The 2023 ACM Awards aired a week ago on May 11th, and they were surprisingly better than I expected. While most people might just want to talk about who won or lost, I am here to also discuss what it showed about the current state of the genre.
It seems as though each year’s set of awards shows in Country music veers further and further away from what the viewing audience wants to watch. I also think there is a difference between Country fans who watch the awards shows and general fans of Country music as a whole. Those who watch the award shows are usually going to be older individuals, more passionate fans, or both. The every day Country fan who likes to listen to what is popular and can only really name the current stars of the genre is a lot less likely to tune in to the award show. Because of this, the shows have a more specific fan base to take into account. The audiences of the award shows are going to appreciate the history of the genre, legit Country artists performing without all the extra nonsense, and the overall respect for the genre shown by the artists. This means they want to see previous artists included in the shows with tributes, guest presenters, and honoring their accomplishments in different ways; moreover, the audience really does not want time taken up by random out of genre artists. No offense to them, but there is a reason we’re tuning into a Country awards show. With that being said though, it is a little different if another genre artist is featured on a song or is a friend of the genre such as Kelly Clarkson, P!NK, or even Ed Sheeran. Lastly, we want to see artists who are passionate about the genre, who have genuine respect for it, and who produce quality music win the awards. The CMA, AMC, and CMT awards all seemed to be trying to obtain a larger audience of viewers each year by bringing in outside artists (even Beyonce once) and by veering away from the roots of the genre. I suppose they thought they could bring in viewers who love those outside artist by doing this, but in the end, it failed. The ACM Awards even had to find a new home network because CBS no longer wanted to air it. I think they got the hint though because this year’s show was substantially better than I expected.
Let’s start with the hosts. They could not have picked more beloved Country artists as hosts when they chose Dolly and Garth (no last names even needed). It showed that they were serious about the awards being a showcase of the Country genre and that they were taking it seriously. The two of them did a great job entertaining the crowd and keeping the show moving (especially with no commercials on Prime Video). While there will never be hosts that compare to Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, they still did a great job. The ACMs also only gave showtime to one non-Country artist which I think the audience appreciated, and this was a performance by Luke Combs and Ed Sheeran so no complaints here. Ed Sheeran at least seems to have a genuine respect for Country. Next, they used the show to honor and represent older artists such as Dolly, Trisha Yearwood, Willie Nelson, and Randy Travis. It is always fun to showcase past artists to current audiences that might not know the history of the genre. All in all, the execution of the show was on point.
Next, we have to talk about Dolly Parton’s performance. She was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame, but she felt as though she was undeserving. So, she made a rock album. While anything Dolly does is exceptional, I was not sure how it would turn out. She performed “World on Fire” off the rock album on the show, and it was fantastic. As always, she showcased her incredible songwriting abilities with lyrics that are very fitting for our current time in the United States. She also delivered very well on the vocals and entertainment factor of the performance. Lastly, it was definitely rock. It was an all around great performance, and she reminded us all of what she can do.
There are also a few other performances that should be mentioned. Cody Johnson reminded us what actual Country music is when he covered “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”. He sang from his soul and delivered a great Country performance that brought the past to the present. Ashley McBryde also brought out Pillbox Patti, Caylee Hammack, and Brandy Clark to sing “Bonfire at Tina’s” which again reminded us what Country is but also showcased what women bring to genre. I also think Jason Aldean had a noteworthy performance when he sang his new song “Tough Crowd”. This is mainly because the song itself really brings out what is at the heart and soul of Country music: the every day hard-working fans. I have never heard a song in the genre that really celebrates its fans the way this one does, and you can tell he believes every word he sings in that song.
Alright, now we have to talk about Lainey Wilson. She won the ACM Awards. If you could just win the entire award show, she did. She took home four ACMs (two being with HARDY), and she performed twice (once with Jelly Roll). Her solo performance demonstrated that she is a multifaceted artist. She can be the duet partner, she can sing a soul touching meaningful song, AND she can rock out with a crowd and command the audience. Before her debut performance of “Grease” on the awards, she was usually singing with someone else or singing a more meaningful song, but “Grease” showed that she can have fun and command an audience. Lainey Wilson reveals more and more that she really is the future of women in Country and that it is in good hands.
There were also some performances that were not the greatest…..
While I like both of these artists, they didn’t really bring their A game to the ACMs. Kane Brown sang “Bury Me in Georgia”, but it just seemed dull. It’s a great song, but he just stood in one place and sang. That song requires energy, some pyrotechnics, and interaction with the band. I think he was just use to singing his other songs that are not as up beat and intense. HARDY sang “Truck Bed” which is one of my favorites off his new album, but it was definitely the wrong crowd for that song. He performed it as if he was out on tour with Morgan Wallen and everyone was there to see him. The entire performance just seemed out of place. He definitely brought the energy, but it was just him kind of going off all alone on stage. So just like Kane Brown’s performance, HARDY needed to add some other aspects to it to really bring it to life and make it an all encompassing “performance”.
Lastly, I do think that the awards themselves were given mostly to who deserved them… other than one instance. “She Had Me at Heads Carolina” won too many times. Yes, it was a popular song. Yes, it is catchy. HOWEVER, it is barely even an original song. Fifty-percent of that song is a previous song. I’m not diminishing it. It just is not an award-winning song. Also, Jo Dee Messina should have been asked to go up and accept the award each time it won because half of it is hers.
To conclude, I was happily surprised by the ACMs and hope that future award shows follow suit. It is more enjoyable when the show is truly about representing Country music in the best way possible.
Long Live Country Music :)
Dolly can do no wrong!!!