Kane Brown Is Right About the Racial Tokenism in Country

Country music in 2021 exists in two completely separate worlds. No, we’re not talking about mainstream vs. independent, or traditional vs. contemporary, though those are certainly distinctions that can be made as well.
We’re talking about the one world that is based in the reality presented via streaming numbers, music and ticket sales, critical regard along well-established metrics such as quality of songwriting, instrumentation, and originality, and the general appeal and name recognition among the population for an artist, whether it’s in the mainstream or independent, contemporary or traditional worlds, which have their own benchmarks and pecking orders. This is where most of country music’s fans and artists reside.
Then there’s another world where the hierarchy of artists is based almost exclusively off of identity factors such as race, gender, and sexual orientation, and how such things fall upon the grievance scale. Influence and value can also be sowed by how expressive you are about certain political subjects, often excusing or even boosting some white, or straight, or male performers on this scale. But overall, who you are is more important than what you do.
This second population is resigned to a small, but very noisy demographic mostly consisting of journalists often decidedly outside of the country music fold and knowledge base, activist artists and their publicists, academic intellectuals, and outright political apparatchiks who have absolutely no ties to country music whatsoever, but recognize the genre as fertile soil for sowing attack vectors and gaining ground in the culture war.
Without question, the woke side is absolutely dominating the public narrative at the moment. But they’ve not accomplished this feat by convincing people to their side. They’ve done it by operating a culture of fear and compliance where if you dare cross their ideological absolutism, you will be branded a racist, sexist, misogynist, and homophobe, and social media hit mobs populated by trolls and Stans will be dispatched to destroy your character.
This group of individuals also self-curate their realities on Twitter, insulating themselves from real world truths on the ground about country music, while constructing self-affirming echo chambers feeding an illusion that they’re really getting somewhere with their strident social media campaigns, and posturing think pieces that are solely read by their fellow activist intellectuals while actual country music fans, artists, and professionals just go about their daily business unaffected.
This is how the forces of wokeness in country music are winning every battle, but losing the war. Every late night talk show now is an indoctrination into woke ideology, but their ratings have never been worse. Artists who score high on the identitarian scale receive a lopsided amount of press coverage and awards, but this doesn’t always translate into subsnative career support. Awards shows now weigh identity heavily into their decisions, but their viewership and social interactions are plummeting. There is no more vilified artist in country music than Morgan Wallen, yet he still unquestionably dominates the country landscape via sales and streams, even without significant support from radio, touring, or industry awards, while the press is outright hostile towards him.
Of course this identitarian movement has a built-in excuse for these anomalies: everyone’s racist, sexist, and homophobic. But in their well-intentioned effort to make country music more inclusive, they’re often overlooking a significantly critical understanding: It is insulting and patronizing to recognize, highlight, or award artists solely based off of their race, gender, or sexual orientation. And neither the artists nor the public are as stupid as those in the press who believe they’re pulling levelers of power and influence believe they are. They know when an opportunity or an award is bestowed solely due to identity, and it tarnishes the achievement, especially when that becomes the focus of the media.
Billboard released their annual Nashville issue last week, and of course it was filled with signaling, posturing, and platitudes solely based off of race and identity, including the cover story that focused on Kane Brown, Brothers Osborne, and Mickey Guyton, presenting them as examples of country music’s more “inclusive” future.
There’s one big problem with this pronouncement though: none of these artists are country. You can’t make country music more inclusive with hip-hop, pop, and arena rock acts. If it’s to have any meaning, the artists must be country themselves. And though at times all of these artist have dabbled in country music, none of them are significantly or exclusively country at this point in their careers.
Kane Brown actually has an incredible country voice when he chooses to use it in that capacity. Unfortunately though, he rarely makes that choice. Mickey Guyton presented about the perfect nexus between traditional and contemporary influences early in her career, but has since gone full pop on the production side. Brothers Osborne do have a host of good country songs in their back catalog, but their last album Skeletons was an unabashed effort towards arena rock.
But regardless of the country credentials of these specific artists, both Kane Brown and T. J. Osborne had some incisive and important observations in the Billboard piece, and called out the tokenization of their identity by country music awards, and in the media. For those who may be unaware, Kane Brown is biracial, and T.J. Osbone came out as gay earlier this year.
Kane Brown spoke about winning the ACM Video of the Year award in 2021, saying, “I just won my first ACM Award, and it wasn’t like, ‘Congratulations on winning your first ACM. How does it feel?’ It was like, ‘How does it feel being Black and winning your first ACM?’ So in my head, I was like, ‘I feel like I’m about to win this award because of everything going on right now.’”
And that’s the way a lot of the public felt as well. This statement from Kane Brown is insightful on two fronts. First, it speaks to how Kane Brown wonders if all the attention he received at the 2021 ACMs was based on race instead of merit. It also speaks to how the media specifically played a significant role in that mindset by not focusing on Kane Brown’s win due to the quality of effort, but how he’s African American. Putting identity first was patronizing to Kane Brown.
