You may not see this but I want to shine a light on a country band called the Valley Authority. They are an extremely unknown group. however they’re music is worth listening to. They’re sounds similar to Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson, but they also have a sound of they’re own. Songs I would recommend are we drove 11 and Wildflowers. I’m not asking for a vid I just wanting to shine a light on a hometown band that I think you would really like. Anyways thank you for your content it means a lot to me!🙏🙏
Perhaps, your comment on Trace Adkins's 2021 song is so 2012. Perhaps Trace forgot what year it was and flipped the numbers. Get it, 2021, is now 2012!?! Haha!
found this at linked in-Love Grady. He did an EXCELLENT video using country music data on the “bro country” trend. I used the data set he put together for an NLP project in my master’s program. .
I agree bro country at least was masculine not like this crap thats for homosexuals. Dan and shay makes the Backstreet Boys sound brilliant in comparison and that Fancy Like song is horrid
They are purely pop. Why the hell are they classed as country? I asked that question on one of their videos and none of their fans could point me to a single element in their music that makes them 'country'.
This will probably sound a bit negative but it amazes me how much country music had accomplished in the 80s,90s,and early 2000s to then tear it all down once the 2010s came along and reverse a lot of what made the genre great in less then half that time. 30 years of progress gone in 10 years.
I agree the 80’s -early 2000 country was brilliant and innovative not like the old boring country. But now it is putrid. I think country was destroyed by outside forces because they could not stand to have a pure art form based on lyrics of morality and honest hard work sung by mostly white men and women. So it had to be adulterated, infiltrated and destroyed by turning It into degenerate pop music crap
There are some good artists out there today. Tyler Childers, Ryan Bingham, Cody Jinks, Lucky Tubb, Josh Hedley, Turnpike Troubedors, Sturgill, etc. The donkeys on this list produce rubbish for other donkeys. Hank Sr would literally slap the vagina out of all of it.
I love Billy currington but man that new album was a down grade from his old stuff. I agree with Grady that it does sound like he listened to Sam Hunt for the first time because take Billy's old song "Like my dog" that Is me and my dads favorite song by him. But comparing It to his newer songs is a HUMUNGOUS change. He should stick to what he knows and go back to the old country music he was soooo good at.
I believe so. I typically only listen to classic country and new western country so colter wall or Appalachia country like Tyler Childers. But I do like me some Hardy when I'm throwing a beer backs with the boys.
Petition to change the current genre of modern “country” to Star Wars title crawl music, since basically every song is just listing everything that could convincible be “country” it really does feel like I’m listening to an audio version of a giant block of text.
Props Grady: you may have not wanted to do this but you refused to do a poor job or pull punches. "like a magnolia section of a target, and a Brené Brown bookclub luncheon got put inside a essential oil defuser together."
Unfortunately, I’m right there with you on Kacey Musgrave’s! Loved her since the beginning and I was really hoping for a more country sound this time around. But also glad to see her getting some recognition for her talents
Watching a video of the worst songs of the year sounds great in theory… and then I spend 15 minutes listening to every song I spent my year actively avoiding 😂
Great video Grady! It honestly sucks to see the situation with Billy currington and I'm hoping he finds his sound again! It's kinda the same situation as the Owl by ZBB of an artist just forgetting what makes them known, but I would say even worse.
It’s a testament to how good Jamey Johnson is that we all just collectively agreed to ignore the fact that he helped bring Honkytonk Badonkadonk into this world
really makes me wonder if sometimes really good songwriters just go... "you know what... i could use some money. Bet these dumbasses will love this one"
This video illustrates perfectly why I don't listen to country radio 95% of the time. Thanks, Grady! I know you like doing more of the positive videos now, but this one is always a favorite of mine.
He has such a wonderful voice, that deep baritone is really beautiful I wish he would get out of the kitschy stuff and record songs that truly showcase his talent
Grady! Love your channel, man. If not for you I would never listen to any modern country , like none at all. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry at the state of country music, but I’m always entertained. Cheers!
I am well aware of Trace Adkins Nonsense material, but his song "You're gonna miss this" is a song that frankly, now that I have kids, cant listen to without crying.
