Lee Brice’s New Song “Country Nowadays” (A Rant)
Sure, I watched the Bad Bunny Super Bowl Halftime performance. Now I’m GAY!
I also immediately wanted hordes of illegal immigrants to flood over the American border bearing the flags of their respective countries, and armadas of refugee boats to crash onto our shores to unload throngs of unwashed masses to immediately receive health benefits and voting rights, transforming the United States of America into a Hispanic socialist utopia, subjugating all White people under an oppressive totalitarian thumb, and banishing them to gulags for re-education.
But luckily there was an antidote to the grand psychosis I’d succumb to. Just one spin of Lee Brice’s new song “Country Nowadays” and it slobberknocked the gay right out of me. And like the mighty caw of a bald eagle echoing through a canyon as it flies over rocky, snow-capped peaks with an American flag superimposed across its face, “Country Nowadays” resonated throughout every crevice of my cranium and red-blooded American heart, setting my perspective straight. Lee Greenwood, eat your heart out.
– – – – – – – – –
Hey thanks Lee Brice for making all of country music, and all country music fans look like regressive cousin f-ckers, you horse’s ass. And an a pox on your house for attempting to revive the absolute most terrible excesses and sins of the Bro-Country era with your egregiously bad listing off of American country iconography, groveling to the very lowest level of low-brow denominators.
Nobody’s trying to tell you that you can’t mow your damn lawn or wear boots, or go fishing or whatever the hell else you say in this stupid song—you middle-aged, dork-ass, washed-up third-tier country entertainer hoping to springboard yourself back to relevancy by angling for “cancellation.” I thought victim casting was the domain of the left? You’re really trying to tell me you’re having a tough time of it, Lee Brice? Why, because you defaulted on your yacht loan because you haven’t had a hit in six years? Quit being such a pussy.
Listen folks, don’t be coerced into thinking you must defend this song just because it lands on your side of the stupid culture war. I’d rather country music succumb to AI slop than this panty-waist, fear-mongering, obsequious and slavish pandering to a constituency, slobbering over low-hanging culture war issues like it’s a vein-popping male appendage.
And yes, the folks that have tried to sell us on the idea that gender is a social construct who’ve all of a sudden become more anti-Darwin than the creationists, they need to step back. How about we let kids grow up and go through the growing pains and exploration we all did before making life-altering health decisions when they’re still adolescents?
But even that issue is resetting back to a more reasonable equilibrium. “Country Nowadays” feels like it was written in 2020 or something, and for smart reasons, was left on the shelf. At least the Aaron Lewis and Oliver Anthony songs were timely. This just feels abruptly outdated.
Hey, it’s your dude who’s in power now, Lee Brice. It’s a country song that’s #1 in all of music at the moment. So why are you bitching? And as we all lob grenades at each other over stupid songs like this one, it’s the elites from both parties robbing the treasury and immiserating us all. Now that would make a good premise for a country song.
“But Trig, this isn’t even a really song yet! There’s not a studio version of it!” For the love of God, let’s please keep it that way. Don’t let this bun out of the oven. Even right wingers can advocate for this being one creation not worth bringing to term. Because if they had any sense, they’d realize this song portrays them in the most negative of negative light.
Wait, what? The studio version comes out Feb. 19th? Well screw me.
This is the kind of refuse you get when you politicize country music. Either it’s screechy Maren Morris garbage that makes you want to scrape your eyeballs out, or this crap.
“Country Nowadays” does NOT represent actual country music these days at all. It represents one man’s over-ripened perspective as he overextends himself by feverishly grasping for attention for his dying career, inadvertently working to pull the entirety of the country genre down with him.
– – – – – – – – – – –
If you found this article valuable, consider leaving Saving Country Music A TIP.
February 16, 2026 @ 11:54 am
I think you need to give it another listen; It didn’t seem to knock the fa-got out of ypu.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:11 pm
wait, you got that guy confused with guy who runs this site….
you know “feverishly grasping his ego” while censoring those who point it out
He is CornHoleous
February 16, 2026 @ 3:23 pm
Who’s being censored here? Kevin got the first comment in the comments section, and it was critical of me.
February 16, 2026 @ 6:05 pm
Thank God we live in a country where both sides get to make shitty music without fear or favor. It’s no worse or better than any of the left leaning whine tracks out there, it’s just not that creative. All in all I suppose I would prefer that children hear these lyrics as opposed to the translated lyrics of Bad Bunny from his Super Bowl performance. Anybody actually look into what was said by him during that show?
February 16, 2026 @ 9:04 pm
He ended the show with a 9 word message, which said “The only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Do you consider that a left leaning whine track?
February 16, 2026 @ 8:49 pm
your ALTER-EGO is being censored,
sir.
and doing so will prolly help
to save everything else too
You ARE what you hate
go beat on your drums
cool out, sir
February 16, 2026 @ 11:59 am
I’m not going to defend this guy or his song, because why? But I will say that there is some country music that has a political bent that isn’t horrible. The Pill, D-I-V-O-R-C-E, Ira Hayes, pretty much everything Steve Earle ever wrote. Maybe it’s not the having an opinion, maybe it’s just that this guy and Maren Morris suck.
February 16, 2026 @ 1:45 pm
The Pill and D-I-V-O-R-C-E were about social issues, not politics.
February 16, 2026 @ 1:55 pm
Come on lol
February 16, 2026 @ 2:14 pm
What are your panties in a bunch about today?
February 16, 2026 @ 3:18 pm
“Strait” (el senor personality cult zombie)…. he say
“Why you panties good?”
Anda, culero…calmete
February 16, 2026 @ 2:18 pm
The majority of this song is also about social issues if that is the way you want to try and cut the cake.
It’s basically complaining about trans kids, flag burning (apparently ol’ Lee doesn’t like the 1st amendment), gun control attempts, and cancel culture.
Was “Mama Bake a Pie/Daddy Kill a Chicken” political? Or was it a social statement about vets coming back from Vietnam maimed? Was “I Washed My Face in the Morning Dew” which includes a verse directly calling out economic inequality a social song or a political one?
