City Country: The Paradox of Country Music in Urban America

City Country: The Paradox of

Country Music in Urban

America

Molly Fay

LaSalle University

No other genre in American music has maintained

such a popular presence on the national conscience

as country music. Though it is not the only distinct

“American” style of music in the United States, this

genre has consistently maintained a strong listener

base and standard themes of content, more so than

any other variation of music. Country music as a

commercial industry began between 1920 and 1925

in the rural South.

Since those grassroots

beginnings, the genre has become synonymous with

the city of Nashville and songs about love, loss, and

drinking. In the 21

century, the popularity of

country music hit a new peak with skyrocketing

presence in American cities. This once distinctly,

rural musical style has evolved to appeal to all

Americans, rural and urban alike, leaving one to

wonder why that is so. Country music’s popularity

in American cities results from the urbanization of

the genre especially by mass media and

contemporary country artists integrating their music

with other genres.

After the harrowing events of September 11,

2001, the nation reached out for an outlet where all

could express heartbreak, anger, and patriotism at

once. Country music provided the perfect sound for

America’s mood. In a July 2002 USAToday article,

the Executive Director of the Country Music

Association, Ed Benson, explained the rising

popularity: “In today’s world, when almost every

day there’s another story that shakes our belief in

our cultural institutions, it’s a time when our music

gives people solace and encouragement, allows

them to place their feelings.” Benson cited country

music as offering core values of authenticity and

believability.

Alan Jackson particularly captured

these sentiments with his 2002 hit “Where Were

Richard Crawford, America’s Music (New York: W.W.

Norton & Company, 2001), 373.

Brian Mansfield, “Christian, Country Music on Upswing,”

USA Today (2002).

You (When the World Stopped Turning).” The

lyrics ask the listener where they were when they

saw the images of the Twin Towers falling: “Did

you shout out in anger, in fear of your neighbor/Or

did you just sit down and cry?...Did you go to a

church and hold hands with some strangers/Did you

stand in line and give your own blood?” The

strength of songwriting for this hit paid off for

Jackson when his album Drive became one of two

country albums that debuted at the top of Billboard

album charts.

In September of 2002, another article

appeared in USAToday that further made a case for

the rise of country music in post-9/11 America. The

overwhelming popularity of Jackson’s hit and Toby

Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The

Angry American)” shadowed the moderate airplay

of other patriotic songs by pop artists. Paul

McCartney’s “Freedom,” Neil Young’s “Let’s

Roll,” and Bruce Springsteen’s album The Rising

never received strong responses, whereas the

country hits achieved great radio success.

For the first time, country musicians were

writing songs specifically for American cities, for

urban people in addition to their rural fan-base. The

artists knew they could not ignore the extensive

impact of September 11, 2001 so they delivered

new music that adapted to what all American

people wanted to hear as evidenced by the success

of both Jackson and Keith. Despite sad conditions,

country music put itself on the radar of urbanites

across the nation.

An unforeseen consequence of country

music’s reaction to September 11

was the over-

politicization of the genre. Though the songs

released by Jackson and Keith saw great success,

they laid a foundation for a revival of protest music

in country music. No group displayed this trend

more than the Dixie Chicks.

The Dixie Chicks released their album

Home in 2002, that included two successful singles

in “Long Time Gone” and “Landslide” and another

steadily climbing the charts with “Travelin’

Soldier.”

That success slipped away after March

10, 2003, a date that forever rocketed the Dixie

Ibid.

Brian Mansfield, “Country Music, in 9/11 Time,” USA

Today (2002)

Chris Willman, Rednecks & Bluenecks, (New York: The New

Press, 2005), 23.

Chicks into controversy. At a concert in London,

Dixie Chicks singer Natalie Maines famously said,

“Just so you know, we’re ashamed the President of

the United States is from Texas.”

A firestorm

followed, especially from traditional conservatives

making up a significant portion of country music’s

fan base. The media attention on the country music

group was significant, as it pushed the genre deeper

into America’s mainstream culture.

Soon after the controversial comments and

the subsequent response, the Dixie Chicks were

regular features in American media. Perhaps most

famous was their eye-brow raising cover on

Entertainment Weekly, when all three members of

the country group appeared naked while covered in

“brands” of responses.