Where the country girls at is low-key my jam. It’s such an objectively bad song but I can never turn it off when it comes on my Spotify. One Margarita is another one of those guilty jams 😂
I loved Star Crossed! Golden Hour is still my fave but I love how emotional her newest album was. Probably because of personal experiences for me lol and it’s relatable but I can maybe see why people aren’t a fan after Golden Hour.
Hearing Trace Adkins sing “How’d she get them britches on?” Is one of the worst things I’ve ever heard. I immediately had to go listen to Johnny Cash’s version of “Last night I had the Strangest Dream” To remind myself about a country song should sound like.
I've never heard "Last night I had The Strangest Dream" before. Thought I'd look it up since you typed it in. I listened to it. Incredible song. Especially Cash singing it.
Honkey thinks badonkadonk is what me and my friends used to JAM out to when we were kids we were like 13 when it came out so I think it is an amazing song and Itll never get old. But yes Johnny cash is a phenomenal singer.
Grady you nail it everytime!! I am writing an album as of now and I totally agree, where the hell is the country in our country? It just sounds for the most part like pop! we need the man in black back I tell ya what.
I'm also so so sad about Star Crossed. The title single had some interesting production and that gave me hope... but then the whole album got released. I tried to love it because I love her, but it's just so mediocre
Thank you for bringing light to the Hardy song, I think about that every time. I feel like it should be sung "one beer turns in*to* a lit cigarette burning into a 3 beer buzz. Four beers turns into 5 and a 6..."
You probably would respect and like Walker Hayes more if you heard his story. It changed alot of what I thought about him for sure. I'm calling myself out 100%. Many of these songs I actually like quite a bit. Take my "country cred" card! Lol, well done sir!
@@morganwilson1740 The non-radio version says “I wish George Jones still got played on country radio” now it’s “I wish country music still got played on country radio”. Unless they changed it again.
I gotta agree with this video. I accepted the fact that the country music I grew up on is gone but there’s still singers like josh turner, trace Adkins, William Michael Morgan, Joe Nichols, Scotty McCreery and others that keeps that era going.
I’m honestly so depressed when it comes to Billy Currington because I love so much of his older stuff and he really did have a lot of high quality songs. I just discovered that he made a cover version of Kenny Rogers’s “Lucille” and it’s beautiful. I just hate seeing artists that do a certain thing really we’ll continue to experiment over and over again with a failed project style like he had for the last few years.
always makes me laugh when these people sing how country they are to the beat of a song that's anything but country. like let me rap how pure country i am *rolls eyes* and Billy Currington's album is a total disappointment. i used to be a fan of his but this one is just awful
I have been saying "what about 4" with Hardy's song since I initially heard it. Thank you for the tangent! Plus the sad 4 clipart just makes this 👌👍 perfection.
I've been a country music fan all my life. My city use to have a classic country radio station that has recently changed its format to Top 40 country. I deleted all my local country music stations from my presets and replaced the stations with classic rock and heavy metal stations. Who would have thought that heavy metal would offer a more rythmic, artistic and thought provoking experience than the modern country music garbage.
I like Luke Bryan and think he’s a good singer, but seriously wish he wasn’t in where the country girls at.. other than that, I think he’s been moving away from bro country lately
On your last video you introduced me to the amazing song Dispatch to 16th Ave. by Muscadine Bloodline. I feel like that song really encapsulates this video.
Grady you couldn't be more spot on. As someone who worked in the industry for years I feel the same way about the music these days. I knew Walker back in the day and he had much better music and still does. I'd say though country still is now riding the back of pop music and will sadly forever be to keep money coming in. As to why I got out of it all...and thank God! It's the labels pushing this crap because they have women in their 20's pushing this crap in the industry. Sadly they don't know much about music. 100% about the award shows as well. Billy Currington was trying to be like Dierks on his album Black.
I was waiting for “Drinkin’ Beer, Talking God, Amen” by Chase Rice cause as much as I love Chase, this one was probably one of my least favorites off his new album
Glad I wasn't the only one who hated that song Chase Rice is great, but he lowered his standards by allowing FGL to be on it Same with the Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard colab, Undivided
Other thing for me is there were much better songs off his album that could have been radio singles. I get that he’s been friends with FGL for years (Chase was a co-writer for Cruise), but I expected a little better than what we got.
