Kelly Clarkson Goes Off About Today’s Country & It’s Beautiful
It’s not just hardcore country fans who are stupefied by what the modern country format has become. It’s most everybody. In fact the ranks of non-country fans and performers may be even more shocked and appalled by what is called “country music” today, because they haven’t been present for the slow erosion of the format over the last 10 to 15 years. Even if you’re not a dedicated country listener, you still have memories of the country music that was, from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s, even 2000’s when popular country music still had a distinct sound and place in culture that was apart from other popular genres.
Today, the prevalence of electronic beats and rapping makes country music indistinguishable from the rest of popular music, and it’s not just hardcore country fans who are confused and incensed. In a recent video posted by pop performer Kelly Clarkson where she did a Q&A with her fans (see below), the subject of today’s country music came up in the context of someone asking her what the slang term “Farm Emo” meant. Apparently it’s Millennial speak for country music, which made Kelly Clarkson go off in an impassioned rant.
“You know why? Because country music doesn’t sound country anymore. So they’re making up terms to be like, ‘This is [country].’ Country music is gone. I don’t know who’s making it, but there might be like four people. Because now it’s like weird rap, like weird word rap. When I started to do country, they were like ‘Oh, you’re pop. You can’t do country, you’re not country enough.’ And I’m like ‘I’m sorry, let me show you this list of the Top 20,’ which by the way did not include one female. It’s fine. But country music doesn’t sound country anymore.”
Kelly Clarkson is a Texas native and has had some dalliances with country music over the years, dueting with numerous artists, including Jason Aldean on the song “Don’t You Wanna Stay” from 2010 that won two ACM Awards and a CMA award. She also performed a duet with Reba McEntire in 2008 on “Because Of You,” which also received major award nominations, and Dan+Shay on “Keeping Score” in 2019, which was nominated for Musical Event of the Year. Clarkson has also performed on country awards shows numerous times, including at the 2019 ACM Awards twice. She is also the former daughter-in-law of Reba. Kelly is married to Brandon Blackstock, who is the son of Narvel Blackstock—Reba’s now ex husband. Brandon also works in the country music industry.
But one of the things that has earned Kelly Clarkson respect from country fans over the years is she never had her “gone country” moment. She has always treated the genre with respect, and not exploited her close ties to the music for commercial application like some other pop stars.
“I’m not even trying to get played on country radio,” Clarkson continues in the rant. “Here’s the thing, I just love country music. Okay? So why don’t we all just star putting our 80’s and 90’s records on, okay? And let’s figure out, what is country music? What is the sound we like again? Because it’s not what you’re playing on the radio. I’m mad about it. That’s right. Because I’m a fan, and I go to shows. And I don’t want to feel like I’m at some weird rock show where they start rapping. What? Why are you rapping in country music? I don’t understand it. I get ‘let’s be progressive.’ I get it. I’m all about being [progressive.] But come on. And it’s not just one. It’s like a lot of y’all. And it’s bad. Sorry.”
Though it’s common for traditional country performers and their fans to go off on the state of pop country, for a performer like Kelly Clarkson to do it carries much more weight, similar to when Tom Petty said similar things back in 2013. And where country fans run the risk of being called “racist” for questioning why rap is part of the country format, Kelly Clarkson has the credibility in the music world as an artists to speak her mind without fear of major backlash and misunderstanding, especially since she’s only saying how most everyone feels.
“I’m ready for country music to hate me. But you know what? I know a lot of country artists right now that agree with me. They ain’t gonna say it because they’re still trying to get played. But everybody’s mad,” she says.
Country music continues to be dominated by what is being played on the radio, which continues to fill a smaller and smaller niche of listeners as opposed to the masses at large. So even though the top songs and artists seem very popular, there’s only a small percentage of people that are listening. Meanwhile non radio country continues to grow in market share. The country radio format as also virtually abandoned women, which Clarkson also addresses.
