Carrie Underwood’s “Love Wins” & Country’s Expanding Message of Inclusion
The role of mainstream country music in this contentious time of ever-present social cataclysm and perennial political polarization is starting to materialize, and in pretty conclusive form. Starting with Luke Bryan’s #1 song “Most People Are Good,” then to Kenny Chesney’s #1 “Get Along,” and now with Carrie Underwood’s “Love Wins,” we’re seeing a consistent pattern coming from country pop’s apex performers of trying to bring people together. You can even dig deeper to “Dear Hate” by Maren Morris, and “Kill A Word” by Eric Church to fortify this argument.
Of course you’re fair to question just how “country” Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, most any mainstream country star, or their respective singles actually might be, but these songs do symbolize country music finding its place, and its role as society works through a rough time and attempts to come to grips with new realities amid civil unrest and social media expansion. Country music is seeing all the turmoil, and wanting to be a calming, unifying voice, instead of choosing sides, and lending to the discord.
Historically, country music has always played the role of the constant, the compass, the thing you can count on and come home to, regardless of how crazy the rest of the world becomes. That’s the reason it’s so important that country music presents a consistency of sound and message, and that it holds true to its roots, binding generations together like a continuous thread as opposed to the constant upheaval and revolutions of expression other genres and mediums often experience.
Despite the very positive and uplifting message of universal acceptance these top flight commercial country stars are presenting in new singles, this in itself is a polarizing enterprise to certain elements, especially in media and politics which are populated by those who benefit from classifying people into certain demographics, and then pitting those elements against each other with the purpose of sowing chaos to increase their grip on power in the social order.
We’ve already seen a slew of think pieces from writers with few or no ties to country music proper who are chastising the genre for its attempts at the pacification of rural and working class people during this important moment in history. In their estimation, country music should be sounding the alarm bells, digging down to it’s underprivileged, populist roots, and joining the full-throated mob calling for the disruption of everything. To these professional pugilists, popular country fans are no more than unwitting pawns devoid of free will, obsequious to the preaching of pop stars, and who could turn the political tide if they were just goaded in the right direction by their favorite entertainers.
But an artist like Carrie Underwood is not going to do that, ever. Just like Dolly Parton before her, she has sworn to stay neutral on political matters, despite the media trying to pull her into the fray. Instead she often presents a positive message to her audience, like she does in her new song “Love Wins.” Underwood goes as far as to call out politics specifically in the new song, along with prejudice, which at this point are nearly interchangeable in the way they breed irrational thought and behavior in people.
It’s difficult to criticize the effort and the message Carrie Underwood undertakes in “Love Wins,” but it’s fair to find fault in the execution, and the overall result. Of course there’s not much to characterize as country in this song, but that ship sailed with Carrie Underwood years ago. Overall though, the effort just feels sappy, forced, and too direct, despite the nobility of the intent.
Just like songs that tongue lash one side or another across the political divide, and do nothing more than to act like steam valves for the anger of their authors—convincing nobody in the audience of anything and only reinforcing preconceived ideals—you can’t just preach idealistic attitudes in a song and expect it to be effective in changing hearts. Story, nuance, and laying lessons between the lines of lyrics is how you burrow into the consciousness of listeners, and awaken wisdom.
Nonetheless, it’s unfair to label Carrie Underwood’s “Love Wins” as a deflated effort, or even as ineffective in this early stage. Even though rural dwellers and country fans are often the favorite whipping boy of media and popular culture for their closed-mindedness, in this most closed-minded of times in modern recollection, the effort of many country artists to speak up for inclusion and understanding is something you can be proud of as a country music fan, even if you wouldn’t be caught dead listening to a Carrie Underwood song otherwise. It’s especially welcoming as a trend since it’s emerging from the ashes of Bro-Country.
Inclusiveness and open-mindedness were often characterized as the enemy of country music in past eras—songs like “Okie From Muskogee,” “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue,” and similar odes not helping to end the stigma. Now it’s country music that is trying to be the calming and inclusive voice in the room. Perhaps that speaks to just how far country music has come. Or perhaps it speaks to just how far the voices of some have gone from their stated purpose of unifying, to dividing.