This was entertaining... As someone who's gotten a bit under the hood of the Nashville music making machine, I can tell you there is absolutely nothing genuine (in terms of tractors and other things you associate with country culture/living) about any of the artist at the top of the charts. A lot of them are from Georgia which has a lot of rural areas, but most of them grew up in suburban life not farm or cowboy life.. Since the music industry has consolidated talent from LA and New York has moved there, it's a melting point of huge talent, 3-5 songwriters usually behind every hit and the person singing the song (who usually started as songwriter for others) rarely writes their own hits... I will share with you a fact any Nashville record label exec can confirm. Every country song that gets promotion (which means every song that gets recorded these days) has to fit their target demographic, which is women 18-48. A few outliers like Chris Stapleton cross-over, but very few actually getting Nashville to acknowledge them. If you want genuine there are plenty in the folk-country category, lots of great artist in Texas, etc... Check out Ryan Bingham, he's become known for his role on Yellowstone but his claim to fame a decade before that was writing hit song The Weary Kind for the movie Crazy Heart. Prior to becoming a professional singer-songwriter, Bingham was also a pro bull rider. That's about as genuine as it gets. Yep. Lots of off the radar talent that write everything they sing. Nashville country is not meant to be genuine, it's meant to make as much money as possible by finding the largest audience it can within its target demographic.
Pleasantly surprised, I typically do not watch the worst of videos but I made an exception for you since you are one of my favorites. I agree with most of your opinions, of course there are a few not so much, but that's still OK too. 😁
The cover of Billy Currington's album says it all. Turned his back on his fans and sound that made him well-loved and -respected, to look toward the blinding lights of the big city bad decisions and modern production. Maybe good directions and turnip greens will bring him back to Rincon; camping out on his friends' couch could be his future.
Honestly I'm glad for TikTok, simply because that's the reason Fancy Like got pushed to radio. Hayes' label originally tried to push Country Stuff as the single, which would have been an all-time awful decision. Then Fancy Like took off on Tik Tok and Walker Hayes is a star. And, I'll say I've been rooting for Walker Hayes for a long time. While he may not be the most country guy out there, he seems like a genuinely good guy and he's willing to sing deeper songs than anyone else in the mainstream. The Comedian, Dad's Sailboat, Chapel, Lela's Stars, and quite a few more touch on some real issues in his life that nobody else will dare sing about.
Grady, I ordered your puzzle. I was so excited to receive it because it had all my favorite country stars incorporated into it. I can’t find the order number or the confirmation email as of right now because I ordered it back in November. It has not arrived and I have lost any hope that it will. I will continue to comment this on all your videos until I can get an answer.
Even though some of this stuff really is bad, if this is really the worst country music of 2021, that should tell you 2021 was a pretty good year for the genre!
@@MrHmg55 I had to drive a car without any way to listen to music on my phone so I had to listen to the radio and every time those songs came on I would instantly change the channel😂😂
@@alarrim29574 I'm fortunate to have four country stations in my area to choose from in the car (one of them classic country, the others contemporary). There's always a better song being played elsewhere, so I never listen to more than the first 10 seconds of so of anything by Walker Hayes. As for Dan + Shay ... oh come on, who can work up a good healthy hate for Dan + Shay? I constantly wonder what they're doing on country radio, but those harmonies and hooks more than occasionally get me singing along in spite of myself. The me who turns up Hank Jr. is constantly at war with the me who turns up Dan + Shay.
Hi Grady . There are a few songs that you rightly classified as the worst songs . HOWEVER as a karaoke tragic singer, Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, Donky Donky to the Honky Tonky , and my absolute fave Brown Chicken Brown Cow. are totally awesome to sing in Aus . These songs are not part of the local culture so they are appreciated for the grit of the production and the madness of their take on country music . plus they are funny as to sing . Billy Currington is a personal fav and so I miss his Good Directions
At the moment you started talking about Kacey Musgraves, the coffee shop I'm in started playing "Slow Burn." Man what a disappointing fall-off in quality. Even for pop music, which I was prepared for from Kacey. Just felt too anonymous and forgettable for someone who's usually neither of those things.
That is really depressing timing 😂 I loved Trailer Park and that entire vibe. It’s alright she’s going pop but I wish she’d make the full genre switch if she is going to.
Caught up -- only 17 days into the new year!
Its fine. I think weve all been behind schedule lately
You may not see this but I want to shine a light on a country band called the Valley Authority.
