Making Sausage: New Thomas Rhett Song Has 14 Songwriters
I guess my first question is why stop there? If you already have 14 songwriters on board, why not go for the world record? Throw the barn doors wide and make a party out of it. You want to contribute a word or two? Then come on in! Order some pizza. String up a piñata. Put a homeless guy on there for shits and giggles. Throw that guy that used to pick on you in high school in the songwriting credits as an inside joke.
While we were busy complaining how every mainstream country song these days seems to require three or more contributors to get cut, apparently that was just the start of where we were headed with contributing songwriter redundancy. With so many hip-hop and EDM influences streaming into modern “country” songs, you have to hand out songwriting credits like Jolly Ranchers to the “producers” on the track that come in and add the drum machine beats and synthesizers, as well as the songwriters of the other songs you sampled so you don’t end up in court over royalty spats.
And that doesn’t even include the actual professional songwriters who have to help polish up whatever turd of an idea the name-brand country star brought into the songwriting session that has to be molded into something at least slightly listenable. By the time you’re done, the liner notes for your song look less like the principles from an intimate brainstorming session hoping to tap into the inspiration of life, and more like the lineup of a beer league softball team.
Thomas Rhett has a new album on the way called Tangled Up, and on it is a song called “Vacation.” Apparently the track sounds so similar to the War standard “Low Rider” that all the original War songwriters had to be given credit on it. But that’s just where the fun begins. Beyond the War members, there’s six other “songwriters” credited, and as you can see in the break down of the contributors below, hip-hop is a huge player.
Behold the sausage making process of today’s country music:
The 14 Songwriters of “Vacation”
1. Thomas Rhett: Tool. Performer. Son of Rhett Akins.
2. Sean Douglas: Songwriter and producer who has worked with Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, 2Chainz, Snoop Dogg, Demi Lovato, Timbaland . . . and Thomas Rhett. Yep, seems qualified to contribute to a country song with reverence and knowledge of the country music canon.
3. Andreas “Axident” Schuller: Basically the poor man’s Max Martin. Norwegian songwriter and producer who has worked with Pitbull, Jason Derulo, Snoop Dogg, Jessie J, and others.
4. Joe Spargur: Pop and hip-hop songwriter who worked with Jason Derulo and Andreas “Axident” Schuller (see above) on the hit song “Wiggle” feat. Snoop Dogg. Is your head hurting yet?
5. John Ryan: Songwriter and producer (seeing a pattern here?) who worked on Jason Derulo’s hit song Derulo’s “Wiggle” with Joe Spargur, Ricky Reed (see below), Axident, and Sean Douglas.
6. Ricky Reed: Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who fronts the Oakland-based hip-hop and pop band Wallpaper. Was one of four “producers” on Jason Derulo’s “Wiggle” with Axident, and John Ryan.
7. Leroy “Lonnie” Jordan: Founding member of War. Songwriter and funk icon.
8. Gerry Goldstein: Co-writer of “Low Rider” and co-producer of the original “Low Rider” track.
9. Thomas “Papa Dee” Allen: Another member of War.
10. Harold Brown: War drummer and percussionist.
11. Morris “B.B.” Dickerson: Bass player for War.
12. Charles Miller: One-time saxophonist and vocalist for War.
13. Howard E. Scott: Founding member and guitarist for War.
14. Lee Oskar: Danish harmonica player—the guy who played the now famous melody on “Low Rider.”
All these songwriters, all these credits and contributors, and who wants to bet the track is terrible? And just appreciate that these are just the songwriters, not any “producers” who may eventually be given credit on the track too.
And of course we’re already hearing words like “progressive” being used in connection with Thomas Rhett’s new record. Rehashing old ideas in a vacuum of any new ones is not progress, it’s relying on the creativity of others to skate by.
Welcome to country music in 2015.
BrettS
August 6, 2015 @ 10:24 am
I don’t even understand how this can be physically possible.
S.B
August 6, 2015 @ 6:58 pm
Then again, there was that one song “Girls on Bars” that had 72 songwriters, which makes even less sense. Although, that doesn’t excuse this song and its 14 writers.
BrettS
August 6, 2015 @ 10:14 pm
I guess it just amazes me that Isbell just put out a new album with 11 songs that I’m assuming he wrote BY HIMSELF and some of these yahoos need so many writers to come up with something. Guess everybody wants their hands in the cookie jar and get a little dough.
Nadia Lockheart
August 6, 2015 @ 10:42 am
My money is on the song also having twenty-nine ghostwriters! Drake and his alleged ghostwriter being among them! 😉
Also, I’m prédicting it will have thirty-four co-producers: including DJ Mustard, Diplo, Calvin Harris, will.i.am, Alex Da Kid, Ryan Tedder, Espionage, Max Martin, Shellback, Afrojack, Mike Will Made It, Pharrell Williams, Fred Durst, JDevil, Kévin Federline and Dave Cobb (no no, not THAT Dave Cobb! 😉 )
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 11:01 am
Sounds like you know more about rap and hip-hop. We’re trying to Save Country Music, not the shit you obviously listen to.
Nadia Lockheart
August 6, 2015 @ 11:07 am
I listen to, and scrutize, many styles of music.
Needless to say, I dislike most of the producers I cited above and purposely rattled off thé most ubiquitous names (often suspects) in recent popular music trends. Pharrell Williams is the only one I remotely like overall, and I want him to stay far away from country music as possible.
Jim McGuinness
August 6, 2015 @ 12:19 pm
People who call hip hop and rap “shit” tend to not know anything about it. In terms of cultural significance, no musical genre has made more of a positive impact over the last 35 years.
As far as other genres staying away from country music, it’s about 90 years too late for that as country has always intermingled with other types of music. There is no such thing as pure country music.
jimmy row
August 6, 2015 @ 12:52 pm
I’ve had enough of your “shit” Jim.
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 12:56 pm
Any substantive rebuttal to Jim’s comment, or just epithets?
Eduardo Vargas
August 6, 2015 @ 1:18 pm
To say that rap has made more of a positive impact than other genres is controversial to say the least.
You only need to look at gangsta rap in Wikipedia to see what it has been accused of promoting:
crime, serial killing, murder, violence, profanity, sex addiction, homophobia, racism, promiscuity, misogyny, rape, street gangs, drive-by shootings, vandalism, thievery, drug dealing, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, disregarding law enforcement, materialism, and narcissism.
Granted, not all rap falls into this category, but I still don’t think it has made a positive impact to society compared to other genres.
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 1:25 pm
If you look at crime statistics, you will see that violent crime and the crack epidemic started their long decline around the time that rap gained mass popularity in the early 90s. From a results-oriented perspective, this contradicts the idea that rap contributed to these forms of social dysfunction.
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 2:53 pm
Eduardo, Jim McGuinness needs to read your comment. He is living in an intellectual ivory tower.
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 2:05 pm
Jim, positive impact? You’re obviously trying to suck up to fans of that crap. You’ve probably never been in a rap club. Wouldn’t even set foot in one. You ain’t fooling me.