J.T. Osborne had a similar observation, and one that illustrated another way the media plays an adverse role in this issue.
“It’s nice when people want to help out,” Osborne said. “But it can be frustrating, especially in Pride Month: ‘Do a playlist, Spotify wants you to do this.’ If you want to help me, do that s–t in f–king November. You doing it in Pride Month is nice, but that’s really helping you.’”
So often identity-based media coverage and awards are not about the artists themselves. These media members, outlets, and awards institutions use these artists as tokens and sometimes unwitting pawns to signal their virtue to the public and their peers in the industry, and often, insulate themselves from criticism they’re not woke enough from the ever-present online mobs. Again, the fear being sowed by mobs forwarding social justice causes isn’t necessarily resulting in substantive wins for marginalized groups, it’s just demanding a compliance that if anything, is distracting from underlying issues involving race, identity, and country music that may go unaddressed due to all the symbolic gains presented on the surface.
It’s the transparency of it all that comes across as disingenuous, and sometimes insulting, both to the public, and to the artists. Back in 2015 when Saving Country Music was talking about Mickey Guyton, she could barely get anyone to pay attention. Now she’s all over the place, and receiving criticism for her omnipresence. She co-hosted the ACM Awards. She sang on the National Memorial Day concert in May. She’s singing on the Capitol 4th concert on July. She was just announced as one of the country participants for a Metallica tribute. All of a sudden she’s everywhere like Sheryl Crow, with many believing it solely has to do with her race.
In truth, Mickey Guyton probably deserves many of these opportunities. She’s a great singer, especially at these sort of special occasions. In 2015, Mickey Guyton sang Patsy Cline’s classic “Crazy” in the East Room of the White House in a memorable performance. It’s just few remember it because few in the media were paying any attention to Mickey Guyton at that time.
None of this is to overshadow the importance of diversity in country music, and the principle everyone must agree upon that no artist be held back due to their race, gender, sexual orientation, or any other uncontrollable factor. It’s just that in the effort by some activist journalists and artists to disrupt perceived or actual hierarchies in the country music industry, they’re creating new hierarchies based entirely on uncontrollable factors of identity. They’re supplanting one unfair system with another. Meanwhile the obviousness of it all is rendering the efforts ineffective, and often, counter-productive.
It’s all also completely counter to what should be the ultimate goal, which is to get the public and the industry to be receptive to all artists regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation, and to normalize performers from these marginalized groups as part of the country music community. You’ll never do that by harping on their identity, and prefacing their music with identity markers as opposed to the merit of the music itself.
Of course some will say, “Well, we wish we could do this, but these people have been marginalized in country music for decades, and so we need to speak up.” That may be true, but the sooner people stop using identity to sow division, the sooner the ideal can be obtained. And your plan to solely promote artists based off of race, gender, and sexual orientation is not working, and it never will. Both the public and the performers know better.
Country music has some amazing artists from marginalized groups that if given equal footing, would excel. It’s just many of them are marginalized by mainstream acts that ultimately belong in other genres. Because even though country music still has strides to make toward being more inclusive to all people, the most marginalized group overall are those who play actual country music, which ironically, happens to include a lot of artists of marginalized identities.
June 28, 2021 @ 7:58 am
“you will be branded a racist, sexist, misogynist, and homophobe, and social media hit mobs populated by trolls and Stans will be dispatched to destroy your character.”
Truth.
April 10, 2022 @ 5:53 am
Self-hating white people have no place in Country music
June 28, 2021 @ 8:00 am
If we didn’t have the racial reckoning in this country after the murder of George Floyd last summer, which led to America looking at diversity and inclusion across all facets of life, Mickey Guyton would unfortunately still be ignored and on the back burner.
I’ve been a fan of Mickey since like ’15. Music has been great, seems like a hard worker and deserving of more commercial opportunities and success. Regularly over the past 5 years I’ve wondered to myself, “Where is Mickey?” …Crickets..
Then it feels like last summer after George Floyd, when looking at Country Music diversity, the industry said “but we have Mickey Guyton!”. Even though Music Row had forgotten about her somewhere. Then understanding the desire for diversity they accelerated her rise. She is talented and I’m happy she is getting her shine. To sum it up, fuck music row.
June 28, 2021 @ 10:39 am
Where was Mickey? She was in the same place nearly every other Alt. Country/Americana/otherwise non-trendy artist regardless of race was back then. On the back burner. Unrecognized by the mainstream. You really think Mickey wasn’t recognized because she was black? Not because she wasn’t playing along with the trends? She actually did get some recognition and climbed the charts with her first single “Better Than You Left Me”.
By your logic, Music Row is racist against white performers too, because there are plenty of white artists signed to major labels who don’t have mainstream success either. The only reason she’s being so propped up now is because Music Row wants to pander and avoid being called racist.