They are an extremely unknown group. however they’re music is worth listening to. They’re sounds similar to Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson, but they also have a sound of they’re own. Songs I would recommend are we drove 11 and Wildflowers.
I’m not asking for a vid I just wanting to shine a light on a hometown band that I think you would really like.
Anyways thank you for your content it means a lot to me!🙏🙏
Perhaps, your comment on Trace Adkins's 2021 song is so 2012. Perhaps Trace forgot what year it was and flipped the numbers. Get it, 2021, is now 2012!?! Haha!
You should do one on Trey Lewis
found this at linked in-Love Grady. He did an EXCELLENT video using country music data on the “bro country” trend. I used the data set he put together for an NLP project in my master’s program.
.
I live in Baltimore, drive a Toyota, and drink seltzer sometimes, and I *know* I’m more country than Walker Hayes.
I like walker hayes but god damn this is funny 😂
@@mmontero15 he has a great personality but let’s be real walker hayes is a terrible artist who is supported by tik tok.
Ikr. Walker hayes is as city as it gets
Nah, not really.
😝😝😝😝🤣🤣🤣
Its sad to see many country artists mutating instead of evolving. Currington's Intuition has to be the most depressing release of 2021.
Patiently waiting on Grady's song about tractors
I had no idea that Billy Currington album even existed. Now, unfortunately, I do.
His older stuff is so good.. it's a shame to see the direction his career has gone, but that's what the radio wants these days.
@@laurashriver7552 It's pretty disappointing. I miss the days of "People are crazy"
@Ben O that’s a question for dierks bentley if you know what I mean
@Ben O wrong direction lol
@Ben O I guess he doesn’t have good directions anymore
I much prefer bro country over walker Hayes especially fancy like
Same. Bro country was bad but this boyfriend pop country is much worse, I’m my opinion.
Yeah but unfortunately, that kind of stuff makes money.
I prefer just about anything over Walker Hayes
I agree bro country at least was masculine not like this crap thats for homosexuals. Dan and shay makes the Backstreet Boys sound brilliant in comparison and that Fancy Like song is horrid
@@andreichukanov4180 it’s not really sub genre. It’s that a lot of mainstream artists are writing these poppy simp anthems.
If Dan & Shay were based out of, started out in LA they'd be considered pop
They are purely pop. Why the hell are they classed as country? I asked that question on one of their videos and none of their fans could point me to a single element in their music that makes them 'country'.
This will probably sound a bit negative but it amazes me how much country music had accomplished in the 80s,90s,and early 2000s to then tear it all down once the 2010s came along and reverse a lot of what made the genre great in less then half that time. 30 years of progress gone in 10 years.
Yeah
I knew there is a reason 95% of my country playlist is pre-2010. The newer stuff is mostly Chris Stapleton and Eric Church.
I agree the 80’s -early 2000 country was brilliant and innovative not like the old boring country. But now it is putrid. I think country was destroyed by outside forces because they could not stand to have a pure art form based on lyrics of morality and honest hard work sung by mostly white men and women. So it had to be adulterated, infiltrated and destroyed by turning It into degenerate pop music crap
@@dltguitar6532 lol wtf are you talking about?
There are some good artists out there today. Tyler Childers, Ryan Bingham, Cody Jinks, Lucky Tubb, Josh Hedley, Turnpike Troubedors, Sturgill, etc. The donkeys on this list produce rubbish for other donkeys. Hank Sr would literally slap the vagina out of all of it.
I laughed out loud when you said Billy Currington's album sounded like he listened to Sam Hunt for the first time
I love Billy Currington.
I love Billy currington but man that new album was a down grade from his old stuff. I agree with Grady that it does sound like he listened to Sam Hunt for the first time because take Billy's old song "Like my dog" that Is me and my dads favorite song by him. But comparing It to his newer songs is a HUMUNGOUS change. He should stick to what he knows and go back to the old country music he was soooo good at.
Is it possible Hardy leaves out 4 in the song to show how simple things like counting can become hard while drinking?
I like the way you think
Roflmao
I believe so. I typically only listen to classic country and new western country so colter wall or Appalachia country like Tyler Childers. But I do like me some Hardy when I'm throwing a beer backs with the boys.
That is a very good concept man. That was funny and true😅
I honestly thought that the first time I heard it I took it as, by the time you've had 5 or 6, you're really not sure how many you've had lol
I actually bought that Billy Currington album. I use it to discipline my children.