Jim McGuinness
August 6, 2015 @ 2:40 pm
Scott, I don’t go to live music shows in stadiums or hockey arenas either, so what’s your point? I didn’t say I was a hardcore hip-hop fan, just that it’s made a huge impact in the last 35 years. What other genre is even close?
As for Eduardo’s post, saying that all rap is like gangsta rap is like saying all country music is like what gets played on country radio. I know people with mutiple degrees who are hip-hop fans. Plus, a lot of kids relate to that music in a positive way. I’ve been teaching at a middle school in the South for a few years, and the kids generally listen to rap much more than country. And these aren’t budding criminals, they’re good kids.
In the case of people who claim to hate rap, it’s been my experience that many of these folks hate it for reasons other than music. Despite being a minority, African Americans have had an incredible impact on our overall culture in terms of music, clothing, etc. This seems to bother a lot of people for whatever reason. Some people view certain ethnic influences in a negative light. I don’t look at it that way. If America is ever going to be the great country she claims to be, then she needs to move forward and not backwards.
Eduardo Vargas
August 6, 2015 @ 3:12 pm
Eric, never have I stated that this form of rap is contributing to the current social dysfunction.
Those kinds of statistics don’t really prove to either side of the argument anyway. I’m still of the opinion that people in the media who have a megaphone (whether they are musicians, filmmakers, and so forth) should be careful of the message they are sending, because you never know how people will interpret them.
And Jim, re-read what I wrote. I specifically said that not all rap was gangster rap.
The reasons why I don’t like rap don’t have anything to do with race anyway. I simply don’t relate to it and find it annoying to listen to. Also, it always bothered me how nearly everyone in High school listened to what was popular just because someone told them to. I’ve always defied the status quo. The truth is that the world is full of people that have stopped listening to themselves and only listen to their neighbors, the media, etc to learn what they ought to do, how they ought to behave, and what the values are they should be living for.
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 4:56 pm
Albert, AMEN to your thought process. To call rap, music, is an abomination.
Hawkeye
August 7, 2015 @ 5:40 am
Actually, Heavy Metal has probably made a greater impact. Metal songs have been responsible for the decline of suicide rates. Metal fans are probably some of the nicest most understanding people I know of, even nicer then most Christians I know.
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 12:23 pm
Is it really so hard to show some manners?
I don’t think you want to get into a battle of knowledge with Nadia. I bet she has forgotten more about country music than you have ever learned.
Nadia Lockheart
August 6, 2015 @ 1:04 pm
The only thing that baffled me in that initial response was the idea that one is somehow corrupted if you happen to also listen to music from other genres, and that it automatically discredits one as a country music appreciator.
Two of my favorite reviewers on YouTube, Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop and Mark Grosdin of Spectrum Pulse, review music from all kinds of genres: consisting of both mainstream, independent and underground persuasions. And they are discerning and respectful of genre and stylistic contrasts. The staff of Farce The Music also praise all different types of music (though their focus leans heavily country, Americana and folk as a whole)………..and they know how to call out dumpster fires when they see them.
Country is the musical tradition I’ve always identified with the most on a lyrical and emotional level. But like I’ve said à half dozen times previously, there are different music styles that appeal to different chakras to me. When I want to listen to something more speechless and improvisational, for instance, I’ll listen to John Coltrane, Duke Ellington, John Zorn and other jazz greats. That doesn’t make me any less of a fan of any other style or musical community by default! =)
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 1:19 pm
That’s quite an impressive range of musical tastes! I tend to vacillate between about 3 different styles of music depending on emotion:
1) When I’m feeling wistful or when I just want to listen to some well-crafted songs (which is the case a majority of the time), I listen to traditional country.
2) When I’m feeling excited, I like to listen to 80s soft-rock power ballads.
3) When I’m feeling “moody”, I like tuning in to 90s-and-00s alt-rock.
The most important factor for me in liking a song is whether it has a good melody (vocal and instrumental). Lyrics are important to a significant extent for country songs, but not for pop/rock songs, as far as my tastes go.
Over the years, I have found that my enjoyment of alt-rock (which used to be very strong back in my high school days in the Seattle area) has declined, while my love of country music has grown drastically to the point where it is now it constitutes a solid majority of my music listening time.
Albert
August 6, 2015 @ 2:00 pm
I think that we should all feel offended / insulted / abused / exploited and otherwise tainted by a poorly written ( dumb , grammatically incorrect , narrative-challenged , musically generic ) piece of music. We should take it as an affront to our intelligence and our worth …not only by the people that create/ perform it but by everyone involved with its exposure …and we should make those feelings heard en masse as often as need be . I think once people begin thinking about music from this perspective ( and I believe most of us are capable of doing so ) our reward would not only be considerably better music but a more interesting cultural experience overall . We need only to expose ourselves more frequently to input ( entertainment and otherwise ) that we innately know to have far more redeeming spiritual qualities and benefits than the Kardashian Kulture we’ve allowed lull us into our lifeless uncaring and undiscerning and overweight state.
Nadia Lockheart
August 6, 2015 @ 2:35 pm
Eric: You should give power-pop a try if you haven’t already! It’s a very melody-centric style of music! =)
*
Albert: Absolutely!
Like Trigger has repeatedly said, “saving” country music is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s really about music and culture regardless of style and persuasion.
Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly” is right up there with James McMurtry and Whitey Morgan’s latest offerings as my favorite albums of 2015 thus far. And why shouldn’t come to anyone’s surprise here: because it’s an absolutely intelligent, multi-layered and cohesive effort that examines concerns that are most relevant in our current world but without forsaking that personal touch. It contributes so much to the more interesting cultural experience we yearn to see more of no less than the many contenders for “Album of the Year” here.
Acca Dacca
August 7, 2015 @ 1:26 pm
Don’t worry, Nadia. Most of the more regular readers around here appreciate your input, myself included. Trigger also seems to enjoy your insights, so who gives a crap what anyone else thinks? I don’t personally care much for rap or hip hop myself, but I’m not going to step all over someone’s opinion about it if it’s from a genuine place of appreciation for all musical forms (if one were positing rap/hip hop as “superior” to country, THEN you might rile me up a bit).
On the subject of liking one thing suddenly making your opinion of another somehow “less informed” by proxy, is it just me or has that type of thinking hit its peak with the internet?
Luckyoldsun
August 7, 2015 @ 9:56 pm
“Gramtically incorrect?”
I can’t get no satisfaction.
.
.
.
(and my tractor don’t get no traction.)
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 2:13 pm
Eric, manners? Rap has manners? Unbelievable!
Sounds like Nadia can stand on her own knowledgeable feet. She doesn’t need a rap cowboy to save her.
RD
August 6, 2015 @ 2:21 pm
I don’t elongate my neck with brass rings, neck-lace my enemies, eat my neighbors children, or hack “witches” to death with machetes, why would I listen to rap?
Jim McGuinness
August 6, 2015 @ 2:54 pm
When did rock ‘n’ roll have manners? It’s been pretty rude stuff, especially in its portrayal of women. If you want the polite stuff, listen to Pat Boone. As for grammar, some of those Hank Williams songs aren’t excactly winners in that respect. Other genres have had bad manners and bad grammar for decades, yet people go out of their way to criticize rap for it. I wonder why that is? Could it be that the hip-hop culture somehow makes them uncomfortable?
