. The fact he’s winning all these awards says it all. Yuck. His songs ain’t that good and he’s a total American Idol singer where singing as high as a note you can as loud as you can and holding it as long as you can makes you a good singer. He has two styles: the American Idol style and his dumb little talk-whisper. For soccer moms to drink wine to not for real Outlaws like me to drink beer and bang chicks to like Travis Tritt. Hell ya! Put some drive in your ‘country’, Chris. Or should I say in your adult contemporary white boy R & B. Don’t delete this this needs to be seen.
November 22, 2021 @ 8:23 am
Oh and the guy is literally helping and enabling these pop tarts to get on the country charts and take positions and maybe even top positions away from actual women in country music not interlopers. Way to go there buddy! Hes one fat ugly bearded Trojan horse with an image consultant and PR agent. Worst thing to happen to country music in the last 10 years.
November 22, 2021 @ 5:01 pm
Agree with every word, especially how it seems every singer follows the American Idol formula.
The comment about George Strat and Britney Spears, fell I the floor with that one????.
And the beard has to go. That may be fitting in a coffee house in Williamsburg, but not in country.
(Williamsburg, in NYC, the ultimate entitled hipster hell on earth,)
November 25, 2021 @ 11:13 am
Yeah, only hipsters like Hank Jr, DAC, Waylon, Merle, Willie, Kristofferson, Don Williams, Blaze Foley, and Kenny Rogers have beards. Smart take, there, hoss.
November 22, 2021 @ 9:17 am
To me Chris Stapleton doesn’t sound country. Chris sounds more blues soul rock to me. Chris reminds me alot of Bob Seger. I actually do like many of Chris’s songs. I don’t have a problem with Chris but he’s getting over exposed. Tired of him winning all the awards.
November 22, 2021 @ 11:18 am
I mean, piano or keyboard driven pop ballads have been on country radio for forty years since Ronnie Milsap was doing them through the 70s and 80s, so I don’t know why we get worked up about it now.
November 22, 2021 @ 11:58 am
Ronnie Milsap was a country artist native to the country genre, who also released scores of country songs and albums. The equivalent here would be Cher or Fleetwood Mac coming onto country radio, and receiving hourly radio play to boost their songs over the performance of everyone else.
Again, this is really simple. Country radio should be country artists. Adele and Taylor Swift are the literal #1 and #2 pop stars in the world. Morgan Wade is living in a rental in Nashville, trying launch a career. How about we reserve those spins for the country artists that need them?
November 22, 2021 @ 5:08 pm
Olivia did it in the 70s. I remember how outraged members of the country community were. The only thing I will say, though, in defense of Olivia is that songs were very much in the style of the time, well executed and beautiful in that time. I’ll take “If You Love Me let Me Know” or ” Let Me Be There” over some of the drivel that passes for country aby day.
December 13, 2021 @ 11:40 am
You are so right, these pop stars have opportunity to make money and get attention. I am Turkish , I am from Turkey. I don’t listen country maybe one or twice in a year but you have a good point. Easy on me and all too well Taylor version are not Country. They are pop. They sound pop. But then why do you send these to country radios. There lots of artists that try to live their life with their country music gains. But if you send yours as a pop artist, you wouldn’t give chance or you would prevent real county artists. You don’t need to gain from county. If there are people in need , you should leave your ego to be champion in all charts.
November 22, 2021 @ 12:56 pm
swift writes songs like a whiny rich teen journals that’s extremely cringe and she cant even sing.. what happened to real female songwriters breed from the 90s…jewel..sarah mclachlan ..shawn colvin..paula cole..tracy chapman
December 13, 2021 @ 11:42 am
I don’t like her vocals and songwriting . These two are ridiculous , they make my ears bleed
November 22, 2021 @ 4:49 pm
1) I think you’re overstating the important of the iheart debuts. I would strongly suspect for at least one of, and probably both, of these songs the iheart debut is going to be the peak position at radio (this would not be unusual). The iheart hourly debut is more about the name of the star then how much radio is into the song long term.
2) I think you’re conflating two things that aren’t equivalents, male country stars who have a female pop singer join them ala Kenny w/P!nk, and female pop stars who use country stars to get into the genre.a la Elle King w/Miranda. A new Blake single is probably going to get played on country radio regardless of having a female pop singer on it or not, it’s not really “taking a space”, an Adele song isn’t going to be, unless it has Chris S on it.
3) You also seem to be saying that singers should only stick to one genre, and therefore a pop singer can/should never release a “country” (or as country as country radio is) song. That seems semi-ridiculous. Most singers, and music fans, nowadays listen to, and are inspired by multiple genres. If Beyonce or Kelly C, both of whom grew up in Texas, want to release country songs…that seems reasonable.