Calling CPS
Poor bastards.
Hahaha. I used to use Lawrence Welk the same way!
I think that would violate the eight amendment as cruel and unusual punishment 💀
😂😂😂
Petition to change the current genre of modern “country” to Star Wars title crawl music, since basically every song is just listing everything that could convincible be “country” it really does feel like I’m listening to an audio version of a giant block of text.
I'll sign!
Yes! Very accurate
I am surprised no one has made a country song in the point of view of a tractor. Like actually being the tractor
I was mid sip and busted out laughing reading that one! 🤣
million dollar idea bud, sell that to Nashville immediately
Chugging along with the boss In tow, got the slasher on so I can mow 🤣
Yeah a song from the point of view of a tractor. Like the one back in the was it seventies or eighties about I'm a truck. Or 'girl in a country song'
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Props Grady: you may have not wanted to do this but you refused to do a poor job or pull punches. "like a magnolia section of a target, and a Brené Brown bookclub luncheon got put inside a essential oil defuser together."
That comparison was worth the time watching!
This was like my favorite thing he said in this video😂
Unfortunately, I’m right there with you on Kacey Musgrave’s! Loved her since the beginning and I was really hoping for a more country sound this time around. But also glad to see her getting some recognition for her talents
I refuse to call Dan and Shay country artists
Same here
Watching a video of the worst songs of the year sounds great in theory… and then I spend 15 minutes listening to every song I spent my year actively avoiding 😂
Great video Grady! It honestly sucks to see the situation with Billy currington and I'm hoping he finds his sound again! It's kinda the same situation as the Owl by ZBB of an artist just forgetting what makes them known, but I would say even worse.
It’s a testament to how good Jamey Johnson is that we all just collectively agreed to ignore the fact that he helped bring Honkytonk Badonkadonk into this world
Shhhhhhhh... :)
really makes me wonder if sometimes really good songwriters just go... "you know what... i could use some money. Bet these dumbasses will love this one"
This video illustrates perfectly why I don't listen to country radio 95% of the time. Thanks, Grady! I know you like doing more of the positive videos now, but this one is always a favorite of mine.
Waylon , Wille , Hank , Merle , Keith , Cash and George. Enough said !
It's sad to see what Trace Adkins has become. He was my first favorite country artist and made me fall in love with the genre.
Listen to his new album. It will deliver. His record label definitely told him to release that single. His album cuts are amazing
@@simonswayzegaming544 I'm pretty sure better off is the single from that album, because that's the one I've heard getting played on radio
He has such a wonderful voice, that deep baritone is really beautiful I wish he would get out of the kitschy stuff and record songs that truly showcase his talent
I'm glad I started with the 70s 80s stuff. I fell in love with the steel guitar. I avoid all the pop stuff.
@@simonswayzegaming544 He's one of the few country artists I like. His music is not sad, boring, or depressing in mood.
Grady! Love your channel, man. If not for you I would never listen to any modern country , like none at all. Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I cry at the state of country music, but I’m always entertained. Cheers!
Really disheartening to see the trajectory that Parmalee has gone considering their first album was pretty decent.
Fancy Like is one of the few songs that will always ALWAYS make me change the station.
One Mississippi, one margarita, etc have their own sub genre of country music and it should called counting country music! 😂
it’s oddly catchy but also repetitive idk
Songs about the number one, and fractions. Strange times.
I am well aware of Trace Adkins Nonsense material, but his song "You're gonna miss this" is a song that frankly, now that I have kids, cant listen to without crying.
Kinda like "Watching You"?
Man, it felt good to be country before.
Where the country girls at is low-key my jam. It’s such an objectively bad song but I can never turn it off when it comes on my Spotify. One Margarita is another one of those guilty jams 😂
Country Stuff sounds like the theme song of a failed early-2000s PBS show...
I still stand by the fact that Yeah by Joe Nichols is a good song and that is all I will say. Thank you
I loved Star Crossed! Golden Hour is still my fave but I love how emotional her newest album was. Probably because of personal experiences for me lol and it’s relatable but I can maybe see why people aren’t a fan after Golden Hour.
It was more of her lyrical content, it is the weakness of the album but I enjoy the production.
I can't stand hick-hop, bro-country and simp-country (a term of my own creation)
Never did, never will.
