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Is country music finally gaining popularity in the UK?
I've noticed this in the past 2-3 years really, we had Lady Antebellum break through, then The Band Perry, We've had sell out concerts from Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood and just last week the C2C music festival. I've also noticed a lot more country getting played on radio, at the moment Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood and Hayden Panettiere are getting Radio 2 air time. So is it me or is country music gaining popularity in the UK? Here in N.Ireland home grown country music talent are selling out venues every night of the week.
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Taylor Swift is hurting country music infact. She was the only person who could consistently have crossover hits between country and mainstream, and now she's decided to stop doing that, so there's nothing now. The closest recently is Wanted by Hunter Hayes.
I always thought Taylor Swift was more pop country or crossover than "real" country (if there is such a thing - what defines "real" country music?).
Yep she would be pop country, I suppose real country is whatever you define it to be, To me its having a banjo, steel guitar, mandolin etc and singing about country themes, not teen bobber things.
His new single Nashville Without You in getting Radio 2 air time at the moment, he's also doing an interview on Steve Wright in the afternoon this Wednesday.
10 points if you get the reference
I'd love to see Miranda Lambert in her purest form crossover. Her songs are country but they are very accessible and radio friendly.
I actually can't remember the last banjo, steel guitar, mandolin heavy country track to crossover here? Probably The Mavericks or Cotton Eye Joe :rolleyes:
That said the American Country Chart lacks a lot of 'proper' country as well.
Is there's no twang it's not country.
Oh wait, you forgot "5, 6, 7, 8" by that well-known country band, er... Steps.
Not to be overly pedantic but Blown Away actually charted at #11 in the UK.
A Camp - The Bluest Eyes In Texas
Faith and Shania may not have gone to the extremes TS has but neither would have sold aswell had they not remixed their albums in their entirety to crossover to the pop market effectively becoming pop albums more than country so whilst TS has definitely taken it to the extreme others lead the way before her.
There were photos on Twiiter the other day of them recording so hopefully there will be a second album. I do worry that the connection between them has gone. That Grammys speech was painful
Country is a strange genre, it doesn't quite work outside of America unless it's pop orientated like Shania Twain or an early Taylor Swift.
That sounds like a very stereotypical take on country music as opposed to what it actualy is.
I'm no expert but I hear similar arguments about genres I do follow more. That it doesn't count as X if it doesn't have tropes it's been stereotyped with.