June 28, 2021 @ 10:58 am
I think you’re confusing some parts of what I said. I didn’t say she wasn’t recognized by mainstream or the country audience. It’s the business side. She wasn’t putting much music out or getting support from her label – UMG. I’m not saying she was held back because of race. I am saying, going from a stop to a million miles per hour, on being able to put out music, get opportunities (as she should), she co-hosted a major awards show at this point in her career, which usually goes to the A-level amphitheater and arena touring artists, in a quick moment after a national conversation on race.
June 29, 2021 @ 8:01 am
I gotcha. I misunderstood.
June 28, 2021 @ 8:31 am
That anyone with even a passing interesting in country music would think that Music Row gives a fuck about anything other than $$$$ is not paying the slightest bit of attention.
Same as all the other genres, if they can whore it out, they will.
It’s called the Music Business, not the Musical Quality or Musical Equality Co..
However, seems to me they’d make more money if they’d sell the quality country stuff to the people, but that’s just my opinion.
June 28, 2021 @ 2:21 pm
Ive always wondered why “real” country music isn’t promoted as well. My conclusion is that it’s just not marketable to drunken frat boys and high schoolers. “That sounds like something my grandpa would listen to”… Well yeah cause your grand pappy knows a thing or two! Kids wanna hear stupid music with stupid imagery. Goes the same for pop music as it does for pop country. Kids just aren’t refined enough to appreciate art. Those are the ones buying and streaming, sadly.
July 6, 2021 @ 10:47 am
I don’t know. I’m 17, live in East Texas and what me and all my buddies listen to while driving down backroads isn’t music that mentions backroads. It’s Tyler Childers, Zach Bryan, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Cole Chaney, Willie Nelson, Midland, Turnpike, Merle, Parker Mccollum, etc. The absolute best thing to listen to when drunk is Tyler Childers.
June 28, 2021 @ 8:44 am
FANTASTIC piece, Trig!
Keep giving ’em hell!
June 28, 2021 @ 9:38 am
Okay so everybody roast me if you want. I’m not a fan of Kane brown but the other day I heard that song “What If” with Lauren Aliana and thought god the production is just terrible and tbh the pairing with Lauren was a mismatch due to Kane’s low voice. Somebody needs to tell him that his voice really isn’t well suited to pop. If he added traditional country instrumentation to his sound it would suit his voice a lot better. He has potential but until he goes that route he sounds terrible to me. Maybe that’s not what he wants to do but his voice is kind of limited.
June 28, 2021 @ 9:48 am
I really doubt anyone is going to roast you on that. Like Trig said when Kane chooses he has a great voice for country. Case in point his covers of George Strait are actually pretty good all things considered.
June 29, 2021 @ 3:32 am
Brown is garbage. Great country voice my ass.
June 29, 2021 @ 7:46 am
Thanks for the comment slugger
June 29, 2021 @ 8:50 am
Your welcome African Enabler
June 29, 2021 @ 5:01 pm
@CG
GTFO with this bullshit, troll.
June 29, 2021 @ 9:02 am
Think you dropped your hood on the way to the comment section chief
June 29, 2021 @ 9:15 am
You dropped your pants on the way into the gay bathouse.
June 29, 2021 @ 9:18 am
I believe you are what the kids call “triggered” tiger
April 10, 2022 @ 6:50 am
Shut your mouth boy. It’s the 99% of blacks that ruin it for the semi regular 1%. If you don’t like it tough.
April 10, 2022 @ 11:23 am
Hahaha wait to catch up a year later ace. Now go on and play your little racist games elsewhere
June 29, 2021 @ 11:54 am
You’re gonna have a try a little harder. Low effort bait 0/10
June 29, 2021 @ 1:54 pm
Why are you even here? The vast majority of musicians wouldn’t touch your racist ass with a 10-foot pole. Go play with yourself on Stormfront or something.
April 10, 2022 @ 6:20 am
I ain’t gonna let some quadroon let me be ashamed of my color
June 29, 2021 @ 9:10 am
I remember a few years ago “What Ifs” came on the radio, and I didn’t change the station nd instead chose to listen to the lyrics. Anyhow, the song came to the line where Kane Brown says “What if you liked it?”. At that moment I laughed hysterically! I mean, if she didn’t like all the things described in the song, the guy could facing a restraining order or jail sentence!
Anyway, that was a rabbit trail, but that song is comedic gold by how poor the lyrics are.
June 29, 2021 @ 2:17 pm
I thought that song was spectacular. I had no idea who was singing when I heard it the first time. I googled the song and it brought me to this site. The way you interpret it is very cynical, IMO.
June 28, 2021 @ 9:48 am
If there are people who are woke, does that mean there are people who are asleep? Ignoring racism, homophobia, etc or otherwise writing long diatribes about it?
June 28, 2021 @ 10:19 am
Or, and hear me out, people who are “asleep” don’t care about a person’s race, sexual orientation, etc.
If you’re going out of your way to stress a person’s race or sexual orientation, maybe you’re the problem.