Same here
Hearing Trace Adkins sing “How’d she get them britches on?” Is one of the worst things I’ve ever heard. I immediately had to go listen to Johnny Cash’s version of “Last night I had the Strangest Dream” To remind myself about a country song should sound like.
I rather listen to Honky Tonk badonkadonk then listen to majority of what’s on country radio.
I've never heard "Last night I had The Strangest Dream" before. Thought I'd look it up since you typed it in. I listened to it. Incredible song. Especially Cash singing it.
Honkey thinks badonkadonk is what me and my friends used to JAM out to when we were kids we were like 13 when it came out so I think it is an amazing song and Itll never get old. But yes Johnny cash is a phenomenal singer.
@@karlicampbell1269 Well at the very least, we can agree on Johnny Cash.
@@bushbasher85 yes 100%
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
THE MOMENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!
WOOHOO
Grady you nail it everytime!! I am writing an album as of now and I totally agree, where the hell is the country in our country? It just sounds for the most part like pop! we need the man in black back I tell ya what.
Nailed the Dan and Shay section man. I listened to that i felt like i was in a Target
Deep Down, Grady
You like doing this list
I'm also so so sad about Star Crossed. The title single had some interesting production and that gave me hope... but then the whole album got released. I tried to love it because I love her, but it's just so mediocre
"No Sad Songs" is the polar opposite of "Welcome to Hard Times" in every way possible.
Charley Crockett is so cool that Chuck Norris has him 1,2, and 3 on his playlist.
Thank you for bringing light to the Hardy song, I think about that every time. I feel like it should be sung "one beer turns in*to* a lit cigarette burning into a 3 beer buzz. Four beers turns into 5 and a 6..."
Oh man, I’ve been looking forward to this video all year
Mr Grady .. this is your best video yet. My wife and I truly enjoyed watching it. thank you for sharing it.
It's simple really. Billy Currington gives Good Directions, doesn't receive them.
🤣
I watched this video a few days ago and the “smell good” joke still makes me belly laugh any time I think about it or hear cologne in a song
You probably would respect and like Walker Hayes more if you heard his story. It changed alot of what I thought about him for sure. I'm calling myself out 100%. Many of these songs I actually like quite a bit. Take my "country cred" card! Lol, well done sir!
“I wish country music still got played on country radio” - Riley Green one of my favorite and most relatable lyrics ever
I listened to that song in the radio and they had taken out that line and put something else there but I forgot, I was like wtf!
@@morganwilson1740 The non-radio version says “I wish George Jones still got played on country radio” now it’s “I wish country music still got played on country radio”.
Unless they changed it again.
I love Billy Currington so much and he can do no wrong in my eyes but I honestly didn’t even know he came up with an album last year 😅
It’s actually pretty good.
I gotta agree with this video. I accepted the fact that the country music I grew up on is gone but there’s still singers like josh turner, trace Adkins, William Michael Morgan, Joe Nichols, Scotty McCreery and others that keeps that era going.
That Magnolia/Target reference with the oil diffuser was 🔥 😂
I’m honestly so depressed when it comes to Billy Currington because I love so much of his older stuff and he really did have a lot of high quality songs. I just discovered that he made a cover version of Kenny Rogers’s “Lucille” and it’s beautiful. I just hate seeing artists that do a certain thing really we’ll continue to experiment over and over again with a failed project style like he had for the last few years.
Lol! I also saw the parallel between one Mississippi and one Margerita😂
Dude, I want that painting of Eric Church in the background. I agree with you about Dan and Shay's music...just kinda leaves me wanting.
Remember when ‘Storms of Life’ came out? Or ‘Past The Point Of Rescue’, or ‘Killin’Time’, or ‘No Fences’....Good times. Gooood times.
FYI, "Get Ready" interpolates the chorus from the classic blues song "Black Betty", the most popular version being the 1977 cover by Ram Jam.
I think Hardy’s album coming later this year will be the biggest project of the year and huge for the genre
You were on fire in this one, Grady. Nice job.
