There's been lots of buzz about Luke Bryan's new album, "Kill the Lights," since its release last month. While the album received decent reviews, many long-time Bryan fans complained about the album for not being "country" enough.
Many iTunes reviews about the album were pretty negative. One person wrote, "These songs aren't even close to country." "He used to be country, and good at it," said another commenter.
"It's sad to hear and see how this music is called 'country' when it's really a mix of pop sounds and some thrown-in guitar strings," said one of the commenters. "This isn't real, scrappy country music and unfortunately, it's what listeners are getting used to hearing."
So is Luke Bryan not country enough?
In my opinion, the answer is no. First of all, Bryan continues to produce one country dance hit after another, just like he did with "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" and "That's My Kind of Night." The seventh song from the album, "Move," is the perfect example of this.
Second, despite the negative iTunes reviews, lots of people raved about how awesome the album is.
"I love every single song that Luke has put on," said an iTunes commenter.
"I didn't like 'Kick the Dust Up' right away, but now I can't help but rock the heck out of it," wrote another. "'Strip it Down' is a type of song that Luke has been needing to do, and he nailed it."
In July, Bryan revealed to radio.com the reason why he's not an "outlaw" country singer, the same type of music that made artists like Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson famous in the 1970s.
"I don't do cocaine and run around," he said. "I like to hunt, fish, ride around on my farm, build a big bonfire and drink some beers. That's what I sing about. That's what I know."
Whether or not you think Luke Bryan is country, one fact that we can agree on is that he's hotter than ever. At nearly forty, he's still selling out concerts, still making hits and still being adored by lots of screaming fans all across the country.