Reading Into Luke Bryan’s “What Makes You Country”
We’ll get to diagramming and dissecting the substance of the actual song momentarily, but first it’s important that we all take a step back and appreciate just what an important moment the release of a song and album called “What Makes You Country” from Luke Bryan is.
Right now, Luke Bryan is the biggest artist in all of country music. Sam Hunt may be the one with the monster single, Chris Stapleton may be selling all the records, and Miranda Lambert may need a wheelbarrow to remove all of her CMA Awards out of the Bridgestone Arena come November 8th. But Luke Bryan, from touring to radio presence and the total package, is the biggest thing in country music right now, no matter how begrudgingly one may come to that conclusion. And he now feels the need to respond to what makes someone “country.”
It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with Luke’s assessment, but don’t get tripped up by the attempts to divert the question with allusions to rural life. Make no mistake about it, the reason a song like this came about is because of the continued criticism coming at artists like Luke Bryan that question their legitimacy as country performers. This means the spirited dissent being logged by literally millions of country fans at this point is being heard, making an impact, and so much so that Luke Bryan and others feel the need to respond to such a degree that Luke’s released a song called “What Makes You Country,” and made it the title track from his upcoming record due out December 8th.
Of course the writers and other principles involved in “What Makes You Country” will try to soft peddle this truth, but it’s the truth nonetheless. The song was written by Dallas Davidson with help from Luke Bryan and Ashley Gorley. It seems like forever since we’ve heard anything from Dallas Davidson beyond him chucking knuckles piss drunk at the Tin Roof in Nashville and being taken into custody after calling his sparring partner a bleeping “faggot.” As the undisputed Godfather of Bro-Country, his services have been rendered marginal over the last couple of years as everything has shifted to the more Sam Hunt-style Metro-Bro sound that big writers like Davidson are not as proficient in.
When the biggest debates about Bro-Country were occurring, Dallas Davidson became the movement’s biggest proponent, saying that the songs they were writing were just describing they way they live, which is spending every afternoon sitting on the back of their tailgates near a body of water, drinking beer. So every song for some three years was about that very thing. However these days with hybrid producer/songwriters like Shane McAnally, Ross Copperman, and busbee making the biggest splash in the industry, songwriters who start the process by driving to the lake, cracking a cold one, and putting a legal pad on their knee are being marginalized. The way many of today’s hottest songwriters start the songwriting process is by opening up their laptop and selecting “New Project.”
Many of today’s “country” songwriters are not just proficient and penning catchy singles. In fact they don’t really pen anything at all. They start with a sonic bed pasted from a drum machine, and a precomposed melody. Even many MIDI controllers mimicking the look of an electric piano have been deprecated for direct inputs of electronic tones via preformulated templates that go on to make what you hear called a “song” coming out of your radio, with often little to no actual studio time or live musicians involved aside from laying down the heavily Auto-tuned vocal track. This puts a guy like Dallas Davidson at a severe disadvantage. Where years ago he was seen as the arch nemesis of traditional country fans, the paradigm has passed him over, and now he’s country music’s version of dad rock.
But Dallas Davidson has found his firewall, and it’s Luke Bryan’s upcoming album. Where Luke’s last record Kill The Lights only had two Dallas Davidson songwriting credits and it looked like Luke was moving away from that style, there’s double the Davidson tracks on What Makes You Country, including this title cut.
“What Makes You Country” is classic Dallas Davidson, relying on lists of country-isms and self-affirming blather while saying nothing and telling no story. It relies solely on the listener fist pumping and putting on airs about how country they are to get by. Ironically, most of the people this type of stuff appeals to are suburban escapists living vicariously via this idyllic portrayal of a rural culture, while they would never endure true rural life full time.
