Country Music

I'm not going to lie, I've never been a big fan of country music. I listen to it very rarely, but there are a few things that I do like about it. I enjoy many of the themes that are prevalent in country music, such as heartache, patriotism, country life, romance, and good old fashioned hard work. One of my favorite, and pretty much only country artists I enjoy, would have to be Johnny Cash. He has an amazing and distinctive baritone voice that I could recognize anywhere. Songs of his such as Hurt, Ring of Fire, God's Gonna Cut You Down, and I Walk the Line, all stand out to me because of their themes and their unique sound. I've also been known to listen to bluegrass from time to time, and that, as we all know, is something of an offshoot from mainstream country music. I also really enjoy folk music which often incorporates aspects of country into it. Just the sound of Guitar, the fiddle, and other country instruments really speaks to many people. Even though I'm not the biggest country fan in the world, I still appreciate and understand the appeal that it has to so many people. I also like that it's a genre that is very much tied to the United States (even though there are a few country music stars that came out of Canada). The uniquely north American nature of country music gives me a sense of pride in my nation even if I don't listen to it all the time. So many country singers and musicians are very patriotic, and that is a trait that is very common to the genre in many of the songs therein. Being completely honest, I hate pop country. It takes away all of the traits that I like about the genre and replaces them with elements of mindless beats with little to no substance. I can understand why many people enjoy pop country music, but it's just not for me. Now that I've started over in a new city, Madison Wisconsin, I've had no choice but to acquire a taste for country music due to the extreme prevalence of country stations that are all over the area. Even though I've begrudgingly been listening to country, I've found myself more and more enjoying it. Country is one of the most popular genres of music in the world. It speaks to so many people and has such a powerful influence on American culture, which is why I know deep in my heart that it won't be going anywhere anytime soon, like it or not.