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Influences on pop music
Influences on pop music
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I have been in a similar situation where all your friends are telling you a person is not right for you, but all you can see is the good in them. It is very hard to let go of something or someone that has such a strong hold on your heart. It is nearly impossible for people on the outside looking in to understand a situation that they are not directly involved in. When I heard this song in concert it brought back so many memories from the situation I was in. The way that Brantley sings with such passion and a hint of pain in his voice touches my emotions as well. Towards the end of the song, there is a long pause where you think the song is over. Then you hear Brantley sing, “Not like I do” and the music plays and Brantley sings the lyrics “Never understand. That girl’s my best friend.” Then he belts “That girl’s my best friend!” with the drums and guitar blaring. I felt that that moment was the most powerful moment of his entire performance. Brantley transitions from softly singing to almost screaming about this girl that he loves, and in that moment you understand all the pain that Brantley feels. It is such a beautiful song that allows the whole audience to sympathize with Brantley, since so many people have experienced similar heartache. Bottoms Up Brantley performed his latest single, “Bottoms Up,” which has a different sound and theme than some of his other songs. With this song Brantley finds a balance between rowdy and romantic. As common with many country songs, daisy dukes, tailgates and parties beneath the moonlight are all elements of this song. This guitar-heavy song starts with: I see you and me riding like Bonnie and Clyde Going 95 burning down 129 yeah Looking for the law, while push my luck As with many of his ot... ... middle of paper ... ...history of music tells us, sometimes standing out is met by criticism. Brantley has mixed reviews as an artist because of his bad boy style and the messages he shares through his song lyrics. However, singing about drinking and partying is nothing new. Musicians have been singing about these things for decades. Just as the older generations in the 1960s wanted Rock & Roll groups to sing about wholesome things like love and relationships, many people still want country music to maintain a certain degree of innocence. But as we know, music evolves, and Brantley brings something new and different to the genre of country music. Even though his message might not always be happy-go-lucky, his music is something many people can relate to. Because Brantley sings about real events and real life, not an idealized version of it, he allows people to feel through his music.
Times have changed, and along with the times so has country music. American country music lovers have went from Loretta Lynn and Waylon Jennings, just two of the many classic oldies, to Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan, two very appealing country music artists. However, it is not only the tune of the music that has changed, it is the image, the appeal, and overall the type of icons the media is portraying these modern music stars as. Icons such as Lynn and Jennings had identifiable features within their music as well as their appearance that spoke sweet southern belle and rugged twang. Whereas Underwood’s and Bryan’s appeal now is much more sexualized than it was during the oldies. These changes affect the way modern day singers are marketed compared to former country music stars, instead of focusing on talent it is now looks.
“Fire away. Take your best shot, show me what you got. Honey I’m not afraid (Chris, Lines 4-5)…” Strength, love, heartache, all words that many people can identify with, but what about mental illness, depression, and suicide. These words are those that humans avoid, pretend they are not there, but in reality those three words effect many more people that was ever thought possible. Over 18.2% of United States citizens suffer from a mental illness (Depression), 6.7% of United States citizens suffer from depression (Depression), and each year in the United States there are on average 42,773 deaths by suicide (American). Now, many people can relate to the words love and heartbreak, but many more can identify with the three words that the world
The analysis of this song lead me to actually dislike the song because I found that my first impression of the song was much different than after analyzing it for weeks. I love the bands music but I just don't like this one particular song. I guess there are many ways to interpret this song but I feel as if the song is way to deep in thought for a singer such as Dave Matthews. As Dave stated at one of his concerts, "Some people drink, and some don't; some people like to smoke a bowl, and some don't. Some people do and some people don't but its ok `cause it was ment to be that way." Dave Matthews is no Wordsworth, but its ok because it was meant to be that way!
