I'll be the first to admit I'm not exactly a huge country fan. I grew up listening to a lot of different genres, and all I really remember from the country aspect is people like Shania Twain and Faith Hill. But didn't everyone listen to Shania ("Man I Feel Like A Woman" is a song I still hear occasionally) and Faith (I'm pretty sure "This Kiss" taught me the meaning of the word centrifugal)?
It's definitely a genre that has a very specified audience. I mean, not everyone can relate to songs about waking up at the crack of dawn to go fishing and finishing the day off with some back road truck riding and beer drinking. In the area where I'm from, quite a large majority of people can relate to these types of lyrics, meaning country music is almost impossible to avoid. In most corners of the world and even some corners of the US, it's absolutely unheard of, but if you find the right area it's something you'll hear everywhere (despite being in the North or the South).
So while I'm not an avid country listener, there are just some songs that make me forget about the too twangy drawl or banjo in the background. Some songs even make me kind of enjoy it. But shh, don't let them know that.
1. Carrie Underwood - "Blown Away"
The emotion in this song kind of overrules any other technicalities. Carrie Underwood always manages to convey strong emotions in her songs.
2. Luke Bryan - "Crash My Party"
Luke Bryan has a way of making most girls forget a lot of things.
3. Miranda Lambert - "Over You"
Usually Miranda Lambert's perfect for songs about burning down your ex's house and smoking cigarettes, but this is a fitting song if you feel like crying.
4. Kenny Chesney - "American Kids"
If you could ever call a country song "quirky," it would be this one. It paints the perfect little picture of small town American life.
5. Cam - "Burning House"
This was a song I listened to a few months before I even discovered it was by a country singer. It's heartrendingly beautiful.
6. Jake Owen - "American Country Love Song"
The perfect summer anthem, even if you weren't in the cheerleader and quarterback crowd.
7. Thomas Rhett - "Crash and Burn"
You'll hear more of a rock sound with this country tune, and you may have even heard it already while out and about.
8. Sam Hunt - "Take Your Time"
I know he talks through a lot of points in the song, but in this case the drawl is charming and the lyrics are adorable.
9. Kacey Musgraves - "Follow Your Arrow"
The lyrics keep you focused on the message and make you think outside the box a bit from your regular country song.
10. Jana Kramer - "I Got The Boy"
Apparently I like to torture myself with sad country songs, and this is no exception.
So even if you never thought any sort of country music could be to your liking, hopefully you've discovered an artist, a song, or even just a lyric that you like. If you get past the differences, any genre of music serves the same purpose: to express a certain feeling and to tell a story. Country is just one of these many genres, and it's one to be appreciated.