June 28, 2021 @ 9:51 am
The pushback to all this has begun. Be it these artists comments here, or to an ideology gone as far as calling mothers “birthing people,” the ever expanding letters being added to the rainbow that your average person couldn’t even begin to explain, the PTAs vs. CRT…more and more people, on both “sides” of political lines, are either tuning out or in many cases pushing back. But instead of the institutions, like many in the media, taking an honest look in the mirror, and then taking the admittedly hard road of resisting an ideology that makes them the preachers of division, and makes themselves the bigots of low expectations, they are either ignoring it or doubling down, because they prey on emotion, and in fact probably don’t have “good intentions.” It’s fascinating to watch, but I’m afraid won’t resolve peacefully.
August 24, 2021 @ 9:23 am
The best thing ever in all of this would be for the people running the media outlets to give the ‘journalists’ responsible for all of this the heave-ho and to tell them to get lost, but nobody has the guts to do that at all, even though those in charge of the media have the power to do so.
Another better thing would be for those in charge of the media to tell the howling pick of ‘activists who are just as responsible for said state of affairs mentioned by Trigger to get lost and not to bother anybody ever again, but they won’t, and sadly even if they do, said ‘activists’ (aka SJW’s) still have the ‘Net to blabber their stuff to everybody,
June 28, 2021 @ 9:53 am
Timing.. i was at The Grand Ole Opry saturday night. Tony Jackson made his 2nd appearance. The guy is phenomenal. Hes stone cold country to the core. Great voice, great songs, but most importantly he resonated with the crowd. His personality, stories, and charm suck you in. Hes a country boy from Virginia and hes finally going places. Was he invited to the Opry for political reasons? Possibly. But he certainly left the stage with a lot of new fans including me! i had been aware of him through this site, but this was my first time seeing him live. My conclusion: hes a guy to watch and support. Will radio give him a chance? Dunno…hes probably too country for radio, like most people we like and talk about here. The fact that hes a man of color is not the reason hes growing a fanbase however, its his music that speaks to people. And hes seen as legit country, not as some pop interloper whos come along to cash in. And that folks is how its done. You make great music that touches the heart and you can succeed in building a career in country music. Most of us choose music, not by superficial things such as identity politics, but by what grabs us individually and speaks to us.
On another note the 2nd half of the Opry was incredible, stream it on You Tube. Marty Stuart and the Superlatives with Connie Smith and guests, celebrating Connie…check it out. You will love it!
June 28, 2021 @ 7:32 pm
That second hour was fantastic! THAT’S the kind of thing I want to see on the Grand Ole Opry. Saluting the roots. Connie’s been recording since 1964, and she received a whole hour. It was great. Somebody call up Stonewall Jackson!
June 28, 2021 @ 10:12 am
it is not just the media alot of it has to do with fans. on one side you have people who hate the dixie chicks AKA the chicks who right wingers hate because the criticized Bush. now the right calls the chicks sluts and every other sexist and bigotted name. just because of that. the left hate travis tritt because he is a big trump supporter. the right only think white men are the only ones allowed to sing country because if women and minorities sing country then country music is WOKE because of it..i wish fans would keep politics out of country music. Miranda lambert has a gay sister and supports LGTBQ rights and so does Dolly Parton who says she supports gay rights. she did a song with Elton John.
Tami Neilson is a progressive. the oak ridge boys are conservative. in. my eyes… WHO CARES WHAT THEY BELIEVE!!!! I am A green party socialist and every singer i talked about I like. the oaks. tami neilson. i could care less about their politics. it is all about the singing and music with me. the media is to blame. but so are the fans. stop judging a singer over their beliefs and what race or sexuality they are.
Great country music is great music. no matter who sings it.
June 28, 2021 @ 9:08 pm
Agreed. There are definitely two sides to this. The Dixie Chicks post 9/11 was the first time I remember an artist getting “cancelled.” It’s just gotten steadily worse from there.
Although I don’t love the song, it was cool that Luke Combs and Billy Strings addressed the topic in their collaboration. I think Brent Cobb and Nikki Lane’s Soapbox kind of gets at it. Zephaniah O’Hora’s All American Singer. People are trying to find a third way out of this mess, but it’s an uphill and against the wind.
June 29, 2021 @ 5:31 am
Strawmen galore and a lack of punctuation.
Thanks for adding nothing to the discussion.
June 28, 2021 @ 12:22 pm
The only marginalized group in Nashville is the precious few country music singers who actually sing country music.
June 28, 2021 @ 9:02 pm
Point taken, but maybe also drummers (of the human persuasion), non by committee songwriters, and older guys who don’t want to pander to the 17-19 crowd?
June 28, 2021 @ 1:36 pm
I think there are some people in the “Mainstream” such as Kane Brown who are currently being uplifted by their race to prove country is inclusive. Where in reality Kane Brown had been accepted into the Mainstream country field, because he was a marketable star. I think this is having a negative effect on Kane Brown, because he could have won these awards no matter his race. It is an insult to him that they are focusing on his race over his music. Brothers Osborne would fall in this category as well.
