In today’s society being different is OK, but it might make people look at you another way. Music doesn’t have a color but it does have a stereotype. Many assume that if you’re Caucasian you listen to country or rock n roll, all African-Americans listen to hip hop, rap, or R&B and being Asian automatically makes you a K-Pop fan. Unfortunately, those are the misconceptions that people like to believe.

Back in 2014, Darius Rucker, an African-American, well-known country music artist, did an interview with the Wall Street Journal. He made a comment about people coming up to him saying that they’ve always liked country music but they didn’t want to say anything because of the backlash that they may receive from their family and friends. I can relate 100 percent to how those fans felt. I’ve always surrounded myself with people of all races but not everyone sees things the way I do. My friends that look like me, would always make fun of me because I listened to different music. My music taste does not fit the stereotypical “black girl” category that biased individuals would like to put me in. I am the girl who loves country music. Correction, I am the BLACK girl who loves country music. I know what you might be thinking. Oh, well then you’re probably from the south, right? No, actually I grew up in the Midwest. In the nice State of Illinois, and not too far away from the city of Chicago. I grew up in a predominately white area where only a few people liked country music. Most people where I’m from are actually more interested in today’s Hip Hop and EDM. My friend and I attended a Miranda Lambert’s concert a few years ago and that’s when I fell in love with country music.

Seriously guys, country music has no color. In fact, no music has a color. I have every single song from Miranda Lambert's, "Platinum" album. Every time Patsy Cline’s "Crazy’"or "I fall to pieces" comes on I turn up the volume to max. That’s just the way I am. Being African-American has nothing to do with what music I like. It’s just what I’ve learned to love and I still love being a black girl too. So if you’re like me and you get heat for liking a different genre of music then other people like you, know you’re not alone. Let them call you an Oreo or say that you’re not a real (insert ethnicity). You don’t even have to be African-American or a girl to relate to this. Just remember it’s cool to be different and even cooler to be you.