Ariana Grande and A Day to Remember, Bloc Party and Beyoncé, Disturbed and Demi Lovato. My iTunes library has always held an eclectic array of styles. But one genre I never allowed to taint my precious collection was country.
I refused to indulge the twangy ballad of the broken-hearted cowboy whose dog ran away, or the good southern girl who loves her momma's sweet tea. I felt nothing in common with the message I thought country music had to offer; I don't really think tractors are sexy, and I don't believe that loving Jesus is what makes a man a "real" man. My scene was Warped Tour, not the bed of an F150. Country music was not for me and I wanted nothing to do with it
...and this is the part where I ironically quote The Band Perry and say, "I never liked the taste of crow but baby, I ate it."
One morning as I drove to class, I finally reached a breaking point that I hadn't known was possible. As it turns out, a person can only stand so many repeat plays of "Blank Space" and "Cake By The Ocean" in a 30-minute period. And when I reached that limit, I changed the radio station. It may have been desperation, or it may have been pure Taylor Swift-induced insanity, but I found myself turning to the country station. Months later, country makes up about a quarter of my collection, and at least half of my radio preferences.
I don't like to admit that, and I still grumble a little whenever I have to. I always thought that country music was, for lack of a better word, cheap. It lacked musical variety to me; chord progressions are usually all too similar, lyrics are predictable, and the subjects of most songs can be narrowed down to a list of five topics on a good day.
As I started listening to country music, however, I began to appreciate the appeal. In my mind, the word "cheap" got replaced with less demeaning adjectives. Authentic. Relatable. Genuine.
To explain my change of heart, let's take a look at the current top songs on iTunes. Drake's "For Free" seems like a good choice, so I'll look up the lyrics. The first line:
"F**k you, motherf****r, you a ho-ass n**a...this d**k ain't free."
...
I can't help but notice that the number two song is a county song, "H.O.L.Y." by Florida Georgia Line, a band that I once despised. The lyrics start like this:
"When the sun had left and the winter came
And the sky fall could only bring the rain
I sat in darkness, all broken hearted
I couldn't find a day I didn't feel alone."
I'm immediately taken to my 19th birthday, when I sat crying in my shower. I was in every sense of the word alone. Still reeling from a not-so-recent breakup, and struggling to make friends, I spent my birthday evening sitting in literal darkness, two hours from anyone to whom I felt even the slightest connection.
Country music conjures an image, nearly every time. It reminds me of the hard times, but it also reminds me of the good times. It reminds me of the things I have to be thankful for, and the important things in life. It reminds me that I'm proud of where I come from and that it's okay to have a good time.
Country songs make me think of the first time I met my girlfriend, of how there is no one quite like her. They are wholesome. No drugs, no sex ( ok, usually).
Never in a million years did I expect to be writing about how much I enjoy country music, but when I finally swallowed my pride and allowed myself to have an open mind, I learned that it really is for everyone. It's a commonplace at which we can all meet. A place to reminisce, to love, to appreciate the good things in life, and to just breathe.
