So How Are All of Those Trend Chasing Country Songs Doing Anyway?
If you’re going to release a country music song that is likely to completely alienate the core of your fan base and cut against the grain of all of the long-standing principles of your career, it better be commercially successful. Otherwise you’ve angered the constituency that helped create your success in the first place, and you haven’t even added any new members to your fandom or received a financial windfall to help justify the move.
Unfortunately for some artists and bands, they are finding themselves at the wrong end in of this equation. Acts you would have never dreamed of becoming robust trend chasers a few years ago are finding themselves chasing their own tails and failing to connect with the wider fan base they coveted through singles outside of their established sound. Many of these singles surround the latest country music trend of mixing R&B and EDM influences into the music.
The first such fail we saw was at the start of country music’s new EDM fascination, but it happened after some big success. Jerrod Niemann and his blockbuster “Drink To That All Night” was the first time we saw EDM and country music blended successfully in a commercial capacity, and after the song was released in 2013, it hit #1 on country’s radio charts and has since garnered platinum status.
But that success was short lived. The parent album to “Drink To That All Night” called High Noon was a commercial failure, and the remix of “Drink To That All Night” with Pitbull failed to give it a second wind. Subsequently, Niemann’s next single “Donkey” was dead on arrival, and couldn’t get above #43 on the radio charts. Since then Niemann has failed to find the next-tier success he was hoping to win with his music’s new direction.
Eli Young Band was not necessarily known as a critical darling in country music, but as a product of the Texas country scene, they certainly weren’t considered in the same sentence as many of the sellout acts of Music Row. Then they shocked everyone by releasing a completely trend-chasing four-song EP in March called Turn It On that hoped to capitalize off the new R&B/EDM craze. The title track was rushed to radio with big promotion behind it by by Republic Nashville. Since then, how has “Turn It On” fared?
Terrible. “Turn It On” was a turn off for country radio programming directors and many Eli You fans, and it currently sits mired outside the Top 40 in airplay. All that effort to rush out the new single and EP to exploit the popularity of Sam Hunt failed to create even the slightest bit of sizzle. So much for riding the new trend to success.
READ: Eli Young Band Goes Metro with “Turn It On”
A similar story has transpired for Gary Allan, who may be the most surprising of country music’s most recent trend chasers. Allan once took Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and country radio to task for not being country enough, but apparently he forgot about all that when it came time to record and release his latest single, “Hangover Tonight.” As you might guess, the results have been very similar to the Eli Young Band’s. The song has stalled outside the Top 40. Also released in early March, a rally seems unlikely for “Hangover Tonight,” even though a new video just released and a host of CMA Fest appearances might give the single a very slight boost.
The lack of success of Gary Allan’s and the Eli Young Band’s singles is a testament that radio and the country music listening public aren’t buying into songs, they’re buying into artists. Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, and even newer stars like Cole Swindell are nearly guaranteed #1 performances by singles, while the rest of country artists struggle to crack the top of the charts. In the short lifespan for mainstream artists and country’s obsession with youth, a name like Gary Allan or even Eli Young Band could be just as much of a burden as an asset.
And this phenomenon is not just confined to men and the Metro-Bro trend chasers. Ashley Monroe was labeled a turncoat by some when she released the first single to her upcoming album The Blade called “On To Something Good.” How did the single fare? It peaked at #53 on the Country Airplay chart and has since disappered. Of course that could be partly to blame on the discrepancy between males and females in country radio play—a.k.a Salad-Gate—but Monroe was recently featured on a successful single from Blake Shelton, and her affiliation with The Pistol Annies has made her a more common name in country music. Known for her songwriting and more traditional style, “On To Something Good” had high hopes as a breakout single, and fizzled.
Meanwhile what is succeeding on country radio? The same usual suspects, but a few surprising breakouts who are not chasing the trends, including A Thousand Horses and their #1 song “Smoke.” Eric Paslay’s “She Don’t Love You” just got through with a surprising country radio run. That doesn’t mean you can have chart success with well-written songs, but this all may mean it’s not worth chasing trends unless radio is likely to pay attention to you anyway.
As bad as critics may say they are, the reason Sam Hunt and Florida Georgia Line are perennials at the top of the charts at the moment is not because they are chasing trends, it is because they are making them. Instead of following, older and up-and-coming artists should either trying sticking to what they do best, or trying to make some trends of their own.
June 11, 2015 @ 5:48 pm
Sam Hunt is at the top of the charts because 90% of female buyers want to bang him.
