Boyfriend Country Is The New Bro Country
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Today's video is all about country music's latest trend, which people are calling "Boyfriend Country." For years, we've heard about "bro country," but now guys like Dan + Shay and Brett Young are guiding popular country into a more sensitive, romantic place. This is just my exploration of the topic.
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Don't make me wish for the days of "Hotdamalama."
Hotdamalama? Where have I been?
I already am, Grady. These "women worshipping" songs are nauseating and monotonous.
Honestly I like boyfriend country SOMETIMES but after hearing 3 of them in a row (it's literally the only thing on the country playlists right now) I'm ready to punch any musician who comes out with another one. Honestly I just want some honest, real, smart and grounded love songs not those overdone, over the top, dipped in sugar, sickly sweet, stereotypical wedding songs bf country stuff
I see you throwin that subtle shade 4:28
While hotdamalama is atrocious when it comes to lyrics, you gotta admit it's catchy as hell, and it's been stuck in my head since you mentioned it
2010’s Bro Country - Chasing her
2020’s Boyfriend Country - I got her
2030’s Divorce Country - it didn’t work out and I lost her
What's next? Incel Country?
Country Going It's Own Way?
Doom Country? (that sounds cool though)
I'll take the divorce country. Let's Make Country Music Sad Again
@@MikoyanGurevichMiG21 Lmao lost it at country going its own way
2040: Funeral Countey
divorce country is dad country
It doesn’t even sound like country, it sounds like pop but the guy singing has an accent.
Bingo
And it's a fake one
You literally just described Dan + Shay
It's not country they just arnt good enuff to sing pop
Described Dan and shay in a nutshell along with Thomas rhett
“Forever and Ever, Amen” by Randy Travis is the kind of boyfriend country I can get behind. Not this new crap.
Aw beat me to it
Oh yeah 👍🏼
Right
I love that song
also deeper than the holler
This is like therapy. You're teaching me how to channel my hatred for modern country music into level-headed criticism. Thanks!
Took the words out of my mouth--same!
Same
I agree to an extent, I grew up on the old guys (Johnny, Waylon, Willie, Merle, etc.) but I think there are a lot of very good modern guys out there. Just gotta know where to look. Except for the boyfriend/bro country of coursw
Well said. Now I have a way to explain my hatred for country to my friends who like it
really all these trends always make me think of Bo Burnham’s song when he made fun of country and how it panders
Bo Burnham is eh at best.
hahaha I thought that the first time he said pandering.
Pandering is one of Bo's best songs.
@@pjnoonan1423 I guess that's true if you don't like insightful comedy.
The over-the-top worship of the vague qualities reminds me of his classic "Repeat Stuff," too. An absolute masterpiece. Boyfriend Country is like if "Pandering" and "Repeat Stuff" had a baby: ua-cam.com/video/QCVGpvzcHko/v-deo.html
And here I am, hoping that the women that they sing about drive them crazy to the point where they run away, start bar fights and break hearts and then suddenly outlaw country comes back in style.
Hell yeah!
Crossing my fingers for that.
lets hope so
That just might make me turn on country radio again!
you may already know this but shut off the radio and check out Whitey Morgan or Cody Jinks,and from there you'll find a lot of real Outlaw country artists.just gotta look away from the radio,only good thing about the internet is we ain't gotta listen to the crap labels want us too.real music is still alive
“Simp country”😂😂😂 not exactly a false statement
yo fr fr, this should be the title of the video 'simp country is the new bro country'
That's exactly what I thought when the local station only played those same 10 songs. Simp Country.
Under-rated comment
This reminds me of when Drake's music used to be called simp rap
Exactly what I wanted to write.
“Nice Guy” country in the post-Chad country era
yep
Basically. Simp country would also work.
i hate this comment
Travis Loranger when Chad lost his Karen he became a simp.
Thissssa
I think of it as “wedding first dance country”
I don't know, I'd probably choose some Colter Wall for my wedding first dance so... XD
jump on it jump on it JUMP ON IT JUMP ON IT
BUMM. Bum Bum BUM.
Before it was an entire genre, I'd call these songs "Prom Anthems."
As an ex-wedding photographer, these songs were first dance CLASSICS
Yes 🤣
“Bro country” CHASE ALL THE GIRLS!!!
“Boyfriend country” I chased all the girls, found one I liked and now I worship the ground she walks on.
