Friends and fans of the morning show, you know very well by now that I am a multi-genre enthusiast and Country Music is no exception.
A few weeks ago I started to decipher that Country Music has any combination of three themes only: life in the country, enjoying an adult beverage, and matters of the heart. I have spent a long time putting this theory to the test and I have yet to be disproven — and that IS a challenge if you think you’re up for it.
This led me to wonder why the Venn Diagram of those who claim to hate Country Music and those who seem to know every word to their secret stash of southern-inspired jams happens to be a circle.
First, let’s consider the first two of the three criteria. Country Music is all about life in the country, it’s in the name after all, and I honestly can’t think of any genre that so loudly from-the-rooftops expresses their love of bourbon, scotch and beer. Singing about life in the country is not exactly a relatable topic when it comes to considering the population density of city centers and suburban neighbourhoods. On the contrary, some inner-city music listeners in general may find the glorification of farm equipment to be a bit cringe.
The final criteria however is not only what brings music lovers of all genres together but is something that truly defines the human condition: matters of the heart. Sure, breakup songs exist, but chart-topper Morgan Wallen’s hit Last Night is a clear representation of how many people really do find comfort in a southern drawl echoing out from the bottom of the bottle. This point is furthered by hits like Carrie Underwoord’s Before He Cheats, Rascall Flatts’ What Hurts The Most, and Keith Urban’s You’ll Think Of Me.
Even classic hits that music aficionados may not think to put in the country genre have closer ties to the category than they may want to admit. You can’t tell me that I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith isn’t a country song, and Whitney Houston’s historically iconic I Will Always Love You? Written by miss Dolly Parton herself. Checkmate.