But as a Luke Bryan song, “What Makes You Country” kind of works, and compared to its current peers on country radio, it’s not terrible. Of course this is addition by subtraction since its only saving grace is it’s not as terrible as the worst stuff out there, and country listeners have been so whittled down by the electronic necessities of modern “country” music, when you sense you’re actually hearing real drums and guitar, you feel sated. “What Makes You Country” hasn’t been released as a single yet. “Light It Up” is the lead single from the new record, and in typical Luke Bryan fashion, it is the absolute worst possible song you could imagine.
But Luke Bryan didn’t get to be the biggest “country” star in the world by solely releasing garbage. Bryan has been significantly more pragmatic in his career than some of his peers, understanding where he could go too far, and always including one or two pretty good songs on his records to point to when the critics start hounding him. This is why he continues to best Sam Hunt and Florida Georgia Line. Expect “What Makes You Country” to be the 3rd or 4th single from the new album, and expect it to go #1. But little will people know this is much more than just yet another vapid Dallas Davidson-penned Bro-Country radio anthem. It’s Dallas and Luke hearing the criticisms, and feeling the barbs, and being compelled to respond.
Luke Bryan releasing a record and recording a song called “What Makes You Country” is significant. It means they’re hearing us. The next question is, will they ever actually listen?
MH
October 17, 2017 @ 8:54 am
The irony of them responding with a title like this is that they’re responding with the same ol’ lyrical formula we’ve blasted them about. They know nothing else because they’re not capable of writing anything else.
Oh, and your remark about Dallas Davidson and dad rock – LMAO.
Jim
October 17, 2017 @ 8:58 am
I could see Travis Tritt writing a song with this title back in the 90’s and absolutely killing it.
This is… well, not as good as that would have been. It would help if Luke Bryan didn’t sing like Sloth from The Goonies.
Felipe
October 17, 2017 @ 9:05 am
He wrote a few songs with Lori McKenna but didn’t include them on the album, so my hope for good songs on this are gone.
Rob
October 17, 2017 @ 9:17 am
Would Miranda Lambert haul her CMA awards with a wheelbarrow though, or a little red wagon?
Jen MALCOM
October 20, 2017 @ 3:52 am
Probably the little red wagon.
Lisa
October 28, 2017 @ 5:00 am
Perfect reply. I wish I’d have thought of it.
Cilla
October 17, 2017 @ 9:24 am
And now MORE people get to see LUKE BRYAN on the re-boot of American Idol. His music has No concept. No more need be said in this area. Just watch to see if Luke Bryan can evolve when he is actually spending time with REAL SONG WRITING LEGEND Lionel Richie,who is also a judge on American Idol next season. Hollywood changes people and Luke Bryan will be in a completely different world than Nashville….It can help him with his future in the music industry if he plays his cards right. BLAKE Shelton stayed in Hollywood, will Luke Bryan also use this opportunity to expand in a different direction? Stay tuned to see how it all effects touring and time with his family. Stay tuned.
CountryCharm
October 17, 2017 @ 10:52 am
Luke made a smart move by taking the Idol job. Gone are the days of being on the road for 200 days a year. More money in a stable location meaning more time for his family and like you said who knows what career paths it can open for you. Keith certainly benefitted from it and so has Blake. With album sales and tour sales dropping it’s smart to diversify.
Cilla
October 18, 2017 @ 9:39 pm
The only one who’s making money on IDOL is Katy Perry. 25 million. Luke…. 5million.
No,actually he won’t make money on IDOL and he will be traveling doing the audition for the show along with living in California….long way from Nashville. What he gets is exposure outside of the NASHVILLE BUBBLE .
Tubb
October 17, 2017 @ 9:27 am
When I first heard Luke was putting out a song with this title I half expected it to be his normal schlock of him singing to a girl in his tail lights but with the punchline of the chorus being along the lines of “c’mon girl show me what makes you country.”
Jack Williams
October 17, 2017 @ 9:29 am
The way many of today’s hottest songwriters start the songwriting process is by opening up their laptop and selecting “New Project.”
Now that was funny.