Sadly, FGL is much the same.
Still no explanation for Cole.
June 11, 2015 @ 5:56 pm
I don’t understand why they would want to buy his music if they are just attracted to him. Do they find his looks sexy, or his voice? If it is his looks, then why would they buy his songs instead of just watching his videos on YouTube?
June 11, 2015 @ 5:57 pm
Sam Hunt has an Adolf Hitler hairdo. Is that what young girls find attractive these days?
June 11, 2015 @ 6:00 pm
You’ve never seen girls squeal when a song comes on the radio? They DO watch the videos on YouTube … but they also download his songs so they can listen to them on repeat all day.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:02 pm
So they do find his voice attractive, then.
I would argue that enjoying a singer’s voice is a legitimate reason to like a song. Maybe this audience just has different tastes than we do.
Ultimately, this demonstrates the need to segregate country radio into “fake country” and “real country”.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:45 pm
It seems very similar to boy bands; more about image and fantasy than music. They buy the music because they like the “artist.”
June 11, 2015 @ 9:56 pm
Many girls feel a deeper personal connection with boy bands that goes beyond just the physical image, which explains why they buy their music instead of just looking at the videos.
June 13, 2015 @ 11:44 am
Although we saw how it works when the looks disappear (milli vanilli)
December 30, 2015 @ 11:18 am
There are plenty of people who get into how someone sounds. His voice itself isn’t all that bad for what he’s doing with it, he’s got that R&B sound down
June 11, 2015 @ 6:11 pm
Sam Hunt and the FGL boys do absolutely NOTHING for me!!! I look at them and think do women actually find that attractive? Their songs make them even less attractive! Gross!!!!
June 12, 2015 @ 7:01 am
I’ve always imagined that these guys always smell like complete ass…..givin’ cause they smoke a shit amount of weed, right? lol But in all seriousness I brought up a picture of Tyler Hubbard on my laptop and proceeded to take off my boot and sock. While doing intense studying, trying to find just the slightest difference between the bottom of my foot and his face, and for the life of me I couldn’t find one. Tyler’s face has always reminded me of looking at my foot. lol
June 12, 2015 @ 4:34 am
Im a female – and will admit to thinking Eric Church, Luke Bryan, and even a few others are pretty damn attractive! Theyre nice looking, dress nice, and generally look CLEAN.But I just dont get who wants to “bang” Sam Hunt – he looks like a stereotypical used car salesman… and always looks greasy! And FGL always look like they just crawled out of a dumpster. Their clothes are hideous, one looks like he doesnt wash his hair, and the other looks like hes going for a Zach Morris hairdo.
June 11, 2015 @ 5:50 pm
I agree with most of this, and it’s not hard to see why those aforementioned names have failed.
That said, I was surprised to read you don’t consider A Thousand Horses trend-chasers.
I beg to differ. They sound remarkably close to Florida Georgia Line to my ears, at least based off of their two lead singles. “Smoke” is a song about the strong feelings the protagonist has over a stripper, and much like many newer metrobro songs at the moment directly co-opts a 90s alternative influence (in this case the riff of Third Eye Blind’s “How’s It Going To Be?”)
For a band that boasts Lynyrd Sknyrd and the Allman Brothers as their biggest musical influences, they just sound way too polished and compromised, at least based off of their radio singles, to be a torch-bearer for southern rock or mainstream country. I’m not giving them a pass until I hear something from them that’s decidedly rawer and doesn’t pander to the tropes of drinking and lust.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:11 pm
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not throwing praises on A Thousand Horses. I just think they tried something that was familiar, but different at the same time, and it resonated. However with Gary Allan and Eli Young, it was completely derivative.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:01 pm
Just listened to their album yesterday, “smoke” and their new single “This ain’t no Drunk Dial” are huge outliers. Most of the album sounds much closer the Skynyrd than FGL (especially the first two songs). That is not my endorsement of them, I still have no idea what their actual identity is and need to listen again before I form an opinion. Just wanted to share my observation, I would say they are at least interesting enough to be worth a listen.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:54 pm
I’ll give the album a fair listen when I have access to a stream.
I can very well be surprised. All I can say is, they definitely couldn’t get any more bland and faceless with the two singles they chose to anchor this album. But if the Zac Brown Band began their mainstream career with their worst as a means of getting their foot in the door so they could proceed with much more substantive singles, then I’d like to think A Thousand Horses intend to try likewise.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:24 pm
I like them. Their song Tennesee Whiskey(new song, not a cover) is my favorite from the new album. I think the lead singer is actually kin to a couple of the Black Crowes. In fact, one of the Black Crowes band members has a co-wrote on the horses album.