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 6, 2015 @ 3:10 pm
With all the buzz about the “Straight Outta Compton” movie coming along I thought I’d weigh in.
1: I claim no great understanding of rap history.
2: I think rap upsets some people because of the lifestyle some of its most famous practitioners describe in their music. BUT this is the reality of these performers and a lot of the audience with whom it resonates. There are children living in cities with no jobs, they can’t get employed because they’re social status is low, and they can’t change their social status because they can’t get employed. The only way to survive then becomes violating the laws, the only way to get things they want comes through stealing. It isn’t moral to break the law or take what you haven’t earned, but when someone has not even been given a proper chance to become a proper member of society, it’s hard to blame them. And the police, (whom I love and support) come to enforce the laws, they’re taking away a poor family’s primary breadwinner.
It upsets people on the outside who expect the unfortunate folks to just dress better, talk with proper english, obey the laws and get a proper job; many of them already tried that, and they either failed or weren’t given a proper chance. To these people, Rap isn’t endorsing anything, it’s just reality. Bill Monroe’s music reflected his reality, Leadbelly’s his reality, etc.
Then in the nineties, cocaine rap was a thing, and just like beer and trucks country, it stereotyped a whole field of music…
Rap is nothing more than a byproduct of an unfortunate problem that plagues our inner cities. Some of it is good, some of it is bad… I think ALL music can be disrespectful. Bro-Country is very disrespectful towards women, educated people, and people who are responsible. A lot of hard rock is disrespectful toward’s “the establishment” or “the man.” It’s our job as the listener to decide what’s good and bad.
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 3:10 pm
Jim, the boring, non-musical, ghetto lyrics, brainwashing beat is what makes me feel “uncomfortable”. I don’t like racist Nazi metal either. Thugs are thugs, black, white or brown. Middle school aged kids are the most impressionable. Garbage In – Garbage Out.
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 3:59 pm
LOL at the suggestion that I am a “rap cowboy”. I deeply dislike the rap sonic style, and its domination over pop is the key reason that I have not been a contemporary pop fan for most of my life, as well as the most important reason why I originally became a country fan.
Nonetheless, rap can sometimes feature very intelligent lyrics. Not all (or even most) of it is rude or immature.
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 4:03 pm
RD, could you cite one example of a rap song that advocates any of those actions?
Albert
August 6, 2015 @ 4:12 pm
“Could it be that the hip-hop culture somehow makes them uncomfortable? ”
I think the fact that the word ” music ” or the word ” song ” is always used after the word ” rap ” is what upsets fans of MUSIC ! Rap is ‘ beat poetry ‘ or poems , or poems put to a drum beat . IT IS NOT MUSIC anymore than a church sermon or a political speech or a Sam Hunt song is MUSIC . Its another art form altogether . Calling it MUSIC is offensive to Burt Bacharach , John Williams , James Taylor , Chris Thile , Merle Haggard , Danny Elfman, Joni Mitchell and Beethoven . And a few other folks who make MUSIC
CountryKnight
August 7, 2015 @ 10:44 am
I would have more sympathy for the inner cities, if they weren’t the main contributors to their own destruction. They voted for misguided, naïve politicians and now they are paying the price, but still they vote for the old same candidates. For a lot of those residents, it is easier to blame others/outsiders for their faults, then fix themselves. Of course, that goes for all humans.
Clint
August 6, 2015 @ 5:32 pm
I find it amusing that you think that, Eric, in a sincere way, not a mocking way. So much so, that I’m not sure if I believe that you really believe it
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 10:25 pm
Think what in a sincere way?
Clint
August 7, 2015 @ 8:32 am
“Think what in a sincere way?”
Eric,
I just find it strange/odd/unusual/amusing, that you consider Noah to be an expert on Country music. Noah is a researcher, and is able to rattle off stats about music in general. But there’s no way he could compete with those who’ve grown up on Country music, and have listened to it all their life.
For a Country Music expert on this site, I’d point to Scotty J.
Eric
August 7, 2015 @ 11:04 am
I totally agree that Scotty J is a country music expert and one of the most thoughtful and incisive commenters on SCM.
However, so is Nadia (formerly Noah, for those who are new here). The very fact that he performs such extensive research makes him an expert on a wide range of genres, most of all country music.
Acca Dacca
August 7, 2015 @ 1:30 pm
I suppose since you grew up on the earth your an expert on that as well? Or since you’ve breathed air your whole life you’re an expert on that? The sun? Moon? Stars? Water? Dirt? Insects?
I can appreciate your passion for your music, Clint, but the constant need to belittle other opinions just because they differ from yours is unneeded. The very fact that Nadia researches so much WOULD make her an expert on country music. Theoretically, growing up on something doesn’t guarantee that you know a single thing about it other than that it exists. I’ve been mowing lawns since I was five but that doesn’t make me an expert on lawn mowers or grass. It just means I have an opinion, like YOU do about country music.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 7, 2015 @ 2:06 pm
Well, Acca, if I may… I can read all the books in the world about Andrew Jackson, and still know less about him than Martin Van Buren did, because Martin Van Buren and Margaret Eaton knew Andrew Jackson in life.
That analogy not do it for you? I recently watched an episode of the “Big Bang Theory” in which Sheldon learns to swim by reading a book, and never got in the water. He can know all the physics and theories behind swimming, and still drown.
I think a certain knowledge can only be gained through personal experience. That’s not to belittle Nadia, she’s one of the best sources for Country Music history I know, and there aren’t very many people who know more about Country Music than me.
Nadia Lockheart
August 7, 2015 @ 6:35 pm
To be candid, I do NOT think of myself as an “expert”. I think of myself as a passionate fan of music who aspirés to keep my critical faculties engaged and say how it speaks to me, for better or worse, while also aspiring to look at the bigger picture! =)
Also, I have been listening to country music (beginning with my grandparents’ cassette collection that featured a lot of The Statler Brothers, The Oak Ridge Boys, Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline and Randy Travis most notably, as well as exposure to local bands when my grandparents would take us out line dancing to a place known as the Lil’ Ol’ Opry roughly fifteen miles west of Cape Giradeau along State Route 34 since as far back in my early upbringing I can remember; alongside late 80s to mis 90s adult alternative rock albums (most notably R.E.M., Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, John Mellencamp, Écho & The Bunnymen, etc.), songwriters like Bruce Cockburn, Nanci Griffith, Lindi Ronstadt, Tracy Chapman and Joni Mitchell, jazz music, Celtic music and even à lot of power pop (think Jellyfish, The Posies, Big Star, etc.)
I’ve lived in thé suburbs of Colorado the majority of my life to date, and now have lived in Portland, Oregon since 2004…………so you’re right that I haven’t lived à personal narrative that reflects a rural background. I don’t claim otherwise. But I do genuinely appreciate country music at large for its unparalleled emotional connection, emphasis on balladeering and storytelling, and saying so much with such brevity and intimacy. I have gathered, and continue to, that where you come from and the population of your stomping grounds aren’t relevant in how much one truly respects country music. It’s, foremost, about thé stories and emotional realism.