Jen MALCOM
October 20, 2017 @ 3:59 am
I have to confess, I use my cell phone. I simply text lyrics to myself and use a recording app to record melody. I don’t do it much, but it’s how I do it, when I’m inspired. After meeting a certain artist online, and finding out what a douche he truly is, I’m not so inspired, anymore.
Doyle Hargrave
October 17, 2017 @ 9:54 am
“We’re all a little different, but we’re all the same” perfectly describes his song catalog. Huntin, Fishin, Lovin Everyday is my guilty pleasure tho…
Cool Lester Smooth
October 17, 2017 @ 9:06 pm
All My Friends Say is a jam, too.
He’s good at singing bad Joe Nichols songs
the pistolero
October 20, 2017 @ 7:35 am
Gotta admit, I did like that song back in the day.
Luke has a good voice; he just wastes it on really bad songs.
Dennixx
October 17, 2017 @ 9:57 am
Not falling into the Nashville trap.
https://youtu.be/fGTD4n1gMY4
Benny Lee
October 17, 2017 @ 10:06 am
Made it through the whole song, so it was at least tolerable to my ears. I have no doubt it will be a massive hit.
I do take issue with a couple things, though.
First, being country is not whatever the hell you want it to be. It’s not a fashion choice. It’s not a vacation destination. It’s the lived experience of living and depending on the land that gives us all life:
– hearing a sad song on the December wind when city folk just complain about the cold
– seeing a whitetail before it appears
– having a conversation with a cow
– the joy you feel when the garden starts to bear fruit
All that shit about trucks and tailgates, bonfires and lakes is meaningless without the proper context. And if you haven’t lived it you can’t possibly know what it means.
Second, this Davidson guy is an embarrassing songwriting novice. The meaningless lists, the not-veiled-at-all references and photocopied lyrical progressions, everything about his writing screams amateur. Real songwriters write songs like this, too; but they throw them out. No one ever sees a song like this from Loretta Lynn, Evan Felker, Lori McKenna, etc., because real writers pen 100 songs in search of that one gem to share with the world. This ass hat writes one stupid song and says, “check, please!” No effort, no respect for the craft, no respect for all the real writers out there who know what they’re doing. And Luke Bryan may actually “be” country, but that doesn’t excuse him from shitting all over country music’s legacy by working with clowns like Davidson.
CountryCharm
October 17, 2017 @ 10:55 am
Realistically though if have to follow that criteria to be country then the majority of country listeners aren’t country. It’s thanks to crossover appeal that people like Chris Stapleton, Sturgilll and Jason are having success not because they’re so country.
Benny Lee
October 17, 2017 @ 11:06 am
Absolutely.
I’d just prefer folks don’t lie about it.
And for songs to actually have good writing.
CountryCharm
October 17, 2017 @ 12:25 pm
Agreed. To me good music is good music who cares where you come from or if you tick the preconceived boxes.
J
November 5, 2017 @ 8:11 pm
People that refer to people as “Country” are the biggest problem with Country music. When I was growing up, I lived in a very rural Midwest town. It was the kind of town that had a ton of ranchers, and even the most of the people that worked at the business in town had cattle, or farms that they worked from when they clocked out until it was time to go to sleep at night. I never heard anyone refer to themselves, or anyone as “Country.” It was only after moving to a larger town that I noticed the people that drove fancy trucks, and owned a 4-wheeler that were calling themselves “country.” In my mind, and the mind of all my friends back in my home town, the only people worried about how “Country” someone is, or if they themselves are “Country” are the posers.
With that said, I know many people from back home that enjoy modern country music, but things have changed quite a bit. When I was a kid, we had 10+ country stations, an oldies station, a pop station, and afew gospel stations. In the late 90’s with the arrival of a station that played a mix of country and pop, and the introduction of high-speed internet everyone got a taste of different genres of music. Many people found that they enjoyed many kinds of music, and where in the 90’s there was a clear divide between who listened to Country/rock/pop ect… People now like a much bigger mix. I think we see that represented in current music. We see artists in all genres shifting to a format of mixing formats to get more sales, more radio play, or simply trying to do a mix of everything they enjoy. Sure, it sucks not having every country singer doing 90’s style country, but in an era where Papa Roach, and Linkin Park have pop radio songs that are much less rock than Luke Bryan is country, I think we have to realize that this is not just a country music problem, but a problem in music in general.