June 12, 2015 @ 5:39 am
I was pleasantly surprised by their album, as well. The “southern pride” tracks didn’t do too much for me, and I agree that “Drunk Dial” is a horrible choice for a second single, but most of the album has a very interesting southern-rock quality that I’m surprised is being allowed to exist in the mainstream at all.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:11 pm
A Thousand Horses is a bit too bro for me, but there is some good Black Crowes era Southern Rock on the record. Their (or should I say record company’s) choice of singles is unfortunate. There is a lot of good stuff on the album.
June 11, 2015 @ 8:01 pm
I’m glad to hear that. I’m familiar with their earlier EPs and I thought they had a lot of promise. I haven’t listened to the album yet but when I saw they signed to Big Machine I feared the worst. I’ll try to be open minded, but comparisons to FGL have me scared.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:29 pm
Not gonna lie, there is an FGL hint in some of the songs. Most notably on the two singles. “Drunk Dial” is awful. “Smoke” is bro. And there is another song that is in that vein. But the rest of the record is closer to Blackberry Smoke and Whiskey Myers than FGL.
It will be interesting to see where A Thousand Horses goes from here. The best thing that could happen would be for the singles to fail miserably because they are the worst songs on the record.
June 12, 2015 @ 12:01 pm
Also, Dave Cobb produced the Horses new album.
June 12, 2015 @ 4:02 pm
That fact alone earns at least one listen.
June 11, 2015 @ 5:52 pm
There’s a trend idea~ dance with who bring ya~ and do it with cutting edge quality~
They call ’em “fads” for a reason~ and “timeless” for a reason as well.
June 11, 2015 @ 5:55 pm
I couldn’t even bare to watch the cmt awards due to lack of authentic ‘Country’ music, to me its all pop/country sounding bs.
June 11, 2015 @ 5:56 pm
No one gets anything for playing shit they ain’t supposed to be playing. Ashley Monroe and many others aren’t meant to play shitty music, so any attempt at it is gonna fail. For the Hunts and FGLs, etc – Shitty is their native format – that’s why they do well at it. You can’t fake that though. Shitty music just rules right now. All that people who make real music – you know, with instruments and shit – can do is wait it out. You can’t play down to that level – it just never works AND it ruins you for later when the trend of “shitty music is great” is finally over.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:56 pm
Right On the money Sam
June 11, 2015 @ 8:04 pm
Shitty music has always “ruled”. Music that plays to the lowest common denominator is what sells. Disco, 80s synth, hair metal, boy bands, pop country. But selling rarely equals quality. Let the idiots have their shit music, just be sure to support the true artists that you like so they’ll continue on.
June 11, 2015 @ 8:25 pm
Great music also sells and many of the best-selling artists of all time made great original music http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_music_artists
June 11, 2015 @ 9:16 pm
Katy Perry, Backstreet Boys, New Kids on the Block, Black Eyed Peas, Depeche Mode, Lady Gaga, Olivia Newton John, Bryan Adams, Britney Spears, Bon Jovi, Celine Dion just to name the easy pickens on that list which proves my point. Of course the greatest artists are on there, but those were years ago. Show me something in the last 25 years.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:23 pm
Bryan Adams and Celine Dion are among the greatest artists of all time, and Depeche Mode and Bon Jovi had some great songs as well. None of them even remotely compare with bro-country in terms of poorness of quality.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:59 pm
Eric, I pray that comment is in jest.
June 11, 2015 @ 10:14 pm
Not in jest at all. Here is an example of real vocal talent, put to some truly beautiful music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2UO0-pE9T4
June 11, 2015 @ 10:19 pm
As for Bryan Adams, few singers have the record of consistently great, emotionally deep hit songs that he does. I have yet to hear a single song from him that I dislike, and I know plenty that I love, namely “Everything I Do”, “Summer of 69”, and “Heaven”.
June 11, 2015 @ 10:42 pm
Ahh, but vocal talent and artistry are different things Eric. I would not question Celine’s vocal talent, but she is no artist. Not by a long shot. “Everything I Do”? Ha ha, c’mon man I feel like you’re just jacking with me now.
June 11, 2015 @ 10:56 pm
What does artistry mean to you? Do you think that George Jones was an artist?
June 12, 2015 @ 6:53 am
Bryan Adams was good until Mutt Lange got a-hold of him.