The best songs that broach this subject matter tend to walk the line and leave it up to the listener – sadly Lee Brice and his co-writers decided “ChatGPT, what are some things that piss off conservatives” and decides to wrist a listical of just that.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:50 pm
: D Try to burn the American Flag with me standing next to you, sweetheart.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:56 pm
I personally don’t agree with burning the flag, but I also understand it is protected speech under the 1st Amendment.
But nice flex on the internet – attempting to look like some kind of “badass” to strangers, while also not understanding the Constitution.
Self, meet Own.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:22 pm
It’s funny how all the songs you praise are all left wing anthems! Guess that’s probably just a coinkydink, but just thought it funny how you didn’t include any conservative artists or songs! Again, most likely just an oversight but thought I’d point that out . Kinda reminded me of the Moms who are in group chat with their mom group and text stuff like “I’m not into country (yucky) and I’m NOT a trumper but I do love Charley Crockett and Sierra Ferrell”! What a stroke of luck that the same artists NPR and NYT hypes and promotes are the only ones this demographic loves! And they always make sure to act apologetic about it, as if liking country is cringe but I’m not a fan of THAT kind of country, but I support artists who align with my values, and my friend group. Pure virtual signaling.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:00 pm
He really has a good voice; the lyrics almost don’t stand out.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:09 pm
He can be very good with the right material (“Rumor,” which was a hit, and “Cry,” which stiffed), but takes the lazy way out most of the time. I guess he’s been in the business too long to change his ways, even with his lack of recent success.
February 16, 2026 @ 1:28 pm
Doesn’t that sum up like 90% of male radio artists though?
There is nothing unique about Lee Brice. If you swapped Lee Brice for Russell Dickerson or Justin Moore nobody would really notice.
I think this is one of the sad realities of modern “mainstream” country music for over a decade now. There are very, very few “middle class” careers anymore. When the music industry was healthier, you had guys (and gals) who could make a solid career out of just churning out mid-chart hits and maybe they would hit on a top 5 single every few years.
Now the charts have gotten so compressed that unless you are constantly churning out top 5 songs you fade into “male country artist without a ton of talent, but a few #1’s a half-decade ago irrelevance.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:00 pm
That just isn’t true. Those are 3 radically different artists.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:14 pm
Dickerson is unredeemable and unlistenable, pure bro with limited vocal talent. Moore can sing (although I’ve seen comments here over the years that suggest that he is heavily AutoTuned) and comes up with an occasional single that’s catchy in spite of its cliched nature (his current “Time’s Ticking,” for example, which is basically an uptempo “Live Like You Were Dying”). Brice sings with more soul than Dickerson and Moore combined, and is a damn good guitarist, too, but his material is often third-rate. Listen to his work on Carly Pearce’s “I Hope You’re Happy Now” and tell me he’s no better than Russell bleepin’ Dickerson.
February 16, 2026 @ 6:02 pm
Stylistically? Sure.
But do you really think Lee Brice, Russell Dickerson, or Justin Moore are going to be anything more than footnotes in Country music history in 30 years?
There is not shame in that – Brice has a couple hits and can enjoy that mailbox money and always tell folks he had some #1 songs.
But he is also pretty irrelevant at this point at Country radio and frankly if his career *was* doing well, he would have never released this song.
You release this song when your mainstream relevance is in rapid decline and Music Row is ready to put you out to pasture. You don’t release this song if the opposite is true.
Jake Owen went and hired Shooter Jennings to produce an “Outlaw” sounding Country album and Lee Brice is teaming up with LoCash songwriters to sing some song to get spins on Benny Johnson.
Tells you all you need to know about the “artistic” ambitions of both men IMO.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:05 pm
Lee Brice is the only country singer I have any personal connection to (my wife knew him growing up) and I would like to defend him but he’s making it tough these days
February 16, 2026 @ 12:37 pm
My wife worked with Dennis Rader for three months back in 2003, in Park City, Wichita. I’m not going to defend him. He was a jerk, according to her (and virtually everyone who ever crossed his path).
February 16, 2026 @ 12:55 pm
This is hilarious. I wish Mindhunter had gone on longer so they could have continued showing how pathetic this guy was.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:43 pm
They all are.
This fascination with serial killerd (and other degenerate freaks) says a lot about our society.
I never got it. I’m not a religious person by any means, but the concept of evil can’t be dismissed. And it’s pathetic, not fascinating.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:09 pm
You nailed it. Possibly the worst song of the decade. It had to be AI right? Nobody would actually put their name on this record as a songwriter.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:23 pm
I watched Pat finnerty (what makes this song stink on YouTube ) do a reaction live stream to the tpusa thing and that was pretty hilarious. I think that was maybe the first time I’ve seen modern country idiots like this and several years. “I just wanna kish my feesh”.
I can’t wait for the exaggerated accent trend to eventually get shamed out of existence. If you listen to how 90s country acts sang versus everybody in country today, it starts to look like a parody of itself. Independent artists are no exception.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:25 pm
Written by Brice, Matt Alderman and Matt Kenyon. Alderman has co-written with Mitchell Tenpenny, Dylan Scott and Nate Smith. Kenyon has contributed to songs by LoCash and Chris Young (the current, bro version of Young). Given those “credentials,” this song might be the best either of these men can produce. Ugh. Double ugh.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:28 pm
Agree with this rant, especially how songs like this make country and its fans seem like we live down to the very worst stereotypes some people have of us. I’m registered as independent, detach from culture wars as much as humanly possible, and this current political hellscape can’t possibly end soon enough for me. As always with this type of “statement” song, not one mind will be changed and not one productive conversation about our differences will take place- it’s just more inflammatory BS that highlights and exacerbates our divisions. In other words, it’s exactly what we don’t need.
Also, why is Pace’s face so alarmingly beat read in that picture? Is it the endless supply of rage that fuels the entire MAGA movement, alcohol or drugs, or some sort of medical condition? A warning sign for all of us – anger, even when it’s just performative BS, ain’t good for the soul, the body, or for the quality of our music!
February 16, 2026 @ 1:21 pm
“Is it the endless supply of rage that fuels the entire MAGA movement, …
: D No, it is the endless supply of rage that fuels the entire liberal movement.