😂
BigGirl OnATreadmill 👌🏻 pretty much!
Next it's the divorce
This is awesome dude 🤣
!!! SIMP ALERT SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!!! :)
"I don't want to feel like I am looking through a wedding album, or at a Hallmark card, or, God forbid, watching the bachelor when I am listening to country music." PREACH.
or scrolling Facebook
Love my GF to death but I am not watching The Bachelor at all cuz she watches it
I feel like ‘boyfriend country’ is the record execs direct reaction to “Girl in a Country Song”. “I promise, we don’t hate women. Not enough to let them sing on the radio, but we don’t hate them.”
My opinion on women in country is,
If it's good and people actually listen to it then heck ya. I just hate that so many people are trying to artificially inflate women in country.
I honestly love girl in a country song. It is hilarious and sooo true in 2010s country music era. ‘Bro country’ got really annoying with how they painted women as beer holders and models at the back of trucks but now this new version is worse 🤦♀️ I enjoy the odd song like this but I agree it’s getting ridiculous lol.
MidnightModder “Artificially inflate women”? You just said it yourself, if women are good they should be played. But the music being played right now is crap. It is the same 5 lyrics recycled over and over by cookie-cutter performers. How would you know if a woman is good if they aren’t even allowed to play the game.
@@tracyruse7762 A lot of women in country aren't good nowadays either 🤷♂️
And it's been shown that everyone listens to more men in country than women no matter where they're listening from. People want male country, if they wanted female country then female country would be the most popular
MidnightModder I wish I could roll my eyes harder than I am right now, but it is impossible. Record sales and streaming do not back up your statements. No one is saying they should play more women than men whether they are good or not. I am saying, it would be nice if they took off the ridiculous restrictions on the DJs to play what people want not, what the record companies are pushing. That doesn’t just go for women but better male artist as well.
Once again, I think we need to just make "southern pop" a genre, move all of these half-wits (bro and boyfriend) over there so that we can have our country back.
George Straight and Randy Travis showed us that we can have country love songs without taking the heart and soul out of the music.
Rodney Crowell After All This Time
I’m just imagining that Spongebob meme where Patrick is talking about moving bikini bottom 😂
And Ronnie Milsap
Yeah, but this isn't even Southern Pop. This is Cali inspired wannabe pseudo-country pop. I mean not even Country in name only, it's straight up Pop trying to pretend it's country.
please do not label it with the South I do not want to associate with this genre
Tyler Childers, colter wall. Some new artists that are actually good.
Try out Zach Bryan, found him yesterday and haven’t found a bad song
They are the only country guys I listen to. Nick shoulders is someone to check out too
Tyler Childers renewed my faith in the genre
Tristan Overbee
You have good taste my friend!
Uncle Lucius -keep the wolves away♥️☑️💪🏻
"God Bless the Broken Road" is one of the best boyfriend country songs of all time.
Josh Armstrong “she’s everything”
But it was released every 6 months not every song on radio like right now that's the difference
Rascal flatts!
I agree. Rascal Flatts really hit it out of the park with that one.
I actually like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band version better than the Rascal Flatts version. It’s more acoustic and soulful.
Literally "boyfriend country" makes me think of Russell Dickerson. And I like some of his stuff but the hairstyle...is...all. the. Same.
The hair! Yes! This is why I’m so glad Morgan Wallen got a mullet. He had it at first
They probably all have secret Vidal Sassoon sponsorships. 🤷🏻♂️
My ears literally can’t tell a difference between these songs and pop music
Penguins Life same it's so annoying
Because there isn't one.
There is no true heart expression in the music now it’s just what they can sell
Idk most pop music is actually better
There is no difference. The chords, beats and melodies are all straight off the pop charts. They just add that fake, generic twang that isn't even a real accent and call it 'country'. My neighbors have been having backyard parties playing this shit on their speakers driving me nuts lately, and it gets even worse when they get far enough into their alcohol they bust out their guitars and play the same songs themselves.
They missed a trick not having a tv show "bro island" where all the bros get together to make sweet bro country together.
Like Sturgill says “I’m tired of y’all playing dress up, and tryna sing them old country songs”
All this boyfriend country and I still can't get a date.