Looking back at history, we can easily see that many of the 90’s stars that we see as pure country are much further from Hank Williams Sr. than many of the singers today are from Garth and George.
Garry
November 25, 2023 @ 9:46 am
To all the Artist, music producers, songwriters, and the fans and ladies and gentleman I am a true and blue Country music icon and a singer musician as well. I’m not saying I’m a authority here by no means or etc. However, Yes! I have playing performing Country Music most of my life, shared the stage with some Country artist over the years in both Country and Gospel. But my opinion is that Country truly is NOT Country ANYMORE. And with all due respects to lot of the Artist referring to themselves as Country in the Country Music Genre, Folks! Excuse me but your NOT in that Class.again no harm intended here but Country has Always been a very unique, Soulful, down to earth born and raised kind of living songs and life experiences that’s what Country is! Deep rooted life experiences, times of happiness, sadness, heartbreak. That’s what True Country Music is and represents. Let’s face it folks I’m not saying that lot of the modern so called country music doesn’t have a place in today’s music it does, But NOT in the TRUE COUNTRY MUSIC FIELD. Artist in these fields need to be in another class, either Pop, Rock, progressive, or etc. Lot of the true Country artist have made their mark and unfortunately have passed on, but Thank the Lord there are a number of artist still keeping the trend,tradition, and true genre going. Lastly lete say I have always tried to appreciate all music and all involved in these genres all my life and always will. Best to all and everyone in the variable music fields today, tomorrow and the days and years ahead.
FeedThemHogs
October 19, 2017 @ 8:02 am
Amen to your four bullet points above. Well put, my friend.
Fat Freddy's Cat
October 17, 2017 @ 10:25 am
I’d say they’re not listening yet. Rather than singing a song protesting “but I AM country!”, Bryan’s best path is to actually sing country songs. The best singers–in any genre–don’t need to explain to the listeners what sort of music they sing.
Scotty J
October 17, 2017 @ 10:31 am
It seems like ‘Light It Up’ has kind of under performed for the lead single for a superstar act. Sure it will go #1 at radio but in other metrics it doesn’t seem to be taking off. Could just be my impression but it may be a harbinger of disappointing things to come.
Summer Jam
October 18, 2017 @ 1:05 am
I agree with that, in my area that song is rarely played, which is odd because we have a couple top 40 country stations around here that are always playing the hell out of any song thats in the top 20. I truly think that Luke Bryan may only have a few more years till hes “put out to the pasture” like radio did with Joe Nichols and Gary Alan, both of whom were selling a stupid amount of singles and albums, and topping the charts then one day it just ended and they cant even chart a song or sell anything. FGL is also on the “few more years left” list IMO. Luke Combs will be huge within the next few years, as well as Jon Pardi.
dave
October 17, 2017 @ 10:58 am
METRO-BRO!!!! I FUCKING LOVE IT!!! really I don’t but its sad but true..
Jim Z
October 17, 2017 @ 11:05 am
Pat Green could have written this song 15 years ago.
or
Charlie Daniels did it better in 1973.
the pistolero
October 17, 2017 @ 7:05 pm
And Hank Jr. did it better in 1986.
(Better than Luke Bryan, at any rate.)
Kross
October 17, 2017 @ 11:19 am
luke was on a recent Lance Armstrong Forward pod cast. it was actually a pretty good listen. got to learn about who he is on a more personal level. I believe he’s a decent dude, who just got cought up in the Nashville rat race. let’s hope this new record has some good songs on it. I wouldn’t be surprised as he he gets older and his star fades a little bit, we’ll get a couple decent records out of him somewhere down the road.
scott
October 17, 2017 @ 11:23 am
Not horrible.