Carrie Underwood’s “Love Wins” will probably not make a significant dent in this tug-and-pull war for the heart of American society, but it does help align where mainstream country has chosen to place itself, which is lobbying for dialogue and reconciliation between warring parties. In such a contentious time, this effort is hard to criticize, even if some may find things to criticize about Carrie Underwood’s specific effort.
King Honky Of Crackershire
September 4, 2018 @ 7:45 am
Few premises are more simplistic, ignorant, haughty, and stupid, than the the one that implies that closed-mindedness is always a bad thing.
Mike W.
September 4, 2018 @ 8:13 am
Please expand if you get the chance/feel like it. Not disagreeing with you, just curious to hear you expand on your reasoning is all.
This song does nothing for me and sadly we continue to lack a mainstream Country song that tackles the modern id of America. If writers/artists don’t want to actually write something with teeth to it, keep singing about tailgates and beer and leave it to people like Isbell, Barham, Childers, etc.
Black Boots
September 4, 2018 @ 8:23 am
Please don’t make him expand on that 🙁
King Honky Of Crackershire
September 4, 2018 @ 10:46 am
Mike,
“Closed-minded” and “bigot” are used as pejoratives. But the reality is that everyone is closed-minded about something, and everyone is a bigot.
You probably believe that rape is wrong, and are very closed-minded in regards to that position. You probably aren’t willing to open your mind to the virtues of rape.
I’m a bigot toward members of the hard left and alt-right, because I believe all those views are bad for America.
TxMusic
September 4, 2018 @ 11:59 am
Joke character confirmed.
Black Boots
September 4, 2018 @ 12:09 pm
Obama’s * not bad * meme face here.
King Honky Of Crackershire
September 4, 2018 @ 5:46 pm
Huh?
Black Boots
September 5, 2018 @ 3:52 am
Nothin, DAD.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
September 4, 2018 @ 5:51 pm
I’m close minded because I want to do my own thing and be left alone.
I’m close minded because opinions are like asscracks, everyone’s stinks but mine.
I’m willing to hold a debate and let other people hold their opinions until their opinions interfere with me living my life.
You can like Taylor Swift until your liking Taylor Swift interferes with my liking Country Music.
which it has.
and therefore your opinion needs to be expunged forthwith until it bothers me no further
jbear123
September 12, 2018 @ 9:03 pm
Sorry but virtues of rape! Sorry, I can’t have read that properly. Just to be clear the definition of virtue is ‘behaviour showing high moral standards’. High moral standards (and I’m pretty sure most human beings know this) are on the right/good side of the scale as opposed to wrong/bad side i.e immoral. And rape is in fact ‘immoral’. Definition of rape ‘Rape is a word for sexual assault. This is one of the worst crimes there is.There are few words more powerful than rape, which is a horrifying crime. To rape someone is to force them to have sex with you’. So if you can find ‘high moral standards’ in holding another person down and sexually violating them against their will then you need to take a long hard look at yourself and what you consider your understanding of morals. Rape has no virtues and that’s not bigoted it’s just the truth.
jbear123
September 12, 2018 @ 9:07 pm
And 19 people like that comment? Seriously no wonder your society is falling apart when you consider rape to have virtue!
Splitear
September 4, 2018 @ 8:31 am
I don’t mind the message of the song, certainly something that has been done over and over, but still a positive message that runs deeper than most of what is out there in radioland today. However, I can’t help but think that this would have made a great song for Celine Dion, it certainly isn’t “country” by any stretch, but not much mainstream is anymore.
TxMusic
September 4, 2018 @ 8:39 am
I just can’t respect artists who say they don’t want to speak about politics but then they put out pandering for profit songs like this one.
Rachel
September 4, 2018 @ 8:44 am
This is pretty standard inspirational/uplifting Carrie. It’s a little cheesy, fairly generic, but this song feels like Carrie and who she is. Anyone else sings this and it probably feels a bit pandering and fake. It’s also another song of hers absolutely bolstered by her vocals and performance. Damn if this isn’t the type of performance and conviction we’ve been waiting to consistently appear throughout her career. Is this another “Something in the Water?” No, but it’s a solid effort putting her voice and conviction out front.