June 12, 2015 @ 7:33 am
The first thing that should be considered when defining an artist is to ask “what did they create?” You’re not an artist if you sing your favorite song in the shower any more than you’re an artist if you trace the Mona Lisa. Celine was given the gift of vocal chords and through an army of record execs, songwriters, producers, engineers, and assistants recorded and performs music. There’s nothing wrong with that – she entertains, but she is not an artist.
June 12, 2015 @ 2:12 pm
Well, George Jones did not write almost any of his songs either. So by your standard he is not an artist.
The voice is the greatest instrument in music. If instrumentalists are artists, then so are vocalists. It takes years of practice to come up with vocal texture and range as great as Celine Dion.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:28 pm
What exactly is wrong with 80s synth? The synth added real spice to the music of that decade and helped bring the instrumentals and melodies to new heights. Here’s a great example, from the Thompson Twins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9694K85Xc8
It’s amazing how a song like this reached #1 on the dance charts. If dance music today were anything like “Hold Me Now” today, I would become a pop fan again.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:43 pm
Honestly, I do not care as much about WHAT instruments are played as HOW the instruments are played. Take the electric guitar, for example. On a spectrum of tastefulness in playing that instrument, classic soft rock represents the highest end and bro-country occupies the lowest end.
Ultimately, the key lies in using the instrumentation (regardless of whether it is acoustic, electric, or electronic) to invoke a deep emotion.
June 11, 2015 @ 5:56 pm
“A fool and his money are soon parted” can pretty much describe this “country” “music” fanbase today.
I can honestly say I do not understand the appeal in any of this stuff. The music is bland and generic. The males (I refuse to call them men) look like absolute tools and behave as such. Nobody can sing. The lyrics are nonsensical and repetitive. Dare I say I’m too smart to be a modern “country” “music” fan??
I’m 26. I’m much too young to feel this damn old, I guess. Time to go listen to a Kenny Rogers record and say something vulgar about Sam Hunt on Twitter.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:56 pm
Why even waste your time trolling Sam Hunt’s Twitter? Just blow off any steam here and proceed to extol all you love like Kenny Rogers! =)
June 11, 2015 @ 10:16 pm
I thoroughly enjoy it, though…!! 😉
Thomas Rhett and Tyler Farr, too.. Just trying to do my part.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:12 pm
Sam Hunt needs to change his name to Mike…
June 11, 2015 @ 6:31 pm
Remember when Jack Ingram decided to sign with Scott Brochetta and Big Machine, and then cut total radio nursery rhyme fluffy crap that he didn’t write? He pissed off his fan base and didn’t win fans at country radio.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:39 pm
FGL and Sam Hunt are not country but it’s not their fault(even though I don’t really care for them that much), it’s powers to be’s fault that country music is failing miserably. Hank, Johnny Cash, and Roy Acuff are rolling over their graves for the past 3 years now for this garbage.
June 11, 2015 @ 6:53 pm
“The lack of success of Gary Allan”™s and the Eli Young Band”™s singles is a testament that radio and the country music listening public aren”™t buying into songs, they”™re buying into artists. ”
And so it has always been , Trigger . Except that the artists USED to have more integrity when it came to what they recorded . They didn’t record artist writes just because the artist said. ” Hey I’m a songwriter “. Those songs had to stand up to PROFESSIONAL standards . Not anymore , it seems . That’s why there are mostly mediocre , forgettable songwriting efforts out there written ‘ by commitee ‘ ( as you’ve so accurately pointed out in the past ) sold by ” hot , trendy looking and sounding ” acts to 16 year old teenage girls .There are very, very few mainstream artists who can write a great song . Doesn’t matter …they’re still selling the artist -not the song . And, sadly , there are apparently 80% fewer professional writers in Nashville than there were 15 years ago.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:26 pm
I agree the bigger names have always received the lion’s share of attention, but I think the discrepancy between the top tier and everyone else have never been so dramatic. As much as we pick on one hit wonders, they are the sign of a healthy music scene where the best songs are ferreted out and fed to the public. Basically modern day country is like cheering for laundry in sports. Millions of people are fans of Luke Bryan, so whatever he releases will go straight to #1. What the song sounds like is really inconsequential.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:32 pm
This is seen in the radio charts also where a select group of about five acts race up the charts in 15-20 weeks and then there is everybody else that takes 25-35 weeks of slow upward movement. The difference between that top group and the rest has never been bigger.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:54 pm
“And, sadly , there are apparently 80% fewer professional writers in Nashville than there were 15 years ago.”