Master Spleen
October 17, 2017 @ 11:30 am
I hate him I hate him and everything he stands for and everyone who listens to him this is a disgrace and anyone who thinks otherwise is part of the problem and this is an amebarrassmanet and if we want dlasslas davisson and luuke bryan to go away we have to send te massage that not only is this not what we wanted but we aren’t going to except it because this ois prat of the part of the problem it’s whoallly unacceptababble and i can onnnly hope this loser goes away dallas davidossson s the worrsssst thing in country music aside from his stupid enabler luke bryan keeping hima float he belongs in a museum of trashy white dudes alongside jassonn aldeaan and the meatheads from midland and that stupid locash band i am sick ad tirade of people making a mockery of country music and now the idiot is on amaerican idol noibody in my family gets to watch that embarrassment after this.
I’m more embraassed by luke bryan than by president trump.
Martha
October 17, 2017 @ 5:36 pm
That is one amazing run-on sentence. 🙂
OlaR
October 17, 2017 @ 12:12 pm
What Makes YOU Country…don’t know.
What makes ME Country…i don’t listen to LukeBryanChrisLaneJasonAldeanOldDominionDustinLynchKelseaBalleriniThomasRhettLoCashFGL music.
Better Music:
Lorrie Morgan & Pam Tillis – “Guitars, Cadillacs”
Lorrie Morgan & Pam Tillis – “Rose In Paradise”
Stranger Friends – “I Can’t Stop Loving You”
Tris Munsick & The Innocents – “Neon Nightlight”
Clay Hollis – “Hard Headed Heart”
Jaryd Lane – “Pretty Little Rebel”
Aleyce Simmonds – “Only On My Terms”
pgwenz
October 17, 2017 @ 12:35 pm
To me, being country means not having to sing about being country.
Tom
October 18, 2017 @ 8:57 am
Bingo. Think about some of the greatest songs in country music history. Heartaches by the Number. There Stands the Glass. He Stopped Loving Her Today. All solid country, no rural themes.
And there’s nothing wrong with a sincere “Livin’ out in the country” song, but when it’s every other song on the radio it suddenly seems like a “look how country I am!” contest.
JB-Chicago
October 18, 2017 @ 2:30 pm
For the win!
Lance
October 17, 2017 @ 12:44 pm
Bloody hell, these lyrics are awful! So damn sick of these arseholes making money of this crap. Special place in country hell for these bozos.
DJ
October 17, 2017 @ 1:39 pm
The music is too noisy, too complicated for my tastes, and not lyrically pleasing. And I don’t need, or want, somebody telling me what makes them country. Actions speak louder than words.
Me thinks he doth protest too much.
Gumslasher
October 17, 2017 @ 2:14 pm
Too complicated? Please do elaborate.
DJ
October 17, 2017 @ 5:28 pm
Too much going on, “for my taste”= complicated.
complicated
adjective
1.composed of elaborately interconnected parts; complex:
complicated apparatus for measuring brain functions.
2.difficult to analyze, understand, explain, etc.:
a complicated problem.
I prefer the KISS method.
Jamie
October 17, 2017 @ 1:54 pm
Seriously, I’ve gotten to the point where I don’t really care if it’s slightly better and more country sounding than what’s on the radio today. I am SO over these kind of songs. I just want us to get back to having artists simply singing country music, instead of having to constantly beat us over the head about how country they are. I mean, a song like this is okay every once in a while, but the constant barrage of them brought on by the bro-country trend has ruined them for me.
Gumslasher
October 17, 2017 @ 1:57 pm
Clay Hollis?? This wannabe boogie rock would make Status Quo cringe. And they sure as heck made some stinkers in the genre, (and a few good ones:))
scott
October 18, 2017 @ 5:47 am
Lay off Status Quo. One of the most underrated bands of all time. Except during their “let’s play a bunch of dance tracks” era. Them doing “Safety Dance” is truly cringe worthy.