Trainwreck92
August 6, 2015 @ 3:15 pm
Oh, fuck off, Scott. Nadia has been commenting here for years and has shown an immense love and appreciation for country music. I know it may sound crazy to you, but people are capable of enjoying more than one genre of music.
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 3:19 pm
What amazes me is all the non-country mofos on this site. Might want to call it, SavingRap.com.
Trigger
August 6, 2015 @ 3:49 pm
Scott,
I appreciate your concern man, but I’ve worked very hard over the years to make sure Saving Country Music remains inclusive to everyone. If there’s rap fans who want to read this site, I say hell yeah. They might the ones who need to hear the message of Saving Country Music the most. We’re all music fans first, and then our tastes break down genre lines. Everyone’s opinion is welcome here, including yours.
Trainwreck92
August 6, 2015 @ 6:05 pm
Dude, if people are coming to this site, they’re most likely pretty big fans of country music. I’ve been coming to this site almost daily for the past 5 years, and am a lifelong country fan. Country music is by far my favorite genre, but I have a deep appreciation for rock, blues, rap, metal, bluegrass, etc. Being a fan of rap or some other genre you find undesirable does not sully my love of country, and to think it does so is childish, quite frankly.
Megan Conley
August 7, 2015 @ 6:22 pm
Scott,
If I say I like chicken as well as steak, does that make my love for steak less valid?
Country music is and always has been my favorite genre, but when people ask me what I listen to, I say, “A lot of country and a little bit of everything else.” I like pop, rock, Christian, r&b, rap, etc. I have a music business degree, and I studied everything from opera to rap. Just because I love country most doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a song from another genre. In fact, I am more open-minded for having that experience, and it made me appreciate music more as a whole. You can only want to “save country music” when you appreciate it the way I do, and the way people like Nadia do. And you can only appreciate it this way if you love music as a whole. I’m a music lover first and a country fan second.
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 3:34 pm
What I find laughable is these suburban kids/grownups who listen to rap/gangster rap who wouldn’t last 5 minutes walking down the sidewalk in one of these project neighborhoods. Tough guys in your own mind.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 7, 2015 @ 6:14 am
I listen to a lot of bluegrass. I grew up on a farm, (vegetable farm. had chickens but no cows.) I wouldn’t last a day leading Bill Monroe’s or Loretta Lynn’s life, I’ve never milked a cow, cleaned a fish, or tried to catch a runaway pig, I’ve never walked to school or homemade my own bread. But why should that stop me from enjoying Bill Monroe’s music?
CountryKnight
August 7, 2015 @ 10:40 am
There is a drastic difference between milking a cow and walking down the street thinking you are Mister Tough Pants of Tough Pants Avenue. If you are milking the cow, you are probably doing it for a living, if you are acting like a tough guy, you are fabricating a false reality to cover up your insecurity.
Trainwreck92
August 7, 2015 @ 3:12 pm
Are you under the impression that rap fans think that they’re tough guys? I’m a fan of rap, but I know that I’m just a small town blue-collar dude, raised in a trailer house, nothing particularly tough about me. Most rap fans I know are similar, just regular, everyday people that happen to like a genre of music that you don’t.
Lunchbox
August 6, 2015 @ 12:26 pm
god damn it, NL! this was the one place i could get away from that F’n Drake shit…
*deep breath* *exhales* …ok, i’m good now.
i’d also like add The Root’s old keyboard player Scott Storch’s name to your list. i could see him trying to cash in on this trend too. kinda surprised he already hasnt considering his financial situation.
Six String Richie
August 6, 2015 @ 2:55 pm
Don’t know if this is the place to post but I also have very diverse tastes in music. My top genres.
*Country (Keith Whitley, The Mavericks, Dwight Yoakam)
*’90s alternative and rock (Gin Blossoms, Pearl Jam, Freedy Johnston, The Refreshments)
*Punk (The Replacements, Husker Du, Face to Face, The Story So Far)
*Bachata (Prince Royce, Aventura, Romeo Santos, Juan Luis Guerra)
*Early rock (Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Elvis)
*Vallenato/ Colombian Tropipop (Fonseca, Carlos Vives)
*Blues (Kenny Wayne Shephard, Gatemouth Brown, BB King)
*Power Pop (Mathew Sweet, Velvet Crush)
Also consider myself to be a fan of pop, salsa, bluegrass, hip hop, grupero, R&B, folk, jazz, reggaeton and cumbia.
Point being, you can listen to all kinds of music and still be very passionate about each one.
Hawkeye
August 7, 2015 @ 5:37 am
Hey you forgot Rick Rubin!
Scott
August 6, 2015 @ 10:42 am
I’ll say it again, this generation grew up wanting to be Snoop Dog. And the bean counters on Music Row did too. Garbage In – Garbage Out
SHUPE
August 6, 2015 @ 10:44 am
wow..
Eduardo Vargas
August 6, 2015 @ 10:44 am
I have a very bad feeling about this.
Alan Jackson co-writes single-handedly 7 of the 10 songs in his new album.
You bring 14 here and it’s beyond crap.
That’s why I don’t bother listening to mainstream country or the Billboard Top 40.
the real art has been mutilated
Jonathan H
August 6, 2015 @ 10:46 am
CMT is going to have to reformat their credits runner at the bottom of the videos if this keeps up. Maybe scroll the songwriter list like the opening of Star Wars.
Lunchbox
August 6, 2015 @ 12:32 pm
Just recently in a galaxy very, very near….
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 6, 2015 @ 10:51 am
I thought this was a joke. I can’t believe that absurd and completely random list of “songwriters” is actually a thing! And honestly “Low Rider” sucks! I always thought that garbled line said “left, right, left, alright” And so I always called it the left right left song until a few years ago!
Thomas Rhett is a complete and utter weirdo who is right up with Tyler Farr on the totally innappropriate creepy guy spectrum and he’s a horrible role model and he has no place in a formerly family friendly genre and I don’t care which Atkins he’s related to be they Chet Rhett or Rodney and anybody who uses autotune is not a real singer they are a lie just like Milli Vanilli and he dresses like a cross between a goth hipster and an emo biker and that playing card sticking out of his hat that I see in every picture is just stupid he obviously doesn’t know how to properly cheat at cards and I doubt he has the integrity or the skills to play fair and he needs to turn that hat around and dress like an adult so he can get a real job because the way he looks now he is totally unemployable. Top that Old Man B.
Dennis
August 6, 2015 @ 10:52 am
If the song was so similar to another song that you have to credit the original song’s writers, why not just scrap it and start over? I guess that would actually call for some creativity.
Tunesmiff
August 6, 2015 @ 11:18 am
Wow~ imagine the royalty checks, split 14 ways~ must be counting on HUGE plays and sales~
I pity the poor ASCAP/BMI guy(s) who have to keep up with this mess.