Marissa Mullins young relationships arent worth the heartbreak. Wait until your 20s to date
Ye Olde Spaniard I had friends that met at age 13. They started dating and have been together ever since. They’re 65 now. It all just depends on when you meet that certain person. It could happen at any point in your life.
Marissa Mullins actually same😂😂 it's okay though I have a dog to keep me company
I feel personally attacked lmao
Ye Olde Spaniard I’m 25 😭😂😂
I like to describe boyfriend country as bro country growing up. It’s more mature than the tailgate parties and all that, but it still lacks substance 😂
Your Friendly Neighborhood Smark can’t wait till it becomes breakup and savage country lmao
Yeah. Next it'll be edgy metal country about how she was evil
I see you Grady. Sneaking in that Ed Sheeran joke 😂😂
This is real cringy, really miss funny-romantic songs like "Little Moments" from Brad Paisley or "Woman Like You" from Lee Brice,
I never thought I would ever say that Brad Paisley is the most "Country" thing on the radio, but compared to all these other ass-jackers he sounds like Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys.
when's emo country?
brb actually
Johnny Cash
ua-cam.com/video/sFYYEblL2ow/v-deo.html
I want these sub-genres: Country-core, Math country, beatdown country, k-country.
Kidd G.
@Wiggle Waggle it would make me wanna slap it out of existence.
I love that Grady is one of the few people that's calling out the country music industry on this "snap track" bull shit.........i'm sick of it
What I wouldn’t give for another era of 90s country.
Agreed! It was ALL downhill from there!
Faith and Shania were my girls!
Midland tried.
@@WVU.STEELERS.CELTICS Midland is just getting started, I saw them live last year, they were fantastic.
@@Tigersfan829 Oh I'm a big fan of Midland don't get me wrong and they are popular, but they couldn't save mainstream country. Sadly that's been and is still going to shit.
@@Tigersfan829 There is good country still out there though you just gotta dig a little deeper now, I'm worried that Tyler Childers will now continue on with the pop style country after all the fame he's got from his last album. Money changes people.
Watch, In about a year or two, we’re gonna see a bunch of nostalgia pieces about how “good” bro country was and most of them will be written by the same people that bashed it
Honestly, I can relate to that. I think I'm growing as a critic b/c my first instinct these days is to understand a trend (that's what I tried to do in this video at least), rather than just bash it for clout. But even so, people would be crazy to call the bro-era "good" in any broad sense of the word!
The thing with the bro country was that even tho it was stupid and mostly awful, it still was (sometimes) quite catchy and entertaining. At least it wasn't as boring and monotone as this...
This probably will happen, but then one listen to That’s My Kinda Night will remind us of why it needed to die.
@@mikerivera373 As a man who daily drives a "big black jacked up truck" and wanted one since I originally heard that song, I actually don't hate it. Drunk on you is enough to make me remember why I dislike him.
TheStevenstatzer as someone who loves Childers and Jinks and Hank Sr. and Dwight Yoakam....sometimes that Drunk On You kinda be hitting lol. I agree with Grady, a lot of those songs were fun and catchy. But that was all there was. Glad it’s over and we have other sounds but you’ll catch me bumping some Luke Bryan when no ones watching
The “snap track” has got to go. You’re 100% right on this!
Can't relate. Need more "Forever Alone" country.
“Hear that lonesome whippoorwill...”
@@michaelzumbaugh7290 Hahaha, that's my go to song when I'm feeling down!
have yall checked on spotify? they always have underrated artists that might play your kind of music
Ya know who doesn't sing any of this crap....Eric Church!
Luke combs too
Andrew Truckenmiller true but Luke combs wasn’t around 7 years ago
christianfilmer1500 love her like Jesus does....
@@Pickasport no, it's SHE loves ME like Jesus does. Plus that song is far superior lyrically than all the crap in this video
@@atrucken1 I don't know, but "Beautiful Crazy" seems pretty close to boyfriend country to me
The only new boyfriend country I will accept is “lady May” by Tyler Childers
Pierce Payne .....or Charleston Girl
I FRICKIN LOVE LADY MAY
That's an appropriate song to reference
Just checked it out based on your recommendation.
Beautiful song.
Childers' voice is awesome, too.
Great song.
Ok, so the next logical step would be "Divorce Country"
Husband country, thhheeennn divorce country lol
It started with Divorce Country with songs such as I Left by Exes in Texas. These are the rebound women.
Back to the roots!