The words included “Dixie

Sluts,” “Proud Americans,” “Free Speech,” and

“Traitors.” Between 2003 and 2006 the Dixie

Chicks—the biggest selling ‘‘girl group’’ of all time

in any genre—all but disappeared from country

radio. Their comeback single, ‘‘Not Ready to Make

Nice’’ (2006), simply reignited the controversy, and

landed at a weak number 36 on the Billboard

country chart.

For better or worse, country music

became a central outlet of political opinions after

the Dixie Chicks.

As an election loomed in 2004, country

music stars filled American news networks with

interviews or recent displays of political opinion.

Sara Evans was one such star thrust into the

political realm when she was invited to CNBC to

comment on the recent “Vote for Change (Support

John Kerry)” music tour in which the Dixie Chicks

participated.

Seemingly on accident, Evans

pointed out that most of her fans were Republicans

and received a backlash of her own for aligning

herself with one party. As more politically-infused

controversies occurred, the genre became more and

more mainstream, pushing stars and country

music’s hometown of Nashville toward increased

fame.

When Americans began to take more of an

interest in country music, they encountered the

force of Nashville, country music’s epicenter. The

Ibid, 24-25.

Ibid, xviii.

Andrew Boulton, “The Popular Geopolitical Wor(l)ds of

Post-9/11 Country Music,” Popular Music and Society, Vol.

31, No. 3 (2008), 375.

Willman, 7.

moment of conception for Nashville’s country

music scene occurred in 1925 when the WSM Barn

Dance radio show was established.

Soon after, the

overwhelmingly popular show was renamed the

Grand Ole Opry. As the show broadcasted from

Nashville, country music acts from the region

travelled into the city to appear on the show. Soon,

a network of publishers and recording studios set up

shop in the city. By the 1950s, Nashville was

America’s center for country music.

The romantic notion of Nashville presents

an interesting paradox: an urban center grounded in

an industry of rural music; a city based on selling

the country to consumers. The huge success of

radio broadcasting across the rural South created a

specific type of music that Nashville producers and

recording studios wanted to cash in on, regardless

of the development of their artists. Tension

between artists and the stereotypical “Nashville”

sound heightened at the end of the 20

century and

at the advent of the 2000s. Technology blurred the

lines between rural and urban as artists rose in

popularity for both segments.

In 2002, the New York Times reported a

backlash against Faith Hill for straying from the

traditional Nashville sound with her album Cry.

Logically, Hill pointed out that she had fans all over

the world, not just in the rural South, so she thought

her music should appeal to a wider market. The

backlash for the rock-country album is a little

hypocritical considering the roots of Nashville as a

hub of rock and roll as well as country music.

Nashville’s unnamed identity crisis can be found in

many other places.

Contemporary country artist Jason Aldean

released a hit song in 2010 describing Nashville. In

“Crazy Town,” Aldean called the city: “Hollywood

with a touch of twang.” This urban description

shows how Nashville’s music industry has been

shaped, in part, by executives from New York or

other major market cities.

The urban style leaks

into the songs created in Nashville because it is a

city, despite what some traditionalists want the

Crawford, 373.

Fabian Holt, Genre in Popular Music, (Chicago: University

of Chicago Press, 2007), 63.

James Hunter, “MUSIC; Redrawing Country’s Borders,”

The New York Times, (2002).

Holt, 64.

Ibid.

music to represent. Country music that comes from

Nashville will always be touched by other genres

that live in the urban environment. Both Hill and

Aldean represent a new breed of Nashville artists.

They are adapters: They recognize that their fan

base has changed and have tailored their music

accordingly.

Now in 2014, the world has taken notice of

the city of Nashville. The popularity of country

music, economic success, and a hit television show

also named Nashville have all contributed to the

city’s latest boom.

GQ Magazine, a widely

circulated mainstream publication, regards the city

as “Nowville.”

These very urban conditions

cannot help but overflow into the music created in

this city. The latest country hits have strong pop or

rock influences, as the description of Taylor Swift’s

latest album can attest: “The banjo pluck of the title

track and acoustic ballad ‘All Too Well’ will

resonate with country fans, but glossy singles like

‘We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together’ and ‘I

Knew You Were Trouble’ seem destined for a

broader audience—one that is just as vivid as the

title (Red) suggests.”

Big Machine Records,

headquartered in Nashville, released this album.