I look forward to this video every year
Kacey broke my heart with her new album. So damn soft and echoey, like sad pop lullabies
Exactly…..soft, echoey, POP lullabies……not quite country…..
always makes me laugh when these people sing how country they are to the beat of a song that's anything but country. like let me rap how pure country i am *rolls eyes* and Billy Currington's album is a total disappointment. i used to be a fan of his but this one is just awful
Four went the same place as in that U2 song, where they attempted to count in Spanish, but it really went one, two, three, FOURTEEN
Grady I just have to say that I love all of your paintings, but the Eric Church one is definitely one of my favorites😍
I'm with ya on the fourth beer missing in "One Beer." It bugged me too.
Hey Grady, kudos to you for a lil shout out to Jewel's Intuition. I think that's the only good song worth mentioned on this video 😅
Agree on everything except "One Mississippi". Great catchy earworm with three hooks in 3 minutes.
I love this channel so much
While I ''m at it Midland are my absolute go to for lyrics , feel and phasing . ." Sunrise tells the story" is a treat to sing ...
Dude your Brenne Brown diffuser comment made me laugh-that was gold
Let’s go! I’m so excited for this video!
I have been saying "what about 4" with Hardy's song since I initially heard it. Thank you for the tangent! Plus the sad 4 clipart just makes this 👌👍 perfection.
Grady, your review of Billy Carrington's latest album was hilarious! 😆
I've been a country music fan all my life. My city use to have a classic country radio station that has recently changed its format to Top 40 country. I deleted all my local country music stations from my presets and replaced the stations with classic rock and heavy metal stations. Who would have thought that heavy metal would offer a more rythmic, artistic and thought provoking experience than the modern country music garbage.
I like Luke Bryan and think he’s a good singer, but seriously wish he wasn’t in where the country girls at.. other than that, I think he’s been moving away from bro country lately
This made me laugh. Fun video Grady
On your last video you introduced me to the amazing song Dispatch to 16th Ave. by Muscadine Bloodline. I feel like that song really encapsulates this video.
To think about all that country achieved from the 60s to the 90s... It's really upsetting to see what it is now
Grady you couldn't be more spot on. As someone who worked in the industry for years I feel the same way about the music these days. I knew Walker back in the day and he had much better music and still does. I'd say though country still is now riding the back of pop music and will sadly forever be to keep money coming in. As to why I got out of it all...and thank God! It's the labels pushing this crap because they have women in their 20's pushing this crap in the industry. Sadly they don't know much about music. 100% about the award shows as well. Billy Currington was trying to be like Dierks on his album Black.
This list is great., It's literally every song on repeat on country stations
I was waiting for “Drinkin’ Beer, Talking God, Amen” by Chase Rice cause as much as I love Chase, this one was probably one of my least favorites off his new album
I think it’s a great song.
@@kad3e3 Best thing FGL have ever been involved with, for sure. I like it, too, although it's not personal top 10, or even top 50, material for 2021.
Glad I wasn't the only one who hated that song
Chase Rice is great, but he lowered his standards by allowing FGL to be on it
Same with the Tim McGraw, Tyler Hubbard colab, Undivided
Other thing for me is there were much better songs off his album that could have been radio singles.
I get that he’s been friends with FGL for years (Chase was a co-writer for Cruise), but I expected a little better than what we got.
This was entertaining... As someone who's gotten a bit under the hood of the Nashville music making machine, I can tell you there is absolutely nothing genuine (in terms of tractors and other things you associate with country culture/living) about any of the artist at the top of the charts. A lot of them are from Georgia which has a lot of rural areas, but most of them grew up in suburban life not farm or cowboy life.. Since the music industry has consolidated talent from LA and New York has moved there, it's a melting point of huge talent, 3-5 songwriters usually behind every hit and the person singing the song (who usually started as songwriter for others) rarely writes their own hits... I will share with you a fact any Nashville record label exec can confirm. Every country song that gets promotion (which means every song that gets recorded these days) has to fit their target demographic, which is women 18-48. A few outliers like Chris Stapleton cross-over, but very few actually getting Nashville to acknowledge them. If you want genuine there are plenty in the folk-country category, lots of great artist in Texas, etc... Check out Ryan Bingham, he's become known for his role on Yellowstone but his claim to fame a decade before that was writing hit song The Weary Kind for the movie Crazy Heart. Prior to becoming a professional singer-songwriter, Bingham was also a pro bull rider. That's about as genuine as it gets. Yep. Lots of off the radar talent that write everything they sing. Nashville country is not meant to be genuine, it's meant to make as much money as possible by finding the largest audience it can within its target demographic.
