A couple weeks ago, I was listening to country radio. I wasn't listening much, but this song caught my attention. And it wasn't because I liked what I was hearing.
The reason it grabbed attention so quickly was because this particular song did not sound like it belonged on a country station. It sounded like it should have been on the local "today's pop hits" station.
The song that came on the radio was "Break Up in a Small Town" by Sam Hunt.
Take a listen.
The popular singer has taken the younger generation of country music fans by storm since the release of his single "House Party" in June 2015 off of the album "Montevallo." The single reached number one status on Billboard's Hot Country Songs.
If you truly believe that this song legitimately belongs on country airplay, then we have an issue here.
Don't get me wrong. Hunt has a sound that is very attractive to many. His lyrics and up-tempo beat put people in a good mood and that's what music is supposed to do. But I have one problem here: how is Hunt even remotely considered a "country" artist? He uses a style of music that is similar to that of artists on the mainstream pop charts. I don't blame him for doing what appeals to people today, because quite frankly, that's his job.
His music is even more far-fetched and extreme than the "bro-country" sub-genre of country music that has become very popular recently. He uses a techno, or electronic, style of music on nearly every song of "Montevallo." And don't forget the auto-tune. Yikes. But he'll throw in the occasional steel guitar. So, that makes him country, right?
No. Please no. What the country music industry has currently evolved into is really a disgrace. A blogger on SaveCountryMusic.com wrote a review on "House Party" and said, "I would call this the worst country song ever, but even that would endow it with a modicum of potential country music affiliation that is not qualified to carry. This is nothing more than outdated electro-pop that country music should be wholly embarrassed for even considering as part of its format, and should violently spit out like a petulant toddler does something unsavory forced into its mouth." His words are a little harsh, but not far from the truth.
Unfortunately, Hunt hasn't been the only artist in country music to dabble with the auto-tune and electronic-styled sound. Last year, country music superstar Tim McGraw released his auto-tune heavy "Lookin' for That Girl" single to country radio.
Country music has a unique sound that so many around the world have fallen in love with. Millions identify with not only the message and meaning behind the music but the sound as well.
For the sake of those who love the sound of country music, at least for what it really is, hopefully, this era of electronic-heavy and auto-tune-induced music production will end just as quickly as it started.