GrantH
October 17, 2017 @ 2:02 pm
I’m just angry that Luke Bryan will be winning the Artist of the Decade award for the 2010’s (because let’s be real, who else could possibly win it…Blake Shelton maybe? But even that’s a stretch.). And since the tradition is that the previous decade’s winner presents the award to the new winner, we will witness George Strait presenting the Artist of the Decade award to Luke Bryan…a sad day for country music it will be, indeed.
Patrick
October 17, 2017 @ 2:20 pm
Sounds a little like “Huntin Fishin and lovin everyday. As far as the sound it’s not bad. Lyrics are ok at best. 5.5/10
Nate
October 17, 2017 @ 2:56 pm
No mention that this is essentially a rehash of “Huntin & Fishin”? It sounds exactly the same. They just rearranged the words. It’s like how Nickelback released “How You Remind Me” and it was such a smash that they led their next album cycle with “Someday”
Scotty J
October 17, 2017 @ 3:34 pm
This type of thing has been going on for decades. In the 1950s George Jones followed up ‘White Lightning’ with the almost identical ‘Who Shot Sam?’, in the 1960s Johnny Cash followed up the horn infused ‘Ring Of Fire’ with the…horn infused ‘The Matador’ and in the 1980s The Oak Ridge Boys followed up ‘Elvira’ (with ‘Fancy Free’ in between) with another very similar song called ‘Bobbie Sue’. I’m sure I could think of many more but those are the ones the come to mind first. What seems to happen is someone decides that a sound or formula worked once so let’s do it again.
Nate
October 17, 2017 @ 5:20 pm
Yeah that’s fair. I guess what makes this song more egregious than the others is “Huntin & Fishin” was already a song about “what makes you country” without being quite as in-your-face about it.
WRS
October 17, 2017 @ 3:07 pm
cliché, cliché, cliché , Luke please tell me again how country you are.
Corncaster
October 17, 2017 @ 3:32 pm
this is the country version of gangstas bragging about their hoods
so even their “country” pride is derivative, lol
music *about* country music can only be written from the outside looking in
next
jtrpdx
October 17, 2017 @ 3:48 pm
Hopefully Stu and JP are on their way to find Luke and beat some sense into him, like real 1%’rs!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaXUy2JgScT/?hl=en&taken-by=sturgillsimpson
Jim McGuinness
October 17, 2017 @ 3:59 pm
We need a 50-year moratorium on country songs about country music,
CountryKnight
October 17, 2017 @ 6:13 pm
I probably have a greater tolerance for some Luke Bryan songs than most here do. Most of the ones I like are fun little tunes. Sweet like a candy bar but utterly disposable and I realize that. I will say this, I can understand why people love the guy. His persona is charismatic and goofy. Unlike Sam Hunt or Jason Aldean who seem charmless and who are also way more radioactive to country music than Luke Bryan to boot.
JB-Chicago
October 18, 2017 @ 2:35 pm
Even if people hate his music he does have stage presence and yes despite what most on this website think some people enjoy watching a singer move around and have a good time while singing “fun little tunes”. Everything isn’t Stapleton ya know.
the pistolero
October 17, 2017 @ 7:07 pm
All I’m gonna say is…
Jason Boland and the Turnpike Troubadours don’t have to tell you how country they are. You can tell by just listening to the music.
Luke Bryan and Dallas Davidson could learn a lot from that example. But they won’t. Fuck them both, with Harvey Weinstein’s old man dick.
JohnWayneTwitty
October 17, 2017 @ 7:13 pm
I goddamn fucking hate Luke Bryan more than Hitler hated Jews..
CountryKnight
October 18, 2017 @ 9:27 am
Stupid comment.
Seriously, dude.
JohnWayneTwitty
October 18, 2017 @ 9:14 pm
Cool. Extreme satire must not be for you, “dude”. Go kick the dust up, “dude”.