“Y’all don’t play people with boobs either. It’s fine. It’s like, ‘Oh, they got boobs. It’s not a man. We can’t play you. Get out of here.’ What happened? The 90’s was filled with … do you want me to go off on how many women were so monumental? I’m a singer, I’m not even in country music, and I was so inspired by Reba, Trisha, Patty, I could keep going. Martina, Terry, The Judds, Wynonna. There’s so many women. Dolly, Shania. All of these women are from the 90’s.”
Kelly Clarkson summed up her rant with the sentiments most all of us feel.
“What is happening in country music? This is what’s happening, y’all aren’t playing country music anymore. It’s like, what? I’m mad about it.”
The next question is, how long can country music survive as a radio format if it continues to disenfranchise its core listeners, radio continues to see falling ratings, fans continue to discover better options through streaming and other mediums, and people like Kelly Clarkson continue to speak up, saying what we most all believe?
The country music rant starts at the 6:40 mark.
September 9, 2019 @ 9:56 am
And all the pop county fans can’t use the she’s just jealous argument cause she’s more famous than their heros.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:00 am
Good point.
You and I can say these things all day. Kelly Clarkson says them, it resonates far beyond disgruntled country fans.
September 9, 2019 @ 7:28 pm
And let’s not forget Linda Ronstadt’s “mall crawler music” comment about the state of modern country music. Kelly is in good company with a seasoned music veteran who grew up with a substantial amount of C&W in her musical DNA.
September 9, 2019 @ 4:06 pm
stood in line n left my coment took about six ours or so
September 10, 2019 @ 10:08 am
Great post.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:01 am
This thoroughly makes me happy. Now, hopefully, more notice will be taken about the horrible messes of the so called “country” music coming out of Nashville now and getting major radio play. Thanks for giving this full attention, Trigger.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:15 am
She continued in a facebook q&a that was after the youtube one. This time hitting on storytelling and stellar songwriting and melodies that’s missing from most (mainstream) country today. “The greatest songwriters are in country music.”
https://www.facebook.com/KellyClarksonShow/videos/469904750527756/
September 9, 2019 @ 10:16 am
When you love something, you care about it.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:17 am
i had just posted this on another thread then i came to this one and watched KC’s comments . ironic , i thought , …so if its ok and ‘legal’ i’m post it here again..
”For a price, you can become an elite member of the CMA and get a vote.”
wow…that sounds VERY democratic ( ?????) . if you can AFFORD it you can vote ??
first off , most folks who may be able to make a difference to radio playlists don’t listen to enough commercial ‘country’ music anymore to want to PAY for the right to vote on who is the lesser of all evils . secondly ….well ….actually ..never mind . i think i’ve said it all with that.
radio ‘country’ is mostly geared to a casual radio listener content with musical wallpaper . outside of the fake ‘twang’ this is NOT music which represents traditions and does not bring people to the clubs or dance floors . as i’ve mentioned here many times , i’ve spent a good part of my musical life ‘ in the trenches ‘ playing live . people in the clubs are NOT asking for the Ol Town Roads or Kane Brown or Aldean whatsoever BECAUSE THEY CAN’T DANCE TO IT or somehow relate to it .they are , however , COUNTRY music fans familiar with the genre’s history and will still request everything from Hank’s ‘Hey Good Lookin’ to Alabama’s stuff , from Patsy to George Strait ‘s ballads , ANYTHING approaching western swing to Midland and Brooks and Dunn . we almost never hear a request for ‘newer’ chart music in the clubs and we’re talking about quite an age cross-section .
It’s just a fact . this is forgettable fluff with mostly pop earmarks which radio advertisers will pay to sponsor BECAUSE OF THE MOSTLY URBAN DEMOGRAPHIC IT ATTRACTS …..young people with disposable incomes who will buy the products advertised by these sponsors . if you are , in fact , a fan of this kind of trendy radio music ….fine . but please know that you aren’t listening to COUNTRY music whatsoever and , in fact , you are undermining the work of REAL country artists and writers when you support the advertisers who force radio to play this non-descript stuff in order to huck their wares .
just understand that even if you don’t think you’d enjoy or want to know anything about REAL country music you are in the war to KILL something you may not fully understand .