Trigger
September 4, 2018 @ 9:17 am
“Anyone else sings this and it probably feels a bit pandering and fake.”
I agree. It works more from Carrie than it would work from others. But ultimately it still barely works.
Nate
September 4, 2018 @ 12:50 pm
Trigger,
I’m reminded about something you said in your review for “Cry Pretty” which is that it’s better than most pop-country, but not as good as most of the stuff promoted on this website, so you get that split of people who think it sucks and people who think it’s great. The line that sold this song for me is “How the hell did it ever come to this?” On past albums, Carrie would have NEVER said that, which leads me to believe she really feels this is important. I do agree that the execution is flawed, and ultimately this song won’t change anything. But in terms of getting to see the “real Carrie” instead of all these fake murderous wives she’s always singing about, these first 2 songs on her new album are the closest we’ve gotten.
Trigger
September 4, 2018 @ 12:58 pm
I remain intrigued at what we’ll get on the new album.
Black Boots
September 5, 2018 @ 3:55 am
If it’s anything like other Carrie albums, it’ll be mostly aight songs with incredible vocals, sprinkled with absolute fucking gems here and there.
Rachel
September 4, 2018 @ 12:51 pm
Entirely unrelated, but have you heard the podcast Carrie did about women in country, Trigger? Pretty interesting conversation!
Trigger
September 4, 2018 @ 12:58 pm
Yes I did. May have something on this soon.
Black Boots
September 5, 2018 @ 3:55 am
Where can i find this?
Wild Billy
September 4, 2018 @ 8:58 am
Them legs though… 😉
Black Boots
September 5, 2018 @ 3:56 am
Best legs in the universe.
OlaR
September 4, 2018 @ 9:10 am
Well…no.
“Love Wins” sounds like it was written for the Olympic Games with the same buzzwords as usual: love, believe, win, together, sisters, brothers, you, me, each other…
Or it was written for the European Song Contest…Sweden had a lot of “Love Wins”-styled ballads over the years. A female vocalist in an evening gown with long hair, a wind machine & a couple of background singers. Always good for a place in the ESC-Top 10.
Or “Love Wins” was written for a soap opera. The moment when Ridge & Brooke walk down the aisle after 20 years of drama…
It’s just another pop ballad & Carrie Underwood sounds not as good as she did in the past. The start on the new label was a big flop, the new single might do better but i think after all the years it’s time for a new female artist to take the country-pop crown. Rachel Wammack?
Let’s not forget the other new singles :
Shane McAnallys favourite toy Walker Hayes released a new single called “90’s Country”.
Ryan Hurd (had a minor hit with “Love In A Bar”) new single is called “To A T”.
Terri Clark is trying to stay relevant with “Young As We Are Tonight”.
Hunter Hayes released just another song nobody will hear “One Shot”.
Wheeler Walker Jr.: “Save Some Save Some Titty Milk For Me”. (No, thanks)
Jason Blaine released: “Ain’t Got Growin’ Up Down Yet”.
Paul Brandt with the help of Lindsay Ell: “Bittersweet”. Sounds like the most Paul Brandt songs.
FeedThemHogs
September 5, 2018 @ 6:21 am
I died at the Bold & Beautiful reference. That was great
albert
September 4, 2018 @ 9:13 am
as someone who detests the proliferation of pointless fluff promoted by ‘country’ radio for so many years now , I have to give kudos to carrie and co for choosing substance this time out . not that carrie is a stranger to substance-driven material ……I think if we’re familiar with that her music we’re aware that much of her material is ‘ message-oriented ” and delivered passionately , if often in an over-the- top manner.
for me , this song gets a pass where so much of her other material doesn’t IF ONLY because it has often been far too much ( pop ) STYLE over that substance..too over produced , too wordy and congested and almost always recorded in a key that has me cringing . too carrie , regardless of the lyric and message .