Summer Jam
October 18, 2017 @ 12:59 am
Alot of Bryan’s music is garbage that was designed to appeal to teenage girls and fake country frat boys. He does have some good music but its so far and few between. I was kinda surprised when I heard about the new album being called what makes you country. We will have to see if there are any actual country songs on it. I never understood all the criticism of bro country, because the vast majority of it sounded country and spoke about the typical country lifestyle. The music that followed was full blown pop, and pop country, and its still mostly pop and pop country years later. I’ll take bro country any day over pop country.
Has anyone taken notice that Chris Young has spoken out about his new album? He said that the “Losing Sleep” song is “as far left leaning to pop as id go”. Apparently, some of his fans have gotten underneath his skin too just as we have with Bryan. I’ve also taken notice that a few fans of Jake Owen (such as myself) have been blasting him for his poppy “American Love” album. These guys just dont get it, you cant just start out making neo traditional country music and go full blown pop or making just whatever genre you want, you have to keep it at least a LITTLE bit country. It never goes over well for neo traditional artists that transition to this pop sound.
Susan Ambrus
October 18, 2017 @ 6:33 am
Another great song..I live in the country and I love this
Tom
October 18, 2017 @ 9:05 am
Interesting. I live in the country and don’t really feel any great need to be reminded of the details.
TMD
October 18, 2017 @ 7:45 am
Has anyone else noticed that his name on the cover is the exact same style as the old Walmart logo? Even has the same damn star in the middle.
Lugnut
October 18, 2017 @ 10:32 am
Luke’s a good man. He is doing what it takes in this environment to make a decent living. It’s entirely logical. It also seems to be a thing to dump on him. Go for it – it’s still marginally a free country.
Like the song. If you got a reference to silver queen corn in your song, it might be country.
albert
October 18, 2017 @ 5:47 pm
they should call these guys what they are . they are jingle singers for a record label . no doubt good people ….but not ‘artists’ in the least …..not even really talented . just jingle singers . label says ‘ this sells ….now go sell it ” and the jingle singer does it , clocks out and collects his pay .
Tony
October 18, 2017 @ 3:04 pm
I think it’s a great idea , but maybe not the best pitch perfect execution
Has a great message of inclusion and acceptance and unity for diffrent pepole coming from diffrent backgrounds with the same passion and belief sytem
As he puts it , not everyone of us comentators is a cowboy or a plow boy or a peanut farmer but where alll drawn to this site for a reason
Nadia Lockheart
October 18, 2017 @ 4:30 pm
This song is passable, but I still have issues with this.
Firstly, this sounds like a Xerox of “Huntin’, Fishin’ & Lovin’ Every Day” in terms of composition……………..except without the gradual build-up and climatic outro. It’s blatantly obvious that Bryan’s management team looked at the staggering YouTube view returns for “Huntin’, Fishin’ & Lovin’ Every Day” (103 million to date)……………noticed how vastly they outperformed the 39 million views for “Strip It Down” and a pitiful 9.3 million for “Move”……………………and smartly concluded his best bet at continued relevance was to continue tapping into the “Huntin’, Fishin’ & Lovin’ Every Day” angle as opposed to, say, the “Move” angle.
And the abysmal performance of lead single “Light It Up” further underscores that point. It has barely eclipsed its initial #76 peak on the Billboard Hot 100 on its week of release (it’s at #75 now): which is a HUGE downfall from where he was at with the first FOUR singles from his previous era. Expect Bryan’s team to read the writing on the wall and only further feel emboldened to double down on the rustic-themed, country-tinged Bob Seger-esque arena rock direction with this latest project.
*
Secondly, I frankly feel the perceived importance of this release is overstated.
This smacks as no different from what Justin Moore, Craig Morgan prior to his most recent album and Josh Thompson in his earlier output have cranked out, along with the likes of The Cadillac Three in their obsession with stereotypical heartland pride populism topically. He might mention in passing that you can be from “whatever kind of square that you drove around” including a city, but that’s really the only reference that differentiates from the typical rural descriptors including haybales, fishing, Georgia pines, boots and truck tires.
It doesn’t touch upon the instinctual appreciation and intimacy of rural life.
