Nashville is no longer the perfect place for genuine Country Music fans to visit
It has lost its sparkle due to the fact that it is overrun by “influencers” and bachelorette parties. While the Grand Ole Opry, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Ryman Auditorium, and genuine Honkytonks are still physical embodiments of the genre, Nashville itself seems to now be more focused on catering towards the masses instead of passionate and real Country fans. Broadway is now just a giant Tequilla Cowboy on steroids. If I can’t walk into a bar on Broadway and hear Country music from the first floor to the roof top, is it even a Honkytonk? no.
Zach Bryan is very overrated
I believe Zach Bryan is not as good as the very loud people on social media make him out to be. I’m not saying he doesn’t have talent, and I’m not saying he isn’t “good”; however, I am saying that he is about a 4 on a scale of 1-10.
My reasoning:
1. He does not have a strong voice
2. His songwriting is actual subpar (especially in comparison to the countless outstanding writers in the County Music genre)
• His writing becomes way too abstract and hard to follow
• His songs lack structure and again make them hard to follow
• I swear he just googles words that rhyme and forces them into the song without any consideration if it grammatically makes sense or not
• Most of his songs sound the same (rhythmically & instrumentally)
3. He refuses to evolve
• He declared himself an establishment hating outlaw in Country music and is so hellbent on maintaining this image that he is not evolving as an artist
4. The production of his music itself is also subpar
5. Appears to have a generally bad attitude
Carrie Underwood should have won Entertainer of the Year at the 2019 CMA Awards
Carrie Underwood had the best year of her entire career in 2019, and it was undoubtedly better than any other artist in the category. The establishment gave the award to Garth Brooks who had gone back on tour that year. That is all he did. That is also basically the minimum to even be nominated, so it is not grounds to win. Carrie Underwood was at the height of her career in 2019 and showed this in everything she did. Afterwards, the entire genre was outraged. Her follow artists even called out the CMAs saying it was utter nonsense she did not win (proof I’m not the only one). Both male and female artists, countless fans, and those working in the industry agreed she deserved it. Garth Brooks even took himself out of the running for future EOTY awards because of the uproar. This past year, Lainey Wilson won EOTY. This was the first time a female has won since 2011 when Taylor Swift had won. When this occurred, it was an even bigger slap in the face that Carrie Underwood did not win in 2019 because it showed that a female who did not even headline her own tour was worthy and capable of winning. I can’t believe we are living in a world where Carrie Underwood has never won CMA Entertainer of the Year.
Morgan Wallen isn’t very “Country”
While Morgan Wallen’s voice itself is “country”, his music is not. This is obvious when looking at how diverse a crowd he attracts. While yes, he has some solid Country songs that definitely fit the genre (’98 Braves, Dying Man, Don’t Think Jesus), most of his music (especially the singles) are not Country. The instrumentation behind his music doesn’t provide much flavor or depth, and I think it is usually just a track. His music would generally fit in the pop/R&B genre when speaking about the rhythm and actual content/subject matter of his songs.
Country Music should stay “Country”
While obviously other genres seep their way into Country Music (which is not a bad thing), everyone should stop trying to make the genre something it isn’t. Country Music doesn’t need to lose its typical topics of trucks, beer, heartbreak, and love. It doesn’t need to start using tracks and lose the beautiful instruments such as steel guitar or banjo. It doesn’t need to “appeal to younger audiences”. Lastly, it definitely should not lose the superior songwriting skills it showcases to the world by creating simpler and washed-out songs. Country Music should continue to evolve with time, but it should always stay “Country”.
The End. Thank You.
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