i think ‘love wins’ stops short of making those aforementioned ‘ mistakes ‘ , as it were , and in reigning in the ‘ carrie ‘ factor it allows the lyric to do at least as much of the heavy lifting as the artist ….FINALLY . and yes , perhaps the polyanna of it all is a bit much …but man … What the World Needs Now ” is , indeed , for love to win . its an inarguable message ..its positive ..its accessible ( if barely , at times …still on the wordy side , IMHO ) its in an ‘acceptable’ vocal range and its SHORT and to the point .
saying all of that , this is not a country song in the least , as trigger has pointed out , but i think we’d be as well to stop waiting for THAT song from carrie and accept that she’s a pop artist …for better or for worse . the woman can sing with the best in any genre . shes not interested in singing real country . we know this …we get it . so let’s ‘carry’ on and support the artists who ARE interested in respecting and staying somewhat true to the genre’s traditions……and their are , thankfully , MANY .
albert
September 4, 2018 @ 9:35 am
just to clarify my post above …….by ” short ” what I meant was that it doen’t take long for the lyric to get to the point …it doesn’t wander around demanding we stay engaged in an endless set-up to
the point/hook . it take us there fairly quickly , to my ear .
length-wise …yeah – overall probably 20-30 seconds too long once its made its point .
Kevin Davis
September 4, 2018 @ 9:48 am
I couldn’t help but think of the G. K. Chesterton quote: ““Merely having an open mind is nothing. The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid.”
That’s what is lacking in these songs. Nothing solid, as least in terms of specifics, is offered. It’s so, so generic. And I suppose it has to be generic in order to not cause offense or engage in some, however slight, political statement. Anyway, musically and lyrically, this song does nothing for me.
Sam Cody
September 4, 2018 @ 10:18 am
Still just trying to figure out how she is, or ever was considered in any way country? Shit. Even that ridiculous Taylor Swift’s most pop stuff, is still more country than Carrie’s most country stuff. What the hell?
Kevin Davis
September 4, 2018 @ 2:16 pm
Her first two albums had plenty of country, even if most of it was in a decidedly pop country vein (before “pop country” was hijacked to mean pop/r&b with vague country references). “All American Girl” and “Jesus Take the Wheel” are good examples, and I’ll still hear both occasionally on our horrid “country” stations in Charlotte. She even did a cover of Randy Travis’ “I Told You So” that went to #2 in 2009. More recently, “Smoke Break” — from her previous album — is certainly a country song. But, yes, she is too often part of the problem, not the solution, in the mainstream of country music.
Chrissy
September 20, 2018 @ 12:18 pm
Taylor in no way is more country than Carrie. Love Story is not country. Teardrops On My Guitar is not country. White Horse is not country. You can argue that Tim McGraw is country leaning, if primarily for the name drop, but that was about the only country effort from Taylor. Jesus, Take The Wheel is more country than anything Taylor has ever done. And Carrie can definitely go country as Choctaw County Affair and Ghosts On The Stereo show. I’d like to see a lot more like the latter two songs as well, but in this era of country radio, what is country these days? Maybe 1%, if that, at best?
Pierre Brunelle
September 4, 2018 @ 10:19 am
Open minded vs Closed Minded. I’m certainly considered myself open minded and I’ve noticed that media has become more and more closed minded. Otherwise everyone would have the rights to express their views. It’s certainly not the case as we speak!
Chris
September 4, 2018 @ 5:58 pm
Everyone does have a right to express his or her views. However, that doesn’t mean freedom from the consequences of said expression as long as said consequences don’t cross the line into criminal behavior. That’s what so many people (on both sides) fail to understand.
Pierre Brunelle
September 5, 2018 @ 7:26 am
I agree completely.
However we now live in a new form of censorship and we are no longer able to debate, to challenge and to illustrate other views which is sad. Any proposal, any idea has pros and cons.
Chet
September 4, 2018 @ 10:21 am
Brandi Carlile’s “The Joke” is more effective, same for some of Kacey Musgrave’s songs, if just in tone.
Lorette Lynn’s “The Pill”, hit #5 on the country charts, and “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her” by Mary Chapin Carpenter, hit #2,. Both women’s lib songs with a sense of humor, and both would be considered “femi-nazi propaganda” by some folks.
