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How Kesha, Drake and Nickelback are changing the sound of country music How Kesha, Drake and Nickelback are changing the sound of country music
(35 minutes later)
Country singers have been name-dropping the genre’s most legendary figures in their lyrics for the better part of 30 years. “Don’t rock the jukebox/I wanna hear some [George] Jones,” Alan Jackson sang in his hit Don’t Rock the Jukebox. “I know all the words to every Tanya Tucker song,” Gretchen Wilson boasted in Redneck Woman. “When you think Tim McGraw/I hope you think of me,” Taylor Swift said in her debut single, named for the male mega-star.Country singers have been name-dropping the genre’s most legendary figures in their lyrics for the better part of 30 years. “Don’t rock the jukebox/I wanna hear some [George] Jones,” Alan Jackson sang in his hit Don’t Rock the Jukebox. “I know all the words to every Tanya Tucker song,” Gretchen Wilson boasted in Redneck Woman. “When you think Tim McGraw/I hope you think of me,” Taylor Swift said in her debut single, named for the male mega-star.
In recent years, though, Nashville’s biggest acts have begun interjecting non-country artists into their lists of Music Row’s usual suspects. Luke Bryan cranked up “A little Conway [Twitty], a little T-Pain” on That’s My Kind of Night. Florida Georgia Line claimed “The mix tape’s got a little Hank [Williams], little Drake,” on This Is How We Roll. Lady Antebellum jammed out to “Fleetwood, Macklemore coming out the speakers,” on their latest single Freestyle. This lame lyrical trope (naming a roots icon for country “cred” and a modern rapper for “youth appeal”) has become quickly pervasive in mainstream country, and it represents a sea change currently taking place in the genre. In recent years, though, Nashville’s biggest acts have begun interjecting non-country artists into their lists of Music Row’s usual suspects. Luke Bryan cranked up “A little Conway [Twitty], a little T-Pain” on That’s My Kind of Night. Florida Georgia Line claimed “The mix tape’s got a little Hank [Williams], little Drake,” on This Is How We Roll. Lady Antebellum jammed out to “Fleetwood, Macklemore coming out the speakers,” on their latest single Freestyle. This lame lyrical trope (naming a roots icon for country “cred” and a modern rapper for “youth appeal”) has become quickly pervasive in mainstream country, and it represents a sea change taking place in the genre.
As it stands, the lines between country and pop have never been blurrier. Thanks to a joint-venture between Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta and pop svengali Dr Luke that launched in 2013, songwriters from LA and Nashville are regularly collaborating to produce hits for both formats. And now country radio stations in Dallas and New York City are, in fact, adding acoustic pop hits like Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud and Rihanna’s FourFiveSeconds into their rotations. Of course, their inclusion doesn’t sound all that jarring on most playlists, as record labels have gone so far out of their way to make sure that country songs in 2015 sound as poppy as possible in order to keep the format “fresh” (even if doing so could wreak havoc on the genre in the long run). As it stands, the lines between country and pop have never been blurrier. Thanks to a joint venture between Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta and pop svengali Dr Luke that launched in 2013, songwriters from LA and Nashville are regularly collaborating to produce hits for both formats. And now country radio stations in Dallas and New York City are, in fact, adding acoustic pop hits like Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud and Rihanna’s FourFiveSeconds into their rotations. Of course, their inclusion doesn’t sound all that jarring on most playlists, as record labels have gone so far out of their way to make sure that country songs in 2015 sound as poppy as possible in order to keep the format “fresh” (even if doing so could wreak havoc on the genre in the long run).
As such, it’s not just Sheeran and Rihanna who are demonstrating their influence in country music. Here are a few other pop stars whose styles the country music establishment is all too happy to usurp.As such, it’s not just Sheeran and Rihanna who are demonstrating their influence in country music. Here are a few other pop stars whose styles the country music establishment is all too happy to usurp.
KeshaKesha
The whiskey-swilling Tik Tok party animal has a signature half-sung half-spoken delivery style, which more than a few of Nashville’s newest women are emulating. Kelsea Ballerini sing-talks the “Yeah boy” post-chorus of Dibs, and newcomer Haley Georgia goes full-on Kesha in her debut single, Ridiculous, which finds her telling a man “You’re ridic- you’re ridic- you’re ridiculous” with enough Valley girl inflection that those cut off lines sound just like “You’re a dick”.The whiskey-swilling Tik Tok party animal has a signature half-sung half-spoken delivery style, which more than a few of Nashville’s newest women are emulating. Kelsea Ballerini sing-talks the “Yeah boy” post-chorus of Dibs, and newcomer Haley Georgia goes full-on Kesha in her debut single, Ridiculous, which finds her telling a man “You’re ridic- you’re ridic- you’re ridiculous” with enough Valley girl inflection that those cut off lines sound just like “You’re a dick”.
