Talk to a country music puritan and they'll tell you that there is no way the genre can ever be considered truly country if it is a crossover. But, look at the charts, and you may see evidence to the contrary.
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Throughout the history of country music, there have been crossover artists that have made it big. Names like Shania Twain, Kid Rock, and Shaboozey have all successfully dominated country charts despite being crossover artists.
This, for some, has been a point of contention. As of late, there has been a rise in country crossovers, bringing elements from many other genres to the south. But, even places like Billboard are struggling to get their head around the idea of a country crossover.
Famously, after Lil Nas X blew up with "Old Town Road," Billboard decided to remove it from the charts for being "Not country enough." This raised a lot of questions as to what it is that defines the genre. And why, of all genres, country is so opposed to the crossover?
Genre Defining Crossover Country Artists
It's impossible to think of country music without taking into consideration a number of the great crossover artists out there. Take Shania Twain for instance, with her Come On Over album. Or Kid Rock with his almost undefinable, but unmistakably Country sound.
Through their work, they have helped shape the genre of Country. It is in no small part to their injection of flavor that the music of the South now sounds the way it does today. However, many people still insist that musicians coming from anything other than pure country can't be considered true genre artists.
Recently, Beyoncé has received a huge amount of backlash for being given Billboard's number-one spot on the Country Music Charts. Many believed that her Cowboy Carter album didn't deserve a place in that particular category. Whether you like the brutally long 27-song slog or not, can she be excluded from a genre just because of her past work?
What is it exactly that defines a country star? Is it the location of their upbringing? Is it their repertoire? Or is it just up the the puritanical fans to decide who belongs in the elite country music club?
The Great Divide
It appears that for one reason or another, people will never really see eye to eye on what makes a country song. Trawling through the endless debates online about what people consider to be Country often leaves space for the crossover. But, sometimes leaves none at all.
For many, if an artist goes out to write Country, then it's Country. And yet for others, it's an accolade that needs to be earned. It's a badge of honour, achieved through truck driving, beer drinking, heartache, and deep patriotism as the core to every song written by the artist.
But, as mentioned, the audience has voted with their streams. Many new emerging country crossover artists have blown up in recent years. Plenty of the largest names in country right now are multi-genre artists, bringing flavour from all corners of the musical spectrum.
Sure, puritans may decree that nothing but the F150-driving, horseback-born, true American patriot can sing country. But, if you're denying Post Malone his country music spurs for the monumental F-1 Trillion album, then I think I need to change my understanding of what country music actually is.