The editor drafting this description for iTunes may

have been unknowingly describing Nashville’s

music scene in addition to Taylor Swift’s music.

Media has played a large role in urbanizing

country music. Through radio, cinema, and

television, the genre has exploded in cities across

the United States. Of the three, radio stands as the

oldest and most reliable force in bolstering country

music popularity.

In post-9/11 America, country music flowed

over the airways of 2,028 radio stations while the

next closest competitor, talk radio, held only 1,318

stations.

Based on those figures, the listenership

of country music was at approximately 45,500,000

adults per week, with 35% living in the 25 top

Kim Severson, “Nashville’s Latest Big Hit Could Be the

City Itself,” The New York Times (2013).

Ibid.

iTunes Music Store, “Editor’s Notes: Taylor Swift, Red”

(2012)

“Big Machine Records About,” Big Machine Records,

accessed May 2, 2013,

http://www.bigmachinelabelgroup.com/label/Big_Machine_R

ecords.

CMA (Country Music Association). “MRI Country Listener

Analysis,” (Nashville: CMA, 2003).

markets when compiled.

Though these statistics

are from 2003, they have only seemed to grow in

the United States. By 2011, MRI research indicated

that a whopping 42% of the population is country

music fans.

In January 2013, the urban epicenter of

American culture, New York City, joined the

country radio craze with Nash FM, the first country

music station in the city after seventeen years.

The previous station had switched from country

music to pop music in the mid-1990s. The opening

of this radio station marks an important milestone

for the urbanization of country music in the United

States. As New York Times columnist Ben Sisario

pointed out:

New York may be the ultimate symbol

of American urbanism, but it is a large

market for country music. Last

year…more country albums were sold

in the New York metropolitan area than

anywhere in the United States —

although as a proportion of all music

sales in the region, New York ranks far

below less populous areas in the South

and Midwest.

New York is not alone in the success of country

music in a major urban market. Other major cities

have encountered consistent success with their

country radio stations:

‘If you look at the other major markets

that have a successful country station

— Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago,

Detroit — those stations planted a

stake in the ground and stayed with it,

and now those stations are practically

iconic,’ said Mr. Borchetta, of Big

Machine. ‘The country radio audience

doesn’t spike. It grows in a beautiful,

slow arc.’

As an executive with Big Machine Records,

Borchetta’s comments reinforce the notion that

country music can be and is successful in urban

Ibid.

Vernell Hackett, “New Statistics About Country Music Fans

Revealed at Billboard Country Summit,” Billboard (2011).

Ben Sisario, “Country Returns to City Radio: After 17

Years, a Home in New York,” The New York Times, (2013).

Ibid.

areas. This success indicates that country music has

become relevant to city listeners as much as the

stereotypical rural fan. The presence of country

music in cinema in 1980 and 2010 shows this

important shift in the identity of country as an urban

genre holding to rural roots.

Country music and popular American

cinema have an interesting relationship with one

another. For a long period of time, country music

appeared in scores for “Westerns,” a film genre

depicting cowboys, Native Americans, and the

American West. This dynamic shifted in 1980 with

Urban Cowboy, starring John Travolta.

Urban Cowboy depicts a young man from

rural Texas, moving into the city for employment.

Travolta’s character, Bud, finds himself joining the

local “honkytonk” scene where he meets his future-

wife, Sissy. Through the duration of the film,

country music remains a constant theme reflecting

popular images of the genre itself—the archetype

American cowboy needing to find work and must

leave the country behind. Though he is in the city,

the music at the honkytonk reminisces of his rural

life. The film follows a simplistic storyline: Hero,

villain, damsel in distress, and a happy ending.

Despite the film’s setting in the American city, the

problems faced by the characters lack typical

complexities associated with urban life.

Urban Cowboy represents the beginning of

the relocation of country music in regards to

cinema. After the film’s release, the impact was

substantial for country music. The film reached

completely new audiences, as it was targeted to

urbanites, made clear in the title. In the years that

followed, notably “un-country” areas of the United

States started opening country themed nightclubs

and dancehalls, such as Whiskey Café in Lyndhurst,

New Jersey, established in 1992.

With these new

audiences, country musicians inherently needed to

urbanize to maintain popularity.

Thirty years after Urban Cowboy,

Hollywood released another country music themed

blockbuster with Country Strong.