Charlie
August 6, 2015 @ 11:34 am
The only good thing is that Low Rider is such a superb song, (it certainly does not suck–and I for one would have put it on the Voyager spacecraft instead of Johnny B Goode) that it is certainly forevermore un-fuck-uppable. So once this drivel goes by the wayside with barely a whimper we won’t have our memories tainted.
Glad the original guys are getting a few bucks.
Matt B.
August 6, 2015 @ 11:37 am
There could be a simple answer that they interpolated melodies from “Low Rider” and “Wiggle” and/or other songs. “Country?” probably not but at least the songwriters are getting properly credited with their work.
Also, why does the amount of writers EVER matter on a song except when it is by one person who wrote/composed the music all by their lonesome? It doesn’t.
Finally, isn’t it’s childish/bad form to call anyone a “tool” no matter if you like their music or not.
Mike W.
August 6, 2015 @ 1:06 pm
I don’t think the number of writers matter that much, but I think it further illustrates the days of one to three guys sitting down and crafting a song with depth and meaning are gone in mainstream Nashville.
Also, normally I hate name calling, but Thomas Rhett is a tool. Guy rode his daddy’s coattails to a record deal and has recorded some just awful music. Only reason he doesn’t get as much hate as Luke Bryan is Thomas Rhett hasn’t reached that stardom level yet. Both guys have released nothing but crap to radio for the last few years.
Trigger
August 6, 2015 @ 1:30 pm
I think most of Thomas Rhett’s music is childish and bad, and I’m offended he calls it “Country.”
Yes, it is good he is at least giving them credit. He could have been like Gretchen Wilson, and waited until he was served papers. Either way, they were getting their money.
Pete Marshall
August 6, 2015 @ 6:45 pm
I am not a fan by calling country artist names but no offense Trigger I do agree I am not a fan of Thomas Rhett’s music neither. I lost my respect to Luke Bryan also.
Marky mark
August 7, 2015 @ 4:53 pm
I think what’s sad about all this is that most these guys are talented and could deliver good music. Thomas Rhett clearly has a good voice and can write songs. Aldean has tons of good country songs and can certainly sing. Even Luke Byron, who I despise, must have some good tracks, as I see people on here say that regularly. They are all just chasing the dollar.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 9, 2015 @ 10:03 am
The notion that the clowns who can’t sing on pitch without a machine, can’t play a guitar but two chords, and have very limited vocal range, actually have talent, is a bit of a stretch. Each of the major bros, Bryan, Aldean, and Gilbert have given us some strong material, and I’ll say that makes their transgressions the worse, because they’re capable of better. The minor bros, Swindell, Rice, Chase Bryant, not so much, they’re jokes.
Jared S
August 6, 2015 @ 1:38 pm
Yeah, it sounds like nearly everyone listed is connected to those two songs. I wouldn’t be surprised if Vacation borrows heavily from those two songs, like Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long”, so they just credited everyone involved. That doesn’t mean that any of those people directly had a hand in creating this song.
Albert
August 6, 2015 @ 2:24 pm
‘Finally, isn”™t it”™s childish/bad form to call anyone a “tool” no matter if you like their music or not.’
You make a strong point . However perhaps CALLING someone a tool rather than actually turning him into one is the lesser of two evils . At least that way you’re merely enlightening them and giving them the opportunity to take stock and make a change .
J
August 6, 2015 @ 11:38 am
My head hurts..
the pistolero
August 6, 2015 @ 11:46 am
By way of comparison, two recent additions to the music collection…
The new Jason Isbell album had one producer, and Isbell wrote all the songs all by his lonesome.
The new Symphony X album, all 11 songs of it, with all of its nuance and intricacy, had three songwriters and one producer, all of them band members. And not all the band members had a hand in writing all the songs.
This abomination…14 songwriters. 14. And God only knows how many producers.
“But you haven’t even heard it yet!”
I don’t care. Everything I have heard from Thomas Rhett has sucked ass. Everything. I am quite confident this will be no exception.
Jesus' great great grandfather
August 6, 2015 @ 11:49 am
I can already tell this album is going to be a serious contender for worst album of the year. Its going to be as country as Nicki Minaj.
Truth No. 2
August 6, 2015 @ 11:58 am
It makes sense. One songwriter for each STD he has.
RD
August 6, 2015 @ 11:58 am
I had the displeasure of attending a food festival where “War,” or what currently constitutes “War” was playing. They played a set that included Low Rider, then as an encore, they played Low Rider again and jammed it out to 15 minutes. Other than Low Rider and Spill the Wine, what the hell else did they put out that anybody could possibly like? Don’t mention the horrible Cisco Kid and Why Can’t we be Friends… I don’t know why, but every time I hear a War song I think of Cheech Marin…
Mo Crawford
August 6, 2015 @ 12:06 pm
The World Is A Ghetto is a great song
RJ 101
August 7, 2015 @ 3:52 am
I always liked “All Day Music”
Alex
August 6, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
Did one guy hold the Mad Lib sheet and the rest took turns filling in the blanks?
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 12:17 pm
I’m sure the average homeless guy could contribute more intelligent and emotionally deep lyrics than any of the 14 songwriters, maybe even more than all of them combined…
Shastacatfish
August 6, 2015 @ 12:25 pm
I have said this before and I will say it again. Based on a lot of things, but especially the video for “Crash and Burn”, Thomas Rhett is the Rick Astley of country music.
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 12:26 pm
That’s an insult to Rick Astley. At least Astley was self-made, whereas Thomas Rhett’s career is based on nepotism.
Shastacatfish
August 6, 2015 @ 12:36 pm
Fair enough. However, I still stand by the analogy. Rick has been through a lot. He can take it.
Eric
August 6, 2015 @ 12:30 pm
The sad thing is that “Beer with Jesus” was quite a lovely song, and I held high hopes for Thomas Rhett back then. Unfortunately, it’s all been downhill since. He has turned out to be one of the greatest enemies of good country music, not only with his own singles but with the songwriting role that he has played in one bro-country song after another.
George
August 6, 2015 @ 12:38 pm
Are they writing a song or attempting to determine whether or not the various particles and forces can be unified in a theory that explains them all as manifestations of a single, fundamental entity?
George
August 6, 2015 @ 12:45 pm
There was less people involved in the Manhattan Project, for God sake. Its four chords.
Albert
August 6, 2015 @ 1:44 pm
” Low Rider” was one of the MOST boring pieces of songwriting to hit the airwaves way back when. ( What note is this song in ?? ). It only makes sense that if boring songwriting is the order of the day you would want to use a template developed by the KINGS of boring songwriting . I mean …just look at that photo of Rhett. Does that not look like someone who’d have trouble even TELLING a good song from a bad one ? It looks like this guy could spend hours at a time watching ice melt . God help Kardashian Nashion .
RD
August 6, 2015 @ 2:15 pm
Yes. Low Rider is a piece of shit. The only War song I can tolerate is Spill the Wine, and that is only because the spoken word is somewhat interesting in the same way that “Walk on the Wild Side” is somewhat interesting. As a song, its complete garbage. So is “Walk on the Wild Side” and almost everything that the talentless bum Lou Reed ever produced…
Hawkeye
August 7, 2015 @ 5:49 am
“I AM THE TABLE!” – James Hetfield
Sorry you mentioned Lou Reed and I just had to throw in this monstrosity.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 6, 2015 @ 2:59 pm
He doesn’t look like he even understands the concept of how and why ice melts.