Is this really the case, or are 80% of the worthy songwriters simply being ignored because they refuse to write bro tracks?
June 11, 2015 @ 7:05 pm
I’m not surprised these songs are failing. They reek of desperation. Tim McGraw should serve as a lesson. No one wanted to hear him sing about, “That girl, she’s a party all-nighter, A little “Funky Cold Medina,” little “Strawberry Wine”-er”; he’s found more success going back to a more traditional sound.
Say what you will about Sam Hunt, he does have his own sound. It’s a pop sound, not country, but it’s his and I at least respect him for that. I’ve lost a lot of respect for the copycats, and it looks like I’m not the only one.
I can’t explain Cole Swindell though. He’s the most boring, bland Luke Bryan clone imaginable. What is the appeal of this guy???
June 12, 2015 @ 12:33 am
I can hazard a guess, at least! 😉
As you may or may not know, Cole Swindell, Luke Bryan and Dallas Davidson were all part of the Sigma Chi fraternity at Georgia Southern University. Those connections would prove to be invaluable for Swindell later on down the line in working as Bryan’s merchandise salesman and already being in earshot of Bryan with regards to cutting demos of his own.
I attribute Swindell’s success primarily to mutual loyalty or, to put it another way, “A Friend Of Bryan Is A Friend Of Mine Syndrome”. Like a different strain of nepotism.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:06 pm
Ashley Monroe is all over the map musically.
She has an unremarkable ” pop-country- radio ” voice – anyone could have sung that duet with Blake .
She is a trad country vocalist who will starve in that field because there are so many more terrific vocalists in that field already starving or touring their faces off to avoid doing so . But she will never be a Reba or a Miranda or a Carrie or a Dolly or a Sara in terms of being able to deliver pop/country . Its inauthentic for her to try to do that . Like so many others looking for mainstream success , if it isn’t who they are , I don’t think it will happen . You have to go with your passion and your gut and instincts AND your strengths . Denying all of those things in a quest for mainstream success is a recipe for disaster personally and professionally.
June 11, 2015 @ 8:30 pm
I agree. Ashley’s voice shines when she’s singing traditional country. “Weed Instead of Roses” and “2 Weeks Late” really showcase how great of a traditional country singer she is.
June 11, 2015 @ 8:32 pm
Aw man. I LOVE Ashley’s voice!
June 11, 2015 @ 9:49 pm
“She has an unremarkable ” pop-country- radio ” voice”
Radio voice of what era, the 1970s? Certainly not this era.
June 11, 2015 @ 10:44 pm
“She has an unremarkable ” pop-country- radio ” voice”
“Radio voice of what era, the 1970s? Certainly not this era. ”
What I was trying to say is that I don’t think Ashley Monroe can compete vocally with the mainstream pop/country vocalists I mentioned above ( Reba , Dolly , Sara Evans , Martina , Miranda etc..) She can’t deliver that stuff with the same conviction .When she sings to her strengths …trad country ..bluegrass …, she is in her element and it works for her ..
June 11, 2015 @ 10:54 pm
Ashley can sometimes convey pain in an almost Dolly-esque manner. Here is an example from her 2013 album:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilUyNO0wsdQ
June 12, 2015 @ 4:36 am
Yeah, great track!
June 11, 2015 @ 7:21 pm
Hey Trigger:
Toby Keith’s new cd “35 mph town” is being pushed back again. Man his record label is failing miserabally.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:35 pm
Interesting. The single continues to struggle.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:58 pm
Not that it ever surprised me. It was way too heady for a single in this listening climate to begin with, let alone it’s ageism.
June 11, 2015 @ 10:57 pm
That’s because the label he is on, is his own….which is currently the 2nd weakest label in country music behind Blaster Records. anyone on Show-Dog Universal will never get any radio play. Look at Josh Thompson, he was all over radio with his first album because he was on a strong promotional label, then he left that lablen and signed with Toby Keith’s Show-Dog label, and all his songs have been a failure on radio since. He was supposed to release “A Little Memory” as a single, but a year has passed since “Wanted Me Gone” failed on the charts stalling out at #44 for weeks, and there has been nothing released since and I don’t think it will be.
June 11, 2015 @ 11:52 pm
I love A Little Memory. Best song on the album. I wish that would be a huge radio hit.
June 12, 2015 @ 3:17 pm
It would be, if Josh wasn’t on such a weak label. I don’t think its going to be released, and I don’t think he will be making any new albums for years to come.