4) As others have pointed out, the bigger issue is the pre-determined number of spots for women. If a Justin Timberlake released a song to country radio, nobody would really care, because no one is really worried about country males ability to compete for a place, we already have to many mediocre ones on the chart.
November 22, 2021 @ 5:25 pm
“A new Blake single is probably going to get played on country radio regardless of having a female pop singer on it or not, it’s not really “taking a space”, an Adele song isn’t going to be, unless it has Chris S on it.”
I don’t feel like I conflated these two things. I was just giving a variety of examples.
“You also seem to be saying that singers should only stick to one genre, and therefore a pop singer can/should never release a “country” (or as country as country radio is) song.”
Never said that. Never alluded that. Just saying country artists should be given priority on country radio, not pop ones.
“As others have pointed out, the bigger issue is the pre-determined number of spots for women.”
I agree, and that is an issue that myself and others have brought up ad nauseum to the point where I’m not even sure it’s worth mentioning as a redundant point. That should be taken as a given at this point. But let’s not use that to deflect from the fact that 1) With the limited amount of space for country women, big pop stars potentially taking those slots from women is problematic. 2) Radio will use artists like Adele, Taylor Swift, P!nk, Bebe Rexha, etc., to claim increased numbers for female representation on country radio while actual country women continue to struggle.
November 22, 2021 @ 6:21 pm
Ive been consistently a defender of Stapleton. A few have derided my take.So be it. I get why many are tiring of his white boy soul/blues approach. Some of you have him pegged as an American Idol style singer. I tend to agree with you. His gift (a ridiculously killer voice) is also his curse.
The very thing that sets him apart and put him in the stratosphere, is also the thing which has been the target of scorn and derision among hardcore stone Country fans. Im a pretty hardcore traditionalist myself, but i openly endorse Southern Rock with the same passion. For me, that voice embodies the gritty, southern, manly vibe that puts you in mind of Greg Allman, Ronnie Van Zandt, and other notables. His voice works equally well with blues.
Clearly hes following the money these days, as his singing style happens to fit that Idol/Voice dynamic. Not shocked the Adeles of the world wanna sing with him. And lets face it, its easy money for him. Hes truly hit the rareified air of the big time. Honestly cant blame him anymore than i could blame Kenny Rogers for his undeniable forays into Pop. But truth be told, i HATE it.
I really do miss the young man i first saw atop a bluegrass stage blowing the crowd away, singing rowdy, outlaw era influenced songs like Good Corn Liquor, Drinkin Dark Whiskey, Peacemaker, Can You Run, If it hadnt been for love, and Heaven Sent. Yeah, that guy. Even the traditional grassers couldnt help but notice his talent in both songwriting and vocals, and his ability to galvanize a crowd. Nobody was arguing whether he was authentic back then, it was obvious he was the real deal.
His current album has a song getting zero attention, Hillbilly Blood. Its the easy standout on the album and its got the gritty guts that his early work had. It gives me hope that Chris Stapleton still has it, though the industry is clearly pushing him ever more in the Pop direction.
November 24, 2021 @ 8:17 am
John Fogerty, Paul Rodgers, John Hiatt and Warren Haynes come to mind as well. And more recently, Wes Bayliss.
To me, Stapleton is a natural roots rocker. And I’m a natural roots rock fan. Also, a big blues and southern soul fan. If I had heard his songs 35 years ago, I would have been into him. And that’s why this American Idol stuff just doesn’t resonate with me at all (Morgan Wallen, on the other hand…) when I listen to Stapleton. I think it’s more that his voice is a better fit in a different tradition.
I bought those first two Steeldrivers when they came out. With the first album , I really didn’t know exactly what to expect. I bought it after reading about them in the old No Depression print magazine. My reaction when listening to that album was “who the hell IS that guy?” Just gobsmacked, as the Brits say. I mean, I enjoy a lot of white blues and soul singers and sometime the charm is in what they do to compensate for vocal limitations when compared to the best of the black singers in those genres. That didn’t seem to apply to Stapleton so much.
As for his solo stuff, I think all four albums are strong. Even the two From A Room albums. They may not have had any new material on it, but except for the covers, the originals were new to me. Well, with the exception of Midnight Train to Memphis. And I know a lot of folks prefer the Steeldrivers version of that song and fair enough, but that solo version is just a great swamp rock stomper that sends me to the moon.
As far as these collaborations go, maybe he’s just doing what he wants to do. What most matters to me is the music that he puts out. And so far, I think he’s done just fine.
November 24, 2021 @ 12:30 pm
Jack,
Sound observations. I agree on your comparisons, and Wes Bayliss is cut from similar cloth. ( i hope you have seen SteelWoods live, cause man, Bayliss can rip with that voice)
Yeah, i find good music on Chris’s solo albums too, but they arent quite as exciting as the Steeldrivers stuff. Traveler was strong. But i find some of the slow ballads to be tedious. The new record holds some promise and hope. I do wish he would either go all in on hardcore honky tonk and feature more steel and fiddle OR go all in on Southern Rock, kinda like his Jompson Brothers album but with a killer guitarist aboard.
