Kelsea Ballerini Seeks Breakout with “Love Me Like You Mean It”
Just what country needed—a cute little pop girl pretending to be country, and pushing all the female singers who actually are country yet another step towards the back of a line that they’re already being crowded out of because of the sausage fest at the top of the country charts. Oh, and give an assist to country expat Taylor Swift who tweeted out her admiration for this song, this artist, and her EP—saying on March 9th, “Driving around with the @KelseaBallerini EP on repeat.. SO lovely:) #yeahboy #lovemelikeyoumeanit.”—stacking the deck even stronger.
I wonder how many of those Swifties immediately went to Spotify to check Ballerini out, making sweet irony of Swift’s streaming opposition. Either way, the endorsement sent Kelsea’s EP into hyperdrive, spiking 91% in sales while her single “Love Me Like You Mean It” jumped on the Digital Songs chart, and she saw a boost on radio as well. It looks like Kelsea Ballerini and “Love Me Like You Mean It” could be poised for a serious chart run, which is a shame because to this critic’s ears, I’d prefer if Ballerini would pirouette her way over to the pop side of the music world where she belongs.
Black River Entertainment is the principle party responsible for putting Kelsea Ballerini within your earshot. With artists like Craig Morgan and Kellie Pickler, Black River has made its name by being independent from the majors, but proving itself able to do battle with the big boys if beckoned. If Ballerini is poised to blow up, Black River will have the muscle to back it. But wouldn’t it be just like country music to finally solve its female problem with an artist that isn’t even a half bit country.
“Love Me Like You Mean It” is strictly pop fodder. It’s pink cotton candy spun with synthesized drum machine beats and doltish “hey boy” pepperings. It’s all “girl” this and “boy” that, signifying to culture-deprived teens and millennials that this is the type of mindless tripe the deprecation of music education in public schools makes them most susceptible to. Ballerini’s attempt at story is nothing more than a paper tiger warning to “boys” that she not the type of “girl” that likes to play around, so if you’re like that, then hey, you best not waste her time. Because you know, liars usually admit to their compulsiveness simply when prompted to do so in the words of a pop song.
This song once again reinforces that country music is entering an era when there’s absolutely no effort being levied to actually police what is being released as country. At least early in Taylor Swift’s career, the instrumentation was organic instead of automated, and even though there was an adolescence to Swift’s themes, it wasn’t such obvious pop positioning as we get with Kelsea’s “hey boy” act.
This song is spared the sharpest of criticism by falling under the “14-year-old girls need something to lip sync with their shampoo bottles to” clause, but it’s not good under any system of weights and measures, and deserves a big fat raspberry for trying to carve its way through life on the country dial.
1 3/4 of 2 Guns Down.
March 23, 2015 @ 7:54 am
While I will openly admit its unfair, I can’t mentally commit to female artists because I have no interest in reality show winners, pop artist crossovers, the 10 trillion “I love you” songs, the style over substance, or the tough girl act. I know there are good acts out there, but I just can’t get into them.
March 23, 2015 @ 8:04 am
There are many female country acts that don’t fall under those categories, but unfortunately they tend to get shuffled to the back for artists like Kelsea Ballerini or Miranda’s latest “badass” song.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:01 am
What is it that gives this song one quarter of a unit of redemption? Why are you holding back, why not 2 guns down? What would it take for a female artist to earn the maximum degree of disapproval? Did “You Belong With Me” get a full 2 guns down?
March 23, 2015 @ 9:21 am
See RichK’s comment. Though there’s certainly nothing country here and the song has little if any redeeming value, it is meant as fluff for young girls, and in the end there’s nothing evil in that. The problem is where the song is being targeted. Played as the soundtrack for a Disney Channel show, it’s fine. I’ve given plenty of female artists 2 Guns Down. I’d probably give “You Belong With Me” the same grade, but I never reviewed it.
March 23, 2015 @ 7:32 pm
I’d be inclined to agree with your line of reasoning in sparing it a full Two Guns Down score………………IF the lyrics that accompanied it weren’t as appalling as I found them to be.
These kind of lyrics are EXACTY what keep the likes of Chase Rice and Cole Swindell encouraged to keep spilling out the douchedom. If Kelsea Ballerini and her fellow writers obsess with superficial details like wearing one’s hat back as standards to opening a relationship, then how can we expect the purveyors of bro-country and metro-bro to know any better about their own behavior and its probable consequences?
The message this song sends is just ugly to me, and thus I didn’t hesitate to give it the full thrashing it deserves.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:35 pm
Ok, I see your point here Trigger.
At the same time I think what Nashville is doing with acts like Kelsea is very predictable. The job they are auditioning young female singers to fill is Taylor Swift’s former role. From their perspective, “country” radio’s biggest problem is getting millions of Swifties to tune in to their stations again. And they will keep throwing mud at the wall hoping that some of it will stick. I predict that none of the Taylor clones they try to manufacture out of desperation will make it big over the next few years. To start with the name “Kelsea Ballerini” isn’t nearly as catchy as “Taylor Swift”.
