The rise of the genre among those who claimed to listen to “everything but country” was like a red flag going off in US politics
In early November, Morgan Wallen became the first artist to have three singles both at number one on the Billboard Hot Country Songsas in Hot 100. The feat comes to end a year in which country’s popularity reached a peak in decades – if not the highest point of all time, in the United States. The duo Jelly Roll and Post Malone and their tattooed faces released chart-topping crossover albums, and Zach Bryan (which avoids the title “country”) has filled stadiums and released chart-topping albums without even playing on the radio. Meanwhile, young and skilled artists like Gavin Adcock they are building both images and loyal followers on social media, drinking beer and speaking their mind.
If you’ve been a white man in country music this year, congratulations: You’ve probably expanded your fanbase beyond your wildest dreams.
Naturally, critics have struggled to explain this sudden rise in popularity, especially among young people, and not just in rural areas or “red/Republican states” but also in large cities. Are these fans, who had been gravitating toward other genres, looking for “authenticity” in a modern world? A return to a mythically simpler time, when music offered safe and familiar narratives? Or did something else attract them?
But perhaps, instead of just asking why, we should go further: What exactly does it all mean? If this sounds like a question that has been asked after the decisive victory of donald trump In the 2024 presidential election, there’s a good reason: We’ve been missing the point, and the voters, all along.
Trump’s campaign — not unlike a certain segment of music beloved by white guys on country radio — was based, in part, on nostalgia for a so-called “great” period in U.S. history when white identity was not threatened. and women occupied traditional roles. Country music has always been a good vehicle for that. It was the campaign Ronald Reagan who initially coined the phrase “Make America Great Again,” and the former cowboy actor took advantage of country music and its imagery (he was often seen riding horses) to woo a frustrated electorate. The genre’s rise in popularity among people who used to claim to listen to “anything but country music” was the red flag that appeared. But as with the raucous phenomenon of right-wing podcasts, it was much easier to ignore or even mock it than to see the underlying threat.
Country music was resonating not only in the southern states, where it had always been part of the fabric, but also dominating pop culture and reaching young white people, some who might not even describe themselves as conservative but might have been looking for a watered-down, palatable form. of populism that did not require real sacrifice. Finally, here was an art form to hold on to when progressive artists (and their politics) alienated them a little too much, or demanded that they work just a little harder to diversify the genre or empathize with people other than themselves. In other words: Morgan Wallen was easy to listen to.
From contextual clues, Wallen appears to lean toward conservatism, though he’s not as vocal as a Jason Aldean when it comes to expressing his opinions, and his personal politics are almost beside the point: He hasn’t released a Trumpist political anthem like “Try That in a Small Town,” and did not join Trump in the box at last summer’s Republican convention. Instead, Wallen’s brand revolves around a combination of seemingly harmless Southern elements (like beer or SEC football games) and more traditionally Southern-centric elements. pop (collaborations with Post Malone, trap beats, co-option of certain segments of black music). The fact that Wallen, who was embroiled in a racial slur scandal in 2021, was so popular today was a clue as to how eager so many young people, especially white men, were to feel safe from the so-called “woke agenda.”
Paying attention to country music culture, and not just who’s listening, can also tell us a thing or two about where voters’ gender affinity for Trump was headed (or, when it came to gender politics, regressing). . Country radio is notoriously hostile to women, with radio airplay for female artists often hovering below the 10% margin. Over the past two years, despite fervent efforts for equality, things have not improved for women — Lainey Wilson and Megan Moroneythe white, blonde women who are allowed to succeed right now, are still fighting to reach the top with their respective new singles. AND Beyoncedespite critical success and numerous Grammy nominations for Cowboy Carterfailed to convince the Music Rowthe heart of US country music in Nashville, that their album deserved consideration in that universe (at the same time as they rolled out the red carpet for Post Malone). Country music, and the country, was sending a clear message about who exactly it was ready to welcome into any traditionally white male-dominated world — whether on the radio or in the presidency.
2024 was also the year that country music, while always having an element of faith, embraced a pop mainstreamization of Christianity. Rebel of Anne Wilson was designed to bridge country and Christian pop, with one single, “Rain in the Rearview”, sent to country radio. Gabby Barrett also followed this line, with plans to intensify even further. The Associated Press AP VotetoCast reported that eight in 10 white evangelical Christian voters supported Trump, so it was no surprise to see Wilson release his Trump-supporting anthem, “Stand,” in the fall of the election. Still, seeing an artist cross the line from worship songs to what might be considered political propaganda is no less alarming. (Are you sure Dolly did it this way?)
Of course, not all country music is conservative, not all conservatives like country music, and not all country music is made by white men — and much of what the genre offers is warm, familiar solace in complicated and troubled times. But all of this begs the question: Are people moving toward country music because it’s trending right? Or are country music, Trump, and a life without the “judgment” of the left too good to ignore once they get there? After all, the genre’s biggest star, Wallen, is the model for how to thrive in a post-cancellation world.
Viewing the explosion of the country genre as a symptom rather than a cause could have worked in the Democrats’ favor, or at least helped offer an understanding that young voters were not moving left as they would like to assume. Glocks and camouflage caps Kamala Harris by themselves were not enough to win over restless and undecided voters. Mainstream country, in all its red, white and blue glory, was waiting for them with open arms. And Trump too.
Text published on November 18, 2024 in Rolling Stone. To read the original in English click here.
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