On the contrary, I think the response to less known artists with a great deal of talent like Mickey Guyton has been beneficial. She has been given the opportunity to host and perform at shows and showcase what the genre may be missing by not being more inclusive. Although Mickey Guyton isn’t exactly neo-traditional country she still fits a lot of the checkmarks of great country talent that would fit well within the mainstream. The production may lean more pop (ala Carrie Underwood), but I would consider her more of a modern countrypolitian. Kane Brown is more along the lines of Maren Morris with pop/hip hop inspiration. He fits the mainstream bill and although we may roll our eyes at how country he is or his talents, he became a star despite his race- nobody made a big deal of it until the recent trend.
To me, Mickey Guyton added a lot of value to mainstream award shows and the public eye, and I hope to see her embraced. She has also written songs such as “Black Like Me” and she was excluded from country music culture such as the Highwomen video. It was refreshing to see country music reach out to her and hopefully they start giving her some airplay.
June 28, 2021 @ 1:43 pm
Why did “Worship You” peak at # 24 ??
From the art promotion for his next single/album… it looks like he’s going full on Pop. The picture is of Astronauts
I like some of Kane’s music. He utilizes his fiddle player often. People on this site find him toxic for some reason.. Don’t know why…
I find Old Dominion, Sam Hunt, Dan + Shay much much more toxic to the country music industry
June 28, 2021 @ 2:19 pm
“I like some of Kane’s music. He utilizes his fiddle player often. People on this site find him toxic for some reason.. Don’t know why…”
What’s especially curious is those who say they dislike Kane because they hate hip hop in country are the same people seeking Post Malone’s approval for the country artists they do like.
June 28, 2021 @ 3:56 pm
Kane is like Thomas Rhett to me.
A bit too contemporary but both have some decent songs that are harmless.
I will say that “Cool Again ” was horrible. Should of been sent to Pop radio not country.
His current Worship You song was ok.
June 28, 2021 @ 4:05 pm
Don’t know if anyone is “seeking approval” from Post Malone. Post Malone shares his approval, and if that helps spread the word about worthy artists, what’s the harm?
June 28, 2021 @ 4:28 pm
Its more of a cool factor i think??
It’s like Dwayne Johnson liking indie country.
But i don’t understand the mass appeal of Post Malone. Him covering a classic Brad paisley song made the news… & if you’re a big Brad fan, it’s kinda neat.
If Ariana Grande praised Jon Pardi’s music.. i think I’d cream my jorts.
June 29, 2021 @ 2:38 am
Most of his stuff isn’t my speed…but the guy’s really fucking talented.
July 3, 2021 @ 9:51 am
Why do country fans dislike Kane Brown so much? I present to the jury Exhibit A, your honor …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ql1mIcrg0w
June 28, 2021 @ 1:47 pm
Isn’t Billy Dukes the sole country media dude out there?
He pretty much admitted on Twitter that he doesn’t write his opinions but rather is told what to write at “Taste of Country”
June 28, 2021 @ 2:35 pm
if I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times, it’s called country music for a reason. it’s mostly made by people who come from rural and suburban parts of the country. Who mostly lives in these places you might ask? it’s mostly white people. last I checked, whites still make up over 73% of the american population. blacks make up roughly between 12-13%. Most blacks live in urban areas mainly because of the the “Great Migration” of blacks from the south to major cities from 1916-1970. The woke left and activist journalist don’t want more diversity, they want to destroy any american institution that they have deemed too white and straight. they don’t want equality, they want domination.
June 28, 2021 @ 4:36 pm
It’s like when white people starting singing Doo-Wop in the early 60s.
Some genres originate within certain ethnic groups.
Most Doo-Wop groups & “Soul” artists are black, a few are white…. The opposite is true within country music. But the door is truly open to anyone, he/she/they/them. Black/White/purple/Orange etc.
As long as the music is good. It’s all about the music & having a entertaining personality of sorts.
June 28, 2021 @ 10:48 pm
a typical right wing responce. what about all the latinos native americans and asians that live here? do the math again. it does not add. up. country music in not called the white man’s music it is called AMERICA’S MUSIC. it can be for anyone. if you do not like it go listen to something else.
April 10, 2022 @ 5:49 am
We don’t care, we care about our own people first like every other race does
June 28, 2021 @ 11:08 pm
America is diversifying.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.brookings.edu/research/new-census-data-shows-the-nation-is-diversifying-even-faster-than-predicted/%3famp
June 29, 2021 @ 2:39 am
You’re right. Whites make up 76.3% of the population not 73%. Thanks for the correction.
June 29, 2021 @ 4:47 am
It won’t be that way for long. Then what will your racist ass do? Move ?
June 29, 2021 @ 4:54 am
The report also said that the white population is shrinking.
June 29, 2021 @ 5:41 am
the only racist I see here is you.