There are basically three female “roles” in mainstream country: Taylor’s old job, Carrie Underwood’s role (she is basically filled Faith Hill and Martina McBride’s shoes), and the nominal representative of the country wing of the “country” genre, currently held by Miranda Lambert. She’s not a great representative of the traditionalist wing either. I’d say that trading Lee Ann Womack, Reba, Trisha Yearwood, Sara Evans, and Alison Krauss for Miranda was a pretty bad deal. But as it stands I think it would be hard for a traditional leaning female artist like Ashley Monroe to achieve mainstream success unless Miranda were to leave the genre. There just aren’t many pigeonholes left in Nashville for traditionalists any more.
March 23, 2015 @ 11:20 pm
Unlike this song, “You Belong with Me” tells a thorough, interesting story and features a solid melody. I would give it:
1 3/4 of 2 guns UP
“You Belong with Me” also has a special place in my heart in that it was the song that introduced me to the world of country music.
March 23, 2015 @ 5:31 pm
I’m pretty sure Maggie Rose got two guns way down for “Girl in Your Truck Song.”
March 23, 2015 @ 8:12 am
It’s not unfair at all. I am a female and I find it very hard to connect with most female country acts. Most of the song material is just too immature for me. Not to mention that so many of them sing in little girl, faux twangy voices (looking at you Raelynn) which are so off putting to me, that I never give the actual song a chance.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:12 am
Nashville’s mainstream female acts are not designed for adults like you and I. The business plan is for female “country” artists to record songs for other girls.More precisely, for mainstream, extroverted, adolescent white girls who follow the crowd.
Nashville had a young female marketing plan that worked commercially (here is an article from a few years ago that describes this plan very well, though I disagree with the author’s politics: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andrea-lampros/taylor-swift_b_928371.html). I’m not surprised that the suits in Nashville want to try to run the same play again.
March 23, 2015 @ 2:57 pm
In other words, the exact same audience that pop is selling to? 🙂
March 23, 2015 @ 5:33 pm
When it comes to the “faux twangy accent”, Jana Kramer takes the crown for the worst in my opinion.
March 23, 2015 @ 6:18 pm
No kidding! And she’s from MICHIGAN!
March 23, 2015 @ 7:14 pm
The sad thing is, Jana Kramer’s new song “I Got The Boy” is actually a pretty decent mainstream country single. Much better than most of the stuff on country radio right now. And I’m no fan of hers. I’m ashamed to admit I like one of her songs.
March 23, 2015 @ 7:27 pm
I like the lyrics but I cringe whenever it gets to the chorus. It doesn’t seem like a song in her range to me. Every time it comes on the radio all I think about is how any other woman could have done it 1000 times better. I think Jamie Lynn Spears should have kept it for herself. I got to meet Jana last year when she was doing her radio tour and she sang 5 songs. When she talked she had no accent but then when she started to sing, it was worse than anything Justin Moore would ever try to pass off and she was very dramactic which just made it worse. The whole audience just sat there uncomfortable.
March 23, 2015 @ 7:35 pm
Yeah it really is a strange sounding vocal. It just sounds awkward and forced. It’s too bad because I really like the lyrics and the whole sentiment of the song but her performance is just plain bad in my opinion.
March 23, 2015 @ 10:07 am
I am the same way. However, one female artist that has some songwriting ability that I somewhat enjoy is Logan Brill. Id say she’s at least worth a listen.
March 23, 2015 @ 6:27 pm
Saw her open for Dwight a few weeks ago. I had never heard of her but I was very impressed. Hints of Lucinda and Holly Williams. …and needless to say, Dwight rocked it!
March 23, 2015 @ 9:07 pm
Some reality show singing competition winners and finalists, mainly Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, and Miranda Lambert, are making some of the best country music. That’s why they get great reviews on this site and everywhere else and Pickler’s 100 Proof is one of few SCM Album of the Year winners. Love songs are popular but they write and sing about much more than that. Some people don’t like their more pop/rock leaning songs as much but it still blows away what many men are turning out and all 3 belong at #1 on country radio.
It makes no difference to most people if an artist is discovered on TV or in a bar. Even Dolly, one of the best ever, was made popular via TV on The Porter Wagoner Show. American Idol contestants had to get past 100,000 people to make the top 24 and some like Mickey Guyton, who tried out but didn’t even make the top 24, are making great music. I know how you feel though because I can’t get into most male acts for reasons similar to those you named and more (lack of great vocals, heavy use of auto-tune, pop crossovers, lack of diverse themes and 10 trillion truck drinking bro-country songs, style over substance, cookie cutter lyrics and music, and man candy party playboy acts).
I’ve watched a little of this Idol season and once again the females out-sang the male country singers. Of course we have to wait until albums come out to see if there’s artistic substance but I’ve seen potential. One negative thing I’ve noticed is that some of the best female country singers get cut early from Idol and The Voice. I’m not sure if it’s because of the audience’s genre diversity, there are so many great female singers or the people in charge know country radio isn’t playing them. Here’s a top national country radio programmer pushing for a male (Clark Beckham) who isn’t even a country singer to get a Sam Hunt type of deal:
Gregg Swedberg @ThatsALottaGs
Again, I repeat @scottborchetta @KeithUrban get Clark a Sam Hunt arrangement/song and start printing money.