Divorce Country was in the 70s and 80s
Before He Cheats is quaking
Just about every single one of these songs have been recommended to my fiancee and I for our wedding. Every time we give a polite and respectful "hell fucking no"
YES!!!!! Tell her that the first song is gonna be "Hey Good Looking" by Hank Williams.
Watching him straddle that microphone made me so annoyed. Imagine him opening for Johnny Cash, David Allen Coe, or Hank.
Eugh.
DAC would shoot his ass on principle , and then say that was for his friends Steve Goodman and John Prine.
Thank god for Jon Pardi, Midland, Cody Johnson and Combs to offer something other than country vanilla.
And now Hardy
and Eric Church
“it is not necessarily a ‘simp’ move to show respect and speak respectfully of women” you dropped this king 👑
That Ed Sheeran album “mistake” you did SENT ME 😂😂😂
"It feels like pandering"
Thats all modern popular country ever is, its pandering, regardless of the trends. It music designed to sell a culture and validate an ideal way more than anything else. I work lights for major country major country tours and every aspect and detail about these musicians are about branding, image and keeping up with aesthetics to validate a culture, to a point that the music and performance is so incredibly sterile and by the numbers. Ive worked hundreds of country shows with many of these artists (who are all genuinely nice people) and I couldnt tell you the difference between any of them, theyre all interchangeable and bland. The act I can even say have a sense of self identity that are unique to the point that seperates them from their peerz are Sugarland (who were fantastic live!) Everything from concert songlist structure, the set and lighting design, the outfits, and the blantant in show advertising (country music is the only genre to not only have the artists face plastered on all the tour trucks, but features a blantant advertisement for a product as well. Hell a few years ago Brad Paisley had his tour sponsored by Kraft and there were LITERAL KRAFT MAC AND CHEESE ADS IN BETWEEN SONGS). And yes, all genres if music are like this (hip hop, hard rock pop can all be guilty of this), but in my experience popular country is the only genre that not only doesnt try to hide this fact, but blantantly tells you this while smiling. This isnt a criticism of country music fans either, everyone is entitled to enjoy the music they connect to without shaming or criticism, but its an incredibly vain, shallow and sterile genre of music thsts put genuine creativity and identity aside as the least important thing. Its not about what the artist wants to personally express, but about what the crowd wants to hear. Theres nothing challenging. You can make the same case for modern pop music, but you tend to have more artists that at least have distinct sounds, styles and aesthetics that set each other apart. If you played me three different bro/boyfriend country songs and gold me to guess the artist theres no way I coukd guess this.
Im not a country music fan at all (i listen to a lot of random stuff from prog metal to acid house to punk to industrial) but I have enough exposure and experience to know that the trends may change but the genre of pop country is a faceless bland, sterile one with zero semblance of identity the artist.
I do want to say you have a fantastic channel and articulate very well issues within the genre of music you follow. Keep up the great work!
ryan pervola wow. Great resd
I definitely agree, do you have think this trend is largely due to the fact that target audience of country is largely homogeneous whereas the target demographic for popular music is greatly diverse?
Exactly what Bo Burnham said in his song on country
Just look at Alan Jackson’s «Remember When», one of my all time favorite songs. He even left Lloyd Green with 8 bars (full verse) of steel solo. Wish we could hear more of that.
Yes! Sappy music that actually had deep substance. All these new songs are so sleezy and fake.
That song hits me right in the feels every time.
Nobody wants to watch someone else’s wedding video.
Try telling that to the family UA-cam channels who plastered their wedding and birth videos all over UA-cam, no one cares about your wedding or birth video.
tell that to everyone on my Facebook wall please. haha
I think it’s sweet so much terrible crap on people’s screens and wholesome things triggers you? Bitter much?
@@sofiabravo1994 It's about the fact that some people are so self-absorbed and believe their lives are special and important to everyone as opposed to every day life. I like to watch wedding videos, but not everyone wants to.