June 12, 2015 @ 6:46 pm
Which sucks because he actually has some solid modern country music. However, I feel like he did dumb down his writing a bit on some songs on his second album.
June 12, 2015 @ 8:08 pm
Yeah, a handful of songs on Turn It Up sucks. As with any modern country artist that plays REAL country like Josh Thompson, Jon Pardi, Mo Pitney, Montgomery Gentry, Toby Keith, etc….will NEVER be anything on country radio. Labels aren’t stupid enough to blow hundreds of thousands of dollars promoting a REAL country song because they know it will be a commercial failure.
June 11, 2015 @ 7:44 pm
Spent all day at CMA fest. I saw Gary Allan (not bad once he warmed up) and he played some new material and it wasn’t terrible. He played “it ain’t the whiskey” which was his last single prior to “hangover”. That was a damn good song and it made me realize that like some artists who have been out for a while that radio just gives them a shelf life and once you get past your date you’re pushed out by younger artists. I keep thinking of Alan Jackson, Toby Keith, Trace Adkins, and now Gary Allan being pushed off radio.
Now for a question that has me scratching my head – why the hell is Cole Swindell guaranteed airplay? Not that great looking, below average singer at best and awkward to watch perform. Makes no sense!!!!!
Also want to add that Jana Kramer drew one of the largest crowds I’ve ever seen on a side stage there. And she’s not that bad on the eyes.
June 12, 2015 @ 8:16 pm
I hate Cole Swindell so much that I actually like him. I swear to christ that guy has NO soul. He is so boring to look at that I can feel myself nodding off anytime I watch his music videos or see pics of him pop up on facebook. He has one of the worst singing voices I’ve ever heard, with an absolutely terrible vocal range. If you’ve ever heard him live, he sounds like a cat in heat. I’ve heard alot of mainstream artists that could not hold a note live, but Cole takes it to a whole new level. You can tell the studio he recorded his music at spent a ton of time smoothing out his vocals, if not using autotune at the same time. It makes me very angry when I see people saying he’s a very talented singer that is hot and handsome….LOL. He’s not talented, he is one of the most talentless hacks i have ever seen in mainstream music, he has no character at all, and hes ugly as all sin (and hes BALD to add to it). The only reason he even has a record deal is cuz of Luke Bryan. Luke is a good singer with a good deal of talent, so I can’t imagine him being stupid enough to get Cole a record deal on his label….Luke must have been drunk as hell that day or been fucked up on something strong. I hate Cole so much to the poin t of where I like the guy and listen to his music from time to time even though its the most boring, generic music ive ever heard in my life. #endofrant
June 13, 2015 @ 8:36 am
“…(and hes BALD to add to it). “…
damn …that’s a low blow to us follicly- challenged, SJ . Good thing the wife loves it . By the way …so’s Chesney , McGraw and c’mon …you don’t thing that’s Urban’s REAL muppet do ….do you ?
Y’know Ronnie Milsap once sang a line :
” With a little luck and the Lord to see us through
One day we’ll ALL be follicly- challenged too
Ok …maybe the line was ” One day we’ll all be Old Folks too ” …but you get the idea .
June 11, 2015 @ 8:01 pm
2015 is such a bizarre year for country music. I think we’re at the point where radio or listeners are wanting to move on from bro and dive into the next big fad, but nobody has a clue what that fad is.
We’re halfway through the year and I’m not even sure what the “song of 2015” even is. Normally there’s a couple songs that define a year more or less. I don’t think we’ve had one yet. “Take Your Time” is probably the frontrunner. “Homegrown” would be second place. But those songs are totally different from each other. “Homegrown” just sounds like Zac Brown filler.
Also, normally around April we see a bunch of artists releasing “summer singles,” filled with lyrics about sun, denim shorts, beer and parties. We’re halfway through June and the only songs that fit that bill are “Let Me See Ya Girl” and to a lesser degree, “Crushin’ It” and “Baby Be My Love Song.” Isn’t it odd that this summer we aren’t getting summer singles? Even as far back as 2008 it was common practice. Is that a sign that things are changing? If so, in what direction?
The biggest stars, Jason Aldean, Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan appear to think the bro thing is still on. Some B-listers, like Thomas Rhett, Tyler Farr and Brett Eldredge have mixed things up a bit but don’t seem ready to stray too far from the frat house. Billy Currington did nothing new with his latest album. Newbies like Canaan Smith and Micheal Ray are doing pretty good bro impressions but are more pop and less hip hop than most bros.
