Maybe The Band Perry Won’t Live Forever

We all have accepted the fact that Taylor Swift has flown away from the land of country music, and those few fans that admired her country tunes are still somewhat offended by this realization. Pop is trendy. Pop is in-the-moment flare. Pop is, well, overplayed and nothing special. I lose almost all respect for country artist that desert their home for the five seconds of fame in Pop Land (yes, I did just make up a new continent). The country music genre is home to meaningful, insightful, legendary stories in the form of music that lives on for decades after. Who has ever said the same of Pop music? Oh that’s right, no one. This leads me to my topic of frustration today: The Band Perry’s treacherous venture into the land of Pop-Rock music.

The trio’s new single, released in mid-August, title “Live Forever,” is anything but country. Let me tell you, the first time I heard this song was on a Pop station on my XM radio last week. I paused on the station I normally would’ve immediately skipped when I saw the name of a band I admired. Confused as to why a Pop station would play music from a country trio, I quickly became horrified. I stared in disbelief at the screen displaying the album cover and the song title. There is no way this is the same band that plays so many of my favorite tunes, I thought to myself as the upbeat, Disney-theme-sounding chorus played through my speakers. I don’t get it! I thought bands weren’t allowed to copy each other’s names… and why would someone else want to call their band “The Band Perry” as well? I was trying to think up any alternative other than the truth, which was that the song playing through my speakers was, sadly, The Band Perry.

It’s not that I despise the song itself. It’s catchy and decently written by the trio. Take a listen yourself in the music video I posted up top. The video, on a quick side note, is also very creative and brings back nostalgia for summer freedoms and being with friends, just as many country songs do. The thing that really gets my hair in a knot is the fact that the band decided to turn to the Pop-rock genre for this single. The song isn’t played on country stations. Why? Because it’s not country. It’s played on Pop stations. Popular country music blog, Taste of Country, gave the song positive reviews with praise for its “big,” “vivid” sound. I just can’t stand the fact that great, successful country bands think they need to drift over to the Poppy side of music to stay popular. Are we country fans not good enough? It’s almost like a stab in the back. We like these bands because they play music we like in a genre we love, not because they belittle themselves to the pop-culture and make crappy, not-at-all original tunes. I don’t see the overwhelming need for The Band Perry to join the Pop side of things. Stick to country music please, your fans love you for that.

4 Comments

Filed under Blog Post 4, Country Pop, Song Analysis

4 Responses to Maybe The Band Perry Won’t Live Forever

  1. Tyler Dial

    Morgan, I thought this was a wonderfully written blog. I too despise the new direction they are going, especially with one of the most cliche pop titles ever. Personally, I think we’re at a stand still in country music where it’s going to break in two. Guys like Sam Hunt, FGL, and now the Band Perry are all moving towards the pop world while guys like Chris Stapleton, the Brothers Osborne, and Eric Church are going to bring country music back to its authentic roots. In today’s format, country music is lacking authenticity– artists who are original. I’m all for changing to pop but only if that’s who the band is. Maybe the Band Perry’s label is responsible for their new direction?

  2. Claudia Boyd

    Morgan, it is so true that we have had some country artists leaving our beloved genre and taking the plunge in pop. For some it is sad to see them go, and for others, I guess they just fit better in the pop genre. The Band Perry, in my opinion, would be sad to lose. “Live Forever” though definitely has a much more “poppy” sound, especially compared to the band’s older stuff. But it contributes to the discussion that seems to be so huge right now: what makes a song country? When do you draw the line and only play a song on a pop station or a country station. You mentioned Taylor Swift, and I wonder when country radio stations pulled the plug on playing her music? It will be interesting to see how artists’s sounds evolve as culture continues to praise pop.

  3. I read a post about the Band Perry at Saving Country Music recently (URL below). Trigger depicts the new song as a deliberate attempt to “go pop” — and also a failure. Since the song didn’t hit the top of the charts, it delayed the release of the album, and may even have cast the Band Perry’s future into doubt. All that sounds a little dire, I guess, but your title may be more prescient than you expected!

    http://www.savingcountrymusic.com/the-band-perrys-big-fat-yellow-mistake

  4. Caitie Labay

    Morgan, this was a very well written post! I was saddened to hear that The Band Perry is going in the pop direction – they are so talented and I would hate to see them exiled from country music. When you first described the song as pop, I was still expecting to hear some banjo or steel guitar in the background…but when I listened to the music video I realized that you were right, there was no trace of country! The song isn’t that bad and the music video is interesting, but I’m really not sure if they would be able to make it in that industry. I hope they stay with what they know and do well…country music!

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