November 23, 2021 @ 8:52 am
i think we’re looking at simple ”cross -marketing” here .
we should be used to it . we should know how to embrace or ignore it .
give me Stapleton and his music -(grass, country rock , blues , southern rock , country )-over all of the other bullshit offered in every other mainstream genre . he has nothing to prove …he’s written , co-written , recorded and sung it all ,under the aforementioned umbrellas .
with all of the soulless , passionless , ” little girl ” trend-chasing nonsense we’re subjected to ( Swift etc..) i think we need more Stapletons.
November 23, 2021 @ 10:57 am
Chris Stapleton is a soul singer, in my book. Just change the backup band and he’s doing Sam Cooke.
November 24, 2021 @ 9:54 am
Sam Cooke as he sounds on “Live at The Harlem Square Club, 1963”, maybe.
November 23, 2021 @ 1:22 pm
Radio is still a place though were a lot of people find new music still. My sister finally heard Morgan Wade on the radio after I had been telling her to listen to her for a few years. Likewise she wouldn’t listen to Carly Pearce and Ashley’s song until she heard it on the radio. Lainey Wilson is also another artist she likes that she only heard because of the radio. There are a lot of women artist out there that are super talented and deserve more attention from country radio (and would gather more fans) but country radio would rather trend chase then play them.
I don’t know, I don’t listen to the radio a lot anymore thanks to streaming. I probably would turn it on more if it was something other than what I can hear on any other pop station. There is not a lot of variety on the radio these days.
November 24, 2021 @ 5:17 pm
”There are a lot of women artist out there that are super talented and deserve more attention from country radio (and would gather more fans) but country radio would rather trend chase then play them. ”
Amen to that . i’ve been echoing that sentiment for years . the women are the best writers , tthey have most unique voices and styles and the most mature song narratives . I’d guesstimate that 60-70% of music I listen to is by women ..grass , american , folk and country ….and most isn’t on radio .
November 27, 2021 @ 7:24 pm
But why is it people base so much of what they deem as worthy of their by what radio plays? Sometimes radio play good stuff but many time not why don’t people trust what they hear off radio?
November 23, 2021 @ 4:02 pm
“Country radio”? They fit right in on Southern Pop Radio, but where’s this “country radio”?
November 24, 2021 @ 7:53 am
bUt He’S GoINg To SaVe CoUnTrY MuSiC. Thes the country music star for people that really don’t like country music.
November 27, 2021 @ 7:22 pm
So Taylor’s pop career in a lull as she enters her thirties she turn back to country because she will likely have an easier time there than competing with the pop belters. I always felt like Taylor Swift started in country because she knew she could not compete with pop queens reigning at her start. Her music may be whatever to many but as a business woman she and her team are masters.
There just is not the same legs for artists in their 30s that there once was. Maybe she’ll move to Europe and have bigger later year success like Madonna and Tina Turner. For it does seem ageism is less prevalent in European music realms. The USA is very much about youth and the youth $$$ (or the $$ of their parents).
OK. That was a rambling mess but yeah 30 is old in pop terms now so it will be interesting to see the mainstream landscape going forward in all genres.
December 13, 2021 @ 11:24 am
First of all, your page is good, dear Trigger. It is objective. Lots of people have said she was country but you say she was not and this is a great thing cause you always tell the truth.
Second dear Bear, i think you are right. For Taylor , it was easy to compete with country artists but i have got a thing that i don’t understand. She sold more than lots of pop queens like Madonna Beyonce while she said she was making country. How could she do it while she did it without claiming she was pop? So, she didn’t need to hide herself from pop queens.
December 14, 2021 @ 12:23 am
Yes but I don’t think she would have had the Hot 100 success of the others. Also it was a business move. Starting in country means she earned the label as a country artists and that has cultural cachet in the music world should ever want to make “country music” again.
Also in the country sphere is was MUCH easier to rack up awards. Swift from the beginning always felt like someone who was VERY MUCH invested in charts and awards (not surprising being part of the dawn of social media). And she just would not have racked up those same award starting in pop because she didn’t have the right social circle then. And also the songs she was singing about were night the kind of party anthems and diss tracks pop music fans gravitate towards on the whole. But it was the kind on music teen girls do graviate towards stereotypically. It was mostly young females buying her records in the beginning.
December 14, 2021 @ 12:28 am
Hımm. I am from Turkey and have not got so much knowledge about country music in US. So , thank you to make me informed more about country music and her country past and the actual goal in her career