September 9, 2019 @ 10:38 am
Fine comment Albert. I’ve been noticing the same thing. You go to a country bar/honky tonk and nobody’s dancing to this new trash. It’s the older songs that get people moving. George Strait, Garth, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson etc. And go to a Texas Dance Hall it’s even more traditional, Bob Wills still finds airplay along with classic outlaw era stuff. Shuffles , Boogies and Waltzs all night long.
September 9, 2019 @ 4:01 pm
Damn good comment, Albert. I notice the same thing. Around here, nobody dances to “God’s Country,” but you play “Boot Scoot” (groan) or “Good Time,” and the floor fills up, beer starts flowing, and everybody sings. And Conway Frickin’ Twitty still pulls couples from the wings for a slow dance. I’ve dropped into “country nights” hosted by the local country (sic) radio station: all the young people there raise their beers to certain songs on the radio and get wasted together … but they don’t dance. Maybe they don’t know how.
Old-timers? They do.
To watch an old couple dance is a beautiful thing. It makes this old dog positively misty-eyed — privately, you understand.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:30 am
Good for her! This is a net positive for country music. Please no more Dan and Shay collabs though.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:44 am
On some recent 2 hour car rides for doctors appointments we listened to “country” stations and literally, for over an hour, would not hear one single female. We heard Justin Moore, Kenny Cheney, Dan+Shay… you get the picture. Thankfully there is a station we could tune in that plays predominantly 90s country mixed with older hits and immediately upon tuning it in we heard Patty Loveless and Jessica Andrews played back to back. Hard to believe but true! A huge issue, I think, is that there are a handful of stations that control the charts and the trickle down effect is that many of the lower tier stations just follow along. They are killing the genre, and radio itself. I do not want to hear Luke Bryan twice an hour. I do not want the only female I hear to be the one singing that dumb “What If” song with Kane Brown. The bland all-male line up of indistinguishable voices is bottoming out, and when it finally crashes I really hope country music will re-group and the ship will right itself.
September 9, 2019 @ 11:44 am
I think Dan + Shay are seen as a female artist, considering their prepubescent voices.
September 9, 2019 @ 4:07 pm
“Dan + Shay” are male?
My going theory is that male artists are mostly all about $$$ and game and don’t give a rat’s ass about being shallow or flattering. Radio? it’s for casual listeners who don’t give a damn about “art.” And female listeners want fantasies from music just like they continue to want romance novels and teevee shows like The Bachelor. So we get this race to the bottom, time after time.
Let’s face it, the time of big album sales is long over. All we’re going to see from now on is the Lowest Common Denominator.
If you want quality, you’ll have to find it yourself and pay for it.
September 10, 2019 @ 6:47 am
Ok, I am going to stop short of calling Dan+Shay “females,” but they are EXTREMELY effeminate and their appeal to women is lost on me. I also don’t watch The Bachelor so I guess I need to thank my husband for the fact that I don’t need this stuff to fuel fantasies and I should also thank my mom and dad for raising me on Waylon/Willie/Cash/Jones as well as Dolly/Loretta/Tammy/Tanya. Until I started reading SCM it puzzled me how the watered down R&B of Dan+Shay got so popular but now I see that apparently there are actually women who like it. Ugh.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:57 am
If this article isn’t the perfect bridge into your review of The Highwomen album, then I don’t know what is.
September 9, 2019 @ 12:51 pm
I was thinking the same thing! Really hope Trigger reviews The Highwomen. Their album is my favorite of the year so far.
September 9, 2019 @ 1:16 pm
A Highwomen review will be posted soon. One would have been posted on Friday if their publicist, Asha Goodman, hadn’t explicitly excluded from servicing me the record like the rest of media. #supportwomen
September 9, 2019 @ 5:58 pm
Sorry to hear that. I totally understand why you’re posting your review later now. Still look forward to your thoughts.
