Author Archives: Victoria Horvath

10 Fantastic Years!

The date was May 25, 2005. My family was glued to the TV while dramatic music played and lights shone around a well-known stage. We watched intently with the rest of America and awaited the results of season 4 of American Idol. Carrie Underwood was our long-time favorite to win, although Bo Bice posed a threat. On that night, we held our breath as Ryan Seacrest finally announced, “The winner of Season 4 of American Idol is… Carrie Underwood!”

Carrie Underwood wins American Idol!

Carrie Underwood wins American Idol!

I’m proud to say that I picked Carrie to win from the moment she first auditioned for the show. For some reason, it was obvious that she just had something that no one else had, and apparently America saw that too! Since she won, Carrie has flown to superstardom and is now one of the biggest and most influential stars in the country music business. She has released four albums with 11 #1 singles and many singles hitting in the top 5 of the country music charts, and has toured six times in the US and around the world.

It is hard to believe that the moment that is so engrained in my mind took place almost 10 years ago! But believe it or not, the time has come to celebrate the success of Carrie Underwood during the past 10 years, and what better way to do that than with a Greatest Hits album? That’s right, Carrie is releasing a new album titled Greatest Hits: Decade #1, comprised of her most popular and well-known songs from the last decade. It is fun to go back and listen to the songs that really staged her career and shot her to fame, because the album truly shows how much she has grown. Some of my personal favorites are “Before He Cheats,” “Cowboy Casanova,” “Undo It,” “Good Girl,” and “All-American Girl.” I’d definitely advise you to listen to her duet with Vince Gill, called “How Great Thou Art”; it is guaranteed to give you chills! Honestly though, it would be hard to go wrong with any of the songs on this album; it truly encompasses all of her greatest achievements.

Carrie Underwood Greatest Hits: Decade #1

Although the album does not actually hit stores until December 9, 2014, you can pre-order it here on Amazon!


Disc 1:

  1. “Something in the Water”
  2. “Little Toy Guns”
  3. “Inside Your Heaven”
  4. “Jesus, Take the Wheel”
  5. “Don’t Forget to Remember Me”
  6. “Before He Cheats”
  7. “Wasted”
  8. “So Small”
  9. “All-American Girl”
  10. “Last Name”
  11. “Just a Dream”
  12. “I Told You So” (feat. Randy Travis)

Disc 2:

  1. “Cowboy Casanova”
  2. “Temporary Home”
  3. “Undo It”
  4. “Mama’s Song”
  5. “Remind Me” (with Brad Paisley)
  6. “Good Girl”
  7. “Blown Away”
  8. “Two Black Cadillacs”
  9. “See You Again”
  10. “How Great Thou Art” (with Vince Gill)
  11. “So Small”
  12. “Last Name”
  13. “Mama’s Song”

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Filed under Movies and TV, New Country, Reflection, Women

Girl in A Country Song

Maddie and Tae's first single - "Girl In A Country Song"Ever listen to the lyrics of country songs? I mean really listen? I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes, I just play music and sing along without even knowing what I’m singing about. It becomes second nature after you hear a song a couple of times; the lyrics are constantly stuck in your head, the beat is catchy, and you can’t help but belt out the latest Luke Bryan song at the top of your lungs in the car. But when you really listen to the lyrics, sometimes you catch things that you overlook during a normal, relaxed listen.

To combat this lack of awareness, new duo Maddie and Tae released a song titled “Girl In A Country Song” in July. When I first heard this song on the radio, I couldn’t help but laugh and turn it up, because every single lyric was SO TRUE. Here’s a sampling of the lyrics:

“Bein’ the girl in a country song / How in the world did it go so wrong? / Like all we’re good for / Is looking good for you and your friends on the weekend / Nothing more / We used to get a little respect / Now we’re lucky if we even get / To climb up in your truck, keep my mouth shut and ride along / And be the girl in a country song”

And that’s not even the best part. The song takes so many jabs at the typical lyrics of a male-sung country song, from Luke Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night” to Thomas Rhett’s “Get Me Some Of That.” These girls take sarcasm, humor, and attitude to a whole new level, but at the same time, they really are trying to draw attention to a huge issue in modern-day country music.

Role reversal from the music video

When objectifying women is the norm of a genre and people don’t think twice about it when singing along, that’s a problem. Most people associate lyrics like that with rap songs, where they constantly talk about women shaking what they’ve got for the men around them. So when did it become so accepted in country lyrics? The sad part is that I’m completely guilty of the “in one ear, out the other” habit when listening to songs. But this song really made me stop and think about the songs that I listen to, especially this lyric:

“Aww no, Conway and George Strait / Never did it this way / Back in the old days / Aww y’all, we ain’t a cliché / That ain’t no way/ To treat a lady”

They said it perfectly. What happened to the old George Strait songs when a woman was treasured? The Conway Twitty songs about his “darlin’” rather than the generic label “girl.” You know, I honestly couldn’t even tell you. All I know is that I genuinely wouldn’t want to be the girl in a country song.

Girl In A Country Song – Maddie and Tae (music video)

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Filed under Bro Country, Music Videos, Women

Two-Steppin’ in Texas

They say that Austin, Texas is the Live Music Capital of the World, and I certainly can’t disagree. With concerts on every corner and live music in every bar, it’s hard to deny that Austin has earned that name. And although I’ve lived in Austin all my life, I’m sad to disclose that I really never attended any of those concerts or lingered long enough on an impromptu jam session to really appreciate them. However, since I started classes at UT, I’ve been more interested in experiencing the unique scene that is Austin, and that desire has driven me to places that I never expected to go. Now, mind you, I’m not really the kind of person to be that adventurous, so this feat of mine really only stretched as far as to go listen to live country music.

Ever since I was little, country music was the only genre played in my house, so I always had a soft spot for the nostalgic love song and the George Strait twang. I’m not sure why, but my parents never took me to a concert in my youth (disappointing, I know), so I had to venture off on my own to figure out just how great music is when played live.

So for my 20th birthday, accompanied by my best friend and my boyfriend, I visited Midnight Rodeo, a country dance hall in South Austin. Even on their website, they announce, “It sounds just like Texas in here!” And boy, are they right. As soon as I walked in, I knew the night was bound to be special. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing, completely unlike any place I had ever been before. There were boots and cowboy hats everywhere, and if you weren’t wearing boots, you could bet that you’d stick out like a sore thumb.

Midnight Rodeo in all its glory.

Midnight Rodeo in all its glory.

In the beginning of the night a DJ played mostly Nashville country, so we two-stepped to the honkytonk beat and had a great time. Eventually, though, it was time for the live music and soon Texas country artist Roger Creager took the stage. Before that night, I had never heard of Roger Creager before, mostly because I really wasn’t ever a fan of Texas country; it just has a completely different sound than your typical “radio” country. But the longer he played, the more I found myself dancing along and loving it. He played “The Everclear Song” (a popular crowd favorite, as I could tell) and “Love Is Crazy,” which brought all the couples out to the dance floor to enjoy the love ballad. By the end of the night, I was completely in love with Roger Creager’s music and the whole idea of live Texas country music.

My best friend and I with Roger Creager!

My best friend and me with Roger Creager!

The whole experience really opened my eyes to the world of live music, and also the subgenre of Texas country. Now I can’t help but sing along to “The Everclear Song” and linger a little longer when I hear live music being played around town. I’m so thankful for the experience and I’m excited to pass on the love of live country music to others.

Feel free to reply with a comment below about your favorite country music experience or respond to mine!

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Filed under Dancing, Live Music, Reflection