8:36 PM – 12 Mar 2015
http://twitter.com/ThatsALottaGs/status/576225295616774144
Could that be an example of a country radio gatekeeper asking labels for pure pop? I wonder how much more of that goes on behind the scenes.
March 23, 2015 @ 10:03 pm
What you failed to mention about reality shows is that its not about the music. They judge their voice, yes, but they also judge their marketability (weight, looks, sex appeal, etc). And that’s probably my #1 reason I refuse to support or pretend these shows are real. Pickler and Underwood are a tad on the attractive side, wouldn’t you say? Coincidence?? Hardly. It’s the more talented people that have full talent that get ignored is the problem here. We need to bring such people to the forefront.
March 23, 2015 @ 10:53 pm
Perhaps there need to be some reality singing shows on radio.
March 24, 2015 @ 1:01 am
Considering the fact that TV singing competitions discovered some true artists that made #1 most critically acclaimed albums of the year and close, I don’t see a reason to mention weight, looks etc. or bash those shows. Those are some of the same things labels signing artists consider and some of the best looking people also happen to be some of the best singers and artists. Underwood, Pickler, Lambert, Chris Young and more albums prove that these shows are real. Are TV shows perfect, no. Neither are the other label recruiting and selection processes and maybe TV is better sometimes.
Are Alison Krauss, Dolly, Reba, Lorrie Morgan, George Strait, Josh Turner, Dierks Bentley, Keith Urban and Lee Ann Womack ugly? No and most of them weren’t discovered on TV. The singing competitions are mostly about the music, vocals and live performing and there are always great looking and not so great looking singers in the mix. Many if not most of the people who voted for Underwood, Pickler and Lambert are females not voting on looks. Emily Brooke is a beautiful girl and one of the best country singers on Idol this season. She also plays guitar but didn’t make the top 24 (judges call). She sang better than a male country singer who made the top 24 then soon got voted off and they are probably equal in looks. The competition is fierce at this national level because there are so many great singers, and the non-artists get weeded out by after the season ends. So TV singing competitions are no more about looks than the rest of the music business.
The biggest problem is country radio overplaying hot guys. The TV shows are more about the music than radio bros who have 70%-99% female fan bases because they look hotter than they sing and what they choose to sing. At least you have to sing live without auto-tune on the TV shows. I’d much rather hear Pickler, Guyton, Danielle Bradbery, Lauren Alaina, Lee Ann Womack and other women they aren’t playing than the bros radio keeps at #1. Like Underwood and Lambert, Pickler has the whole package and #1 critical acclaim yet radio still isn’t playing her because they keep overplaying too many hot bros with weaker music instead of more talented women with much better music. Aaron Watson isn’t ugly is he? Why isn’t radio playing him? How is country radio’s problem with playing female artists and country music ever going to be solved when they have top level national programmers pushing for more male eye candy pop acts and shutting women out usually after just one top 20 single?
“It”™s the more talented people that have full talent that get ignored is the problem here. We need to bring such people to the forefront.”
Isn’t that what this site does? I just wish country radio would play more of those people so I can listen again.
March 24, 2015 @ 1:21 am
I agree with everything you said, except for the assertion that the bro-country fan base is “70-99 percent female”. As Windmills Country showed, bro-country fans are mostly male:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/sirius-xms-fresh-female-voices-looks-to-return-girl-power-to-radio
March 24, 2015 @ 10:27 am
“Those are some of the same things labels signing artists consider and some of the best looking people also happen to be some of the best singers and artists. Underwood, Pickler, Lambert, Chris Young and more albums prove that these shows are real. “..
A young family friend auditioned for Idol several years back and made the cut initially . When their interviews with her were completed , she was told that , in fact , she was a solid talent but would be dropped because she had no ” back story ” . If you are familiar with the singing shows , you’ll have noticed how much focus is placed on the “back story ” ( usually something that engages the listener emotionally ) and how THAT is part of why contestants are selected and listeners root for a particular singer .
March 24, 2015 @ 4:29 pm
Sorry, but you’re never gonna sell me on reality shows. I won’t knock it, if you take it for what it is – a form of entertainment. But please do not try to pass it off as a way to find talented up comers. Trig just posted about how the Voice is recruiting ESTABLISHED TALENT. Watch it all you want, but put the kool aid down.
March 24, 2015 @ 10:16 pm
Eric,
Windmills posts you mentioned are about radio callout data representing over 50 million mostly passive listeners listening to everything radio plays. Here I’m talking about fans of bros buying their music and going to their shows, not necessarily a mirror of radio listeners. Windmills has also pointed out that many bros sell less than more talented women with better vocals and music yet radio still isn’t playing those women while they overplay the bros to no end. Country radio has been saying rock is dead and they’ve been chasing former rock radio male listeners with bro-country while turning off and losing listeners who want to hear actual country. Look how that short-term fool’s gold thinking is turning out now. I gather that the vast majority of people going to hot looking bros concerts and buying their music are female. Girls are always talking about how hot those guys are and what they do to their panties instead of how good their music is. For example just look at their twitter mentions during concerts. Many are the same teen girls that love pop and rap music. I’ve seen fan base groups where up to 99% of the fans are female, while female country artists tend to have closer to 50% male and 50% female fan bases (the country radio listener base is also about 50% male and 50% female).