September 9, 2019 @ 7:10 pm
That really pisses me off. What bullshit.
September 9, 2019 @ 9:35 pm
Considering how you’ve gone off on Maren Morris, I’m not surprised by that.
I won’t deny that you do a lot to promote quality music made by women, but I never did quite understand the vendetta against her.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:28 pm
I do. I have listened to her music. I cannot understand why those other women wanted her in their group. I guess they wanted another name after Margo Price backed out.
September 9, 2019 @ 11:00 pm
There is no vendetta against Maren Morris. My first review of her was positive, and I’ve said nice things about her in regards to The Highwomen. The vendetta is held by someone else, and has nothing to do with Maren specifically. Refusing to service me the record does nothing. It’s spiteful and stupid. Eventually I will get it. It’s just the reason the review has been delayed.
September 11, 2019 @ 7:09 pm
The March 12 article is basically a long-winded attack on her character without an album review to frame it around. I don’t know what, if any, personal history exists between any of you, and it’s none of my business. I’m not offended that it exists, I just am not surprised they’re not interested in sending you an advance copy because of that past.
The comments on your album review kind of illuminate that they’re probably not missing many sales from SCM readers because you didn’t get it on time, either.
I do agree that some of the media get out of hand with the lavish praise toward any project that fits their needs, politically or professionally. And then people get too bent out of shape about it, but I guess that’s the nature of the internet.
September 10, 2019 @ 6:09 am
See this is the kind of hypocrisy that only hurts the “Support Women Artists” movement. The publicist is showing her ass by not providing you with the album for review. They’re all about the women’s movement but only in their little Nashville bubble.
The same Nashville bubble that isn’t doing shit with women artists.
September 9, 2019 @ 11:13 am
Im even more interested in Kelly’s Country album now. Can’t go the pop country route now can she? Shane McAnally doesn’t really scream traditional to me but maybe he wrote her some classics.
September 9, 2019 @ 12:26 pm
She sings guest harmonies on Trisha Yearwood’s new ‘Every Girl’ album; judging from the tracks she appears on (“Workin’ on Whiskey” and “Tell Me Something I Don’t Know”), I think it would be great if she goes for more of that sort of traditional-leaning material. 🙂
September 9, 2019 @ 5:43 pm
She’s fantastic on Trisha’s new record, and it is sublime.
September 9, 2019 @ 1:29 pm
Kelly Clarkston? I really doubt that she is capable of doing anything but disposable pop music. Ever listen to some of the drivel she puts out?
September 10, 2019 @ 6:56 am
U missed her point…she respects country music. She’s not tryna tell u pop is country. Please re-read
September 11, 2019 @ 12:55 am
No I did not. I was replying to the post by You and Your White Claw.
September 10, 2019 @ 10:47 pm
Give a listen to her song “Don’t Rush” featuring Vince Gill. That’s more country than anything you’ll hear on mainstream radio today.
That said, the song is my favorite of hers only because I’m not entirely familiar with the rest of her catalog.
September 11, 2019 @ 12:57 am
She is miles away from the type of music that I listen too. American Idol cookie cutter pop is not my cup of tea. But hey, to each their own.
September 9, 2019 @ 11:18 am
Preach, Kelly! A scary thought I had while listening to the radio at work: Reba, George, Alan,etc, too many to list aren’t getting any younger. Country Music 2030, folks raised on Lil Nas, Kane & Ballerini, making records. Forgive 1997, for thinking it was bad then.
September 9, 2019 @ 11:22 am
It was supposed to say *forgive me 1997, fat fingers signing off.
September 9, 2019 @ 3:30 pm
THIS is why SCM and our voices are so important . Like trigger ,I spread the word about the good stuff EVERY CHANCE I GET ….the real , the tradition , the TALENT and especially the great songs that are ignored by radio ( SCM playlist etc. ) . and i know many of the folks here do the same . THIS is how the lil nas crap will be nipped in the bud ….by everyone who loves REAL doing a little bit to promote it …especially to up-and-coming writers , singers, players . THAT is who will save this genre now so we need to preserve and educate so they will do the same
.