February 16, 2026 @ 1:52 pm
The fact that anyone believes that it’s one or the other and not both in 2026 is hilarious.
February 16, 2026 @ 2:11 pm
: D Uh-huh.
February 16, 2026 @ 2:15 pm
Trigger, we had adults as Presidents until Trump. Anger is good, but must be channeled properly to bring us back to sanity. I think you would agree with that.
But Trump is more mentally ill than most, with anger, ADHD, sadism, narcissism, and probably some kind of psychopathic mix in there. Yes, even as a liberal I know we can go overboard with the racism bit and blame everything on race or Trump. And yet, is Trump a racist? Absolutely. Do you trust Noem who shoots dogs when they “misbehave?” Is it lawful for Trump to make billions because he is President? Yes, both sides can go overboard or blame the other, but let’s face it; if one is honest, Trump, the incessant liar and chaos agent, will remain one of the worst Presidents in history, if not the worst. Anger for the sake of anger is not healthy, but righteous anger is. Are you investing in Greenland,by the way?
February 16, 2026 @ 2:32 pm
Would love to keep this conversation more on the Lee Brice song and its impact on country music. Nobody is going to be convinced on who or who not to vote for President by a comments on a country music website.
February 16, 2026 @ 2:52 pm
Your point is well taken about keeping the conversation to Lee Brice’s song. That said, I am unclear as to why this song sent you into a rant. This kind of song is a staple in country music. I am sure Lee Greenwood would be proud. Are you angry because you think country music has escaped it’s conservative past of beer, boots, and whatever else? Is it because it went to number one? I think you owe it to your readers the real reason why, and not just do the guy thing and hide behind anger and a rant. You’re an excellent writer with great knowledge, so why not share what upsets you the most and just be honest. You might be surprised at the support you would get.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:32 pm
This song is not a staple of country music whatsoever. It’s a staple of the type of stereotypes that people impose upon country music fans when most country music fans could give a shit about this song, or Lee Brice. It’s being supported by political types outside of country similarly to how Beyonce’s “country” album was supposed by pop/hip-hop fans, not country fans.
The song is not #1. It hasn’t even been released yet. Lee Greenwood hasn’t had a relevant hit in a quarter century.
People falsely claiming this song is representative of country music in 2026 is the reason I decided I needed to twist off on this song. There is a sister article coming up to this that will explain more.
What upsets me the most is that people will truly think this song represents country music. That’s the reason I wanted to vehemently distance from it.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:08 pm
I appreciate your reply, Trigger. I would disagree that this type of song is not a staple of country music. Maybe not staple per se, but it is a type of song that is certainly heard of in the variations of “the only real music is country music.” Sorry about my misinformation about it being number one, I read that somewhere, even though you said it wasn’t released yet…….P.S. I mentioned Lee Greenwood as you had mentioned it in your “rant.” 🙂
February 16, 2026 @ 7:21 pm
“The fact that anyone believes that it’s one or the other and not both in 2026 is hilarious.”
Logical translation:
“If you’re on the right and you watched for 80 years as your nation and way of life were destroyed and replaced with a dystopian globalist hellscape, and now you’re finally pushing back, you’re exactly the same as those who did the destroying and it’s hilarious that you think you aren’t.”
February 16, 2026 @ 2:12 pm
I’m not either MAGA or liberal, but it’s just objective fact that mindless, baseless rage and grievances fuel the populism that enabled a cognitively impaired, immoral sociopath like Trump to rise to power. But the fact that ignorant losers on the right can’t defend their stances other than to feebly say “but the libs suck, amiright?!” says everything about how MAGA is an ugly, angry cult rather than a legitimate movement with an actual ideology.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:03 pm
Laughing.
February 16, 2026 @ 9:33 pm
Poor, clueless, Hawlwy.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:36 pm
Sunny Ledfurd’s new dedicated country lane project ‘Grown Man Country’ just released the antithesis of that song. You can listen to ‘Horseshoes’ here; https://open.spotify.com/track/6jPTT9nFVHRZohu7xwDi2n?si=b1e5ec134546454a
February 16, 2026 @ 12:40 pm
Poor, poor Lee. Ever since the previous administration communistically banned beer, trucks, long guns, lawn mowers and dogs, he’s been one sad, hurting buckaroo. I mean golly, Lee can’t even watch the TV news anymore, what with the news and all. He just yearns for a simpler time, when a man could drink a bunch of beers, drive over to his tree stand, and accidentally kill his dog, without a bunch of uppity libtards lecturing him about it.
I particularly enjoyed the crowd “wooos” when he (sigh) made it a point to bring trans into the mix. In pro wrestling parlance, that’s the ultimate cheap pop. It’s cute how people pretend this sort of grievance-based entertainment is what they like.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:58 pm
I just want to sincerely thank Mr. Brice for putting this steaming pile of hot garbage onto a tee so there was no way in hell Trig wasn’t gonna take a swing at it with a Fat Albert bat. We desperately needed an epic rant and some levity around these parts.
February 16, 2026 @ 12:59 pm
I do love me a good Trig rant and this is a great one. I do like how the majority of people instantly shit on this not necessarily because it doesn’t fall on their side of the political spectrum, but because the song just flat out sucks.
February 16, 2026 @ 1:18 pm
Luckily I spared myself watching either half time show, as neither seemed like my idea of entertainment. Listened to some classic country instead. Glad I missed it. Lee Brice has always seemed to be on the outside looking in when it comes to country stardom. Sounds like for good reason
February 16, 2026 @ 3:00 pm
There was also the “Puppy Bowl”, though. =)
February 16, 2026 @ 3:16 pm
True, I always forget about that. My wife and I have had St. Bernards ever since we were married 15 years ago. Just lost one a couple weeks back. I have a feeling had we watched the puppy bowl, we would have had a new puppy by now lol
February 16, 2026 @ 1:21 pm
One point of contention – I don’t think this is the result of the “politicization” of Country music. This is the result of low-talent artists trying desperately to hang on to some semblance of career relevancy by micro-targeting political audiences to try and squeeze some $$$ out of them.