Country music has deep folk roots, and folk music was about being poor, having the bank take your home/farm, and a ton of pro-union songs, along with Jesus and drinking and home grown tomatoes.
Since 9/11, pop radio country has gotten a well deserved rep as being closed minded. Bro-country doesn’t help.
But it’s not historically true and it’s not true of country music outside the mainstream. Country has many different opinions.
Ask my 74 year old dad if weed should be legal, then ask Eric Church’s fans.
Underwood is pop, I don’t listen to pop music, but there’s a long history of country music taking up what we call liberal causes today.
Dirt Road Derek
September 4, 2018 @ 10:43 am
I like this track a lot more than “Cry Pretty”, musically and lyrically. It’s still more pop than country, but the over the top vocal delivery and dramatic composition of “Cry Pretty” was just a bit much for me. Hopefully the lyrical message of “Love Wins” isn’t perceived as too “political” (even though it’s actually very safely written) for country radio playlists. It’s in the same realm “Most People Are Good”, which has dominated the radio in my area, but of course that song was by a male artist.
Jimmy's Carhartt
September 4, 2018 @ 11:34 am
Maybe it’s just me. Maybe I’m too closed-minded to get it. But all these shmaltzy, feel-good songs are worse than pointless to me. They’re so fake and contrived, so clearly designed to espouse a specific viewpoint about holding hands and pretending there’s nothing wrong with people. It doesn’t ring true. Things have not been great for low class middle America the last few years, but you’d never know it from the music which is supposedly marketed to them. What happened to songs that actually take a stand? This looks to me like a label exec looked around and said “hmm, everything is political so we have to make some political songs. Just make sure you don’t offend anyone. We can’t afford to alienate potential consumers.” Pathetic.
FeedThemHogs
September 5, 2018 @ 6:59 am
“Things have not been great for low class middle America the last few years”
Indeed, they haven’t. Folks like me don’t care for this type of song because it isn’t real. Love isn’t going to keep the bank from taking the family farm. Love isn’t going to make a rain cloud to dispel a crop-killing drought. Love isn’t going to bring that factory and its jobs back to town.
I connect with songs that have ‘been there’ so to speak. It was 1982 when John Anderson released his “Wild And Blue” album. There’s an album cut on there called Disappearing Farmer. That’s the kind of song that portrayed what was going on at the time. (For those that don’t know, the 80’s were not good for small, family farms.) Where’s the songs that accurately portray rural life these days? People getting laid off from manufacturing jobs, small towns drying up because the youngsters move off to the city, etc. That’s why a song that Trigger highlighted here a couple years ago, Dry Up Or Drown was such a great song. THAT is what I’m searching for.
Marmarbama
September 5, 2018 @ 4:57 pm
Agreed. I’d rather hear her song about beating the shit out of someone or something instead of this cheese.
Stringbuzz
September 4, 2018 @ 12:39 pm
This is crap.
Aggie14
September 4, 2018 @ 2:52 pm
As a major Carrie fan, I will say this song is a joke. “Love” is the most cliche answer to everything, and lyrically this is predictable as hell. The “I…I…I” sounds lazy to me. Write something that matches the musical timing. I love Carrie, but she tried way too hard this time to create an anthem. Nothing legitimately raw or personal in this song, and I’ve already thrown it on the trash heap. I don’t even applaud the effort, cause these cheesy lyrics didn’t take much effort.
ScottG
September 4, 2018 @ 5:43 pm
I’m not a fan, but I applaud you for being one and not defending every last thing she does… and for not attacking her ex and his new fling, wishing they burn in hell, and for not pasting a bunch of scripture…oh, sorry, got carried away there for a minute. Having some PT(ML)SD
kevin wortman
September 4, 2018 @ 3:44 pm
Toby Keith’s “the Taliban Song” was actually kind of inclusive
ScottG
September 4, 2018 @ 4:19 pm
Did she give Hallmark their writing credit?
I love me some unity…but not like this.
