Pop Influences Change Country Music's Identity
Sonya Sorich - Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Apr 17, 2009
You had her, you lost her and now you don't even recognize her anymore.
That could be the story of a country music song -- or the story of country music.
Sticks Country Music Festival rolls into Auburn at a time when some fans say the genre is experiencing its biggest identity crisis.
Or recruitment drive.
Jamie Foxx, an actor and R&B singer who collaborated with rapper Kanye West, appeared at the recent Academy of Country Music Awards.
The country roster now includes Jessica Simpson, Kid Rock, the former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman and Miley Cyrus.
Even artists relatively new to mainstream country music recognize how the genre's public image fluctuates.
Take Sticks performer Jason Michael Carroll, who recently topped the country charts with hits like "Alyssa Lies" and "I Can Sleep When I'm Dead." He'll release his sophomore disc later this month.
Carroll toured more than 10 years before securing a major record deal, and has learned the industry's definition of "real country" goes in phases.
Old cowboy songs will see a resurgence in popularity, only to be replaced by melodies that could just as easily appear on adult contemporary radio.
"Country music is, I guess, very cyclical," Carroll said.
Now, the cycle is arguably centered on a growing marriage with pop music. Singers Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift, prominent winners at the ACM Awards, can be heard regularly on pop radio.
Some say it's a positive development, one that helps the genre attract a new fan base.
But others say it's a step in the wrong direction.
Put Sticks performer Mark Chesnutt, a traditionalist who cites influences like George Jones, in the latter camp.
"I don't think it's helped country a bit," he said of the country-pop convergence.
Chesnutt experienced the blurring genre lines firsthand in the late '90s, when he recorded a country cover of Aerosmith's hit, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing."
It led to more requests for Chesnutt to remake pop songs, which the artist refused.
"It ruined my relationship with my label at the time," said Chesnutt, who released his first major disc in 1990 and has had 14 No. 1 hits.
Now, Chesnutt works with an independent record label, seizing the traditional country sounds that defined his career from the start. Those melodies aren't destined for extinction, he maintains.
"Radio will play a good traditional country song," Chesnutt said. "It's just that they're not putting them out there."
Traditional country music might not be prevalent, but artists who label themselves country are perhaps more prominent in pop culture than ever.
No longer does the public equate "country singer" with images of a lone cowboy performing in an abandoned barn.
Country singers grace fashion magazine covers. Appear on reality TV shows. And even write books.
It's part of how Sticks performer Sara Evans has sustained a longtime fan base. Evans, who entered the scene in the late '90s, has paired musical success with a variety of TV appearances, as well as a recent four-book deal with a publisher. Her debut novel will be released in conjunction with a new album later this year.
She knows country music has its challenges, especially in a time when a struggling economy can shrink radio stations' playlists.
"There are definitely peaks and valleys," Evans said.
And for many fans, this weekend's Sticks festival marks a high note -- a time when veteran cowboys and hopeful newcomers celebrate the same genre.
"We're going to turn that place into a honky-tonk," Chesnutt said.
Maybe that honky-tonk is for purists only. Maybe it's open to pop music, too.
Either way, somebody will tell you they like what they hear.
"It's a weekend of great music," Evans said. "It will just totally put you in the best mood."
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