Albert,
Since backstories are shared in the music business I can see why the TV shows also consider them. Like I said the TV shows aren’t perfect and some talents don’t make the cuts while some do. And some of them are among the most talented artists making better music than many people radio plays. If your friend is talented enough to perform great concerts and make great records, maybe she should try out again or with a different show because sometimes that works. Also look into how Mickey Guyton and Hillary Scott got signed even though they didn’t make the top 24. Maybe your friend is better than some who made the top 24 or 12.
Blackwater,
I’m not trying to sell you, just stating facts and opinions. I agree with your fluff comments below and most of that fluff didn’t come from artists discovered via TV shows while some of the best music did. I don’t know why The Voice is trying to recruit established talent, maybe because they’ve yet to launch a superstar and Idol has. I think the Idol rule is or used to be that a contestant can’t currently be signed to a record deal. I prefer to see amateurs compete because it’s more interesting and fun to see raw talent develop.
March 23, 2015 @ 7:59 am
Didn’t Luke Bryan do this already? “If you’re gonna call me, call me, call me”¦”
Not a great sign !
March 24, 2015 @ 1:23 am
When you are ripping off Luke Bryan, you know you are out of ideas…
March 23, 2015 @ 8:07 am
Rarely do I want to listen to a female singer. This is especially true if she’s also written the songs. I’m with Blackwater when it comes to the “I love you” songs. But that also goes for male artists. Cool it with the love songs. One or two on an album, as long as they are really well done, are ok. An album full of slow love songs. No thanks. That’s why its hard to listen to a female songwriter.
March 23, 2015 @ 8:12 am
Good Lord what happened to women singing songs men could appreciate too? Patsy, Loretta, Krauss, anybody?
March 23, 2015 @ 8:20 am
It’s time for the Dixie Chicks, Martina, and Sara Evans, JoDee ect to come back and get some new material into heavy rotation. No, not everything they put out was wonderful, but that was the last time that I really liked the women on the radio. They could sing about anything, even heartbreak and love, and at least make it sound unique and not like the PreFab Disney sounding crap today.
March 23, 2015 @ 8:40 am
You guys are old. I am too. I coach a girls sports team and during warmups they’d play hip hop, 70s/80s rock, Taylor Swift (her own category) and country pop. They like fun, hooks and sentiment. They think its lame thinking about how Keith Urban fell in love in a cop car (at his age) and tell me to turn off Jason Isbell when I play it in the car. They want their own music. I can see this song fitting for them.
Why does country pop — and in this form teen country pop — threaten monolithic Capital C Capital M “Country Music”? Every genre of music has its fluff, its pop. It’s fine, really.
March 23, 2015 @ 8:51 am
I wholeheartedly agree – I think the point is that in Country Music, fluff is now the norm. Its teaching the youth that the junk on the radio is CM. But it’s clearly not. Every other genre that has fluff, the real stuff still gets played or is at least recognizable to fans of that genre. Country is losing that battle, and thus its identity to the fluff.
March 23, 2015 @ 8:54 am
Richk: I am not old, I am a college student in my prime playing music for no pay on weekends. I would like to point out that you are right, that every genre of music has its “Fluff.” you are wrong, it’s not “fine really.” If I asked someone about Rock’N’Roll, the two faces of that movement, depending on age and perception, are Elvis and Buddy Holly. that’s right, two artists have stereotyped the music of a generation, and people like Del Shannon get shuffled into obscurity. The fluff that you said is fine, is equally permeative as Elvis was, and in doing has stereotyped “country music” with it’s beer, sugar-shakers, pink umbrellas, and Luke Bryan falling off stages. The face of country music, which will be associated with listeners, is an obnoxious frat-boy singing misogynistic songs about beer, trucks and pink umbrellas. I don’t want to be stereotyped by that fluff, if you please.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:34 am
Fuzzy, I was obviously being glib. I get your point completely. I also hope you see mine.
I’m not an original country “guy” — I grew up on rock and roll and punk and the Replacements and plenty of bands that never saw radio airplay. I really feel the same thing is at-play in country today. Sure country pop seems overwhelming but it doesn’t stop Sturgill effin Simpson from breaking through in the biggest and most independent way possible.
Left of the dial!
March 23, 2015 @ 3:23 pm
I come from the same musical background as you and totally understand your perspective. The DIY ethos represented by many of the independent artists Trigger features on this site is what brought me here. I don’t expect pop fans to share my love of Lindi Ortega, Turnpike Troubadors, and Old 97’s and I’m entirely OK with that.