While as a woman it is nice to go from being called a “beer holder” to being at least appreciated, I still feel like men in country, or probably the industry as a whole, doesn’t like marketing women as people. Women are either saints or a hot booty in shorts. Neither of those stereotypes present women as real people and very few songs ever have. Considering how little radio play time women get, the songs are just an extension of that. I’d love to hear a song that talks about a woman as just a person, not an idea. It’s all so frustrating for me as a woman, considering I love country music
Yes, thank you! I don't think women will stop being treated as a marketing tool until more female voices are heard on country radio. It doesn't really matter how many times the songs call a woman an "angel," "perfect," or "the only one" - if you don't let the women speak, it comes off as disingenuous platitudes. Even if a few are earnest and are actually good songs when strung together, these boyfriend country songs start sounding a lot like Keith Urban's "Female": a shallow attempt to pander to an audience. It lacks the ring of authenticity that, for me, is one of the defining elements of good country music.
It's gonna take a couple years. Hang in there. There's more good country brewing up with artists like Ashley McBride, Lori McKenna, Margo Price, Lindi Ortega, and many out there trying to take over the radio. The country radio and Nashville isn't being open to that, and that's sad.
@James Tyler James, why bother commenting. You don't listen.
Lol you women don't have no clue about country music and probably just started listening to radio country a couple years ago...Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Antebellum, Miranda Lambert......tons more of fantastic women country singers. Nah but I'm glad you like this terrible country music that's out today.
WVU STEELERS CELTICS I literally don’t; you would have got that from my comment if you actually read it
If you close your eyes when you’re listening to most of these artists, they seem like pop songs.
If it quacks like a duck...
This is straight pop music, not Country music.
I’ll take boyfriend country over bro country, but there definitely needs to be more variety. And honestly, I’d love to see the flip side of this and get more girls singing about how great the men in their lives are.
This music is about as country as Liberace is straight
A good example of a fun love song that isn’t “boyfriend country” is She Likes The Beatles by William Clark Green
Literally one of my favorites
You should review “Cold Beer Calling My Name” by Jameson Rodgers featuring Luke Combs. Also Luke Comb’s “Six Feet Apart”
Love his 6 feet apart song
I hear a snaptrack, i switch off, doesn’t matter who the artist is!
Your ear canals should write you a thank you note
I wish Johnny, Waylon, Conway, and George Jones were still here today to show these wanna be pop stars what real country sounds like.
George the king!!!!!!
There is Blues Saraceno, but Billboard thinks he is a blues artist.
Record executives wouldn't let it happen. Music is more than business. It's political unfortunately.
His ears must be suicidal to have listened to so much 2010s country
I don't believe he has to unless he is doing covers. Amazon has a 30 second sample feature which is enough to hear the whole song.
I’m so turned off by “country” music atm I’ve basically stopped listening to it. There are some gems that pop up now and again but for the most part it’s been bleh for years.
Do you know who upchurch is?
Listen to Zach Bryan
Upchurch doesn't produce real country, I may be spoiled by Texas country but if there ain't a violin, steel guitar, or better yet both it ain't true country.
lone wolf 308 I agree with you too, Texas country is a hell of a lot better than Nashville in my opinion. Upchurch just has a good selection of music with that country lifestyle to it.
Why is nobody talking about Ned LeDoux? He is one of the best Country singers around today, and sounds just like his dad.
Nobody:
Grady: “That’s My Kind of Night” by Luke Bryan
“Ughh ughh”
J.H. Gregorald 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
This is kinda what happened in the metalcore scene when that whole Attack! Attack! flavor was everywhere
None of these people write their songs. So it's the record companies and the industry in general pushing this. That's why it's every song because that's what the record company is saying is selling
Those legendary great songwriters along " music row " in Nashville are
pouring out a lot of crap .
If these were released ten years ago people would say it’s pop
Turn off this bro pop country and give me some Hank or Strait
Amen bro
Nah, that’s just as overused. Give me Whiskey Myers, David Allen Coe, Cody Jinks, and Tyler Childers.
Yep!
Gerald The Gerbil nah bro they don’t do like Ol’ Hank did. Give me some Chesnutt or Tracy Lawrence before them no doubt
Just Merle Haggard or Marty Robbins too.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Thomas Rhett”
Thomas Rhett: When your legs don’t work like they used to before
*clears throat*
Sorry sorry
Ethan Newland fuuuuccckkkk I cant STAND Thomas Rhett🤯🤯🤯🤯🤯
Probably part of the reason why "Boyfriend country" is gaining a lot of traction (beyond the crowd appeal) is because it seems like 90% of country music artist got married or engaged last year 😂
I agree with you about how country radio has really no originality anymore,. I stopped listening to it on a regular basis several years ago because, like you said, it’s the same sounding music and the same few artists played over and over again. So frustrating! There are so many amazing country artists and songwriters that have so many great songs that barely get heard, if ever, because of country radio being stuck in an endless rut of crap.