Kenney Chesney has definitely made a name for himself in the country music industry. Through his had work and persistence, this guy from a small town in Tennessee has become a “Big Star.” Although Kenney Chesney is known thought the world, Chesney said for me, it’s “about the guy in the baseball hat and the girl that guy thinks is pretty. Real life the double platinum boy, who finds his solace in the ocean, realizes doesn’t’ always who up with the glided edges and profound pronouncements – you gotta find the truth as it rolls by with tan lines, an easy smile and a twinkle in its eye. And you know, so far, that’s worked just fine” (Official Website).
Darius Rucker, the former lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish has made the transition from platinum selling pop rock artist to country singer in the past few years. On a recent episode of Oprah, Darius sat on Oprah’s couch as she declared to her audience, “Country music is the real soul music!” Rucker’s solo debut release, Learn to Live reached No. 1 and has remained on the Billboard charts for 30 weeks. The CD’s first two singles, “Don't Think I Don't Think About It" and "It Won't Be Like This For Long,” each hit No. 1, making Rucker the first male artist to get two debut singles atop the Hot Country Songs ch...
After over three decades of broadcasting from the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry, a live country radio program, moved about nine miles out of the city to Opryland U.S.A. A few months following the move, hostess Carolyn Holloran said “Country music is wherever the soul of a Country music fan is!”1 This quote was spoken in reference to the relocation of the Grand Ole Opry. Nevertheless, it can transcend this context to further describe the genre of Country music. From its roots in the Appalachians, to its commercialization and crossovers, Country music has come to represent the culture of the Southern United States. Through this music people have formed a collective identity which respects the past and hails the future. It is a genre that has grown and changed with its people.
When I am down in my feelings, I listen to, "What hurts the most," by Rascal Flatts. In this song, Rascal Flatt`s message that he is trying to get through to people is that he has lost a loved one that meant the world to him, and he did not get the chance to tell that person what he really thought about them. I relate so much to this because I am a person who is not good about telling how I feel to people. I keep my emotions bundled up inside. This specific song has helped me to show more of my feelings to people and to open up more. Depending on the situation, I still have trouble showing my emotions. When I have trouble opening up, I listen to Flatt`s song to remind me that it is good, not bad, to open up to people. Another song I listen to that I relate to so much is, “Barefoot Blue Jean Night," by Jake Owen. The reason I relate to this song is because it describes a night of warm weather and good times. Jake Owen knew what he was doing when he wrote this
When people hear country music, they think of “Rednecks” or “Hillbillies” out on the country side singing songs about losing their wife, dog, best friend or any other sad subject. This is not true and it showed by becoming one of the most popular music forms of the 20th century. Country music is one of the best-selling genres after rock and pop.
Johnny Cash can be considered one of the best country artists of all times, but the soul of his music is rooted in the blues. Many of Cash’s songs are about the complications that come with love. The four songs listed above are only a few parts of the story Cash teaches us about the world of love. Most importantly, Cash does a wonderful job of explaining the complicated nature of love and how it really is the most powerful force in the world. Before diving into each of these songs, one must first understand how Cash is a blues artist just as much as he is a country artist.
According to The Nashville Sound, markers that include “rural origins, stylized sets, seemingly spontaneous performance, accessible performers, and heartfelt songs can characterize country music’s authenticity” (13). The foundations of what country music has originated from are incorporated within these markers and are used to separate the real from the fake. Early country music was a means of coping with a life of work and worries; it also brought communities of the impoverished together in fellowship. The establishment of these markers glimpses into the culture and realities of many country music artists before their fame. Take for instance a family sitting huddled together on a porch on a cool summer evening listening to a family member play the banjo while another sings along. Everyone is enjoying and living in that moment and all worries are far from mind. Country music made people feel at ease and comfortable, it brought people back to their memories of the good old days. This is the way country music sh...
Abby Ellin, author of the article “The Beat (Up) Generation,” claims that the predictable opinions of the millennials may perhaps stand incorrect. Throughout the article she argues against the thought of the generations’ vanity. Ellin obtains an effective opinion by engaging readers through comparison of past generations, providing statistics, and incorporating credible outside sources.