March 23, 2015 @ 11:59 am
That’s what happens, though. Just as Waylon and Willie have become the faces of ’70s country and the outlaw movement more or less in their entirety. It’d be interesting to see if all of these name-droppers knew who Tompall Glaser was. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are the faces of ’70s metal. Pink Floyd is the face of prog rock. Mötley Crüe and Guns ‘N Roses are the faces of hair metal. Journey and Bon Jovi are the faces of pop metal. Rum-D.M.C. is the face of ’80s hip hop. Nirvana and Pearl Jam are the faces of grunge. Creed and Nickelback are the faces of the “post-grunge” label that butt-hurt grunge fans slapped onto every ’90s rock band. Tupac is the face of ’90s rap. Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys are the faces of ’90s pop. Regardless of whether you like any of these artists or not, or think they’re good or bad, all of them are injustices. Two or three example artists will never do justice to a particular genre, time or place.
Plus, even if one disagrees with my examples, you could make the case that most of the “faces” also have a similar amount of infamy as fame. Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin are both notorious for their hard living ways, in addition to Zeppelin frequently losing plagiarism lawsuits. Pink Floyd is similar to the former, and just plain out there to boot. Mötley Crüe and Guns ‘N Roses (despite the latter not really being a true hair metal band) are famous for their instability and hedonism. Run-D.M.C. is famous for busting the door open for mainstream hip hop, something that some fans probably regret. Nirvana is famous for doing the same with alternative rock, in addition to Kurt Cobain killing himself and forever cementing his legacy as some “under-appreciated musical genius.” Pearl Jam is famous for their shunning of the limelight, crusade against Ticketmaster and thinking they were “too good” for the mainstream. Tupac is also partly remembered for his demise (I can’t personally comment on his music). Creed, Nickelback, Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys are all punching bags of their respective genres. I think it’s less about the music and more about the social impact, really.
Who would you choose to characterize rock & roll and rockabilly? Or any of these other eras?
March 23, 2015 @ 12:10 pm
Wow, brilliantly insightful, Acca. I guess to comment, I would have to say that while Waylon and Willie are the faces of the outlaw movement, Hank Jr, and David Allan Coe have equal legacy and deserve equal respect. As for the infamy (pardon my subpar familiarity with the history of rock) isn’t that part of the problem? That artists are remembered for their image and behavior and not for the merits of their craft?
I’m not disrespecting the legacies of Buddy Holly and Elvis, both left an important stamp on music history, but Del Shannon, and Ritchie Valens made great music too, and their only remembered because of their involvement with Buddy’s tragic demise.
March 23, 2015 @ 12:46 pm
……..but Del Shannon, and Ritchie Valens made great music too, and their only remembered because of their involvement with Buddy”™s tragic demise.
I’m confused, how exactly was Del Shannon involved in Buddy Holly’s demise?
March 23, 2015 @ 12:58 pm
Tom: Maybe “involved” was a poor word on my behalf. The way I know the story is that shortly after performing a “Buddy Holly Tribute” concert, Del Shannon died of an overdose. there are other artists involved too but I’m not googling a complete list
March 23, 2015 @ 11:42 am
They “want their own music” but they like ’70s/’80s rock? What? Isn’t that something of a misnomer? Plus, what kind of rock are you talking about? Led Zeppelin or Bon Jovi?
That might be more of a girl thing, though. When I was younger I found myself enjoying some Loverboy and my sister blatantly told me that I “shouldn’t like that, it’s old people music.” At the time that really bothered me but as I’ve grown older it occurred to me that she was just voicing her ignorance in the most obnoxious way possible. I have to say, I’ve known more girls in my time that resent older movies and music just because they’re “old” than guys. I even had one tell me that newer movies were better than old ones. When I asked why, she just replied “because they are.” Not that guys aren’t shallow, but I don’t expect a male of similar age to go that route with an explanation.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:00 am
Country is just that; country. Rural. Authentic. How can something be country when it has drum loops and electronic crap. And Sam Hunt’s urban dance club songs are the exact opposite of country.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:15 am
If you don’t have friends like Taylor, you don’t exist on country radio.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:19 am
The joke is on her, mainstream country these days is pop.
March 23, 2015 @ 10:23 am
Damn I miss Patty Loveless.
March 23, 2015 @ 11:53 am
And Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan. It really is amazing how mainstream country music has just totally given up on such fertile ground. From Tammy Wynette to Loretta Lynn to even some of Reba McEntire’s best songs country music has always spoke to the woman of a certain age but anymore it’s only girly girl songs or pissed off bad ass chick songs or Carrie Underwood style power semi message songs.
The question I guess is this because there is no market for these types of songs anymore or are they missing an opportunity?
March 23, 2015 @ 11:07 pm
Really, when I compare Patty Loveless songs to modern mainstream country, I can’t help but think that something is fundamentally different about the country music audience. There is no way that the same group of listeners can like both Patty Loveless and bro-country.