April 8, 2022 @ 4:44 am
lmao anti racist white people are the worst
June 29, 2021 @ 5:50 am
Sorry, I am for minorities. You said countries are for whites. You are the racist, sir. Your victim card was revoked.
Are you for LGBTQ rights? Or people of color?
June 29, 2021 @ 9:28 am
I asserted that’s it’s not hard to figure out why county music is mostly created by white people by suggesting that it’s created by people who come from rural and suburban areas of the country. A quick google search of population heat maps will show that these areas are mostly inhabited by white people. So therefore, there is no reason for activist journalists to try to dismantle a cultural institution by forcing diversity into a space that has been proven to be accepting of different races for many years. In no way am I suggesting that only white people can listen to or create country music.
June 29, 2021 @ 11:37 am
i cannot not win a fight with a stupid person because they will with hands down with stupidity all the time. I i am not wasting my time going back and forth with racist brain dead red necks. i am through with you. you waste my time KKKROSS and you are not worth the waste. go back to licking Trump’s ass.
June 29, 2021 @ 12:49 pm
I’m pretty sure this is Jason Isbell posting under a fake name.
June 29, 2021 @ 1:28 pm
“i cannot not win a fight with a stupid person because they will with hands down with stupidity all the time”.
Read that sentence and tell me who the dummy is.
June 30, 2021 @ 2:27 pm
Sure let’s ignore the actions of the right (the status quo warriors and the upholders of white supremacy) in the culture wars This is a one sided thing coming from the left. Sure…
June 30, 2021 @ 10:29 pm
The right wing is horrible, detestable and extreme.Yet “woke warrior’s” are a one way street as well, paved with the hypocrisy of “inclusion” under its own exclusionary rules – where everyone is compartmentalized into compartments, instead of the color blind “beautiful mosaic” it is sold to be – just as corrosive as the right. Fix our history and make all equal and do it not from an intersectional lens. Yeah, extremes are the pits, (especially here in DeBlasio’s NYC)
July 3, 2021 @ 7:10 am
Non-Latino whites make up about 61% of the US population. If you include Latinos who identify as white, the percentage goes up to 73%. On average, the genetic makeup of Latino whites is 73% European as opposed to 98.6% for non-Latino whites and 24% for black Americans.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4289685/?_escaped_fragment_=po=23.2500
A lot of black folks did leave the South to escape Jim Crow racism. But I’m guessing a lot of them (and perhaps a strong majority) left rural areas to do so. Even so, most blacks today live in the South. For example, I think Mississippi had a slight black majority population at one point. Now, it’s about one third black.
In the Ken Burns Country Music documentary, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show said “country music is from the South because Slavery was in the South.” I personally don’t go along with the notion that “country music is black music”, but I think the black influence on country music is integral. If somehow country music was able to develop without any black influence, it would be something different that what it became (probably no shuffles, for one thing). It still might have been something special, but it would be different.
June 28, 2021 @ 4:28 pm
Kross,
Glad you said it.
June 28, 2021 @ 9:01 pm
Makes you wonder if the internet has been a net positive or negative for country music. On the one hand, unlimited access to nearly every song ever recorded, and SavingCountryMusic. On the other hand, twitter etc and the woke mob. Hmmm.
Seems like these sort of culture war articles used to get a lot more comments?
June 28, 2021 @ 11:13 pm
yes i want to say kane brown was probably propped up with his shitty fake country music because hes black, but if thats the case, then whats florida georgia lines excuse???
June 30, 2021 @ 2:30 pm
Because mediocre to shitty white guys have always been propped up all throughout history. That’s nothing new
June 28, 2021 @ 11:32 pm
Brown is right about tokenism. It is insulting. I have had worse than Kane Brown and like some of his music but more pop than country a little like Rhett. I do have his albums. Mickey Guyten has good voice but I have heard nothing that would make me want to buy her album. Charley Pride did not win awards or sell records because he was black and he had a great career. He was just a great singer that offered something special. I couldn’t care less what colour or what the singer looks like as long as the music is good. Awards, I don’t much care about but if they are going to be awarded, award them for the music.
June 29, 2021 @ 2:59 am
I’m not sure how convincing an argument for the dangers of “the woke mob” the Morgan Wallen situation is.
He shouted the n-word on video.
People argued about him online.
His sales skyrocketed.
That’s the full story.
“The Woke Mob” doesn’t actually have any power. They’re just a bogeyman folks use to deflect responsibility, when their choices have consequences (unlike Morgan Wallen’s).
June 29, 2021 @ 7:42 am
I think it’s unquestionable at this point that part of what is fueling Morgan Wallen’s incredible sales and streams is a backlash against both his cancellation, and the obsessive pearl-clutching media coverage against him that was no way proportional with his actions, which continues unabated to this day. There was another huge think piece in Vulture yesterday. What Morgan Wallen did was dumb and offensive, and he deserves repercussions for what he did. If they had been proportionate to the action, he’d probably be hovering around 3 or 4 on the albums chart having suffering a sizable but redeemable setback. Instead, they made him a folk hero. There’s folks out there spinning his record on Spotify muted on loop who don’t even listen to country music to “stick it to the libs,” just like there were people burning Dixie Chicks albums who’d never heard of them before.