Growing up in a rural part of Arkansas taught me that there is two types of people, those who like country music and those who do not. To clear things up, when I say country music I don’t mean musicians like Luke Bryan and Taylor Swift; I mean musicians like Hank Williams, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, and Merle Haggard. Where I am from these are considered to be the classics, making them some of the best examples of country music. Country music is more than just music it is a way of life, which is why there are many things that liking or not liking country music can show about a person.
“George Strait continues his run of staunchly traditional country albums with "Carrying Your Love With Me" (Flippo, George Strait carries) He is well known for bringing country music back to its roots and away from the popular style of pop country that is now a day considered “real country”, from his very first album to his most recent. "A lot of it has to do with the songwriters. I've just got to pick the best songs I can. Some are old songs” (Flippo, George Strait carries). Strait has all the aspects in his songs of what real country music is “it needs to really feel good and not just be something I have to do because of the time factor…You've got to be pleased with your work yourself because you're the one who has to live with it.” (Flippo, George Strait carries).
Like Me: Confessions of a Heartland Country Singer by Chely Wright (Lesbian) Chely Wright, singer, songwriter, country music star, writes in this moving, telling memoir about her life and her career; about growing up in America’s heartland, the youngest of three children; about barely remembering a time when she didn’t know she was different. She writes about her parents, putting down roots in their twenties in the farming town of Wellsville, Kansas, Old Glory flying atop the poles on the town’s manicured lawns, and being raised to believe that hard work, honesty, and determination would take her far. She writes of making up her mind at a young age to become a country music star, knowing then that her feelings and crushes on girls were “sinful” and hoping and praying that she would somehow be “fixed.” (“Dear God, please don’t let me be gay. I promise not to lie. I promise not to steal. I promise to always believe in you . . . Please take it away.”) We see her, high school homecoming queen, heading out on her own at seventeen and landing a job as a featured vocalist on the Ozark Jubilee (the show that started Brenda Lee, Red Foley, and Porter Wagoner), being cast in Country Music U.S.A., doing four live shows a day, and—after only a few months in Nashville—her dream coming true, performing on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry . . . She describes writing and singing her own songs for producers who’d discovered and recorded the likes of Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, and Toby Keith, who heard in her music something special and signed her to a record contract, releasing her first album and sending her out on the road on her first bus tour . . . She writes of sacrificing all for a shot at success that would come a couple of years later with her first hit single, “Shut Up And Drive” . . . her songs (from her fourth album, Single White Female) climbing the Billboard chart for twenty-nine weeks, hitting the #1 spot . . . She writes about the friends she made along the
Today’s Nashville country is a constantly growing industry with many popular artists, bands, producers, and record labels. Many of the new songs that are played on the radio seem to be defined as this subgenre. Although not all new popular artists and songs fit this upbeat rhythm type, it appears that this genre is becoming the go This type of country is sometimes known as the pop of country music with faster beats and upbeat rhythms. It is different from the country sounds of the 1800s and early 1900s that consisted of a more honky tonk and twang sound. The first artists to make headway in this genre were Jim Reeves, Eddy Arnold, and Patsy Cline. This kind of country music became less popular during the 1970’s and 80’s because new artists were singing new genres, but Nashville country came back full throttle during the 1990’s. Along with the comeback arrived an assortment of new artists, including but not limited to Billy Ray Cyrus, Shania Twain, Taylor Swift, and Kenny Chesney. Some classic Nashville country songs include “Don’t Rock The Jukebox”, “Ring of Fire”, and “On the Road Again”, and more recent hits such as “Teardrops on My Guitar”, “Big Green Tractor”, and “Live Like You Were Dyin’”. One of the most well known songs in this subgenre is “Love Story” by Taylor Swift. The line, “You’ll be the prince and I’ll be the princess, It’s a love story baby just say yes”, provides an upbeat rhythm which Nashville country is known