Its on us now ‘cuz its obvious the ‘powers that be ‘ don’t give a flying f### about COUNTRY music or COUNTRY writers or COUNTRY singers and pickers . All they see are potential ‘marks’ and $$$$$$$$$$$$ . And I’d argue that its every bit as bad in canada if not worse . radio is forced to play 1/3 canadian content but the third they play is just imitation american ‘country’ radio …. shit shit shit .
someone else can have the soapbox …I have to pee .
September 9, 2019 @ 11:27 am
I love Kelly’s comments. If Carrie ever steps down, I believe she would be a great host of the CMA Awards with Blake Shelton.
I question to what happened to Top 40 radio too. I am not a fan of rap music and many of the pop tarts that are constantly played. It is interesting that you used to be able to hear ballads, pop, dance and rock all on Top 40. Now, it is all Lizzo, Post Malone or Drake.
September 9, 2019 @ 10:41 pm
I’m no fan of Lizzo, Post Malone or Drake but Kelly Clarkston is just as bad or even worse. At least those artists have moved the needle forward. Times have changed. It’s not the 60s or 70s. There was never a time when I could listen to Top 40 radio and enjoy song after song. It’s always been a mish mash of good and bad. Now it just all sounds the same to me.
September 9, 2019 @ 11:40 am
I love her rant and she has enough fame for it to hopefully get some attention.
What I am most curious is this quote from Kelly… “I know a lot of country artists right now that agree with me. They ain’t gonna say it because they’re still trying to get played (*let’s be real, PAID). But everybody’s mad,”
Are those the same country artists that are making/ releasing pop? Yes. So they claim to be mad but are part of the problem. Interesting.
September 9, 2019 @ 12:19 pm
If she really felt that strongly about pop country I doubt she would’ve taken Kelsea Ballerini on tour. She’s talking the talk now but it will be interesting to see where she goes with her own album.
September 9, 2019 @ 1:21 pm
Many artists loathe the music they’re releasing. So do their labels, their managers, and their booking agents. It’s a sausage factory. They know how it’s made, so they don’t want to eat it.
September 9, 2019 @ 5:37 pm
LOL- good one Trigger!
September 9, 2019 @ 11:45 am
Kelly Clarkson has the credibility in the music world? Not my music world. She just seems like a another manufactured pop star to me. As for rapping in country songs, is that happening a lot? I have never even heard that “Old Town Road” song. I just stay away from music that I do not think I’ll like. It’s actually quite easy. I just listen to music that I like, plain and simple and ignore the rest.
September 9, 2019 @ 12:56 pm
“As for rapping in country songs, is that happening a lot?”
The Bellamy Brothers – “Country Rap” (Album: Country Rap – Released: 1986)
Eddie Rabbitt – “C-Rap (Country Rap)” (Album: 10 Rounds – Released: 1991)
September 9, 2019 @ 12:49 pm
“I don’t want to feel like I’m at some weird rock show where they start rapping. What? Why are you rapping in country music?”
Yes, I totally agree. Then why did she duet with professional country music rapist Jason Aldean?
September 10, 2019 @ 10:39 am
Eaxctly my point. Kelly had the chance and didnt necessarliy make the change she wanted to see in country music ….So why is she complaining??
September 11, 2019 @ 11:38 am
To be fair, at the time she recorded with Aldean, he wasn’t as universally associated with crap music as he is now. I think his last single from the album before she sang the duet was “The Truth”.
September 13, 2019 @ 4:24 am
The song she recorded with Aldean does not include the hick-hop / rapping. If anything, she demonstrated to him that he can get a good country song played.
While Aldean had a hit with some rapping in “Dirt Road,” (by Brantley Gilbert and Colt Ford), his music overall tends to be more along the lines of country-rock than country-rap. He’s got electric guitars cranked up to “11.” But, he doesn’t sleep as far pop-country or beats-influenced as Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, or Kane Brown.
