Ask a die-hard country fan, and they'll tell you country music is the best genre of music and the only thing worth blasting in your pick-up. This year, it looks like the rest of the world might be inclined to agree. Spotify has shown just how much the popularity of country music has grown in the last year.
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Country music has had a reputation in the past for being reserved for country folk, but in recent years it has changed its image. With more artists embracing the genre, new generations are being introduced, and new states and countries are getting a taste.
Spotify is a streaming app that loves its stats, and so do we judging by how many 'Spotify Wrapped' posts flood my socials every year. This year, their number crunchers have found that monthly listeners of country music have bumped up by 20% globally. That's a whole lot more plays.
This huge rise in plays not only shows a US increase in country music popularity, but a worldwide one. Countries that may have never really had an interest in the genre before, are now tuning in to the southern sound.
What Has Boosted The Popularity Of Country Music?
There are a number of factors that have come into play all at once, causing the astronomic rise in country music plays. Some of them are good, and some are bad. But, as they say, there's no such thing as bad press.
One of the contributing factors is the genre crossovers that have emerged recently. Many artists, loved and known for one genre, have branched out. Consequently, the genre has seen a whole bunch of new listeners. Many are getting their first taste of country music, and liking it.
Taking an artist like Shaboozey, for instance, who blends hip-hop and country, we see him rack 900 million plays for "A Bar Song (Tipsy)." He has seamlessly pulled hip-hop fans to the country music scene. These two genres were notoriously opposed in the past, but Shaboozey has somehow made it work.
Even more impressive is the success of crossover super-combo Post Malone and Morgan Wallen. Their song "I Had Some Help" only came out in May 2024 and has over 800 million plays. Pulling Malone fans into country music has only done good things for the visibility and popularity of country music.
As more artists dip their toes into country music, adapting and evolving their sound, it'll only get bigger. With each new artist comes another change to the sound and scene. Die-hard country fans may be a little put out by the newer generation, but the country artists are cashing in.
