Country music: Why it should not be underrated
May 18, 2016
While some may cringe and hastily change the radio station in the car when a country tune comes on, they many times have not listened to the full song before, or heard the message that is being told by the song because it sounds like “redneck” or “hick” music. Yes, there definitely are country songs that can be labeled as such, but If people just took the time to listen to a few of the top country songs of each era of country music, I believe they would be pleasantly surprised. — Megan Landon
False assumption that country music is just a bunch of drunk farmers that sing songs about beer, girls and trucks is what ruins the genre for many people. In reality, many are about those topics, but they have special or fun meaning behind them. If someone would listen to the Lee Brice song “I Drive Your Truck,” they would see that it is about a man who lost his brother to the war and he drives the truck around in memory of the fallen soldier. Instead of being corny, it brings many near to tears with the beautiful way the narrator remembers his brother. Country music is all about the common man and woman, who are proud of where they came from and will work hard to reach their goals. Unlike some of the rap songs these days that have seemingly no significance and are not very thought out, each word of a country lyric has a particular message it is trying to send to the listeners.
Another reason that country music should not be so underrated is that the songs are oftentimes very natural. When I listen to a country song, it is hard not to notice how authentic it feels to hear the acoustic guitar, the piano, and really nothing else other than the artist’s down-south country roots. Many other genres, such as pop, have to add techno or remixed vibes to make the song sound more interesting, and of course there is some of this in country music, but overall it feels more down-to-earth and honest.
It is rare to find a singer that actually sounds as good in concert as on the radio, but many country singers manage to do so. In 8th grade, I was able to see Carrie Underwood perform in concert, and I was shocked at how amazing she sounded in concert. In fact, I thought she sounded better in person than any of her works I had heard on her CD’s or iTunes. My brother went to a Florida Georgia Line concert last summer, and came to the same conclusion about them. Because there is not much remixing and editing done to a country singer’s ballads, all country fans can know what to expect when they hear them in live performances.
Overall, there are many great genres of music that have previously been produced and are being produced, but one of the most underrated types of music is country. There is a song for every type of mood a person is in, and each of them have a meaning that listeners can relate to. So, next time a country song comes on the radio in your car, take the time to listen it because chances are it will be one of the highlights of your day.
