Carrie Underwood is one of the most talented female artists in the country genre right now, possibly ever. She has a beautiful voice, and she has never written a song that's disappointed me.
However, she's always been one of those classic artists who doesn't stand out much in terms of day-to-day listening. Her songs are great, but they're all a little generic for a female country singer. "Jesus Take The Wheel" is a testament to Christian themes we see in a lot of country music, "Before He Cheats" is your standard getting-back-at-your-cheating-ex anthem, "Remind Me" is a love song duet done with another country icon. Pretty standard stuff.
Until now.
This year, Carrie released a new album titled "Cry Pretty," featuring a song called "Love Wins." The beginning of the song sounds a lot like "Blown Away," so that's the song I was expecting to hear when it came on the radio. What I did hear was something much more profound, with one of the most moving messages I've heard from a country singer in a very long time.
Carrie Underwood begins singing about a boy who was shot and killed, "just another story on the evening news." "Politics and prejudice." It isn't until the chorus rolls around that we realize what she's addressing.
Carrie Underwood is using her platform as an influential country artist to denounce the hate and prejudice LGBT+ and other minorities encounter in their everyday lives.
Why is this so significant, you may ask?
Think for a second about the stereotypical country music audience. Usually Republican, usually white. I don't want to denounce all country music fans with this generalization, but for ease of explanation, let's stick with the stereotype. Country music's fanbase is infamously racist and homophobic. AGAIN, NOT ALL OF THEM; there are a lot who aren't, I'm just sticking with the stereotype for simplicity's sake. Anyway, for an artist of a genre with this sort of reputation, it is a HUGE deal that she went out on a limb and voiced a very progressive opinion in a typically very narrow-minded community.
This beautiful, powerful, influential woman is lamenting how we've let politics, race, sexuality, religion, etc., ALL of the things that make our country wonderfully diverse, become fuel for hatred of our brothers and sisters.
As humans, we are all different.
I do not care what color your skin is. I do not care who you love and have relationships with. I do not care about your religion, your gender, your nationality. Everyone is entitled to a life full of love and happiness. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions, but NO ONE is entitled to become toxic to those around them.
The fact that a country singer of Carrie's reach and power has released a song stating she, too, believes that love wins is so critical in today's social climate. There is so much division between Democrats and Republicans. There is still so much racism and hatred. There is still so much discrimination against people who are anything but straight. It's all become about picking sides and doing anything possible to ensure YOUR side wins, even if it means degrading others.
Listen to Carrie's message. The only thing stronger than hatred is love. Love will always win.
You can keep your hate, your prejudice, and your narrow-minded discrimination to yourself. This is 2018. It's time to mind your own business and let others live their lives in ways that will make them happy.
You don't have to agree with someone else's lifestyle, but you do have to let them live peacefully. Treat others with kindness before anything else. That is the message that Carrie Underwood tried to convey with this powerful piece of music.
To be strong and to thrive, we need to join together. We need to stop hurting one another. Love wins. Always.
Listen to "Love Wins" and the rest of "Cry Pretty" on Apple Music now!