March 23, 2015 @ 11:31 pm
I tend to agree with you but then you have to ask where they went. Is it as simple as they are now in their fifties and sixties and no longer engaged with mainstream country music? And their ‘replacements’ in that demo don’t seem to relate to that sort of music whether musically or subject matter wise. My experience tells me that far more women are listening to the same music as their daughters than ever did in the past.
In many ways I think this is the crux of the issue with women in country music right now.
March 23, 2015 @ 11:55 pm
I think there is a demographic out there that hungers for solid storytelling and smooth, lush music. Country radio just has abandoned them entirely.
March 23, 2015 @ 9:49 pm
I do miss Patty Loveless too even Pam Tillis, Shania Twain (1995-1998)era, Lorrie Morgan, Jo Dee Messina, Wynonna, and even Lee Ann Womack as well.
March 23, 2015 @ 10:04 pm
Patty Loveless and Lee Ann Womack were two of my favorite female artists. I also agree about Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan.
I have mixed opinions of Jo Dee, she had a couple of decent songs, but she also had one foot in the pop country camp.
I strongly disagree about Shania Twain. I just don’t see much talent there. I don’t recall that she had a major hit song either before she met Mutt or after they divorced. I didn’t hear much country in her music either. Some of her songwriting was arguably worse than T-Swift’s. On a different note I get the impression that Jana Kramer was trying to be an ersatz Shania clone e.g. a sexy northern girl with a fake twang and crappy music. No thanks.
March 24, 2015 @ 12:12 am
Shania was marketable for very obvious reasons . She’s a knockout . No argument there.
Shania recorded some of the worst stuff under the guise of being a ” country” singer EVER .
Her success as a ” country ” singer is often cited as the turning point …the beginning of the end , as it were , for real country music . No Shania …no Taylor .
Its absolutely amazing that Twain’s career has lasted as long as it has but I think the reason is that she was never a country singer . She was a pop singer from the get-go and when she hit the scene , she brought non-country fans into the fold .
Her personal setbacks ( cheating husband etc,,,, ) endeared her to those fans the way a fake soap opera script hooks viewers . I think Shania’s REAL life made her more relate- able than her music ever did , with the possible exceptions of a song or two . She was a pop singer plain and simple and it paved the way for the pop country country that followed . She was undeniably a game changer in that respect. The right looks , the right marketing AND Mutt and all of his contacts and power in her corner .
March 24, 2015 @ 10:42 pm
I always thought Shania’s main “product” was sex appeal, and many of the songs were more like advertisements to sell Shania the sex symbol.
The video for her first hit, Any Man of Mine, seemed to say “girl power” to the girls and “come and get me” to the guys at the same time. That song was a big hit because of her sex appeal and because of the timing. The same song released 5-10 years later probably would not have gone very far, because skin deep “girl power” themes had become fashionable on Music Row by then.
Then in the cross over pop album “Come On Over”, she and Mutt hit the popular categories like the wedding song, the anniversary song, and the put down song (“That Don’t Impress Me Much”). It all seemed so calculated, her music had no soul.
March 23, 2015 @ 11:04 pm
Patty Loveless is easily among my top 5 favorite female country singers of all time. I am proud to own several of her songs. Here are my favorites:
“Nothing But the Wheel” (my absolute favorite)
“Lonely Too Long”
“How Can I Help You”
“The Night’s Too Long”
“You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive”
“Hurt Me Bad”
March 24, 2015 @ 12:19 am
Patty , I believe , is underrated as a finder and an interpreter of absolutely GREAT country music of substance and tradition . Yes she managed to rock it up a little but never at the cost of the lyric , the traditional instruments and that one of a kind voice . She was ALWAYS all about serving the song first …NOT serving Patty Loveless ( see the Shania Twain comments above ) . And when country went for shit , Patty smartly and with integrity turned to the roots of her music . Her two bluegrass records showcased her in a way even country music didn’t . STELLAR records both of them chock full of the best songs and players around . I totally respect Patty , her integrity and her contributions to real country music .
March 24, 2015 @ 5:03 pm
mine too
March 30, 2015 @ 12:51 am
She’s one of my favourites too. I never get tired of listening to her songs. I read somewhere that she is basically retired. If that is true, that is very unfortunate.
March 23, 2015 @ 10:58 am
At the risk of repeating myself , THIS kind of music and junk on radio and playlists is what discourages BETTER singers, bands and writers from pursuing an honest music career . Unfortunately this inferior, ever-more- generic-sounding product has become the norm due to the target demographic. It is an insult to better singers and writers and more creative music people who have progressively slimmer chances of being recognized for their far more inspired and impassioned efforts .
Any serious , self-respecting professional regardless of their field wants to work at or above their fighting weight and be acknowledged and respected for that choice . What we see happening in Country Music is an ongoing lowering of the bar and , consequently , an exodus of REAL artists who cannot maintain any semblance of integrity working under THESE conditions. If there is going to be a place for music for 12 year olds on country radio , there needs to be a place for adult artists singing adult material …not Keith Urban singing about cop cars in a desperate attempt to somehow stay relevant with those same 12 year olds but ADULT , mature, relate- able lyrics reflecting adult , mature life experience . We have the writers , we have the performing artists and the gifted players We just don’t want to give them jobs because, sadly ,…they’ re overqualified .