With Luke, the fact remains that he didn’t get steady massive airplay for his singles until he started releasing stuff like “Country Girl (Shake it for Me,” “That’s My Kind of Night,” and “Drunk on You.” The main word that comes to mind for those songs is “insipid.” Luke has said that the beat is one of the most important musical aspects to him. He wants people to feel that thump in their chest.
Too much bass in music hurts my ears, but I am fine with “All my Friends Say,” which has a strong drum beat to it. For what it’s worth, I think he is trying to move more toward music that reflects, “Yeah, I’m 40 and I have kids.” While “Sunrise, Sunburn, Sunset, (Repeat)” definitely had the “repeat” part covered, it at least was written from the perspective of someone looking back on when they had nothing but free time, instead of from the perspective of someone whose life is nothing but partying and playing. Even “Knocking Boots” is more like something someone would have said in the 80’s or 90’s that they’re saying to their spouse now to be playful.
He has lived a life that has some tough experiences that could be moving in songs. I understand if he just can’t go there, or if “Drink a Beer” is as close as he can get. He used to say that his favorite song he ever wrote was “We Rose in Trucks.” It fizzled on the charts compared to some of his goofier, good-time, upbeat fluff. It might have some of the elements of a “list” song, but they were real-life ones that covered not just playing hard, but working hard, and emotional journeys in growing up. “What Country Is” similarly could be called a “list” song, but it’s listing things with substance, and distinguishing them from things trying to pass as country, like “a John Deere cap that never fell in the cotton” or “a Rebel flag you bought at the mall,” versus “homemade peach ice cream on sunburnt lips,” “a hideaway bed in an old hay loft,” and “two kids getting caught, stealing a Boone’s Farm kiss.”
By the time of “What Makes You Country,” he’s somewhat surprised to have to defend or prove his country credibility, and to try to argue that there are a lot of different things that make people country, if the sincerity is there. Historically, I think that’s true. A lot of eras in country music that we look back on now as better days were maligned as not country. Hank Jr’s “We Are Young Country,” is one. But, even folks like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Waylon had to stretch the boundaries a bit. And, the “Countrypolitan” and “Nashville Sound” don’t count as country to some. Honky-tonk music and ballads might be the closest thing to ‘pure country.’
I don’t feel the need to narrow or define country music for anyone else’s ears. The windmill I’m tilting at is the overplaying of a few songs and artists at the expense of opportunities to play other songs that might appeal to country music fans. Be never heard a country station play Charlie Robison’s “My Hometown.” That’s an old example, but there are plenty of more current ones discussed on this site. The Honeycutters “Lilies” has the feel of country tinged with bluegrass written by someone who didn’t sleep through all of their American History classes.
Trying to make the 9-hour drive home listening just to country radio would drive me nuts. I listen to my playlists on Rhapsody/Napster, CDs, or Pandora. Kelly is right – there’s a lot of good country music that doesn’t make it to the radio, because all the slots are filled with the same songs every hour, or the same artist 12 times a day. And, good country music is being excluded for arbitrary reasons. Artists are forced to choose between playing what they love learning to ‘love’ what will play.
September 9, 2019 @ 1:04 pm
Somehow this seems appropriate:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsL7PWOLgtE
September 9, 2019 @ 5:40 pm
Dr Pepper is my soda pop choice- long before that little guy made commercials- but, me being me, if I didn’t already drink it that stupid little guy would ensure I never did!
September 9, 2019 @ 1:25 pm
Good for her. However, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan both have fat guy B cups ..
September 9, 2019 @ 1:40 pm
There is so much great country and roots music coming out these days. I have picked up on many artists right from this website which I am thankful for. So what if they play mostly crap on the radio? It has been that way for decades with all types of music. It’s not the 70s anymore. They play what a majority of people want to hear, the stuff that sells. Most people are not hardcore music fans like many of us. Just listen to the the wealth of good stuff out there and just ignore the rest. I don’t want artists like Sarah Shook, Cody Jinks, Tyler Childers, Margo Price, Whitey Morgan, Mike and the Moonpies etc playing arenas and stadiums like Chris Stapleton and Carrie Underwood.