*
So, no: this promotional single (and single to be) feels exaggerated in its importance to me, and is really just par for the course as far as the Nashville songwriting machine is concerned. But I will admit this is nonetheless a more passable effort from Bryan.
I’m thinking a Light to Decent 5 out of 10 for this.
Anne
October 18, 2017 @ 9:03 pm
I would much rather hear “Hunting, fishing,and loving” than “Move.”
Nadia Lockheart
October 18, 2017 @ 10:14 pm
Well, obviously! Hahahahaha! 😉
What I’m saying, though, is that “Huntin’, Fishin’ & Lovin’ Every Day” was an unremarkable song to begin with that adopted a tired, Bob Seger-esque country-tinged arena rock template and just injected country living descriptors into the lyrics. Even being one of few listenable songs from Bryan since “Tailgates and Tanlines” was released, I still considered it to be a mediocre song much lower in quality than “Tackle Box”, “We Rode In Trucks” or “The Car In Front Of Me”.
“What Keeps You Country” is much the same, but like a facsimile of a facsimile.
albert
October 18, 2017 @ 5:56 pm
sounds like someone singing karaoke to a 70’s rock track .
shit song ….wanders around …too many words …..yes I said TOO MANY WORDS . when there are this many words to a track ,there’s no melody and no place for a SINGER too showcase their talents …..( pitch , vibrato , range , conviction/energy , sustained notes etc…) which is neither here nor there in LB’s case . he’s not selling talent .also …..there’s a token banjo on here and a buncha loud electric guitars . how bout in a song called WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY we herar some mandolin , some steel , a dobro or a fiddle ….?
Everett
October 20, 2017 @ 4:51 pm
I grew up in a town in Oklahoma with a population about 600, and currently live in another town about 2,000. I’ve lived in cities, like Oklahoma City and Orlando, Fla., but feel at home in rural towns. I learned to drive while feeding cattle, and learned stick shift on a dirt road. I’ve fixed fences and plowed fields, so I’d say I’m rural. Country. it’s who I am. But I don’t fit the Bro Code. I prefer the ocean over lakes, don’t like beer. I’m not into hunting. I have a truck, but rarely sit on the tailgate. I’m not into bonfires. My town doesn’t grow corn, we grow cotton, and the last country song I remember talking about cotton was “I Never Picked Cotton” by Roy Clark. I don’t fit their standard of “rural.” That’s the problem with songs these days, they are all stereotypes. But I have to say, the Luke Bryan song was actually okay. It so could have been worse.
GW Parker
October 28, 2017 @ 5:13 am
Heck, it’s a step in the right direction to see Luke ditch the fuschia V-necks for the cover art (surface stuff, I know) in favor of a plain-white T. Packaging aside, I am happy Trigger chambered a round or two into his “one-gun-down” and I get to dispense with hearing this song on the back-end of his dissection, instead of having to hear The Hipster Doofus crow about it on his show first.
handsomeblackcowboybrady65
December 28, 2018 @ 9:02 am
I’m a lifelong Windsor,Ont.,Can. (across the border from Detroit,Mich.,my mother’s birthplace) resident who’s been a Country fan since 1984,when I heard the late,great Eddie Rabbitt’s song.”B-B-B-Burning Up With Love.” I’ve always loved Reba,Randy Travis,Conway Twitty,Willie,Waylon and the boys,of course,Charlie Pride,Ray Price,Johnny Duncan,etc.,when Country was actually COUNTRY,NOT J. Crew lads and lasses with a bit of twang singing suburban cowboy and cowgirl songs .
Luke Bryan is the king of the good-looking good ol’ boys who can sing any bro-Country crap and get airplay because he’s handsome,while other MUCH MORE talented,but less telegenic artists languish . The State of Country Music just before 2019 bops in .
handsomeblackcowboybrady65
December 28, 2018 @ 9:04 am
Frat boy????Isn’t Bryan 42 with two kids ? Hmmmmm……