Pete Marshall
August 6, 2015 @ 2:07 pm
Country music had just flipped. 14 people wrote this song this is ridiciulous.
the pistolero
August 6, 2015 @ 2:18 pm
Oh, and also:
It has gotten to the point of really pissing me off when I hear the intro to that effing “Low Rider” song and think it’s going to be the Rolling Stones’ “Honky Tonk Women,” and it isn’t…
Stephanie
August 7, 2015 @ 8:17 am
I actually like Low Rider, but Honky Tonk Women is one of my very favorites! And I’ve had the exact letdown feeling you mentioned, lol.
the pistolero
August 7, 2015 @ 12:56 pm
“Low Rider,” much like Everlast’s “What It’s Like,” was okay the first half-million times I heard it…
Albert
August 6, 2015 @ 2:31 pm
More and more I get the sense that anybody who wants to be on ‘country’ radio just needs to ” fill out this form” and they can start Monday morning . You’ll need a ball cap , sunglasses and , oh , don’t worry about experience . You won’t be around long enough to need it . Besides we have machines that take care of the ‘experience” factor . And you certainly don’t have to worry about songs cuz hell ….WE DON’T !! If you can flash a tat or two , that’d be good . Oh and bring some spending money for the bus ride .
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 7, 2015 @ 6:18 am
When I took a sabbatical away from home to study and improve on the fiddle and the guitar (I left my mandolin and everything else at home) I met this girl who, like me, was seeking improvement. Her dream was to be a “country” singer. She played “stuck like glue.” I didn’t bother to explain to her that that song wasn’t a country song. Another girl I remember, from a music theory class I took, wrote and sang a lot like Taylor Swift. The problem comes in that “Music Row” found something that works, and then milk it to death. The bros were a hit, so they went and got more bros. It’s just like malted milk balls, you can’t stop at just one.
Albert
August 7, 2015 @ 9:39 am
“She played “stuck like glue.” I didn”™t bother to explain to her that that song wasn”™t a country song…..”
Herein lies , perhaps , the greatest obstacle to ” saving country music ” , Fuzzy . A generation , now , has been raised on something CALLED country music that isn’t , of course . That generation includes the folks behind the curtain , the entertainers , ” writers” the musicians , producers . labels and new fans . They care far more about the BUSINESS aspect of their industry (MAKING MONEY ) which I believe has become a cultural mindset far outweighing the worth of tradition , honesty in a lyric , creative but sincere approaches to storytelling in song and the unique aspects of the genre instrumentally ( choice of instrument , voicing of harmonies , rhythms that do not rely on full drum kits , non-fretted instruments that convey emotion , the innate talent it takes for an entertainer to connect through a lyric etc .)THESE are the earmarks of the genre that have always set it apart from other genres .
I have young students who only knew country through mainstream radio ..UNTIL I introduced them to REAL country, roots and bluegrass. Now THEY introduce me to some terrific COUNTRY artists , classic and otherwise , who THEY are moved and inspired by as writers , singers and players . They are completely disinterested in ” radio ” country . I’m convinced exposure to the options both recorded and LIVE is the most important factor in whether or not a young listener connects to a more tradition- based , sincere country music .
I realize that culture , mores and technology change rapidly and play huge roles in peoples’ lives …particularly young people . Its important to them to be seen to be hip ..its part of being accepted by peers . But spirituality will ALWAYS trump these things once a person discovers how important THAT is in his/her life. Chasing trends and chasing a dollar and ignoring your spiritual self not only gets old but its draining and a killer artistically . I think honest music is integral to maintaining a healthy and congruent self . Its our job as the ‘older’ generation , I believe , to be vigilant about this . We owe it to a generation that is being stripped of this by the worship of a dollar . We need to ensure that they are enlightened and aware of the importance of a spiritual centre which includes honest music and the recognition of real talent and creativity . We have to steer them clear of that ‘ used car salesman ‘ who’d sell a junker to his grandmother to make a buck )( no offense to car salesman
OK …enough ” cosmic ” for one rant .
Eric
August 10, 2015 @ 2:12 pm
Listeners today have more options than ever before, thanks to the Internet. However, for listeners to enjoy the traditional country options, they have to be actual country music fans to begin with. The problem is that years of bro-country have driven away the real country fans, and the people who listen to radio today would instinctively dislike traditional country even if they were exposed to it.
Sadly, the data shows that when stations go off the beaten path to play traditional country songs, the ratings for those songs are much less positive than the ones for bro-country songs.
Albert
August 10, 2015 @ 4:12 pm
“I have young students who only knew country through mainstream radio ..UNTIL I introduced them to REAL country, roots and bluegrass. Now THEY introduce me to some terrific COUNTRY artists , classic and otherwise , who THEY are moved and inspired by as writers , singers and players . They are completely disinterested in ” radio ” country . I”™m convinced exposure to the options both recorded and LIVE is the most important factor in whether or not a young listener connects to a more tradition- based , sincere country music .”
Perhaps part of the strategy should be this ( above ) . If players, writers , teachers, music historians , song-writing groups , organizations and the like can continue efforts to expose the traditions to up-and-coming talents ( players, songwriters, singers etc ) the genre stands a chance. Our experiences ( bandmates , teachers , parents of music students ) indicate that music-minded youth DO respond to the integrity and rootsy honesty of the genre when exposed in an ‘educational ‘ context . My son was a drummer in his high school jazz big band until his graduation several years ago . We all know that the chances of hearing jazz on mainstream radio are zero to none. And yet , he and his school band-mates developed an enormous respect for big band AND interestingly for the 60’s and 70’s jazz-influenced pop bands ( Steely Dan , Earth Wind and Fire , Michael McDonald , Stevie Wonder , Blood Sweat and Tears , Tower Of Power etc.. ). I’m talking about young people of 15-16 being introduced to a music that will , no doubt , resonate with them for the rest of their lives thanks to institutions dedicated to ensuring its preservation and not leaving it up to radio or the industry .
I’m convinced that exposure to the hallmarks of great country/roots/bluegrass playing and writing cannot help but influence and inspire young music minds who will , in turn , carry that music to THEIR potential followings . Personally , I believe far more people love trad country than they themselves are aware of . In fact , I’d go as far as to suggest that if a ” non-country ” listener , young or old , cannot find something to relate to musically , lyrically , melodically and/or rhythmically in a sold country classic , they likely have even more pressing issues.
Eric
August 10, 2015 @ 4:41 pm
Albert, most of my own family members do not like trad country. I have repeatedly played the best songs from the genre for them, and while they respect the skill that went into making those songs, they still instinctively maintain a distance.
As for jazz education, studies have shown that it does not appreciably increase the number of jazz fans. Here’s an article from NPR on that topic:
http://www.npr.org/sections/ablogsupreme/2012/05/03/151962816/if-not-jazz-education-what-will-rebuild-jazz-audiences
The sad fact is that the “old” is considered the opposite of the “cool”.