Do you guy think when all of them break up with they’re girlfriends it just gonna be like a bunch of Taylor Swift break ups songs with dude singing them
I dread when we get a song for that in the style of the song 90's Country. The thought of some of these groups name dropping George Jones for clout makes me cringe.
I sure hope that doesn't happen
@@jmit3491 You can dislike Chris Stapleton's version of Tennessee Whiskey but I think it's unfair to consider Chris Stapleton not country, he's better and a lot more "country" than a lot of today's stuff. If you haven't already, listen to some of his other songs he's really a great artist.
At least it would be different. 😂😂😂😂
Yep. Then hopefully their uncle comes up and punches them in the vagina. Rips their tattoos off and takes their man cards.
The second half of the 90s was full of this kind of music. John Michael Montgomery was the avatar of this trend a generation ago and it largely defined early Kenny Chesney as well. From Ty Herndon to Clay Walker to Bryan White, the sensitive guys dominated in the second half of the 90s.
Mark Ellsworth I like John Michael Montgomery... Idk 🤷♂️
Mark Ellsworth but it wasn’t the only thing on country radio. Where as it feels like that’s all that’s on the radio now. So not quite apples to apples.
@George Pilzer I agree with most of what you say here. My favorite era of country music was also the first half of the 90s. There was such an exciting energy and sense of innovation in that era. Boundaries were coming down and various artists were setting their own separate trends. Outside-the-box acts like Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lee Roy Parnell, The Mavericks, and Hal Ketchum were all having big success on radio along with more conventional (yet still very good) country crooners like Alan Jackson and Tracy Lawrence. There was still plenty to like in the second half of the 90s but two of the songs you listed defined the escalating sap factor that took some of the power away from those years for me...."Rebecca Lynn" and "Loved Too Much". I have great memories of most of the country music from the 80s and 90s though.
“Beautiful Mess” by Diamond Rio is boyfriend country in a way I guess... just actually paints a picture that isn’t so by the numbers.
I like that one.
Alicia me too! And the words are quite a bit more expressive than this current crap. And occasionally goofy! “This morning I put salt in my coffee, I put my shoes on the wrong feet” these guys don’t have that same level of openness! That’s smart writing right there.
Wow I listen mostly to a lot of what ppl call “alt country,” Americana, etc and kinda forgot how miserable mainstream country is.
Thanks for the Prine and Dolly at the end.
Dan + Shay's latest album is a straight up pop album. I feel like still calling them country would be like calling Taylor Swift's "Red" a country album
When it rains it pours is big for a reason. Just saying.
Modern equivalent to I’m Gonna Miss Her by Brad Paisley
I resonate more to bro-country because of its rock influence, Like Take it Outside by Brantley Gilbert and Round Here by FGL. Songs that are more rock than country. But the evolution towards a more bubble gum pop, has made me miss those days of bro-country.
Goerge strait, hank, alan Jackson and brooks and dunn. All radio stations are set for eternity.
Backyard Shop He’ll yeah, plus Randy Travis, Clint Black, and Doug Stone imo.
Backyard Shop Johnny Cash, Waylon, Kristofferson, Haggard and Nelson
I clicked on this because I thought guys were singing about their boyfriends. Disappointed.
Nah, that would actually be interesting so of course they don't do it
@@solarwinds9236 Yeah, I don't listen to modern country music because there is nothing more boring. It's pretty much exclusively a white male good ol' boy's club (with a token black guy) with absolutely no diversity. And it shows in the horrible quality of the music. Every song sounds exactly alike to me. Samantha Bee did a great piece on sexism in country music. ua-cam.com/video/IVFXbkIruws/v-deo.html
There's Orville Peck.
Same
They probably are.
what in tarnation
Just to point out, Remember You Young isn't even a love song, it's a nostalgic look at the passing of time.
Love the video, not a Thomas Rhett fan, but that song isn't an example of a reverent love song.
Is Dan and Shay this generation of rascal flatts? They sound just like them, even the corny extra sensitive love songs.
I thought "Speechless" was a Rascal Flatts song until I watched this video. Lol.
yes!!!! I've been saying that since I first found out they weren't RF. I HATE THEM
In all honesty, I much prefer "bro-country" over "boyfriend country".