That is true with Maren Morris. That is true with Lee Brice (and John Rich).
These folks were never all that talented and once radio went away, decides they really liked living a nice lifestyle and figure liberals from Bluesky and TPUSA/Fox News watchers will spin their song a time or two to squeeze a couple more pennies out of their fading careers.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:09 pm
I subscribe to this theory myself: as Brice is coming on the heels of four consecutive misses on the country airplay chart.
Still: when Randy Houser himself attempted to pander to culture war grievances with “Cancel” and that proved to be a massive failure for his career, and Brian Kelley’s “Make America Great Again” also largely went unnoticed……………..and even Kid Rock’s most recent album “Bad Reputation” barely charted the Billboard 200 despite all the free publicity his couple of anti-woke promo singles generated……………….Brice should have very well known that the probability of failure for this risky strategy is pretty high. Much like we really never hear from Maren Morris anymore.
February 16, 2026 @ 1:36 pm
Pretty sure you can still do most of those things already Lee Brice.
February 16, 2026 @ 7:55 pm
But is he allowed to just kish a feesh?
February 16, 2026 @ 1:37 pm
Better have Tyler Childers put him on his bitin’ list.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:12 pm
Childers is a woke sjw dei country artist who’d whine like a pc baby about it. Dude is the wokest asshole prick in the industry.
February 16, 2026 @ 1:42 pm
Most Country artists would like to write their own version of Merle Haggard’s ‘Are The Good Times Really Over For Good’ but no one has come close. Even at the end of the Hag’s song he says the “good times ain’t over for good.” What makes Haggard’s song so much better is that even though lyrically it seems to be from one perspective, he’s subtlety leaving room that the assertation and feelings expressed in the lyrics don’t mean “It’s over for good.”
February 16, 2026 @ 2:03 pm
Actually, I consider the song itself more musical than most of the stuff I hear on mainstream country radio with the same tempo and same range of voice-about 5 notes. Nowadays, very few singers seem committed to the music or if they do, they oversing it and sound insincere and affected. Two exceptions I can think of are Charley Crockett and Melissa Carper.
“I was down south Jesus raised.” Well, Lee Brice, Jesus welcomed strangers and talked about the Prodigal Son. How 80% of white Christians voted for Trump simply means to me that for the great majority of people, their faith(southern or wherever else) is simply cultural and what they were raised with. I don’t think most know what living out the faith truly means, and yes that is a criticism. And ain’t nobody gonna stop you hunting deer or drinking beer. But I wonder if ICE would have picked up brown skin Jesus if he were in the streets of Minneapolis-wrong color and looking too gay, Son of Man!
February 16, 2026 @ 2:18 pm
Yeah, he might well have directly dedicated this song to the people that think voting for the current administration automatically made America great again (again), even though in practice it is doing the exact opposite of everything it said needed to be done to make that happen. It’s the same type of cowardly hypocrisy that’s driven me crazy coming from the mainstream left for years.
As someone who has uncomfortably found themselves landing more and more on the political right out of necessity, it’s sad to see and have to admit that the mind viruses of virtue signalling, political correctness, and cancel culture have infected both sides equally and completely.
I can only hope the Epstein class does with us what they will before I ever have to hear this song again. We, from one end of the mainstream political spectrum to the other, richly deserve it.
* I know we aren’t supposed to post politically hear, but this is a post-partisan post. My intent is not to stir the typical political either/or pot. I’m so done with it. I get the feeling this article came from a similar head space and greatly appreciate the rant.
February 16, 2026 @ 2:23 pm
“I just want to cut my grass, feed my dogs, wear my boots / Not turn the TV on, sit and watch the evening news / Be told if I tell my own daughter that little boys ain’t little girls / I’d be up the creek in hot water in this cancel-your ass-world.”
American-nationalist-machismo aside… This isn’t about engaging in culture wars. This is about objective morality which actually has nothing to do with culture. Is the song writing less than impressive and cheesly clever, yep. Don’t care. It’s a song our Godless post-modern world needs to hear.
So keep on singing Brice.
February 16, 2026 @ 2:54 pm
Many have been comparing “Country Nowadays” to Bo Burnham’s “Countr song” in his 2013 comedy special…………….and while I’ve personally always felt torn over that because I feel parts of his performance and framing veer a bit too heavily towards that usual coastal elitism smugness and high-falutin’ attitude towards our community and also fails to acknowledge the wide chasm between the Nashville songwriting machine and the much broader independent country music community here where so much authenticity resides……………..in this particular context I think that comparison pretty much nails it on the head.
The lyrics are seriously implying that Brice literally CAN’T mow his lawn, feed his dogs or drink a beer…………………because trans people exist. Regardless of your thoughts and feelings on this particular issue overall: this fake-ass victim complex is just beyond embarrassing and reeks of self-parody of the first degree.
February 16, 2026 @ 7:29 pm
…”The lyrics are seriously implying that Brice literally CAN’T mow his lawn, feed his dogs or drink a beer…………………because trans people exist.”……
Look dawg, I’ve been commenting on this site long enough to know who you are, so let’s not play games. There’s a very specific reason you’ve left 4 comments and counting.
He’s not even figuratively implying that he can’t do those things. He’s just saying he misses being able to live his life without worrying about the dystopian s**tstorm that surrounds him. He’s using those simple activities to say, “I miss when these simple things were all I needed to care about.”
You’re either strawmanning or lying. You should stop.
February 16, 2026 @ 8:09 pm
Well, Honky, I’ve been commenting on this site long enough to know you used to go by your given name, got pissed off and claimed you wouldn’t be back, then snuck in under a different handle. The irony.
Leave Nadia alone.
February 16, 2026 @ 8:27 pm
Give me a break, Acca. I waited over a year and then missed this place and I came back. If you can convince Trig to let me use my old Avatar, I’ll use my old handle too.
As for the individual you’re defending, that person is disingenuous and I won’t leave them alone.
February 16, 2026 @ 2:55 pm
Quality of the song is subjective, but the sentiment speaks for the majority of the citizens of the United States.
