{"id":3345,"date":"2015-02-21T08:00:22","date_gmt":"2015-02-21T14:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/?p=3345"},"modified":"2015-02-16T22:11:20","modified_gmt":"2015-02-17T04:11:20","slug":"religion-in-country-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.dwrl.utexas.edu\/countrymusic\/2015\/02\/21\/religion-in-country-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Religion in Country Music"},"content":{"rendered":"

Carrie Underwood recently won a Grammy for her song about baptism and keeping the faith, \u201cSomething in the Water\u201d, solidifying country music\u2019s relationship with Christianity even more. Underwood often sings about her faith: her debut single was \u201cJesus Take the Wheel\u201d, which was another huge hit with audiences. She is a prime example of a country music star that rose from humble beginnings to fame, albeit through American Idol, but has kept her morals about her. She often cites her religion and devotion to God in her interviews and songs.<\/p>\n

\"Carrie<\/a>

Carrie Underwood<\/p><\/div>\n

But why are country music and Christianity so tied together? I think it is because of the genre\u2019s connection to the South, which is the Bible Belt of America: an area where religion is deeply engrained in many aspects of life. Country music markets itself as being the music of the people, and most Americans, particularly in the South, are religious, so this music speaks to them. Another reason is that country artists are usually normal people who are authentic, and fame doesn\u2019t really change them a lot. So if they were just southern religious people before having hit songs, then they still will be once they are famous. Unlike artists like Katy Perry, who were raised religious but shed that part of her life in her songs, artists like Carrie Underwood continue to integrate her faith into her multiplatinum songs to show her fans she is still the same Oklahoma girl that won American Idol.<\/p>\n