I'm not going to dare say I am thrilled for either, and "bro-country" lyricism does indeed hit jarring nadirs much more often than "boyfriend country". But here's the thing: in spite of the Auto-Tune, overcompressed mixing, rap cadences and early flirtation with clap tracks, much of bro-country actually still embraced the presence of actual instrumentation that translates well to a live setting: preserving the amped-up roadhouse guitars and drums that were prominent before this sub-genre's rise with at least faint whiffs of peddle steel and banjo. And perhaps some may disagree with me on the following, but I'm of the opinion that a laughably awful song is better than an unbearably banal, forgettable one................and with the exception of the most misogynistic "bro-country" tracks, I can still laugh off and enjoy "bro-country" stompers unironically here and there due to their usually energetic tempo and charisma.
With "boyfriend country", I can't even do that. And what makes "boyfriend country" even worse than "bro-country", to me...................is that when misogyny or condescension is there in the lyrics, the aggressively "sincere and "romantic" tone of the track makes the track smack as aggressively manipulating from an emotional standpoint. "Female" gave off that vibe to me, for example. Not to mention the production and instrumentation is a monochromatic sleep-inducing blur bereft of actual instrumentation most of the time.
I give you an A-. Excellent essay. :)
Banal. Unironic. Condescension. I feel as though the usual discourse of this channel has been passively elevated to a hitherto, unbeforeseen and perchance lofty height... it makes me feel as though, like the bard Mr. Pardi once said, I'd like Tequila Little Time With You. 😊
Country music: trending to the saturated extremes since the 2000s
That clip of Luke Bryan cracks me up every single time lmao
I love when you include that luke bryan meme lol
lmao "Whether they're disabled, have vitiligo, or have a bunch of nose rings"
I'm gonna get so much hate for this but "Heaven" by Kane Brown is one of the most boring songs I've ever heard
All Kane brown songs are boring and hard to listen to in general. He's not a country singer, he's a crap pop singer that dresses and acts like a rapper.
I liked it at first and now I can't listen to it lol
Kane Brown was such a better artist when he wasn’t on a label and wasn’t famous.
Kane brown is a joke
Heaven is one of his worst songs and I’m a huge Kane Brown fan.
2010’s Bro Country - Trying to get her into my truck after telling her to get me a cold one
2020’s Boyfriend Country - Buying her a cold one and driving her in my truck to wherever she wants
2030’s Marriage Country - Sitting on top of a truck both drinking cold ones
2040's Divorce Country - Her catching me drinking a cold one again and me escaping in my truck
2050's Custody Country - Fighting her while drunk from a cold one about who gets the truck
Little over a year later and now we have a commercial with a hybrid bro/boyfriend country song about taking your girl to a fancy dinner at Applebee's.
When you were saying how the sound is getting boring all I could think of was villanelle yelling “this is so BOOOORIIIING” in killing eve at the art museum
I thought Maddie and Tae's reaction to Bro Country was amazing in the mid 2010s. I thought they were underated and probably even smothered by Nashville and the gatekeepers of country music. I like their sound and still hope they make it bigger someday. "Bro Country" and "Boyfriend Country" still have the same component; a louder male perspective. I love country music. But you're right I want more variety in every aspect of radio country, perhaps especially in the artists themselves too. More females would be refreshing. Not just the same ones. I miss the 90s as a kid! Faith, Shania, Tricia Yearwood, Jodi Messina, Reba's second wave, etc
Trisha and Jo Dee
Country music radio can kept their boyfriend country and I will keep listening to Luke Combs, Eric Church, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Cody Johnson, Cody Jinks, Jamey Johnson, John Moreland, Sturgill Simpson, Colter Wall and Tyler Childers etc
It's because all the bro country fans are now getting married and need wedding songs.
Guys, I met a girl prior to quarantine and I absolutely fell head over heels in love with her. Unfortunately, we had to distance ourselves due to this outbreak. It sucks because things were progressing great, she was asking me to come over and hang and then Bam! Covid-19 happened. Every time I hear one of these songs, it reminds me of her. She's an amazing guitarist who sings songs about heartbreak and love. She had gotten out of a bad relationship right before we met, so she was most likely on the rebound and feeling lonely that night. I tried to be there for her, but I think her ex has made it hard for her to open up and trust people. I was thinking about doing some covers of these songs and posting them for her to see. One that I think really fits my situation is Get to You by Michael Ray. I feel like this may help her open up since we both share a love for music. I really wanna see her again, especially before I get deployed to the Army. So do you guys think I should do some covers of these country songs to let her know how I'm feeling?