This critique was a little rough and probably not too objective.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:10 pm
Trigger isn’t objective that’s why he’s good. He brings point of view and opinion to every subject. That’s good that’s why he’s a great writer. Because he actually has thoughts about stuff. What “objective” information would you like about the song? The length? Who wrote it? How many views it has on YouTube?
February 16, 2026 @ 3:15 pm
I would suspect the song speaks for about a third of the country. I do agree that the critique went too far, unless you are addicted to rants, like so many these days, unfortunately. Entertain me, entertain me seems to be the mantra.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:38 pm
I’m telling you, the majority of American citizens think this song is a joke, gimmicky, pandering, and patently awful, and the majority of people who DO support it are doing so because they believe that’s what they’re supposed to be doing with a song like this. This song is very directly being used to discredit the Conservative movement, and country music, and it’s effective in doing so. That’s why as a country music advocate, I have no choice but to vehemently distance from it.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:49 pm
The problem is, you don’t speak for the majority of American citizens. Not by a long shot.
You pander for like minded people such as yourself and valiantly try to appease the “creative, and talented, artists.” Many of which are not talented, nor especially creative.
And that’s Ok.
February 16, 2026 @ 6:58 pm
I never said I represent the majority of Americans. What I said is if you go to social media, it’s extremely clear that the majority of Americans see this song as a joke. That is a dispassionate, objective assessment of the situation that I think proponents of this song should understand. Just go to the Facebook post for this article. Facebook veers right by the way. For every positive comment about this song, there’s 15 negative ones. It’s not even close. This song is a loser. And people trying to push it due to political ideology are undermining their own self-interest.
Or, think that I’m bias, and laugh me off, and keep pushing forward. Best of luck!
February 16, 2026 @ 7:23 pm
Not on facebook.
And, am not laughing you off.
February 16, 2026 @ 11:11 pm
Majority of Americans? You’ve seen social media that represents the 70 plus million that voted do Trump in 2024 because that is the majority of Americans.
You don’t follow any political media on instagram or twitter, and id guess you don’t have account on truth social, so where exactly are you seeing the majority sentiment.
You seriously believe all 70 million majority would have access to or post on lees social media? I don’t think even Taylor swift gets 70 million interactions on her posts let alone comments. And probably why she’s where she is now, a legend, resulted from not drawing conclusions about audience sentiment based on one post, or the reaction to a post a week out.
All due respect, Kyle but you are delusional.
February 16, 2026 @ 11:56 pm
Aldean Stan,
If you think getting behind Lee Brice’s “Country Nowadays” and pushing it to the masses is a winning strategy for your ideology, by all means, knock yourself out. Full speed ahead! Take my opinions with a grain of salt. But it’s my job to have my finger on the pulse. This is one of the reasons I interact with the comments section. This song is an anchor around your neck. You just don’t know it.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:02 pm
Except it DOESN’T speak for the majority of citizens of the United States.
If anything, the majority of citizens of the United States who have come across the song to date are laughing about it because it reminds them of Bo Burnham’s comedy special a decade ago. They’re listening to it like it’s a parody song of the Nashville songwriting machine much like many also listened to some of Ani DiFranco’s songs or even some the more hamfisted part of Neil Young’s catalog as like a parody of social-justice warrior fodder.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:08 pm
Someone could write a song that touches on topics that are more universal and accurate such as older people who feel their belief systems are out of place in today’s world, people fed up with online dating and the internet and how men and women are more at odds with each other than ever (although this one may be tricky because referencing technology automatically dates a song), how a growing number of Americans don’t trust our government and believe them to all be corrupt perverts, not to mention how a growing number of Americans have less faith in their financial futures and for their kids, or how hard drugs and opiates have destroyed the lives of millions of Americans.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:11 pm
It must be a slow news day in country music if this is the worst thing you have to rant about. That said, I do relate to the song, even if some of the things he mentions aren’t being taken away from me personally.
I grew up in a small farming town on the Ohio–Indiana border, about 45 minutes from Kentucky. Those rural roots shaped my outlook in a lot of ways. Now that I have two sons of my own, I find myself trying to pass down the same values, traditions, and sense of culture that defined my upbringing in the 1970s and ’80s—ideas like personal responsibility, respect for others, hard work, and a strong sense of community.
What surprises me is how often I’ve been labeled a bigot or racist simply for expressing beliefs like the importance of secure borders or the idea that people should be judged by their character, choices, and merit rather than their skin color or ethnicity. From my perspective, the themes in the song represent more than specific issues—they symbolize a longing for what I see as a simpler time, when being “country” meant relying on basic common sense, shared values, and a grounded way of life.
For me, the song taps into that sense of nostalgia and cultural identity. It reflects the tension many people feel between preserving the traditions they grew up with and adapting to a rapidly changing world, and that emotional connection is part of what gives the song its impact.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:39 pm
The biggest news in country music right now is this song, full stop. That’s why it’s being written about here. The other reason is because it’s actively being used to lampoon country music and mischaracterize it in a way that is damaging to the genre.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:07 pm
then tell the critics it doesn’t deserve to be lampooned. Tell whoever is doing the lampooning that there’s a story being told here—even if it’s delivered somewhat clumsily or hastily. Tell them there’s far more depth to this song than Lee Brice can possibly fit into three minutes of music.
Songs like this aren’t meant to be academic essays or perfectly polished arguments—they’re snapshots of emotion, identity, and lived experience. They reflect the feelings of people who see the world changing around them and are trying to put that sense of loss, pride, and confusion into words. You may not agree with every sentiment, and you may not relate to the perspective, but that doesn’t make the message meaningless or unworthy of consideration.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:32 pm
I respectfully disagree with your assessment of this song Kross, but I think this is a very strong and worthy defense of the song. I think this is how folks should defend it as opposed to ad hominem attacks on whoever is attacking it. It’s not that in a vacuum, this song could have merit. But having lived through Bro-Country and reading the room, it’s hard to not assess it as counter-productive.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:43 pm
It’s funny how you criticize this song for not being well written, yet you go Gaga for anytime Childers or Isbell when they write a protest song. Why? Childers isn’t even known for being a great writer in general. And Isbell, is known for being a talented writer but his protest songs come off like polemics And screeds rather than well considered Bob Dylan-esque legendary songs.