September 9, 2019 @ 8:50 pm
I don’t either. I’m selfish, I like small intimate venues with the artists we love like Sarah, Cody, Whitey, Moonpies, and many others. I just wish they could get the recognition and compensation they deserve for making incredible music that we all love and know is great. It’s a catch 22 situation. We’re caught between a rock and hard place. I saw Combs when he was playing a small bar. I’ll never go see him in a 10,000 seater and that’s ok he won’t miss me.
I’m glad that Kelly said what she said, she has a big mouth that the sheeple might listen to but really she’s musically irrelevant anyway. Her last album stiffed bad, now she’s the next Ricki Lake. Loved Breakaway though, a fuckin masterpiece. Please don’t try Country Kel, mom/daughter talk show host is a perfect fit.
September 9, 2019 @ 3:07 pm
I do not listen to whatever today’s “country” is on a regular basis. When I take a solo road trip, I occasionally try to tune in for a little while to hear what is happening now. I can never listen for even half an hour. It is mostly pure torture.
September 9, 2019 @ 4:46 pm
I have no complaints with anything she said, but I distinctly remember her or her people trying to cross over with a song that had Vince Gill on it and then a song called Tie It Up. Not sure either song got much traction, but I’m positive someone tried (mgmt? label?)
September 10, 2019 @ 5:44 am
Kelly apparently recorded a whole country album that ended up getting scrapped. To me it doesn’t sound much different than the music she’s complaining about now. Here’s a leaked song. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aGol4LDHdaM
September 9, 2019 @ 11:48 pm
Hell right! …jesus…I just dropped about 30 IQ points just from typing that… might as well type “knockin’ boots” and just finish myself off…
September 10, 2019 @ 9:09 am
I like Kelly more as a person than for her music, but I wouldn’t have ever started visiting this site without here! I grew up on country music but stopped listening in the 2000s as both women and country music disappeared from country radio. I was listening only to rock and some pop/rock when Kelly promoted Four the Record on her twitter account back when it was released. I absolutely fell in love with Miranda’s music and devoured her whole back catalog and I see her every time that I can. (The album release show for interstate gospel was sublime!)
Since then I almost exclusively listen to country women. I had no idea there were so many because they certainly don’t get mainstream radio play or press!
September 10, 2019 @ 9:14 am
I’m 35 years old and I haven’t met anyone who grew up listening to Country Music during the 80’s and 90’s say country music over the last several years is better than what we grew up on. Heck, even 2000-2011 was vastly better than what I’ve heard for the most part the last several years. I applaud her comments. There is truth in what she said, and was on point when referencing all the great female artist from the 90s. I do think there are people 26 and younger who will go lookup music from the 90s and be introduced to amazing music for the first time. It would help if current artist not happy spoke up. However, I’m pretty sure William Michael Morgan no longer has a record deal for simply sticking up for artist who want to make traditional country music, so that won’t happen anytime soon. However, I do feel there is a movement that slowly is getting bigger and bigger moving mainstream country radio towards traditional country music. You are starting to hear the change on radio, which is awesome!!
September 10, 2019 @ 10:22 am
You can’t put this genie back in the bottle as much as I would like it to happen. It may not seem it but we got to this pop country place over a long period of time, by long I mean a few years not a decade or anything but a few years.and each month the boundaries got stretched a bit more and more, until here we are. Unfortunately they have a lot of younger fans and those fans are not going to go back to real country music. And those fans spend money, not to say us old fans don’t also but it’s different older folks have less disposable income as a rule to use for music or especially for advertisers of products used by younger folks.
September 10, 2019 @ 10:32 am
Shouldnt she be CONCERNED about losing weight and not getting her pathetic show CANCELLED? Who cares what this greasy looking beetch has to say?
September 10, 2019 @ 1:01 pm
#classycomment
September 10, 2019 @ 3:13 pm
Shouldn’t you be concerned about being such an asshole?