I cannot take Dan +Shay. Just barf.
Whenever I hear Rascal Flats come on the radio I think to myself "oh, it's the original Dan +Shay"
Greg Schachte okay but the songs kinda slap even if they aren’t country
You gotta admit though, rascall fats isn’t that great either
Rascall Flatts is fine, Gary Levox is a really good singer. They're just more pop than country and could be classified as such.
In all honesty, some of the boyfriend “country” songs are good. But they aren’t country songs. Most of the songs lack everything that makes a country song a country song. They should put all these guys on pop radio. They’d have more success there and they wouldn’t get hate from traditional country fans
And I think the problem is that it doesn't have any originality. It's boring. It's all an opinion....I wouldn't even say the songs are good....I'm glad I'm not the only who cringes at this shit.
It went from being super pervy to super creepy...from Bro Country to Boyfriend Country. You wanna know the sad part, Grady? I MISS Bro Country. This Boyfriend Country is so generic, bland, vanilla and plain awful with ZERO creativity or originality. Just stating the facts. Keep up the awesome content, Grady!!
I avoid it by just not listening to the radio at all. If I have to listen to the radio I’m listening to NPR.
@@MiguelR777me too...or my ipod!
Jason Aldean has a few of these songs but he still has ones like "Fly Over States" that are classics.
I am not a country music fan, but I really enjoy your thoughtful critiques of the form. I always learn something.
Alrighty Grady, I know you’ve been getting heckled on Twitter about this, but I want to hear your take on “Everlasting Country” from Upchurch. I’d say you’ve got a fair bit of experience and know a good sound when you hear one.
It is going to be covered in a roundup once there are enough albums to justify a roundup.
oh God so the upchurch fans call the Grady fans stupid because they may not like him
Grady Smith sweet! With a ton coming out on May 1st hopefully that’ll be a reality soon.
Jake Pridgeon eh yea to an extent. He has a following that isn’t what most would call intelligent, however I do really enjoy what he’s doing and like his music.
Grady Smith IDK man. Seems like you’re walking into a trap again with this up church thing
The country genres roll on by, Hank Sr sits in the corner smoking and biding his time
I hope Randall King gets a big breakthrough. That guy makes real country.
GinoTerzano fr fr
‘That ain’t country’ by Aaron lewis is the only way to describe most of this new music...
I feel like a lot of these songs are made to perform a function that is to be played at a wedding. I’ve been to several country-ish weddings and let me tell you they’re all there lol.
Beautiful Crazy started this, and it did a good job. That song is amazing. Thing is everyone else wanted their song to go viral so they hopped on the train. They did a sucky job in comparison though
Just like "Cruise" by FGL did with bro country
(except Cruise isn't a good song)
I gotta be the only one who hated beautiful crazy
@@johnsailor6081 I don't hate it but it is my least favorite LC song. Probably because the subject of the song doesn't seem all that crazy.
Luke Combs is the 🐐
Maddy & Tae album review?
When you come here and your playlist gets completely exposed as boyfriend country.
Thanks for the video Grady! I thought I was going crazy wondering why every song I was hearing on the radio driving t work and back was a sloooow song.
Good point about the worship of women. I've always felt uneasy about it. Here's a point to compliment that: at any given moment on the top 25 chart (across most genres) you will find virtually ZERO male positive songs - the songs by men put women on a pedestal most often, and songs by women are about a terrible ex.
In 2018/2019 the balance was almost a perfect median between the different genres of country. I wish it was more neotraditional of course, but right now the radio and overall scene is oversaturated with boyfriend country. Some of these songs are amazing, and some are just stupid f boy pop music.
Why don't you just listen to the music you like? Why do you care what's on the radio? Maybe I just don't understand it because we don't have country radio here
Coco Caillat since radio is king in country music whatever they play is what most artists will gravitate towards
@@lleytonc Oh okay. Thanks for explaining. I kind of get it because I was also a bit annoyed when everyone listened to Old Town Road but I still think you should focus on the musicians you like and support them by going to concerts or buying their cds