It seems you only seem to write apologia for left wing protest songs and don’t give conservative songs a fair shake. Just because a commie comments about the world via song, it doesn’t make the song or the sentiment worthwhile or even good, despite what you seem to think!
February 16, 2026 @ 6:52 pm
“It’s funny how you criticize this song for not being well written, yet you go Gaga for anytime Childers or Isbell when they write a protest song.”
What are you talking about? I’ve criticized multiple Jason Isbell “protest” songs. Here’s just one for his song “Be Afraid.”
https://savingcountrymusic.com/song-review-jason-isbell-the-400-unit-be-afraid/
I wrote a whole thing just a few days ago abut how Sturgill was coming across as self-absorbed with his whole “protest” album letter.
Folks need to stop trying to pin political bias on me. It’s never going to stick because it’s not true. The upshot people need to take from all of this is that I truly hate politics.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:40 pm
I actually agree and identify with the sentiments expressed by you and most in the song; but how many songs like this do people like us need to feel seen?
Who are the “snowflakes” now that need to have their basic identity constantly justified and “genuflected” about? Are we going to settle for some Lee propped up on a stage to push our comfort buttons and lull us into cooing acquiescence? It’s not a luxury we can afford at this point.
They are just words after all. A song with a bunch of cultural buzzwords and phrases awkwardly and unimaginatively strung together with strumming guitar, but without nuance.
Conservative, middle America, rural people used to be people of principals and action, not triggered in one direction or another by mere words. We are going to have to rediscover that and right quick or we’ll have no identity left for a Lee to lullaby us with.
February 16, 2026 @ 6:42 pm
“but how many songs like this do people like us need to feel seen?”
This is it right here. People keep bringing up the Bo Burnham song as a comparison. He wrote that parody a DECADE ago. A decade ago a song like this was horrifically cliche.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:22 pm
Like you get that longing for a simpler time and meaning the 1970s is referencing a time when people who were adults then were complaining about how terrible the world had become. Disco, gas lines, legalized abortion, hard drug use, stagflation, watergate, birth control, Iran hostage crisis, serial killers that was the 1970s. You won’t miss the 1970s. You miss being a child.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:29 pm
Even though I am more liberal, I can understand why this song would speak to millions and the need for simplicity and the desire to live life as you sees fit. We all want that.
I do wish to add that personal responsibility, respect for others, hard work and strong sense of community describes most people from either political spectrum.
We want secure borders, but we also want people who speak another language to feel welcome. And we don’t want an abuse of power or taking away 1st or 4th amendment rights.
There is a tension between preserving traditions and adapting to AI, instant news, etc. I think that’s a good statement. I know conservatives think liberals are socialists and want no order and have no morals and just support gays and trans people or whatever, but we liberals are scared that anybody who is somehow different will be treated badly if they don’t quite fit into conservative values of stereotype country music, or love the same sex, or speak another language, or just don’t fit into what is “normal” for the so called majority.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:46 pm
I grew up in a small farm town in Indiana. I realize how much our idea of the past culture is built on a mythos. The good things of the past can still be lived today – it’s a personal choice. If you take away the propaganda and the technology, we are all left to look back at ourselves. I can see missing the cultural enforcement of religious norms. I grew up in very conservative churches as a kid and almost every idea I had of Christianity was questioned and filled with doubt. I don’t see Lee Brice as a fundamentalist Christian. It’s like he’s singing about wishing for a change to match an idea of nostalgia – a change he isn’t willing to participate in. TPUSA is heavily funded and influenced by Isreal and it’s been tactfully pointed out by some that there are many closeted gay men in those Conservative spheres. My point is wishing for a utopia without active participation towards the things that make that system, can never happen. That’s what is so ridiculous about communist marxist utopian ideals – they want the benefits of the system without participating in the system – which relies on labor and all the incentives that lead people to participate in whichever profession. I don’t know if that makes sense but I am trying to complete my thoughts on all this.
February 16, 2026 @ 9:10 pm
I appreciate your efforts. It’s not easy to put into words our beliefs sometimes, and even then we may not be sure we are telling what is truly inside us.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:23 pm
Ive read this twice now and I still dont know what Maren Morris has to do with any of this… like its okay trigger, you can not like a song without having to virtue signal “its okay! I dont like Maren Morris either!!!” we get it: you can look both ways on the street and see people to the left and to the right of you.
Maren Morris doesnt even write country music any more, so who even cares… yall successfully kicked her out in order to “save country music!” granted, shes more popular than the Jason Aldean but that’s neither here nor there.
February 16, 2026 @ 11:00 pm
Maren morris is not more popular than Aldean! That’s pure cope. You drinking again? Maren Morris is like the person who quit her job and wasn’t liked by her coworkers but quits and says “you guys never liked me anyway and never gave me a chance, I’m leaving this loser company!”. Was she even popular in any real way? I never cared she left at all, she is pop slop. Then when she left, she goes “I’m coming back to join the job again! And I’m joining the genre i said I hated and said didn’t welcome me, I’m rejoining that”. She’s like a blonde bimbo except her hair is brown. She’s a total loser. She’s cheated . She lies. I’ve seen her slap fans. I actually attended a meet and greet and saw her yell at fans and call them evil. She stood up fans, she screamed at babies. The most shocking thing I saw was there was the merch table at her show, she knocked everything off it, and was screaming f this f that. Ever since that moment I’ve gone toe to toe and tried to spread awareness of what she’s like and how she behaves. My daughter was literally standing there with her cowgirl boots and Maren shirt, and was hoping Maren would sign her LP. I apologized to my daughter and we made sure Maren would never be streamed in our house ever again.
I know what I’m talking about so don’t dare mess with me!
February 16, 2026 @ 11:30 pm
Aldean Stan,
Take some deep breaths. Let the game come to you. Not everything needs a long-winded response. Talk don’t shout, and maybe we can all find a deeper respect and understanding.
