The Resurgence of Country Music
Lana Del Rey. Kacey Musgraves. Beyonce. What do these 3 musical powerhouses of women have in common? Besides being badasses, they are all coming out or have come out with country related music in 2024. As a country music listener myself, I began to wonder... are we seeing a rise in country music in the female sector? And a rise in country music in general as well? This year in fashion we have seen the rise of the coquette aesthetic, which turns out to be French for flirtatious. Wikipedia defines coquette as a “fashion trend that is characterized by a mix of sweet, romantic, and sometimes playful elements and focuses on femininity through the use of clothes” (Wikipedia). But not only have we seen a resurgence of embracing your femininity, I think there have been some western cowgirl elements being seen more and more in the media as well. This can be seen through artists like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers appearing on friend’s Instagram stories. Or taking inspiration from Old Taylor Swift and wearing cowgirl boots and a summer dress on a warm day.
Before moving to Oregon, I had never heard of the word “hick” used to describe someone and did not know what it meant. Back home, my friends and I had just started going line dancing on the weekends, and lots of our parents drove trucks, even though hardly anyone lived on an actual farm. This country lifestyle has already impacted my suburban Northern California hometown, so I was surprised to hear that in some places in Oregon it was shaded with more of a negative light. Being called a hick is definitely not a compliment, it means, “a person who lives in the country, regarded as being unintelligent or provincial.” (Oxford Dictionary) In the past, country music and the aesthetic had an association with people who did not have very open-minded views, or the music only appealed to a very specific audience. Now I don’t want to say that everyone who listened to country music acted this way or were bad people, but for some non-listeners it had a bit of a bad reputation.
These days, I wouldn’t say that country music is completely different. A lot of it still has one of the three words in it:beer, boats, or trucks. Songs within the genre still talk about having pride in your country and traditional family values. If you don’t want to hear about those things it may still not be your genre (and that’s completely fine and valid). But the female touch is powerful, especially when it is coming from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Today, we’re seeing female artists shaking up the country music industry and appealing to a wide range of people through their folksy acoustic songs about love, loss, trials, triumphs, and dancing.
With the release of Beyonce’s song “Texas Hold Em:, I saw a large increase in Black creators making TikTok videos to the song, stating that they had never listened to country music before but were willing to give it a chance for her. I saw some of these same creators throw on their boots and learn the line dance moves to the song and celebrate their own Western or Southern country roots. One thing I really appreciated was also being educated about Black Americans' forgotten and neglected history of starting country music, as well as most other music genres. In the article “A Dive into the Black History of Country Music: Giving Credit Where it is Due”, the authors explain that, “the story of country begins with the banjo. The modern-day banjo is a descendant of a West African instrument, made from gourds, called the Akonting. When enslaved persons were taken from Africa to America, their instruments came with them. [...] Hillbilly music, which would later be renamed country, became the music of the south. Hillbilly music was not solely centered around the banjo; the first hillbilly artists drew inspiration from slave spirituals, field songs, hymns, and the blues, which itself has black origins” (Foxhall 2022).
Learning about this was very eye-opening to me and made me have a deeper appreciation for the type of music I listen to. The hope is that with whatever kind of music you enjoy, you find something you can relate to or appreciate. And if you're lucky like me who listens to country music, the genre you enjoy might be taking a fun spin with some extremely talented female artists shaking it up a little bit and contributing to its increased popularity. I for one am excited to put on my coquette bows and lace dresses this summer, but maybe a cowboy hat too.
Sources:
Wikipedia contributors. “Coquette Aesthetic.” Wikipedia, 23 Feb. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coquette_aesthetic.
Pearsall, Judy, et al. “Oxford Dictionary of English.” Oxford University Press eBooks, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1093/acref/9780199571123.001.0001.
Foxhall, Zia. “A Dive Into the Black History of Country Music: Giving Credit Where It’s Due — the Skidmore News.” The Skidmore News, 23 Feb. 2022, skidmorenews.com/new-blog/2022/2/23/a-dive-into-the-black-history-of-country-music-giving-credit-where-its-due#:~:text=In%20reality%2C%20just%20like%20most,from%20gourds%2C%20called%20the%20Akonting.