Bruno Mars/Justin TimberlakeBruno Mars/Justin Timberlake
Thank the well-coiffed crooners for bringing skinny suits into fashion – even in an industry most famous for its Wrangler jeans. Thomas Rhett certainly seems to be modeling his career and style after both gentlemen. The hitmaker has covered Mars and Timberlake in concert, he’s released a rendition of Mars’ When I Was Your Man to iTunes, and he attempted to create his own Timberlake-inspired Suit & Tie moment in his video for Make Me Wanna. The popularity of Mars’ Uptown Funk may also explain why every other male artist – from Rhett to Gary Allan to Michael Ray – is suddenly eager to describe their sound as “funky.” Thank the well-coiffed crooners for bringing skinny suits into fashion – even in an industry most famous for its Wrangler jeans. Thomas Rhett certainly seems to be modeling his career and style after both gentlemen. The hitmaker has covered Mars and Timberlake in concert, he has released a rendition of Mars’ When I Was Your Man to iTunes, and he attempted to create his own Timberlake-inspired Suit & Tie moment in his video for Make Me Wanna. The popularity of Mars’ Uptown Funk may also explain why every other male artist – from Rhett to Gary Allan to Michael Ray – is suddenly eager to describe their sound as “funky”.
NickelbackNickelback
More than a few people have compared the ubiquitous success of Florida Georgia Line to the multi-platinum status of Nickelback, a wildly popular band that very few people would ever publicly admit to liking. But the similarities between the two acts aren’t just figurative – they literally share an executive producer, Joey Moi, who helps the duo craft unappealing walls of sound with mindlessly raunchy lyrics. That Nickelbackian sound, unflatteringly labeled as “butt-rock” by critics, has become a popular style for wallet-chain-wearing acts like Parmalee and Tyler Farr. More than a few people have compared the ubiquitous success of Florida Georgia Line to the multiplatinum status of Nickelback, a wildly popular band that very few people would ever publicly admit to liking. But the similarities between the two acts aren’t just figurative – they literally share an executive producer, Joey Moi, who helps the duo craft unappealing walls of sound with mindlessly raunchy lyrics. That Nickelbackian sound, unflatteringly labeled as “butt-rock” by critics, has become a popular style for wallet-chain-wearing acts like Parmalee and Tyler Farr.
DrakeDrake
Drake’s sparse hip hop productions, downbeat mood, and pitch-corrected spoken verses have found their way on to country radio through the industry’s pop wunderkind Sam Hunt, who evokes the Canadian rapper ’s style on songs like Take Your Time and Single for the Summer. Hunt’s playing the Drake-card most convincingly, but sex jams like Jason Aldean’s Burnin It Down and Chase Rice’s Ride are becoming commonplace in country music. Drake’s sparse hip-hop productions, downbeat mood and pitch-corrected spoken verses have found their way on to country radio through the industry’s pop wunderkind Sam Hunt, who evokes the Canadian rapper ’s style on songs like Take Your Time and Single for the Summer. Hunt’s playing the Drake-card most convincingly, but sex jams like Jason Aldean’s Burnin’ It Down and Chase Rice’s Ride are becoming commonplace in country music.
AviciiAvicii
Not even country music is immune to the EDM-wave that has swept the world in the past decade. Tracks like Jerrod Neimann’s Drink To That All Night (which got its own Pitbull remix) and Laura Bell Bundy’s Two Step have embraced techno flourishes. And in the pop world, Avicii’s mega hits Hey Brother and Wake Me Up have drawn on the traditions of Americana and Appalachian folk music. Newcomer Ruthie Collins is aiming for that same Avicii vibe on her debut single, an EDM-infused cover of Hank Williams’ Ramblin’ Man, which will likely inspire more kids to pick up glowsticks than banjos. Not even country music is immune to the EDM wave that has swept the world in the past decade. Tracks like Jerrod Neimann’s Drink to That All Night (which got its own Pitbull remix) and Laura Bell Bundy’s Two Step have embraced techno flourishes. And in the pop world, Avicii’s megahits Hey Brother and Wake Me Up have drawn on the traditions of Americana and Appalachian folk music. Newcomer Ruthie Collins is aiming for that same Avicii vibe on her debut single, an EDM-infused cover of Hank Williams’ Ramblin’ Man, which will likely inspire more kids to pick up glowsticks than banjos.