February 16, 2026 @ 3:28 pm
Absolute banger of an article starting with maybe your best first line of all time
JPR
February 16, 2026 @ 3:40 pm
Still rates it 8/10
February 16, 2026 @ 3:52 pm
Trig,
Have you considered weeping profusely about this on camera and posting it on Tik Tok? I wanna see snot dripping off of your chin, you goober. Keep crying.
I’ll never forget when you found out who Vern Gosdin was….after he died. Lol
You have no business telling anybody what’s country and what isn’t.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:31 pm
Even though I disagree with his rant in many ways, yes, he can say what he wants to. And yes, we can disagree right back, hopefully in at least a somewhat respectful manner.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:19 pm
Uncharacteristically weak response from you Honky. I’ve come to expect better.
For the record, I never said this song wasn’t country, or that it doesn’t assert a rural sentiment. I would agree it’s a country song. That’s the problem. I don’t want it characterizing the entirety of the country genre, which it’s currently doing.
February 16, 2026 @ 7:15 pm
That’s my point. You aren’t a member of rural America. You’re an Austin based semi-hipster journalist. You don’t speak for how rural America feels and therefore have no business proclaiming what should or shouldn’t characterize rural America’s music.
On its own, the song is cucky, because it takes the “why can’t I just be left alone” position, which should’ve completely died off 20 years ago. We should be writing songs about rounding up Communists and locking them in re-education facilities.
In the context of offending the Earth’s most vile creature, the Communist, the song is great. It offends the Communist. It should be supported for no other reason than that.
February 16, 2026 @ 10:51 pm
Exactly! He’s hyperventilating trying to say “I’m not partisan!” Yet he never seems to get that sierra Ferrell, sturgill. Charley Crockett, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, have the NPR and NYT stamp of approval but they sure as fuck don’t have the approval of deep red and rural towns in the south who love country music like it’s family.
Trigger may not want this song to define country, that’s fine. But I personally don’t want any Childers, sturgill or Isbell song defining it EITHER! A long and violent history doesn’t define me and mine and isn’t an anthem either. People in the south aren’t bumping Isbells pro abortion and weepy “white mans world” reparations horseshit. And they sure as fuck aren’t rocking sturgill, not sure if you know but we are Trump fans around these parts. Sturgill acting like a prick isn’t endearing it’s childish.
Trigger seems to think those of us raised on Jones, Jennings, Jr, Haggard and Cash are secretly swaying to sierras feminist tunes or Mickey guyton writing apologia for saint fentanyl Floyd. Or Margo price telling us how to support planned parenthood! We don’t. And we won’t!
I’d take Lee Brice over any of that shit any day of the week. Commie music has no place in country music!
February 16, 2026 @ 11:54 pm
Aldean Stan,
Go look at the comments section for the article I posted about Sturgill Simpson just a few days ago. There are multiple, ultra-lengthy comments about how I was bringing my right wing bias to unfairly judging Sturgill’s “activist” album.
https://savingcountrymusic.com/johnny-blue-skies-sturgill-simpson-reveals-new-disco-hedonism-album/
I don;t think songs from Childers, Sturgill, or Isbell are defining country either. I would give that credit to Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” and I did in another article I posted recently:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/a-traditional-country-song-is-now-the-1-song-in-all-of-music/
Also, I have no idea why you keep bringing up Sierra Ferrell. I haven’t known for her to be political at all, and she’s released no music recently, so I’m not sure why we keep talking about her. When she won her Grammys, she thanked her lord and savior Jesus Christ.
You like the Lee Brice song. That’s cool. No need to tear other people down just to drive home that point.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:34 pm
I’m conservative, and I largely agree with the perspectives included in this song.
That said, the whole Turning Point alternative halftime show was a boldfaced grift, and I despise the attempts to market it as “Christian,” when the main act, Kid Rock, has made a living singing about things most Christians find abhorrent. This song itself is just downright bad, and does nothing more than pander to the intellectually dumber portion of the political right.
Merle Haggard knew how to write protest songs. This thing ain’t even in the same ZIP codes as any of his.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:47 pm
Not only is it a shitty song, Brice turned total snowflake and turned off commenting on his posts touting the song because people were ripping it and him left and right.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:15 pm
I can understand why some people are defending this song. But the people defending this song need to understand they are demonstrably outnumbered. Every thread about this song on social media, the defenders are getting ratioed. That’s why Brice turned off comments. This is not going well at all for him, and country music is catching collateral damage for it.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:35 pm
To be fair, the people commenting on Oliver anthony, Aldean when he released THIAST, Chris Janson after This Flag, Aaron lewis after I’m not the only one, Anne Wilson after Stand, were getting hate too, doesn’t mean people hate the song! I love them!
It’s differential too. If you go on social media after a leftist artist releases an anti trump song the love is flowing. That seems out of whack too, given we know trump won the popular vote and lots of people including myself love trump, and dislike those anti trump screeds. I hated Childers blm anthem album, but you and all the other country folks were drooling over it. I found it boring, preachy and meaningless because he sided with blm as opposed to the Appalachian people who supposedly speaks for and about.
TPUSA event had 50 million cross platform viewers was the most streamed entertainment event in YouTube history, the 2nd most streamed live event in YouTube history, was so successful they are running it back for 2027, and it was a huge success. Lee played a role in that success. The idea he is some bumbling fool is massive cope. NPR panned the song but I’m going to stream the fuck out of the song and everyone who watched TPUSA are as well. It’s one of the few songs I’ve ever heard which calls out the lgbtq agenda and says it plainly. The song isn’t meant to be hyper literate, country music isn’t that genre and you of all people should know that! We speak plainly, in normal language, and words. Rich man north of Richmond, Am I the only one, and TTIAST aren’t super literate either.
February 16, 2026 @ 4:49 pm
So like the main thing here is Lee Brice is confronting the end of his mainstream career and instead of following Jake Owens example and embracing the moment to make music of substance free of the burdens of chasing radio singles has decided the only way to maintain attention is to become a culture war warrior. That’s too bad
February 16, 2026 @ 5:01 pm
This review is a bit harsh. There are other offerings that deserve this kind of review.