June 30, 2021 @ 6:43 am
What repercussions did he suffer, haha?
People said mean things about him online…but he’s already back on the radio!
There’s absolutely a media-driven outrage machine in this country…but it’s driven by the guys complaining about “Cancel Culture.”
That’s why shouting the n-word on camera made Morgan Wallen a folk hero/martyr, while an innocuous anti-war comment ended the Dixie Chicks’ country radio career.
It’s all DARVO nonsense from the Murdoch media ecosphere.
June 30, 2021 @ 8:02 am
Even the flood of articles pearl clutching that his songs are coming back to radio are premature and hyperbolic. Checking the Top 60 at radio of both Billboard and Mediabase, there’s not a single Morgan Wallen single. He’s not in the Top 10 of recurrents either. Sure, he’s receiving some spins on some radio stations. But he’s basically not being supported on radio, especially considering the appeal and size of his audience.
July 3, 2021 @ 5:40 am
I honestly haven’t seen much “pearl-clutching” in those articles.
Just mockery of a culture/scene where an innocuous anti-war statement gets you actually cancelled, while shouting the n-word on camera gets you a massive sales bump and a short time out.
July 3, 2021 @ 5:42 am
Like, the tone of most of those articles was “It’s hilarious that the Fox News fucknuts and their zombies are constantly bitching about cancel culture, when this guy’s already back on the radio.”
July 3, 2021 @ 8:00 am
It’s all a matter of perspective of course. The PMRC and other preachy censors of the 80s probably didn’t see what they were doing as pearl clutching either.
What consequences, exactly, would you like to see him face? Let’s say it’s up to CLS…what happens next?
July 4, 2021 @ 3:46 pm
Well, Jake, the consequences I’d like to see are “Any, any at all, before people start bitching about his being ‘cancelled.’”
There’s no ambiguity, here:
The demand for Morgan Wallen’s music (and the inkspace his mediocre ass has taken up on SCM) is solely down to his having shouted the n-word on camera.
He’s a middling singer. He’s got nothing to say as a songwriter.
Shouting the n-word on camera is the sole source of his relevance to the country music scene – it’s turned him into a folk hero.
And it’s fucking hilarious that so many people’s response to Morgan Wallen’s skyrocketing to fame and fortune based on having shouted the n-word on camera is to wring their hands about the dangers of “Cancel Culture.”
I don’t think Kyle’s an incel Trumper…but the folks “Standing with Morgan Wallen” all look a hell of a lot like CountryKnight, and think Charley Crockett should stick to hip hop.
June 29, 2021 @ 5:56 am
@kross you are the racist sir.I am for all minority rights and Lgbqt rights and womens rights you are the bigotted racist. you support trump so you are a racist. Plain and simple. How many crosses have you burned in your yard today? Is your real name KKKross? Racist pig. You do not even know what the word means. Stupid red neck.
June 29, 2021 @ 7:59 am
*SOY RAGE INTENSIFIES*
June 29, 2021 @ 10:06 am
ha, I guess I stepped on someones toes. If I wasn’t laughing so hard, I might actually get mad.
June 29, 2021 @ 10:38 am
racism is no laughing matter only racists laugh at that. racist red neck
April 8, 2022 @ 4:57 am
fuck off I’ll gatekeep country music from losers like you
June 29, 2021 @ 9:29 am
“yOu SuPpOrT tRuMp sO yOu aRe A RaCiSt!” You have no idea how dumb you sound, do you?
June 29, 2021 @ 10:36 am
facts are facts all racists support trump. not my opinion. do you realize how stupid you sound?
June 29, 2021 @ 11:11 am
There are plenty of reasons to not like any politician, let alone Trump, but your continued brainless accusations of racism are diluting the word. A record number of black men voted Republican in 2020….why do you think that is?
But whatever, you won’t get it. You’re so busy being a hero in your own mind that you haven’t even commented once on anything even related to Kane Brown’s comments. But please, tell us ONE MORE about what you are “for” because we didn’t get it the first couple times. We NEED to hear it again!!!
June 29, 2021 @ 11:32 am
i am done talking to stupid brain dead red necks . you waste time and you are not worth the waste. reply all you want you five year old i am done with you
June 30, 2021 @ 2:33 pm
well that’s 100% true and supporting Trump is a reliable marker for being a shitty person to stay away from
June 29, 2021 @ 6:57 am
These are the kind of stories where in the past I would read the comments, get angry and respond, and post some angry comment of my own. Not that the story here doesn’t have merit, but the divide between Americans has become more than obvious. Pointing out idiocy only stokes the flames of more idiots. The entire outrage society is manufactured by politicians and the media to drive wedges and shame people into supporting certain causes or political parties or else face public wrath.