Then there’s A Thousand and Old Dominion doing bro with more of a southern rock feel and less of a Nickelback feel. Chris Janson is doing an Eric Church/Kip Moore thing.
So what does this mean? Everybody is doing something a little less bro but nobody has figured out what we replace bro with.
I’ll be interested to see what Chris Young, Justin Moore, Hunter Hayes and Jake Owen and Randy Houser’s next albums are like. Four of them that have released singles this past month and they’re all over the board. Owen’s trying to be Sugar Ray, Houser’s trying to do metro-bro, Hayes and Young are doing about the same thing as there last album. What does this all mean?
June 12, 2015 @ 5:23 am
We”™re halfway through the year and I”™m not even sure what the “song of 2015”³ even is.
What about “Girl Crush”?
June 12, 2015 @ 8:24 am
Funny, in all of that, you didn’t mention one female artist.
June 12, 2015 @ 9:01 am
The reason why there aren’t any “Summer songs” is because that kind of shit music formerly reserved for those months is released year-round now. You’re just as apt to hear about Daisy Dukes in January as you are in July.
June 11, 2015 @ 8:20 pm
Whoever is telling Eli Young Band and everyone else to copy pop acts and make crappy generic pop songs, just stop now. It’s ruining country music and radio. On To Something Good and most every current female single radio isn’t playing is far better than the mens pop songs. Blake being a man radio plays is why they played Ashley’s duet with him.
June 11, 2015 @ 9:37 pm
EYB and Gary Allan should have learned a lesson from all of this for singing bad music. I hope Keith Urban should do the same she should know better than singing this garbage song the “John song”. Jerrod should sing songs like “lover lover”
June 11, 2015 @ 10:30 pm
One of my favorite musician quotes is from singer Martha Davis of The Motels. The band scored a pair of Top 10 hits in the early ’80s after replacing their “weirdness” with a more radio-friendly sound.
Davis’ quote: “If you’re going to sell out, you’d better make sure they’re buying.”
June 11, 2015 @ 10:44 pm
Ah, I love “Only the Lonely”. Another one of my 80s favorites.
June 12, 2015 @ 4:14 am
I hate seeing Gary’s picture on this post. I understand it, but I hate it. I’m going to give him a pass on this one crappy song. Hoping for good things from the whole album.
June 12, 2015 @ 8:31 am
I’ve seen a few people say that I’m picking on Gary. I am not picking on Gary, I am picking on “Hangover Tonight.” That song was a perfect example of the theory I was floating, and I needed to use someone’s picture. I hope for better things from Gary in the future.
June 12, 2015 @ 6:48 am
I find it pretty easy to answer what people like about Sam “Mike” Hunt and the other bro douchery. It doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of the lyrics. It is the beat. It is like any other pop song. I cannot think of a pop song off of the top of my head that I have felt like was really deep and meaningful. They aren’t poetic. People like that shit. It gets them moving. It releases endorphins in the brain that make them feel good. Just like a sad country (real country) song can make you cry. A lot of Gary Allen’s songs after his wife’s suicide were like that. Deep. Dark. Meaningful. I think that it all has to do with chemical brain function. Some of our biggest crowds come from a local 80s cover band that we book about 4 times per year. The music has very little meaning, but the traditional country music crowd that we get loves the hell out of them. I cannot help but rationally think that record execs have paid psychologist and neuroscientists that conduct studies of how different music affects the brain. Technology plays a huge role in what execs expect from writers and performers. It is a formula. Sometimes they just miss the mark.
I still listen to Gary’s older music. I cannot stand Eli Young, and I am happy to say that the last time they played locally, about 60% of the attendees walked out of the show before the 5th song. They are absolutely terrible live and their lack of musicianship really shows on stage. Combine that with the fact that they do not write most of their material…their fan base is slipping.
Every now and then some folks will come into my bar and play Sam “Mike” Hunt’s (et al) music on the juke box. I have to admit that the beat is catchy, but I quickly take the remote and skip the song. I won’t have that AIDS infestation spread in a true Texas/Red Dirt live music bar.