GrantH
September 4, 2018 @ 4:46 pm
I mean, “Love Wins” was a slogan used by the American progressive left when the Supreme Court legalized homosexual marriage nationwide. The song title alone is fairly partisan, even if that wasn’t intended.
Nan
September 4, 2018 @ 5:10 pm
I feel like I agree with both points made here, that this is a positive song at a time when they are needed more than ever. Whoever puts out any deserves the recognition of hopefully ‘helping’ people in some way. The inspirational theme reminds me of “So Small”, a gem of a song off her 2nd album. This does seem a little too generic in content. From what I’ve read of comments over the years from her ‘die-hard fans’–those who dubbed her (sorry, Loretta, sorry, Dolly, sorry, Reba) ‘Queen of Country’ after the A.I. win, and since, it’s what they like from her it seems—as Jimmy’s Carhartt said, like this, shmaltzy, feel-good songs I agree can seem (at least a bit), fake and contrived.
I wasn’t familiar with this band’s music, but ‘Love and Theft’ put out a song by this title, last year. A quieter sound, the meaning similar, but they go farther with it and include the Bible Verse of what ‘Love’ means. I like it more because of that.
Aggie14
September 4, 2018 @ 6:47 pm
I agree. The Love and Theft song comes off as much more poignant, whereas Carrie’s song feels somewhat forced.
ScottG
September 4, 2018 @ 5:54 pm
Gotta love how even a pretty watered down, fluffy “song” that’s supposed to be about hope and coming together can still serve as an excuse for people to comment on how right their side is or how country music all along was really liberal or, hey this song is totally partisan political because it says “love wins” or my grandpa was even liberal, etc. There really isn’t that much hope for us, despite what this reformulated strung together daily affirmations of a song says.
A Country-Pop Fan
September 4, 2018 @ 9:21 pm
The song is obviously flawed and I find the lyrics cheesy, but it’s a whole lot better than substanceless mainstream songs. Would still choose a cheesy, clichè feel good song with a good message over songs of hipster 40 year-old lads. 7/10
David
September 4, 2018 @ 10:58 pm
Huge Carrie fan but the first time I listened my initial reaction was “Meh”. Songs like this feel so forced anyway, but this one especially does. And the whole “love is the answer” thing is so cheesy. Not bad, but not good either, and certainly not her best.
Fuzzy TwoShirts
September 5, 2018 @ 6:35 am
The problem with this song is it doesn’t take a stand in itself.
It’s like politicians who tell you what the problem is but don’t offer a solution because if they actually solved the problem they’d have to come up with new lies to fool voters next time they want to get re-elected.
ADJ
September 5, 2018 @ 8:29 am
Trigger, thanks as always for your opinion! Looking forward to what you have to say about the album. With that said, I *like* Love Wins, I *like* that it’s uplifting, but I’m truly hoping it’s not a single at any point during the album era. (Some stations are calling it Carrie’s new single, but Carrie
and her team haven’t said anything yet about single #2). I’m guess that I’m looking for challenging singles, like Cry Pretty…songs that are maybe less radio friendly…songs that maybe aren’t the big hits. I think that’s why I liked Cry Pretty so much.
Whiskey_Pete
September 5, 2018 @ 9:33 am
How about “Jobs Win”
the realist
September 6, 2018 @ 5:28 am
Fake country “artists” are now social justice warriors. Nice, as if country music didn’t have enough problems as it is.
For the record, Carrie Underwood, Maren Morris, and Cam have wasted no time in expressing their support for the LGBTQ movement. And recently that fraud Eric Church exposed himself as an anti-2nd amendment mental midge but what would you expect from someone that has a song called “Springsteen” – Bruce Springsteen, another left-wing nutjob. – Funny thing, when BLM was rioting and burning down businesses and blocking highways all across the country during Obama’s reign of power, these same “artists” were dead silent..
Big Red
September 6, 2018 @ 6:59 pm
I thought for a minute I had turned K-Love on. Meh.
Chrissy
September 20, 2018 @ 12:09 pm
It is odd that the reviewer would give Most People Are Good 8/10 but give Love Wins only 6/10 when they’re basically the same song / same message. Just goes to show that women do have to work harder because they get paid less for doing equal work.