It’s gone past time to stop pointing out the idiocy and finger pointing of extremists on both sides of these issues, and to start paying no attention to them at all. The best way to rid ourselves of the constantly offended is to ignore them and remove their attention. Let them and their contrived issues die by the wayside, and reach out to those who can understand that there are merits to the opinions of both sides. It will be communication not vilification that heals this country. I’m beginning to wonder if that will ever happen.
June 29, 2021 @ 7:57 am
One of the reasons I chose to address this issue is due to the very observations you lay out here. That’s why I talked about this from the perspective of two divided worlds in country music. On one side, they barely even listen to music, or talk about it on its own merit. All the coverage and discussion is solely based on identity. This coverage finds tons of traction in echo chambers on Twitter, but comes and goes without average country fans even knowing it exists. It’s all fodder for fellow journalists, political operatives and drones, and intellectuals. The flavor of these think piece has now turned to, “We’ve been screaming about this for over a year now, why has nothing changed?” It’s because the population of actual country music doesn’t even know it exists. Meanwhile, they believe the only way to enact true change in country music—which in their mind is to destroy the genre and remake it in their own image—is to get more severe, more vicious, more breathless and exacerbated in their coverage, tuning average people out even more. They live in their own realities, but it’s a reality that affects the actions of many in the media, and at awards shows. Artists who should be getting coverage for their music are going ignored for one think piece after another about how country music isn’t a traditionally agrarian genre that has some lingering issues it needs to resolve in regards to equality, but a bastion of white supremacy that must be destroyed, full stop.
June 29, 2021 @ 9:26 am
I agree with you and your assessment of this issue Trigger. And as you say, the more they scream country music is not inclusive enough, and the more attention they are given, and the louder they scream. They are not interested in the actual facts of inclusion in country music. The media and their agenda drivers don’t care about country music at all. They care about their own self righteousness and achieving their political goals. At this point no one is listening to common sense and you are preaching to the choir. In fact you are just giving ammo to them to proclaim you as just another redneck example of the supposed bias. It’s my opinion that it’s best to ignore the blatant falsehoods the media spreads, and instead prove them wrong by doing what you can to promote the variety of artists from Country and Americana music who already represent the groups they claim are not represented. Why give attention yourself of someone and their agenda who doesn’t even play country music?
By the way, hey Kane and TJ if you are reading this. If you are concerned about being pawns for a media with their own interests over you, do yourself a favor. Fire the hip hop producers, hire some seasoned Country Music musicians, work on your songwriting skills, and release a real Country Music album. Because despite the media narrative, we don’t care what you look like, where you come from, or who you’re sleeping with. Do that and I’ll be first in line to buy your music, go to your shows, and support you. Not as a token, but as a talent.
June 29, 2021 @ 7:06 am
I totally agree with this article. I follow/like the brothers Osborne on facebook. Ever since TJ came out it’s been one puff piece after another, People, Esquire, Time, now this billboard cover with Kane and Mickey. It’s just so frustrating to me, because I really enjoy their music. And now it seems like it’s just all about TJ’s being gay. They are being promoted on pride playlists on pandora/spotify/amazon. I just saw it the other day. Plus they just performed at Miley’s Pride concert that aired on Peacock. I mean I get his criticisms, but also dude, you are participating in it! You could always just say no, and live your life, and let the music speak for itself. As for Kane, I believe he is a bonafide superstar, and he has a huge following of pre-teen girls, my young cousins love him.
June 30, 2021 @ 6:30 am
“i am done talking to stupid brain dead red necks .”
Well hello there, bigot.
June 30, 2021 @ 6:53 am
Something tells me you’ve failed at everything you’ve ever done and now find the need to find “superiority” any way you THINK you can. Trolling this way won’t help you though.
June 30, 2021 @ 6:54 am
Keep dreaming turd.
June 30, 2021 @ 12:14 pm
Actually, this article is more about American society in general at the moment, let alone country music…and the extremism on both sides. So…. this will probably result in “chilling effects” when there will be no dialog out of fear of a misstep. (And medicrity)…
July 3, 2021 @ 7:55 am
Hmmmm.Kane Brown was asked to be in a boy band,but chose Country music despite not being fully accepted at first because of his blackness. (Ditto Mickey Guyton,a great singer.) Kane’s boyish good looks sped his acceptance,especially with the ladies . (Were I coming along today,I would have been a Country singer because of my lyrics writing and cover boy good looks . ) J.T. Osbourne likely the same way,though I know less about him.Finally the “woke” mob consists of people trying to drag Country music (and other aspects of U.S.life) into 2021,as Morgan Wallen ruefully discovered in February he spewed the “N” word.
August 24, 2021 @ 2:15 am
All of these people were incubated in the colleges and universities (classes of ’15 and ’16) and all were mentioned <a href="https://thedailybanter.com/2015/03/23/the-world-isnt-a-safe-space/"in these articles by the late, great journalist Chez Pazienza.*
*/Plus this one.
*/And this one.