February 16, 2026 @ 5:10 pm
Love the song. Love the sentiment . Love the lyrics. And I love that he debuted it at TPUSA. For how republican we know most country music artists are there are just a handful of songs made by mainstream artists that speak about it. But this will be added to the list that includes Coffey Anderson’s Back the blue, Aldeans Try that in a small town, Anne Wilson’s Stand, Brian Kelley’s Make American great again, Chris Jansons This flag, and Aaron lewis’ I’m not the only one.
The line calling out the evil lgbtq agenda is spot on, and I agree with him about how boys are boys and girls are girls, that only 2 genders exist .
I think it’s couragous of him to do this country, and to release it as a single. I’ll stream the fuck out of it.
Ultimately, I don’t want country musicians in my genre to be liberals and leftists and commies. I want red blooded American music. The leftists in our industry should be drummed out, and the conmies who are artists should be outright banned from radio and blacklisted. Id argue the DOJ should investigate the leftist artists and initiate judicial cases against them. I’d ruin them financially, and I hope the DOJ does, and if possible, they should be imprisoned. If they get deported, as Isbell, Childers, Sturgill, Mickey Guyton, Karen Morris, Brandi Carlisle, and Orville Peck all should be, I don’t want them in the industry. I don’t want them making country music at all. This is our culture, our heritage, our country, our traditions, our values, and our homeland. And if you aren’t down with that, then you can get the fuck out of my country.
I want country to support ICE and the president. And Lee does!
February 16, 2026 @ 5:31 pm
Sorry to burst your fantasy, but I aint leaving. You can grasp on to your dying bigoted traditions all you want but I suspect Isbell, Childers, Sturgill, Mickey Guyton, Karen Morris, Brandi Carlisle, and Orville Peck arent leaving either…
February 16, 2026 @ 7:44 pm
“You can grasp on to your dying bigoted traditions all you want”…
Logical translation:
“Wanting a nation with a shared identity and culture like every country on Earth had until 5 minutes ago is a bigoted tradition. I’m a pasty upper middle class white guy from the burbs and that makes me the arbiter of what constitutes bigotry.”
February 16, 2026 @ 8:12 pm
You can keep grasping, posting on social media, buying every kid rock song on iTunes you want, it wont save your absurdist demands that world stop and revert to a past that never existed.
“I don’t care how good your good old days was for you. They’re not good enough for me” – that was said by Woody Guthrie nearly 100 years ago… not 5 minutes ago
February 16, 2026 @ 8:16 pm
You can grasp all you want, boycott crappy light beer, Buy every kid rock song on an antiquated platform just to see his stock jump, insult all you want, you still wont be able to stop the progress of the country or somehow revert it to a magical era that never actually existed.
“I don’t care how good your good old days was for you. They’re not good enough for me” a quote from a country legend over 90 years ago thats as true now as it was then
February 16, 2026 @ 10:42 pm
And you can post on here all you want, anti-ice rioters and troons haven’t stopped a single person from being deported . In fact deportations have increased, as they should. Every illegal is getting deported and we will have our homeland again. No amount of woke beta soy fucking cucks can stop it either. Troons need to be institutionalized and be banned from owning firearms and anyone here illegally needs to be in alligator Alcatraz.
February 16, 2026 @ 9:29 pm
See you at the next No Kings rally!
February 16, 2026 @ 5:22 pm
I believe Merriam Websters word of the year was “Ragebait” and that seems to be what this song is. It adds to any discourse about as much as fake Chris Stapleton quotes or ai slop o Willie Nelson and dolly Parton holding up signs with messages theyd never in real life endorse.
Unfortunately people have found you can make quite the buck at producing rage bait nowadays so here we are
February 16, 2026 @ 5:29 pm
I like Lee Brice. He’s made some good music.
This ain’t it. This one shouldn’t of left the cutting room.
February 16, 2026 @ 6:38 pm
Actually like this song. Agree with 90% of what you say Trigger but I have to disagree with this take. He’s saying what a lot of us feel. Just because the silent majority is running to voice their opinion on social media doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of us who feel the same as Lee.
February 16, 2026 @ 7:29 pm
Given what occurred today at a hockey rink, if anything Lee is polite and underselling the danger these groups of people are to our nation. I support his conclusions in the song, 1000%, and these people
Need to be institutionalized, thrown in prison, and cast to the outer darkness. It’s nihilism writ large and instead of being angry at themselves and getting help or excising themselves they take it out on religious people and families, they don’t believe in god so they kill gods children. The time for appeasing these people is over. I don’t want their causes in my music, in my industry, in my state, or in my society. I don’t want them in my country.
If you believe there are more than 2 genders, I don’t want you in my country and you need to be deported. If that means Childers, Isbell, Mikey guyton and Karen Morris get deported I could give a fuck.
February 16, 2026 @ 7:39 pm
It’s a song about a dude who misses being able to just worry about simple things instead of worrying about the ever-growing dystopian hellscape that has become the country his ancestors conquered and died for.
If Trig is going to cry about the song, he should cry about it being too cucky. It espouses an “I just wanna be left alone” sentiment, when we need country songs about defeating our enemies. “I just wanna be left alone” is the song of someone who has no idea what time it is. I want Kid Rock or whoever to write a song about rounding up pasty, white Communists and putting them into re-eduction facilities to save America.
In the context of the current climate, anything that offends the left is worth supporting, including this song. It sounds semi-country, and rural people can relate to it.
February 16, 2026 @ 8:05 pm
Honky,
You seem to be under the impression I’m “crying” about this song, when I’m doing the exact opposite. I’m laughing at it because the only way I can cope with its absurdity is by being absurd.
February 17, 2026 @ 12:22 am
“In the context of the current climate, anything that offends the left is worth supporting, including this song.”
I disagree. This song will offend the left for about five minutes, after which they will move on to the next dumb controversy. A good political/protest song has staying power – and can shine a floodlight on how ridiculous society has become – while actually sounding good. The only thing we’ll get by supporting this is mediocre pandering music from has-beens who would never have released this were they not commercially unviable.
I don’t want that.
February 17, 2026 @ 2:11 am
…just picturing “lucy darling” asking him: what’s your name, darling? what do you do in live, lee? answering “country nowadays” he’d probably regret for the rest of his life.