A new kind of country

Transcription

1 A new kind of country A typical country singer of the past was a middle-aged man in a cowboy hat and boots crooning about his love of beer, women and pick-up trucks. Today s younger, more glamorous stars look more like teen idols as they re featured in magazines and boot-scooting their way onto the big screen. Country artists are used in national ads by a growing number of companies, including Coca-Cola, Cover Girl, H.H. Greg and Wrangler jeans. Shania Twain broke the mold by exposing her midriff, paving the way for female artists to gain attention as (talented) sex symbols. Others, such as Tim McGraw, have teamed up with pop singers such as hip-hop rapper Nelly to produce unlikely, yet successful, duets. There is no doubt country music has taken on a new sound, appealing more to the younger generation and causing the media to increase its focus on it. It s a little too early to call it a trend, but it s certainly a movement, said Wade Jessen, director of Nashville s chart operations billboard, in an interview with the Independent Collegian. Country music remains the leading format on the radio, with 2,105 stations nationwide. While it still lags behind rock, rap and R & B in record sales as the fourth most-purchased genre, it has increased by 12 percent in the past year. Though Jessen said country is and remains an adult genre,

2 appealing mostly to 25 to 45 year olds, he called it a very healthy sign that two artists have achieved multi-platinum status in the last year. It took three singles each for both Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich to accomplish this. Success of this magnitude hasn t been seen among the country scene since 1997, he noted, when the Dixie Chicks debuted. With bold hits such as Redneck Woman and Here for the Party, as well as the more mature and reflective ballad, Cheatin, Wilson tied with Ashlee Simpson for the female artist with the highest certified debut album, according to statistics provided to the IC by the Recording Industry Association of America. Jessen said Wilson is definitely an artist for classic singers Alan Jackson and George Strait to watch because of her ability to balance a progressive sound with the simple instrumentation and blue-collar experiences that characterize traditional country music. Other female artists such as LeeAnn Womack and Faith Hill have gravitated toward more pop ballads, which are getting airplay on Top 40 and adult contemporary radio stations. Jessen said people in the country music industry become a little uneasy as they observe this. If listeners can get all their country music through [crossover airplay], they re less inclined to be dedicated and partisan fans, he said, noting fans are less likely to tune in and sit through a set of traditional songs played on exclusively country stations. Many college students, however, feel that crossing over is not necessarily a bad thing. I think more teens and young adults like the new generation

3 of country; it s less twangy, said Sarah Carpenter, a freshman with an undecided major. With posters of Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw and pictures taken from Chesney s latest concert adorning their walls, it s obvious that Carpenter and her roommate, Jessica Capper, are loyal fans of modern country music. Carpenter and Capper, a first-year student majoring in education, agreed they like country music better than any other genre because of its ability to tell a good story. You have people like Martina McBride who tell stories about being abused and dealing with meaningful issues that you can relate to more it s not like a lot of rap songs where artists are basically just bragging about how much money they have and what cars they drive, Capper said. Beau Patterson, a sophomore majoring in pre-dentistry, said he has listened to country music his whole life and likes that new-wave country music attracts fans who otherwise wouldn t have given it a chance. Kevin Gidea is one such fan. Growing up, I hated country music because it was so boring always the same story [where] your wife left you, your dog died and your truck broke down, all in one night, Gidea said. A junior majoring in marketing, he describes country music concerts as one hell of a good time. As stereotypes about country music change, the overall image of its listeners seems to be experiencing a makeover as well. No one really dresses country anymore, Carpenter said. People are more accepting of a different look, but at the concerts, it s amazing like a costume party where everyone still wears the hats and boots.

4 While youthful stars continue to invite the next crop of country listeners, seasoned veterans such as George Strait prove they can still pull new tricks out of their cowboy hats as well. Strait s album, Fifty Number-Ones, went platinum five times last year, second only to Usher s Confessions in its level of certification, according to the RIAA. Strait, along with other artists such as Conway Twitty and Alan Jackson, will always have their place as the foundation of the genre, just as classic rock will always complement modern rock, Patterson said. Evan Myers, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering, agreed. The old-school classics have the real storylines and can really stir up emotions, he said. What direction country will ultimately take as a genre, whether it is reverting to a more traditional sound or continuing to fuse with mainstream music, is unclear. This year will certainly bring a new artist or two that will solidify this movement and put it into the category of a trend, Jessen said. For now, the critical focus remains on Gretchen Wilson and Big & Rich. A Look at Country Music in 2004: Country music had a 12 percent increase in sales, as of Jan. 5 according to Nielsen Sound Scan. The Recording Industry of America Association launched its first Digital Sales Award, reflecting sales of singles downloaded from legal online music sites. Big & Rich was the first country artist to earn a Digital Gold Sales Award. Country artists Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson and Tim

5 McGraw placed fourth, fifth and sixth in the top 10 selling albums of the year. Shania Twain s album, Up! was certified as a Diamond Award winner, selling 10 million units this year. Her previous album, Come on Over, remains the best-selling country album of all time with 20 million units. *Information provided by the RIAA