This film, a

“Urban Cowboy” Internet Movie Database, accessed May 3,

2013 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0081696/

Marc Ferris, “Country Music, Above the Mason-Dixon,”

The New York Times, (2001).

“Country Strong,” Internet Movie Database, accessed May

2, 2013,

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1555064/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

near opposite of Urban Cowboy, marks the vast

changes in country music. Main character Kelly

Canter, a former superstar trying to rejuvenate her

career after an arrest and stint in rehab, is the new

country star. Made clear by this film, country

music no longer resides in highway bars and

honkytonks. In a conversation between Kelly’s

manager-husband, James Canter, and show opener,

Beau Hutton, the shift is made clear when Canter

says, “Why don’t you come out on the road with

us? Get out of these honkytonks and step into the

big leagues.”

The “big leagues” refers to the

national tour of Kelly Canter to all the major

American cities.

In comparing Urban Cowboy and Country

Strong, the urbanization of country music is clearly

defined. In 1980 when Urban Cowboy came out,

popular stereotypes of country music fans and

musicians included small town transplants coming

to the big city, and local musicians playing for their

groceries. In 2010, country music is incredibly

popular, glamorous, and mired by urban issues such

as substance abuse, adultery, suicide, and constant

tabloid attention. The conclusion of Country Strong

defines the shift best when Beau Hutton (Gerrett

Hedlund) abandons the “big-time” national tour to

bounce from honkytonk to honkytonk playing

authentic country music.

These depictions of country as an urban

style of music reinforce the presence of country

music on city radio stations. The genre is being

shown on the silver screen as mainstream American

music and has the radio presence to back that up.

Yet, the media outlet with the most visible and

consistent presence of country music in mainstream

popular culture is television.

In 2005, CBS broadcasted both the

Grammy Awards and the Country Music

Association Awards. The former achieved 18.8

million viewers while the latter contended with 18.4

million.

Statistically, the difference between the

two is nearly insignificant, suggesting that country

music was just as important to the American people

as the multi-genre music award show during 2005.

Not surprisingly, this particular instance comes

hand-in-hand with the unprecedented success of

American Idol.

Country Strong, directed by Shana Feste (2010; Culver City,

CA: Screen Gems Productions), DVD.

Willman, 6.

From the 2003-04 television season through

2010-11 season, American Idol has been the most-

watch prime-time program in the nation.

The

show, styled to mirror Britain’s highly successful

Pop Idol, auditions people in major cities across the

country, passing along potential talent to future

shows. As the season progresses, the pool becomes

smaller as contestants are judged weekly. In the

finale, a winner is crowned “American Idol” and

receives a recording contract and numerous

financial royalties.

Country music has reaped the

benefits of Idol’s success with two winners, Carrie

Underwood and Scotty McCreary, joining the

genre. In addition to the winners, other singers

have found success in country music from the

show’s overwhelmingly popularity. Bucky

Covington, Josh Gracin and Kellie Pickler all

enjoyed Top 10 country hits in the subsequent years

following their appearances on Idol.

In the second decade of the 21

century,

American Idol has declined while other television

shows have stepped forward to replace it. In April

of 2013, NBCs The Voice starring enigmatic

country star Blake Shelton, and ABCs Dancing with

the Stars, with previous mentioned Kellie Pickler,

have pushed Idol down to third in “competition”

show category of television ratings.

The high

popularity of these three shows constantly maintains

country music’s presence in mainstream American

culture.

Television network ABC has cashed in on

the urban popularity of country music with the show

Nashville. The plot revolves around the glamorous

lifestyles of two country music superstars living in

Nashville. It is a much brighter depiction of city

life than what was shown in Country Strong.

Holding a primetime slot, Nashville is another

highlight of the popularity of country music in

America right now.

The strong television presence of country

music solidifies the genre’s status as a mainstream

fixture in America. To reach that coveted place,

Douglas Rowe, “Full 2010-11 Ratings: CBS Tops

Viewership, Fox is No.1 in Demo and Idol Remains Most-

Watched,” TV Guide (2011)

Edward Wyatt, “’Idol’ Winners: Not Just Fame but Big

Bucks,” The New York Times, (2010).

Craig Shelburne, “Ten American Idol Singers With Country

Success,” CMT News, (2011).

