It finds Musgraves understanding the moment country music is in, leaning into her traditional country influences, and deserves to be a retrenching of her as one of the top women in country music.
Oh great, another list. And just like what always happens with lists these days, people treat them like it’s a “Where’s Waldo?” exercise, scouring through them to find what to tear apart based on their own tastes.
For years, rumors swirled about a a smoldering feud between Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves, though there was never any hard and fast confirmations. Both women are from small town East Texas.
Kacey Musgraves has a new album on the way May 1st called Middle of Nowhere, and it stands to be at least a partial return to her country roots, even if that’s not exactly reflected in the album’s lead single.
Recently, it was announced that Lost Highway was being recommissioned, and even more recently that Kacey Musgraves was named the label’s new flagship artist. She even released her version of “Lost Highway.”
Is Zach Top really a traditional country artist? Or is he just reimagining the sounds of ’90s country? And are people forgetting that in the ’90s, traditionalists though the music was terrible?
Yes, the “Applebee’s Song” singer (officially called “Fancy Like”), and country music’s King of bad white boy pseudo-rapping songs composed in his garage is currently out on the street.
By labeling a performer “Queer Country,” you’re not breaking down barriers, you’re erecting them with country music’s more conventional and conservative fans.
Cowboy Carter’s Best Country Album win wasn’t earned, it was compelled. Unequivocally, Beyoncé told us herself about her 2024 album Cowboy Carter, “This ain’t a country album.” But apparently, Grammy voters disagree.
Here we are in a moment in country music custom made for the neotraditional sounds of Midland, and here they are invoking the era in music when folk rock turned into mom rock on the easy listening station.
With an uncommon adherence to country sounds for a contemporary popular artist, and bolstered by reams of clever songwriting and spirited performances, Carly Pearce turns in an inspired and compelling album.
“Deeper Well” might have a few more memorable songs and mark a return to a more organic sound for Musgraves, but that “something’s missing” feeling persists. It seems to be marked by boredom.
Before all the pomp, pop, and circumstance of the televised portions of the 2023 Grammy Awards, the Grammy Premier Ceremony transpired Sunday (2-5) afternoon in Los Angeles. This is where many of the country awards are given out, as well as awards for bluegrass, folk, Americana.
There was most certainly a time in country music—and even in it’s more open-minded and less commercially-concerned cousin of Americana—where not fitting neatly within the gender binary would be a significant burden on the attention you would receive for your music. 2022 is not that time though.
According to numerous journalists, artists, and activists, after MIranda Lambert’s appearance on stage at the Bridgestone on Friday evening with Jason Aldean, all of her good will and Miranda’s active efforts to make country music a more inclusive place deserves to be called into question.
After a quarter century, and a very messy last eight years or so, Gary Allan has just made it official: he’s leaving his long time label home of Universal Music Group Nashville. And though we won’t know for a while just where he’ll land or how everything will shake out, it feels like it can only be a positive development.
It’s not that those “authenticity” concerns don’t continue to linger. But Midland is most certainly a mainstream country music bright spot, and has been ever since the band’s inception. This new album is no exception, once again taking Midland’s throwback 90s-era style…
If you feel like you’re experiencing déjà vu with Gary Allan lashing out at country music’s radio system, it’s because you’re more dialed into the doings of country music than the writers over at Rolling Stone. Yes, we have been at this exact spot with Gary Allan before.
Apparently, Carly Pearce did not get the memo. The script says that if you’re a mainstream country starlet that shows early promise in maintaining a little bit of country roots in your sound, as soon as you see some initial success, you’re supposed careen straight into full blown pop.
Many true country fans were ecstatic at the news, but I fear some folks have visions of getting a slew of new songs from Gary along the lines of “Nothing On but the Radio” and “Smoke Rings in the Dark” when we already have multiple indications that’s unlikely the direction Gary Allan will be taking.
We’ve known for a while now that Carly Pearce has the heart, and the history to become something special in the country mainstream. Now with her new 7-song album ’29,’ the Carly Pierce we’ve been impatiently waiting to reveal herself finally emerges.
Lady A started by changing their name to erase what some considered the racist connotations of “Antebellum” and to show solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Now that action has resulted in them publicly suing a well-respected black member of the music community and receiving a massive backlash for it.
Grammy nominated, CMA-winning, well-respected and admired singer and songwriter Brandy Clark is prepping the release of a new album in the new year called ‘Your Life Is A Record.’ Though details on the new record are still a little light, Brandy did preview the new record recently during a promotional event.
The effort to save country music must be a pragmatic one. Classic country like the stuff Midland is peddling has become a hot commodity in the mainstream and beyond in the last couple of years, and don’t question for a second that Midland and their big radio singles haven’t been a catalyst for this positive development.