September 10, 2019 @ 10:35 am
CARRIE UNDWERWOOD is averaging $1 mil a night on her current tour while Kelly was barely at $300k. Now shes been reduced to a talk show that is waiting to be cancelled.
September 10, 2019 @ 1:03 pm
This article has nothing to do with CU. In fact KC is advocating for all women in Country INCLUDING CU. Why are you here?
September 15, 2019 @ 10:35 pm
That’s a very ill informed comment. There are a lot of factors that go into tour numbers. First off your figures are wrong. Kelly averaged $625,000 per show on her last tour, and only did 28 dates. Carrie is doing around 70 shows. Do you know the difference in ticket price tiers? What size markets were played? What size venues were played? You sound like douche pitting to women against each other when the point is to support all women artists.
September 18, 2019 @ 11:17 am
Please. Do not act like youre an idiot. Ticket prices are determimed by customer demand for the artist and their fan base. Hence the reason Beyonce or Taylor Swift can price their tickets higher. Kelly Clarkson does not sell as many tickets nor is her demand as high as Underwood when it comes to touring. Her last album alone was dismal in sales.
September 10, 2019 @ 10:49 am
KELLY had the chance. She collaborated with Jason Aldean and Dan and Shay who are more pop than country. SO WHYY is she now complaining and jumping on the bandwagon when she never even tried to make the change that she wanted to see? KUDOS to this website and the creator for bringing awareness to the state of country music. BUT KELLY…There are many amazing country artists that you could have collaborated with but u chose to duet with the same culprits that are responsible for the degradation of todays country music. Anyone miss Alan Jackson, Geroge Strait and Loretta Lynn? Lets hear what they have to say. Not a washed up pop singer.
September 10, 2019 @ 3:11 pm
The chance to what? Did you even listen to the interview or did you just skip to the comments to complain, whinge and moan??? She said she isn’t country like several times, have you even listened to her music, her last album was the album she’d been wanting to make since Idol which is not country. She dabbled a bit but there’s nothing wrong with that and every song she has sung on were songs that were actually sung, not that weird word rap crap that she’s totally hitting the nail on the head about. And she did record with Reba who is an amazing country artist/legend & that was before she married Reba’s son. And performers actually have to work you know. You may not like Jason Aldean’s music but I doubt he just sits around on his ass all day doing nothing. He has to tour and record and then tour again and do all the other stuff they do. And for the record with 12.3 million followers on Twitter she is far from washed up.
September 18, 2019 @ 11:10 am
Honey… I understand you’re a Kelly Clarkson fan. However she definitely tried to make the country music move and failed. Her tours have not been up to par with the Taylor Swifts and Rihannas of the world. Even Underwood sells out arenas three times the size of Kelly. Her last album was not a success. Is she loved? ….Yes. But her music career has gone down the drain.
September 11, 2019 @ 8:15 pm
Oh for the days of artists like Gary Stewart. Been playing his album of 45 years ago, circa the song “She’s Acting Single, I’m Drinking Double.” That wasn’t just good country music, it was great music. Period.
September 12, 2019 @ 6:57 am
I find the objection to rapping interesting because what we now refer to as rap was preceded by the talking blues, defined as, …”…a form of folk music and country music. It is characterized by rhythmic speech or near-speech where the melody is free, but the rhythm is strict.”
September 12, 2019 @ 9:28 am
Talking blues, rapping, recitation, and cowboy poetry are all separate art forms, and I think it is somewhat insulting to them all to lump them in the same boat simply because verses are spoken instead of sung. I agree talking blues and rap are closer, but those trying to say “Devil Went Down To Georgia” is a country rap song don’t know what they’re talking about.
September 12, 2019 @ 11:35 am
“….all separate art forms….” interesting point of view.
September 14, 2019 @ 12:45 pm
It’s great that Kelly has the guts to address the elephant in the room that’s not often publicly discussed by those inside the music industry.
Like Trigger, Grady Smith has now covered Kelly’s comments too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imBpr4KGMto