David Bauder, “’American Idol’ is now 3

-rated

Competition Show,” US News, (2013).

country music has undoubtedly urbanized to appeal

to the broad audiences of American television. The

stars and Nashville, a city depicted as being run by

the music industry, are highlighted constantly to

make strong connections with urban markets.

The future of country music appears even

more urbanized. As early as 2004, country stars

began teaming up with hip-hop artists to reach

higher levels of popularity in urban areas. Tim

McGraw and Nelly achieved success with their fast-

rising Top 40 hit “Over and Over.”

In an

interview, hip-hop artist Nelly described why he

and McGraw partnered to make the song:

…Everybody knows hip-hop was born

within the inner city and the urban

community and it’s become one of the

most popular forms of music on the

planet. And country’s the same way—

they both come from those kind of

poverty-stricken communities and

expand out. So putting those together,

it’s gonna work—it just has to be done

right.

Unfortunately, some artists encounter immense

opposition when attempting to combine country

music and hip-hop.

In April of 2013, country singer Brad

Paisley and hip-hop artist LL Cool J joined forces

with their song, “Accidental Racist.” The media’s

negative response came swiftly within hours of the

song’s release. Rolling Stone, Gawker, and even

CMT.com spoke out against the song using phrases

such as “questionable,” “horrible,” and “clumsily

written.”

The outcry from the collaboration

reached the highly popular Saturday Night Live in a

spoof during the show’s weekly segment of “The

Weekend Update with Seth Myers.”

Within the song, Paisley explores the

mistrust between a white southern man wearing a

rebel flag shirt and the African-American barista at

Starbucks. Regardless of the lyrics, the subject of

the song shows the new clash between country

Willman, 181.

Ibid,182.

Leonard Pitts Jr., “Brad Paisley’s ‘Accidental Racist’ Not

Honest,” The Miami Herald, (2013).

“Brad Paisley’s ‘Accidental Racist’ Gets ‘Saturday Night

Live’ Spoof Treatment,” Yahoo Music, accessed May 4, 2013,

http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/our-country/brad-paisley-

accidental-racist-gets-saturday-night-live-160106262.html

music and hip-hop in urban culture. Though hip-

hop has become mainstream and expanded beyond

its roots in African-American inner-city

neighborhoods, the genre is still associated with

African-Americans. Country music on the other

hand has historically been a “white” genre. As

recent as 2008, CMA released a study of consumer

segmentation citing the “Core Country Music user”

as likely to be Caucasian and more affluent than the

average American citizen.

As country music

progresses in urbanization, the genre now faces

similar racial tensions to those plaguing American

cities.

A new generation of country musicians

currently lead the charge to blur boundaries

between country, pop, rock and hip hop. Based on

the foundation of Garth Brooks, artists in this

second decade of the 21

century are integrating

genres as a norm, rather than an exception.

In the 1990s, Garth Brooks was at the height

of his career with record album sales and sold out

shows across the nation. Shockingly, Brooks

decided to retire just after the millennium to spend

time with his family. As he temporary left the

world of country music, Brooks left a legacy of a

new style of performance for his successors. Most

every show Brooks performed included covers of

songs from other genres that Brooks was influenced

by or simply enjoyed. For the fans, hearing Brooks

perform a cover of a classic rock song or current

popular hit added more entertainment for their

ticket price. In 2009, Steve Wynn coaxed Brooks

out of retirement to play a stint in Las Vegas. For

three years, Brooks played sold out shows from the

Wynn Resort that were entirely based on the multi-

genre musical influences of Brooks throughout his

life. These shows broke down the barriers of

“genre” for musicians and fans alike.

Following in the pioneering footsteps of

Garth Brooks, many country musicians have since

altered their sound to include nods to other artists

outside of this genre. In 2013 especially, a trend of

song lyrics that include references to hip-hop artists

Wendy Pearl, “CMA Releases Major Consumer Research

Segmentation Study,” American Chronicle, (2009).

