Why Does Everyone Like Country So Much?

       This weekend, I was driving home with my friend in her car; we were listening to the radio. When a country song came on, she instinctively changed the station. 

       We both share a dislike for this particular genre. We had a brief conversation afterwards asking why we thought people actually liked country music and decided we didn’t actually know. I went home thinking about it for awhile.

       Is it because it makes listeners feel patriotic? Does it take people back to a “simpler” time? Do people like the storytelling aspect of it? I wanted to know.

       I think people find each country song is telling a story. Perhaps people like and can relate to this whole narrative that goes on. It’s the same reason so many of us can’t help but enjoy watching dramatic soap operas. The story pulls us in and we keep tuning in so we can find out what happens at the end.

       There’s also this idea that it could serve as some sort of relief for people who are sick of hearing everyone talk about new modern technology all the time. The popular song “#Selfie” by the Chainsmokers is entirely about a girl who is taking a “selfie” and all that goes along with that (choosing a filter, choosing a caption, etc.). I can understand someone who feels overwhelmed by our social media craze and needs a break from it may change the station to country. Themes in country music are usually very simple. Country music tells a story, and listeners go in knowing the story will be somewhat the same as the last country song, since country songs tend to be quite similar.

       There is a popular argument that I do agree with that every country song is basically “the same.” Some key ideas that I frequently hear in lyrics of country songs are relating to this stereotypical idea of what an “American” is. To give some examples, a pickup truck, blue jeans, or a beer seem to be worked into the lyrics of most of these songs. That isn’t what we’re about as a country, though. These topics I have listed are more stereotypical of a person specifically from the South than from any given part of America.

       My older brother, who also dislikes country, recently sent me a link to popular country artist Zac Brown Band’s song "Chicken Fried" lyrics (http://www.metrolyrics.com/chicken-fried-lyrics-zac-brown-band.html), joking that it should be “America’s new anthem.” The song talks about some of the usual country song topics: fried chicken, beer, jeans, a woman, and pie. Later in the song, the singer says “Salute the ones who died/The ones that give their lives/So we don't have to sacrifice/All the things we love/Like our chicken fried/And cold beer on a Friday night/A pair of jeans that fit just right/And the radio up”

       The singer is saying how men and women are giving their lives so that we can continue on being Americans and eating fried chicken… Does that scream “patriotism” to you?

       And aren’t these country artists only furthering these stereotypes by writing hit songs about them? Is that their goal? They seem to all be contributing to enhancing this negative image other countries have about the stereotypical American. This is an oversimplified version of who we are as people. It's really not doing us justice.

       I know people like and can associate with country music and its themes, but in my opinion it’s doing a bad job at trying to represent us as a country. Country music is mocking the American lifestyle.