March 23, 2015 @ 12:23 pm
Seems like the disposing of the Dixie Chicks was a bad idea by country radio, even more so given they were right about W
March 23, 2015 @ 12:38 pm
You know what I LOVE about music like this?
Right now I’m working out all the details and songs to hit the studio next week for an album release in May. As much as I love writing and playing, I HATE putting albums together. Everything you do seems like a bad decision. It’s a whole lot of second guessing and thinking this or that isn’t good enough…or getting stuck in a rut of comparing everything to Isbell or something… 😀
But then you hear something like this and it takes all the weight off. I don’t have to do shit to top that. I can take my 10 worst songs, shit them onto a spinning CD and it will AT LEAST be better than that.
So thanks Trigger. You made my day!
March 23, 2015 @ 12:49 pm
Regardless of instrumentation and production, when was country music ever meant for, and sung by teenagers? It seems to me that one of the main characteristics of country was that is was directed at an adult audience and performed by people that were at least out of high school. Pop is for 15 year olds.
March 23, 2015 @ 3:36 pm
Music snob spotted.
Pop is not for 15 year olds. Pop can be enjoyed by everybody, and not all pop music is targeted towards teenagers. And neither is country exclusively for adults. Teenagers can make country music that other teenagers relate to and enjoy. Just because most teenagers who attempt to make country music end up doing pop-influenced country doesn’t mean that pure country can’t be made and enjoyed by teenagers.
March 24, 2015 @ 9:35 am
If an adult is listening to this song, they need help.
March 23, 2015 @ 1:01 pm
But, but, but it has a banjo.. sort of at the beginning.
March 23, 2015 @ 2:02 pm
It’s too good of a pop song for me to hate it as much as I should. Could you review Eric Church’s new single?
March 23, 2015 @ 3:14 pm
I don’t really care for this song 1 3/4 guns down indeed!
March 23, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
I wonder what Scott Borchetta tells his artists when they say “I was in this to play country, not pop.” That is, if they ever say that…
March 23, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
“deprecation of music education in public schools”
What do dumb lyrics have to do with degradation of music in public schools? Lyrics are about literature, not music.
March 23, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
I like this song alot, but IMHO, country radio needs moar Reba.
March 23, 2015 @ 4:44 pm
Bobby Bones always had her on his show and boasted about her.
March 25, 2015 @ 5:00 am
Bobby Bones… Blind in one eye, tone deaf in both ears.
March 23, 2015 @ 5:35 pm
I heard this a few days ago. Unfortunately. However, it is kinda catchy.
Unlike many here, I am not a country purist. I just like what I like, regardless of genre, and ever increasingly, regardless of what it is labeled.
In addition to what has already been mentioned, female voices are making some great music right now. I wouldn’t call any of the following country, but if you like good music……
Allison Moorer, Brandi Carlile, Kate Vargas, Striking Matches (male/female duo), Houndmouth (features a female lead on some songs).
I’ll leave saving country music to those with a vested interest. I just know that all mainstream music has gone down the crapper. I would rather listen to a running toilet than tune into my local radio stations. And that’s really not much of an exaggeration.
I know what country music used to be. I know what is being played mainstream right now. The two are not even remotely similar. In the meantime, I’ll be in the corner, listening to music that doesn’t exist.
March 23, 2015 @ 5:47 pm
” I just like what I like, regardless of genre, and ever increasingly, regardless of what it is labeled.”
This is an understandable and respected viewpoint . However I fear ( as do many “purists” ) that there is an undeniable ‘conditioning’ factor at work . Over time and a new generation , people are growing to accept an inferior product bereft of ANY ties to tradition and substance . I know its an old argument …but refrigerators used to last 20-30 years . Now they last on average 10-12 . As consumers we initially were appalled and felt cheated at the downward spiral in appliance quality . Now we accept this 12 year lifespan as the norm . Similarly , a younger generation will accept the music that is fed to them without questioning the quality or integrity of the product once all ties to its roots and integrity have evaporated . Thus , I believe in the mandate and mission statement of this website . For me , SAVING COUNTRY MUSIC is neccessary to ensure the tradition and roots of a great genre and art are always respected and remembered and incorporated in ‘the product” . Greed and desperation seem to be the musical motivators where marketing the product is concerned .
March 23, 2015 @ 6:15 pm
I didn’t put purist in quotation marks. I immensely respect those that fight for the integrity of a particular genre. I’m just too all over the place in my musical tastes to concentrate on anything in particular.
I come here to find music that I probably wouldn’t find elsewhere. And to spout occasional nonsense.
What you said can be applied across all genres right now. I realize that every decade or era can be labeled as the worst time in music ever. But as we look back, there are redeemable qualities. I’ve lived through several decades, but right now I see music across the board in dire peril. At least on the mainstream level. Not much that I hear redeeming.
Nothing I like gets airplay. I come from a rock background and there is some killer stuff out there that will never see the light of day. It’s all really disheartening.