June 12, 2015 @ 8:17 am
” I find it pretty easy to answer what people like about Sam “Mike” Hunt and the other bro douchery. It doesn”™t have anything to do with the quality of the lyrics. It is the beat. It is like any other pop song. I cannot think of a pop song off of the top of my head that I have felt like was really deep and meaningful. They aren”™t poetic. People like that shit. It gets them moving. It releases endorphins in the brain…”
Yup …a groove is magical . But there’s no reason a groove can’t be associated with more interesting / unique / intelligent lyrics and a MELODY . Grooves are all about conditioning listeners to what’s ” hip ” . Fine ……use all of the craft at your disposal as a songwriter …..but at least write a song that actually SAYS something in a way it hasn’t been said ….something with some weight to it ( not necessarily a negative weight ) and stands up for itself ….something clever with a strong melody …perhaps some irony ……perhaps using the hook in several ways …perhaps featuring a solo other than a guitar strumming those same four chords…get a Singer with a capital ‘S’ and serious chops to deliver it with some conviction ,emotion and character….. Very few main-streamers seems to want to put that kind of effort into finding or recording songs like that anymore.Hell …..Girl Crush uses a 6/8 bluesy rhythm not heard on a country tune since Jesus was a cowboy . People love it and it isn’t some generic pseudo ‘farm boy rap ‘ over a drum machine . Its a REAL song with a real , relate-able perspective and a well-crafted lyric by a solid vocalist with a twist to the hook . And successful . Why is that so hard for artists to understand and shoot for ? Listeners have been conditioned to accept less in terms of talent , originality and quality by masking those missing elements with a drum beat or a wall of sound claiming to be a good song .And ” artists’ have been conditioned to deliver just that . Generic junk music ….
June 12, 2015 @ 8:36 am
Anyone remember the old game show “Name That Tune”? I was reminded of it when I was listening to a classic rock station the other day – after being chased away from “country” radio due to an overdose of FGL, R&B, bro country and Bobby Bones commercials – and found myself knowing exactly what song was playing within a handful of notes, sometimes even on the first note. Sadly, when I listen to “country” radio nowadays, I usually have to listen to a quarter of the song before I can name that tune, or before I can figure out which of the current group of cash cows is singing it. The lack of individuality in “country” radio nowadays is so sad, and when I hear those who actually have some power in Nashville and *could* put their foot down and come out with something that still resembles country … well, it’s not happening. I’ll sing praises to Tim McGraw for his last two releases of “Shotgun Rider” and “Diamond Rings and Old Barstools”. Wish *that* was a trend the established singers would follow …
June 12, 2015 @ 9:54 am
THIS is a valid observation and a sad fact , Golddust …. . Because the songs have been stripped of trad country instruments ( or even identifiable keyboards like piano and organ ) and have no strong musical hooks outside of a distorted guitar strum , they are even MORE generic and indistinguishable ….beyond just the similarity in content and delivery by similar -sounding vocalists . I mean …even Bluegrass music for all of its sameness with its 5 ‘must have’ instruments manages to create identifiable musical hooks . There is simply NO excuse for the inferior writing and arrangements mainstream country continues to force upon listeners outside of laziness . Even sadder is the way country draws from the cliches of other genres .As I’ve suggested in the past ..THIS lack of attention and interest by the labels and artists will keep the good writers , players and arrangers looking for work in other fields if they can’t create with passion in the music field.
June 12, 2015 @ 11:42 am
Ameenn to that last paragraph lol. I’ll take that on this site any day of the week haha. On a more serious note, screw Gary Allen. No balls. Making those statements he made and then selling his soul for a shot at rekindling his career was the most gutless move ever.
June 12, 2015 @ 4:29 pm
I doubt that the younger, less established performers really have a choice when their label pushes to record and release certain songs. I also get the feeling that some of the older ones, like Tim McGraw, that should have quite a bit of control over their songs, really think (or thought, in his case) that is what they need to do. But I wonder if something different isn’t going on with Gary Allan. It isn’t that he has never recorded questionable songs, but he’s been pretty good at burying them on the CD. I can’t help but think this may be a case of him proving a point, and that the people that pushed him to release this song are getting earsful of “I told you so” right now. At least I hope so.
And if “Drink To That All Night” really led Jerrod Niemann to release the “Donkey” that kicked him off the radio, maybe it was worthwhile after all.
June 14, 2015 @ 11:27 am
I read this with great interest. A good songwriting friend of mine said if you’re chasing success you’re never going to catch it. I guess this is why so disappointing when establish singers trundle down that path. If it is not genuine, it’s just sad.
June 15, 2015 @ 11:31 am
All I know is that “Lose My Mind” has been stuck in my head ALL WEEKEND LONG. It’s Monday afternoon now and it’s still there. That song is appropriately named.