While I love it just as much as the next person when there is “nowhere to go, nowhere to be,” and while I found myself in this situation more times than not over the winter break, I never once chose to roll into town and “ take another lap around.” These lyrics, from Cole Swindell and Florida Georgia Line respectively, seem to summarize the recent level of song writing that has taken over the country music world. Although many country music fans have voiced their negative opinions about this new “bro-country” style, and how originality and creativity has all but slipped away from the genre, do they have any substantial argument for their case? An article that I saw repeatedly posted to my Facebook newsfeed while not having my “bed backed up to the water” over the break might have the answer to this question (Parmalee).
I will be the first to admit that I have been known to drive around on a nice day with the windows down listening to the bro-country anthems that sing of this very thing. And while in this post I voice my negative opinions towards this new style of country, I cannot deny that the tunes being put on the radio recently are catchy and easy to sing along to. However, what I can defend, with the help of savingcountrymusic.com, is that when these songs come on the radio, I can never tell who they are. Whether it is Florida Georgia Line, Blake Shelton, or Luke Bryan, they are all singing about warm summer days, hitting on women, and back country roads.
The similarities within this new style do not stop with just the words but continue even further with the music that accompanies the lyrics. A DJ known as Sir Mashalot, and an accompanying article by savingcountrymusic.com, shows the truth behind these comparisons. By combining the top hits of six different artists of today’s bro-country movement, Sir Mashalot was able to show the scary resemblances that exist. You can listen for yourself, but combined together, the six songs flow together almost as well as any other bro-country song.
As I have mentioned before, I believe this new style of country music has its appropriate time and place. However, I worry where the future of country music as a whole is headed. What happened to the country music songs that carried with them real life lessons? What happened to the clever lines that the listener can only help but tip their hat and grin to? I fear that classic, meaningful lines like “Daddies don’t love their children every now and then. It’s a love without end, amen” and “to the world, you may just be another girl, but to me, baby, you are the world” are quickly being replaced with butchery of the English language like “keeping it real like chill like only have a drink or two” and “A little something bumping, thump, thumping on the wheel ride” (Strait, Paisley, Shelton, Florida Georgia Line). I can only hope that creativity and originality can resurface within the country music genre.
I have read multiple articles written about this common controversy in country music, but I have never fully understood it as well as I do now, after reading this post. I think you’re right, popular songs that are easy to listen to have a time and a place but I can see the lacking the lyrics often hold. I have realized that many times when I am listening to the radio, I do not even listen to the words that I find myself singing along to. And now that I realize it, some of the lyrics are just plain silly (for instance, the bump, thumping, thump on the steering wheel that you pointed out). However, I do still like it. It is uplifting and fun and easy to listen to without having to think too much. But then again, that isn’t what artistry is made of. There are performers and then there are songwriters. Sometimes, when they’re lucky, they are both (and usually legends). I think you put it great, and really just have to take each piece of music for what it’s worth.
I like that you and James share the same video yet have such different things to say about it. I will add, though, that some people really do seem to “connect” with Bro Country songs about getting drunk and riding out on the lake. Eventually people will either grow bored or grow out of it.