People here won’t be forcefed the 12 year fridge. Unfortunately, we don’t make up the majority. I support and promote the artists I like. That’s all I can do.
March 23, 2015 @ 11:52 pm
Off topic, but I am not sure if the refrigerator data is accurate.
As an anecdote, my family purchased their refrigerator back in 1997, and it is still functioning at full quality after 18 years.
Perhaps refrigerator technology is improving so fast (in terms of the electronic controls) that people are throwing away their refrigerators at faster rates.
March 24, 2015 @ 9:57 am
I just replaced a 25 year old fridge last year. Every appliance salesman I talked to gave me the 10-12 year life span for the equipment currently being manufactured.
March 24, 2015 @ 1:10 pm
Two reasons why the salesmen would want you to believe that:
1) They want to stay on the side of caution and don’t want to be held liable for false information should the fridge actually break in 12 years.
2) They want you to buy a new refrigerator every 12 years even if the old one is performing just fine.
March 24, 2015 @ 2:13 pm
Appliance talk is more interesting to me than this crappy music!
1. The warranty lasts no where near 12 years so why would they be responsible for anything?
2. I would never buy a new appliance while the old one is still working. My old fridge ran like a champ right up until the day I woke up to hear the compressor rattling and not cooling anymore.
I have friends in the HVAC business and they all say the same thing. The quality of components used in any refrigeration equipment has really gone downhill with respect to longevity. Gotta maximize the profits to the shareholders while screwing the consumers.
March 23, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
There is absolutely no saving grace here.
The part of this song that annoys me the most is its lyrics. How am I supposed to take her laments throughout much of the first and second verses seriously (“I’ve had my share of losers, liars and users…”), as well as her laundry list of demands in the chorus, when she opens the song with the exclamation: “Oh hey! You with your hat back! Mmmmm I kinda like that! If you wanna walk my way…”
First of all, exactly WHICH fella with his hat back are you referring to, Kelsea? Chase Rice? Cole Swindell? Any given also-ran in the bunch? 😉
Secondly, in exclaming that, she instantly discredits herself throughout the rest of the song and leaves you thinking by song’s end: “No wonder she has had bad luck with dating!” In effect, she basically encourage the same vicious cycle of douchedom to go uninterrupted by allowing physicality and appearance, as opposed to personality and maturity, to dictate the selection process! -__-
It doesn’t help matters that Ballerini’s vocal delivery is so bratty in the vein of Avril Lavigne’s more recent eras. It instantly gets on my nerves. And the production………….well, what is there to say? It’s utterly sterile. And not remotely country.
*
So, yeah, this gets Two Guns Down from me, no recommendation and……….while it isn’t quite at the nadir RaeLynn has reached with her recent EP and singles, it’s a close second as far as female artists are concerned! =(
March 23, 2015 @ 8:57 pm
Interesting article
http://www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/radio/6509506/country-radio-goes-pop-how-formats-shift-when-genres-cross
March 23, 2015 @ 11:24 pm
Blech. Bring back Maddie & Tae.
March 24, 2015 @ 7:54 am
I’m loving the harmonies in “Fly”. Don’t know if you’ve heard it yet.
March 25, 2015 @ 5:05 am
Not sure what happened with them. Seems like they didn’t quite take off the way they were supposed to. Strange because Fly is so much better than Girl In A Country Song, but not as kitschy I guess.
March 24, 2015 @ 12:43 pm
Sorry, girl, I can only hate you like I mean it.
March 24, 2015 @ 4:16 pm
Ballerini is the least country word I have ever heard.
March 25, 2015 @ 7:15 pm
Bigoted, ethnocentric comment. Focus on the songs, not the last names.
June 15, 2015 @ 12:24 pm
Hard to believe this is going to hit #1 on the charts. This review is spot on. If this is who country radio wants to replace Taylor Swift, then they’re going to have to replace me as a listener too.
October 11, 2015 @ 1:16 pm
I am so ashamed to say this as I know Kelsea and this song are utter crap. However, as a teenage girl myself, I cannot help but… *shudders* … like it.
It’s not really country, no, but what it is, is fun. As much as I love traditional country and artists like The Civil Wars, as a depressive, sometimes it’s nice to hear a silly, happy song. And yes, I know if I want this I can turn to pop, but at least with country-pop there are some country components in there that are more attractive to me.
August 8, 2017 @ 8:20 pm
One of the Best Female Vocalists – Lari White. The 90’s were great for female vocalists. (though I never liked Sara(h) Evans. She bellowed like I cow through a cover of a beautifully written Edwin McCain song.
Off topic..is there a list of Ho-Country? We don’t really tolerate that much, do we?!
April 29, 2018 @ 4:45 am
I think it’s wrong to tear down new female artists when it’s hard enough as it is for women to get success in country music. Country music can’t stay the same as it was. It has to evolve in order to reach new audiences to keep the genre relevant. It may not be authentic country but it’s catchy and fun and will inspire a new generation of female country singers and songwriters like myself. Music has always evolved, times change. It’s unfair to criticize Kelsea’s success.