Compare And Contrast Country Music

Southern music is now called country music and is popular in many different places. It is for people from all walks of life. But, when we look at country music today and from years ago is it the same? , When did it become popular? and , How has the music changed over the years?

Have you ever wondered who the best country music artist is? Well the answer is simple, George Strait King of Country. George Strait should win Best Country Music Artist of all Time.

Traditionally, Country music has usually been associated as a white mans genre of music. Looking back over the history of this type of music one can attest to the fact that only a few artists fall outside this stereotype. For instance, you have musicians such as DeFord Bailey and Darius Rucker who have contributed so much to the genre through their works. However, as great as they are, there is one artist who has truly paved the way for African Americans in Country music and that is none other than Charlie Pride.

As country evolves new singers bring their individual talents to the table. Slowly country is becoming more of an pop beat. Singers usually have either a pop sound or an actual country sound. What about a singer that has the capability to combine both of the sounds. Thomas Rhett, a newer country singer has the ability to do both and with that he is transforming country music.

Raise your hand if you have ever listened to country music. Okay so a good amount of you have listened to it.

It exemplifies the south by portraying an easy-going, enjoyable feeling as one listens to the music. The genre has gone from sounding like folk and bluegrass to sounding more like pop songs. The genre of country music is mainly listened to by Caucasian Americans. Jeffrey Manuel explains that “the classification of the southern plain folk was essential to the history of country music, for it identified a distinct white social group with a set of ideals and customs that correlated with those voiced through country music” (Manuel 421). There are not many African Americans that sing or enjoy country music.

What do you think of when you think of an old country song? Is it singing about plowing the fields, find a young lassie to dance with in the bar, getting drunk with the boys and so on. If That Ain’t Country by David Allan Coe tries to shine a new light on what country is and that is white-trash hicks, which he suggests are forgotten people in the world. We listen to this song and will giggle at some of the lyrics or are startled by how some parts are pretty racist, but it has a very true side of it that shows that country folk aren’t all classy, church going folk.

Charlie Pride did it in 1971. Darius Rucker did it in 2009. That’s it. Two black men, spanning thirty-eight years, are the only black artists to win a Country Music Association Award. With country music rooted in bluegrass and rhythm and blues, why aren’t there more black country music stars? When considering the roots of country music, and how closely related country is to blues, bluegrass and honky tonk music, an examination of what happened to all the black musicians seems warranted, no? This paper examines the dearth of black artists in country music and the careers of one of the few black artists who has had commercial success in this genre of music.

That said, Country Music is a most peculiar genre of musical entertainment. Artists therein often sing about the most mundane aspects of life, and living. Songs usually include words like beer, cheating, cowboys, lying, trailers, trucks, whiskey etc.

Two of these collaboration hits are Jason Aldean’s remix of his hit song, “Dirt Road Anthem”, featuring Ludacris and Florida Georgia Line’s single, “Cruise”, which features the performer, Nelly. In the collaborations, however, African Americans are still depicted as rappers. This portrayal raises the questions, “Is the country genre becoming more accepting of black performers? Or is it revealing the stereotype that African-Americans can only be associated with the rap

always been what we recognize it as today. Country music began in the 1920’s in a town in Tennessee called Bristol and was recognized for its hillbilly and folk format. Country music artists like Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis are each responsible for creating this music format that was written mostly about everyday life. Today country music is recognized as a more modern contemporary version of music. Today’s country artists have started to change their sound in order to appeal to the mainstream audience in order to make more money. Miranda Lambert said “there’s been a shift: country music is popular now. Every other genre wants to come over to our land.”

Country music originated in the 1920s in Tennessee. The genre was influenced by folk music from the Appalachian Mountains and revolved around themes of love, faith,

I am always up to listen to country music is that there is a song to match just about every mood someone could be in. In country music there is not a subject that is off limits, there are songs about religion, patriotism, and love, relationship, family, about the artists real live. Country music tells stories that most people can relate to, there open and honest song about the artist, and songs can me more personal from the heart. In country music you can always understand what lyrics are being sung, while I can’t

Country music, more than any other musical form, has been identified closely with the pastoralism. An amalgamation of nineteenth century stage entertainment, the folk music tradition and “old time religion”, country music has long embodied the simplicity and strong ties to a redeeming lad characteristic of pastoralism, Country music tended to shift the focus of these pastoral characteristics from a strictly farm based context to the more exciting environment of the cow boy. As early as 1908, cow boy songs gained popularity especially Nathan Howard Thorp’s Song of the Cow-Boys (1921) and John A. Lomax’s Cowboy Songs and Other Frontier Ballads (1910). Record companies and radio promoters tapped into this desire, and 1920s aggressive promotion

Regardless of George Strait's incredible history of recognition and awards, he has always been one of my favorite country music artists. I am a true, long time fan of traditional country and I love his style in particular because of the dash of honky tonk and swing music that comes with it. My husband has roots in Texas and we spend quite a bit of time there on vacation. We enjoy the cowboy lifestyle and have always spent our free time enjoying country music, country two step dancing at the dance hall, being outside horseback riding, attending the rodeo, visiting the county fair and enjoying the laid back country life. One day we plan on moving back to Texas permanently and in the meantime, George's music makes us feel at home wherever we are.