“Great American Country Specials: Garth Brooks: Blame It

All on My Roots—5 Decades of Influence,” Great American

Country, accessed February 26, 2014,

http://www.gactv.com/gac/shows_spl/episode/0,,GAC_26200

_90106,00.html

permeated throughout the airwaves of country

radio. Tim McGraw, possibly the first major

country star to delve into hip-hop as discussed

earlier, released his song “Truck Yeah” that opened

with the lines “Got Lil’ Wayne pumpin’ on my iPod,

Thumpin’ on the subs in the back of crew cab.” Lil’

Wayne is a popular rapper in many of the major

markets. Similarly, country duo Florida Georgia

Line released a song with Luke Bryan titled “This is

How We Roll” that began with the lyrics “The

mixtape’s got a little Hank, little Drake, A little

something bumping, thump, thumping on the wheel

ride.” They are referencing famous country singer

Hank Williams Jr. and Drake, a contemporary hip-

hop artist. These songs are just two of many

country hits from 2013 that include allusions to

other genres. By nodding to other popular artists,

country musicians make their music more

accessible to urban listeners.

The duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley

of Florida Georgia Line skyrocketed to major

country and pop success in 2013. Their first single

“Cruise” set the all-time record for highest number

of country digital downloads, though almost 40%

were of “Cruise Remix” featuring Nelly, a

previously mentioned hip-hop artist.

Florida

Georgia Line’s music is relevant to more people

than just rural listeners. They sing with popular

hip-hop stars and sing about listening to country and

hip-hop music. Though the pair only has one

album, many of their newest radio releases have

elements of hip-hop or pop music. The popularity

of Florida Georgia Line indicates a clear shift in

what country is and what fans like. The future

appears very bright for this pair as they have access

to multiple markets of fans across the country.

Beyond the visible stars of country music,

another essential group of artists in the business,

songwriters, are also demonstrating an urbanization

of this genre. Sam Hunt, a relatively unknown

songwriter, openly discusses his influences in a self-

published YouTube video on his website. Growing

up in rural Georgia, the only music Hunt was

exposed to came from the radio and eventually

affected his song writing:

In the country world, I was drawn to

the stories and the lyrics, and the song

Wade Jessen, “Florida Georgia Line’s ‘Cruise’ Sets All-

Time Country Sales Record,” Billboard, (Jan. 6, 2014).

writing devices that were prevalent in

that music. I was attracted to the beats

and the rhythmic nature and phrasing

of hip-hop and as I got a guitar and

started to write—the cadence of what I

was singing and what I was saying is

more associated with the hip-hop thing

but the lyric and the content have to do

with the country culture that I came

from.

Further into Hunt’s personal video he addresses the

blurring of genres specifically as a consequence of

the internet, the rise of YouTube, and a generation

growing up that has been exposed to multiple styles

of music. Hunt’s name may not be well known but

the material he has written includes a number of

chart topping records including Kenny Chesney’s

“Come Over” and the rising hit “Cop Car” by Keith

Urban.

Hunt plans to release an album in 2014 of

his own that will continue to blur the dividing lines

of musical genres.

The intense popularity of country music in

the 21

century is undeniable. A stereotyped style

of music that was once considered overwhelmingly

rural has infiltrated mainstream American culture

and become nearly as popular in large cities as it is

in small towns. An “urbanization” of country music

has occurred to achieve this monumental shift. No

single factor catapulted country music into popular

culture. Instead, a combination of national events,

politics, media and artist styles formed country

music into the urban musical genre it is today.

Following September 11

, country musicians

reached out to the American people, connecting

emotional lyrics to the national mood. Soon after,

these same musicians were faced with the

polarizing effects of politicization when stars

became prominent features on national news

conglomerates. Further urbanization came into

country music as the genre ties with the city of

Nashville became more prominent. No force was

stronger in de-ruralizing country music than

mainstream media. The radio presence of country

music increased in cities across the United States,

causing musicians to adjust their sound to appeal to

the new audiences. Hollywood produced successful

Sam Hunt, “Who is Sam Hunt?” YouTube, accessed

February 27, 2014,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8AZid77guM

Ibid.

films about country music, depicting it as dully

glamorous and plagued by typically urban plights.

American television solidified the genre’s place in

the mainstream with the overwhelming popularity

of American Idol, The Voice, and Nashville.

Currently, the success of contemporary country has

caused new territory to be sought. Musicians are

now attempting to cross between country and hip-

hop to reach new levels of urban popularity. The

artists that do this like Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan

and Florida Georgia Line push themselves deeper

into mainstream music, rather than remaining solely

in “country.” The future may have the emergence

of a new urban musical genre if Sam Hunt and

others continuing their rising popularity.

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