Lately, it seems like everyone is breaking out of the traditional country music mold. With mega stars like Morgan Wallen admitting that he "doesn't listen to country music" and more singers taking advantage of trap beats, it's safe to say that what defines a "country" song has changed.
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Although it feels like trap beats and rap in country music are the norm now, country artist Tanner Adell says she felt "underrepresented" when she first came to Nashville. As a Black country artist, Adell already felt a little bit like a fish out of water. She told Teen Vogue, "I felt underepresented, but it wasn't until I got to Nashville that I realized how underrepresented." She explained, "There's not a lot of people like me in country music."
In 2021, Tanner Adell first moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams of becoming a country artist. After releasing her debut album, Buckle Bunny, she gained notoriety for the project's title track. Last year, she was featured on "BLACKBIRD" on Beyoncé's country album, which redefined the genre in numerous ways.
How Beyonce Redefined Country Music
Pop artist Beyoncé made waves when Cowboy Carter won "Best Country Album" at the Grammys last year. Although quite controversial, the project opened doors for artists who don't feel like they fit the "traditional" country mold.
The Lemonade singer is originally from Houston, Texas, and has done her fair share of performing at the rodeo. However, there are a lot of people who still don't feel like she's earned that "country" title. This was evident in 2016, when Beyoncé performed at the CMAs alongside the Dixie Chicks. What was meant to be a powerful performance was met with a lot of backlash. This is perhaps what made Beyoncé feel unwelcome, but it also led to the creation of Cowboy Carter.
Beyoncé even said of the making of the album, "It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed... and it was very clear that I wasn't. But, because of that experience, I did a deeper dive into the history of Country music and studied our rich musical archive." The truth is, much of country music originates from Black culture, and this was something Queen Bey wanted to point out when she was putting it together.
All in all, I think that Lainey Wilson put it best when she said "The more the merrier." I think we could all try to be a little more open minded, because after all, genres are constantly changing. And that's not going to stop anytime soon.
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