Albert
August 10, 2015 @ 5:03 pm
“The sad fact is that the “old” is considered the opposite of the “cool””
BUT because of ongoing education and exposure to the tradition of jazz , we still have the art form and amazingly talented YOUNG jazz artists have someplace to express themselves with integrity and passion while continually guaranteeing people have the opportunity to be exposed to it . Bluegrass is not a huge selling genre either …however without question some of the most gifted acoustic musicians in the world today are steeped in the bluegrass traditions and have brought all of those influences ( and much of the instrumentation ) into the various offshoots of the bluegrass genre .
Old is only considered the opposite of cool until its ” made cool ” again by youth FOR youth . But in order for that to happen , it HAS to survive and maintain a presence on some level …no ? Schools have done that for jazz music . Bluegrass festivals play a HUGE role in keeping THAT musical form alive and relevant and re-invented time and time again but always based on the traditions lyrically and instrumentally .
And no …not everyone loves trad country ….not everyone loves classical music ….BUT ..my point was that I think MORE people like it than they are aware of ..
Eric
August 10, 2015 @ 5:09 pm
True, but those genres have fairly small audiences. Country music is a for-profit industry, which means that it will morph itself into any form required to gain the greatest level of mass popularity possible.
Ultimately, the solution lies in splitting the country radio format into the pop version and the traditional version, with the latter including the new artists who make traditional-style music as well.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 11, 2015 @ 12:36 pm
since Jazz came up I’ll offer my two cents. (or two shirts hahaha)
Jazz became hugely commercial and lost its identity before Basie came along, Basie is one of the saviors of Jazz. When the Beatles made it big Miles Davis even declared that jazz was dead, although it had a huge following overseas.
Jazz is a complex art form that requires intelligence to understand, most bro fans don’t care about music at all they care about partying and fun, and they don’t give a second thought to anything artistic. Ever noticed that when they go to Youtube (or here, if anyone remembers that one Kip Moore fan) they’re arguments are not particularly strong and they always have to end with us being out of touch virgins sitting on haybales watching our dogs break up with our tumbleweeds and wishing we could get laid, because they don’t have a response to us based in any musical merits. MOST serious music fans are musicians themselves, and/or are very intelligent. Subsequently most of the people who get into any kind of traditional or non-pop music ARE musicians, and there’s a lot less serious musicians than there are drunks who want to party.
Eric
August 11, 2015 @ 12:49 pm
I don’t care much about “serious” music fans.
What I care about is music that contains heart and good melodies. Country music used to embody both of those principles. What happened that changed all of that?
dogit
August 6, 2015 @ 2:55 pm
I wish Whitey Morgan would kick this guys ass. If you think about it, Thomas Rhett has already had more solo success than his father which is absolutely sad. Rhett Atkins “that aint my truck” is about the lamest, creepiest song of the 90s. I have been the other guy in that song. I would tell Rhett “Dude, she don’t like you and you are pathetic and if you shine those god damn headlights in the fucking window again you will not be able to walk.” Just a rant about his family sorry. I fucking hate this dudes lame music.
RD
August 6, 2015 @ 3:08 pm
Is there really a guy called Rhett Atkins? When I read that I really, honestly thought that name was a portmanteau of Chet Atkins and Rhett Butler….
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 6, 2015 @ 3:15 pm
Rhett Atkins (pretty sure no relation to Chet, (googled it) and definitely no relation to Rodney, is just a washed up nineties country guy who fell out worse than Clint Black, Blackhawk, and The Clark Family Experience… )I don’t know any of his music, but he was one of the voice actors in the furry Tom Sawyer movie. It’s an awful movie, but it’s full of country stars. Mark Wills, Rhett, Waylon, Charlie Daniels, Marty Stuart, Ray Stevens, Betty White, Lee Ann Womack, Hank Jr., and Don Knotts are all in it.
Smokey J.
August 7, 2015 @ 6:26 am
Definitely no relation, as it is Akins without a t, not Atkins. “That ain’t my truck” was a guilty pleasure of mine back in my teen years, but he is a cowriter on a lot of the worst stuff coming out of Music Row nowadays. Plus he spawned this Thomas Rhett character.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 7, 2015 @ 11:35 am
After doing an internet search I’ve found it spelled both ways. So obviously somebody made a mistake…
Pete Marshall
August 6, 2015 @ 5:05 pm
Rhett Akins released 3 cd’s on Decca Records from 1994-1998 and had 2 top 10 hits but 1 song “Don’t get me started” hit #1 on billboard country chart in 1996.
Pete Marshall
August 7, 2015 @ 4:52 pm
Thomas Rhett Akins Sr. and Thomas Rhett Akins Jr.
Silver24ado
August 7, 2015 @ 1:11 pm
Rhett Akins’ version of Eddie Rabbit’s “Drivin’ My Life Away” on the ‘Black Dog’ Movie Soundtrack is pretty cool for it’s instrumentation. The singing is…whatever.
Saw this Thomas Rhett guy on that CMA show the other night. To risk being childish and having bad form, or a being a “hater”, there is no other word for him than, “Tool”.
Jackie Treehorn
August 8, 2015 @ 8:19 pm
I would venture to say that Rhett Akins could be considered a founding father of sorts to the bro country that’s been popular as of late. I’m not ultra familiar with his stuff but from what I’ve heard, it’s bro-ishly shitty. Thoughts on this?
Zack
August 6, 2015 @ 3:10 pm
Thomas Rhett, Sam Hunt, Zac Brown……I could care less what music these clowns wish to make, hell if they want to make Pop, go ahead, I’m sure those fans will eat it up while I can enjoy some good stuff like Simpson, Stapleton…yada yada,
But what gets me is that, even Rhett and Brown who I’m sure want crossover appeal, all start in Country, and branch out from there. They’re using this sacred genre as the recycle bin for their crap, they know that they’d get ripped to shreds in the Pop genre (where it’s heavily female dominated), so they use Country as a springboard and it’s disrespectful.
Maybe this album will be good. I don’t know and I don’t care, the bottom line is that this is being released to the Country genre as a Country album despite the talk of the Pop collaborations.
So when you detractors are saying how even though this may not be country it could still be good, well as long as it’s in this genre, it can’t possibly be, plain and simple
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 6, 2015 @ 3:18 pm
My thoughts in a nutshell. I could enter a pie baking contest today. I could enter duck flambe in that pie baking contest. I could make the best duck flambe in the world, and I’d lose the contest because I didn’t make pie. It’s that simple.
Scotty J
August 6, 2015 @ 4:54 pm
I like the return of the like button!
Pete Marshall
August 6, 2015 @ 6:39 pm
I will listen to old country while new country fans listen to their new country.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 7, 2015 @ 6:20 am
Oh how I wish I could live your life Pete Marshall. I would love to listen to mine and let others listen to theirs… But FGL is on a hershey’s commercial, Luke Bryan is a candle, Blake Shelton is on pizza, and every time I go into town some yahoo with a window down is playing some beer and truck song. I can’t escape the onslaught. My neighbors listen to classic country though, they don’t have a choice.