Dude, again, cut them a break. Parmalee, quality guys grinding it out
Pleasantly surprised, I typically do not watch the worst of videos but I made an exception for you since you are one of my favorites. I agree with most of your opinions, of course there are a few not so much, but that's still OK too. 😁
New Truck’s main writer is now charting with an actually solid R&B song which is nice
The cover of Billy Currington's album says it all. Turned his back on his fans and sound that made him well-loved and -respected, to look toward the blinding lights of the big city bad decisions and modern production. Maybe good directions and turnip greens will bring him back to Rincon; camping out on his friends' couch could be his future.
Honestly I'm glad for TikTok, simply because that's the reason Fancy Like got pushed to radio. Hayes' label originally tried to push Country Stuff as the single, which would have been an all-time awful decision. Then Fancy Like took off on Tik Tok and Walker Hayes is a star. And, I'll say I've been rooting for Walker Hayes for a long time. While he may not be the most country guy out there, he seems like a genuinely good guy and he's willing to sing deeper songs than anyone else in the mainstream. The Comedian, Dad's Sailboat, Chapel, Lela's Stars, and quite a few more touch on some real issues in his life that nobody else will dare sing about.
He really put the Count from Sesame Street in there 😂😂😂😂😂
Steal My Love always reminds me of Rude by MAGIC!......
Miranda’s vice + Kacey’s justified were my anthems driving from Chicago to Vegas.
“What about FOUR?!” Felt a lot like Elmo’s rant against Rocco 😂
Grady, I ordered your puzzle. I was so excited to receive it because it had all my favorite country stars incorporated into it. I can’t find the order number or the confirmation email as of right now because I ordered it back in November. It has not arrived and I have lost any hope that it will. I will continue to comment this on all your videos until I can get an answer.
Even though some of this stuff really is bad, if this is really the worst country music of 2021, that should tell you 2021 was a pretty good year for the genre!
Very encouraging also that most of these tracks didn't do much at radio, "Fancy Like" and the Dan + Shay songs being the exceptions.
@@MrHmg55 I had to drive a car without any way to listen to music on my phone so I had to listen to the radio and every time those songs came on I would instantly change the channel😂😂
I like that mindset. I’m taking all the optimism I can get this year 😂
@@alarrim29574 I'm fortunate to have four country stations in my area to choose from in the car (one of them classic country, the others contemporary). There's always a better song being played elsewhere, so I never listen to more than the first 10 seconds of so of anything by Walker Hayes. As for Dan + Shay ... oh come on, who can work up a good healthy hate for Dan + Shay? I constantly wonder what they're doing on country radio, but those harmonies and hooks more than occasionally get me singing along in spite of myself. The me who turns up Hank Jr. is constantly at war with the me who turns up Dan + Shay.
@@MrHmg55 not a terrible year for mainstream country radio IMO but it has one of the worst songs ever made😂😂but as a whole not a terrible year
Always love your videos
My favorite country artists are Justin Moore, Eric church, and Jason Aldean. Valid?
I’m so confused with Billy Curringtons new album. I’ve loved all his music until now, that album definitely belongs on this list
Your list are awesome!!!
Hi Grady . There are a few songs that you rightly classified as the worst songs . HOWEVER as a karaoke tragic singer, Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, Donky Donky to the Honky Tonky , and my absolute fave Brown Chicken Brown Cow. are totally awesome to sing in Aus . These songs are not part of the local culture so they are appreciated for the grit of the production and the madness of their take on country music . plus they are funny as to sing . Billy Currington is a personal fav and so I miss his Good Directions
Have you listened to the Steel Woods yet? I highly recommend!
At the moment you started talking about Kacey Musgraves, the coffee shop I'm in started playing "Slow Burn." Man what a disappointing fall-off in quality. Even for pop music, which I was prepared for from Kacey. Just felt too anonymous and forgettable for someone who's usually neither of those things.
That is really depressing timing 😂 I loved Trailer Park and that entire vibe. It’s alright she’s going pop but I wish she’d make the full genre switch if she is going to.
I 100% agree. For me it isn't that it is pop, it is really bad pop, with none of her awesome personality. It feels so generic.
Wait. But you DO like grits, right? Great work, as always, Grady!
Grady... What the heck happened? Normally I disagree with a lot of what you say, but I 100% agree with everything you said in this one.