Jason
August 6, 2015 @ 6:50 pm
I remember listening to “Beer With Jesus” and thinking that this guy might actually be pretty good… what a naïve thing to think :/
Chris
August 6, 2015 @ 7:57 pm
He needs 14 vocal coaches, backup singers and auto-tune devices and all this copying and sampling isn’t country, get some original material dammit.
Ron
August 6, 2015 @ 7:58 pm
I know very little about Thomas Rhett thankfully so can someone explain the playing card in the hat? I’m old so maybe I don’t get it.
RD
August 6, 2015 @ 8:02 pm
He was playing Indian Poker and he bet all of his talent and creativity on a 4 of Diamonds. He lost.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 7, 2015 @ 6:21 am
Now now that’s not true… I don’t think he ever had talent or creativity to lose.
Jake
August 7, 2015 @ 5:16 am
Scott is the country version of metal heads who thinks everything sucks except for Metal. I find it weird that people only like country, or one genre of music. That would get boring really fast. Putting down others for having a diverse taste in music is laughable. Some genres I listen to other than country:
Punk/Pop-Punk
Emo(before it became a bad word)
Post Hardcore
Alternative Rock
Indie Rock
Rap(all kinds)
And yet I can still be passionate about country music, its amazing how that works. And, I DESPISE 99.9% of all mainstream country music out there now.
Hawkeye
August 7, 2015 @ 5:53 am
Sir I am a metal head, and I love other genres besides metal. People who claim that metal is the only good genre of music are freaking posers. Make sure to do your research before you make a claim like that.
Jake
August 7, 2015 @ 8:05 am
Hawkeye, if that is true, then obviously my post doesn’t apply to you. I just know there are a lot of metal fans out there like that, who go out of their way to put down every other genre. I wasn’t saying all metal fans are like that at all.
Scott
August 7, 2015 @ 4:30 pm
Jake, I like other genres of music. I don’t consider rap, a genre. Maybe a genre of noise, but not under the definition of “music”. I don’t like the fact that a whole genre has been bastardized by a bunch of money-grubbing sellouts. I don’t think true fans of any genre, would appreciate someone promoting another music, under a name that it is not.
Smokey J.
August 7, 2015 @ 6:30 am
Small quibble, Trigger. It’s Rhett Akins without a t. Don’t besmirch the Atkins family name. 😉 Thanks as always for what you do in highlighting good music and calling out Nashville BS. I’ve been reading this site a while and just started commenting.
Steffan May
August 7, 2015 @ 8:40 am
As a songwriter myself, I refuse to write a song unless I have a minimum of 217 other collaborators. In all seriousness, Nashville is a sad parody of itself without the slightest sense of shame.
Adam
August 8, 2015 @ 8:54 am
This place is turning into reddit. Look at the dozens of posts arguing the influence of rap in country and also validating the quality of rap and hip hop. The fact that this is even taking place on this site is just further proof that country music as we knew it is fucked. The term country music belongs to whatever garbage is being fed to the masses labeled as country. It’s done, it’s over, move on. I’m done hoping that the music formerly known as country will save itself because it clearly doesn’t want to. Personally I don’t need the country moniker to qualify my feelings for what I enjoy listening to. I propose the name of this site be changed to “making fun of douchebags” because I think that’s something I could actually contribute to. Like this little turd Thomas Rhett. I hope he chokes on something.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 9, 2015 @ 10:08 am
Adam: if someone likes rap, are they then unqualified to talk about country music? You wouldn’t say that because someone likes tuna, they can’t also be a fan of salmon. You wouldn’t say that people who like chicken have to dislike pork or they aren’t fans of true chicken. You wouldn’t say that people who go to Staples AND go to Best Buy are not true fans of Staples.
Country Music is fine and dandy, whatever your pessimism tells you to think. Isbell and Alan Jackson have the top record, Sturgill is selling out arenas, and the bros are in a tailspin with the american public. Country MUSIC is fine. Country RADIO is a hodgepodge of stupid that hasn’t figured out yet that the people who liked that stuff have already moved on to a new fad.
And let’s try not to wish ill on the artist, no matter how much they deserve it.
Scott
August 9, 2015 @ 11:52 pm
How many songwriters does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
14 apparently…
Silver24ado
August 10, 2015 @ 1:10 pm
Rhett Akins was a second tier “hat act” along the likes of Chris Cagle, David Kirch, among others. He popped up out of somewhere with a few poppy tunes that weren’t sung “badly”, but without any real substance in the voice, lyrics, or musicality. He was a bland, generic, formulaic, assembly line, manufactured male country music performer. In other words, he was, and is, forgetable.
So, in that vein, yes, he is a founding father of sorts for the bro-country dudes as they are all bland, generic, formulaic, assembly line, manufactured male country music performers.
There is one distiction that I, personally, feel sets the bro-country dudes even deeper into the abyss than almost every Hat Act…these bro-country guys can not emote a song. Their voices just aren’t there. I would not pay to see any of the Bro-Country crop sit with a guitar and sing a song (Hell, I wouldn’t even listen if it were free.). It may be their timbre/tone, or what ever; but they all sound like they are trying really hard to sound…Hard? I do not hear ANY soul in their voices. Even if I were into chasing girls down a country road, drinking clear, and starting bon fires in a corn field, I do not believe any of these guys actually do it. If they do, and are just singing about how they live, cool. But, I still don’t believe it.
Trigger
August 10, 2015 @ 3:27 pm
Rhett’s “Kiss My Country Ass” sung by Blake Shelton was arguably one of the first Bro-Country songs.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
August 11, 2015 @ 12:39 pm
Blake Shelton IS a country ass, just without very much country.
Scott
August 10, 2015 @ 3:01 pm
They couldn’t carry a four piece band, vocally.
Albert
August 10, 2015 @ 9:21 pm
“……these bro-country guys can not emote a song. Their voices just aren”™t there. I would not pay to see any of the Bro-Country crop sit with a guitar and sing a song….”
AMEN, Silverado . You can get away with shitty , sloppy musicianship , you can get away with a half -written generic-sounding lyric and you can get away with a weak hook or a weak melody IF YOU’RE GEORGE FUCKING JONES ! But all of those weaknesses in a song sung by a karaoke wannabe who has no gift , no talent and, as is obvious with so many of the current purveyors, NO IDEA what the word EMOTE even means adds up to 3 more minutes of shit between car commercials .
BTW , George COULD have made shit sound great . But he chose the high road and made GREAT songs sound AMAZING .God rest his soul .
Chris
August 28, 2015 @ 10:25 pm
His album preorder is up on itunes. It has more 1 than 5 star reviews and I’m sure many would rate it 0 if they could. “Vacation” is horrid with more terrible rapping. My ears are bleeding. Youtube has the full song.
Hearher
October 9, 2015 @ 8:31 am
Funny, I found this article bc vacation by Thomas Rhett sounds EXACTLY like the melody of one of Jason Derulos songs… And I googled it and Voila! Now I know why. Thanks!