Growing up as a queer girl in the country I had the most complex relationship with bro country. On one hand, I longed for female voices in country music but also it gave me an excuse to sing along to sexually charged lyrics about women with no one batting an eye. On another note, Kacey Musgraves stole my young heart. I had the lyrics to "Follow Your Arrow" on my 7th grade binder. In fact, it was on this very channel over a decade I first heard of her.
See, that's a fascinating reading - I'd love to see a feminine queer look at the subgenre because for as male-coded as it can be, so much of it was placing attention on women rather than elevating its male stars (might be the big reason why so many of its lesser acts felt so disposable), and Maddie & Tae proved how easily the coding and gaze could be inverted.
I was raised on that movie, I will never forget that rascal flatts cover. In my head it's the canonical version of the song, I was born well too late to hear the original on the radio.
I remember when I was in middle school. My principal used to play this song every Friday at lunch. I think short of a lobotomy I will never forget this song 😂.
Mark you're a legend. I've been drowning in year-end work and have been sent this like 20 times by various people, but finally gotten to watch it today. Half-way through it now, and your thoroughness is truly admirable. This is an amazing piece of work. Happy holidays, dude!
This essay was just incredible. The amount of thought & hard work you put into this really should be noticed to a bigger audience in Country, whether Nashville or Music Row would listen or not. Even outside of Country, the music industry has a problem, and more Indie acts in every genre deserve the platform they work hard for. If the industry got it in their heads to take notes, we could actually get more deserving artists on the charts.
this video feels like the natural culmination of the entire past decade of this channel's history and it is really something to witness as another person who can relate to the feeling of being mostly alone on this platform in their in-depth coverage of a specific musical niche one might think would be a lot broader and more popular than it is, here's one going out to the possibility of this video going viral
It may sound blasphemous, to to paraphrase any super-villain, Country and Electronic music aren't all that different, in that there's more variety and quality below the surface. We just need in-house experts like you to talk about and we will listen. That said, Country gets a lot of flack because it mainly sticks to its conservative values, speaks to a limited audience outside of North America and rarely improvises; when it does, we get hilariously bad results like Bro-Country. Compare that to most Electronic genres who constantly try to innovate and improve their sound and the tech they use, not always sticking the landing and usually failing to be more that simple music to dance to, often if its a more mainstream grenre. There's a reason most of us think the likes of Tiësto and David Guetta are uncreative sell-outs. Country is not that different.
I discovered Mount Moriah and Brandy Clark in 2016 from your thorough coverage of this un-critiqued scene & that ended up influencing my songwriting a lot, thanks, and this was an excellent watch too
I discovered Kacy Musgraves from a metal head cook I worked with. He told me and some other girls who worked there that Blowin Smoke was the song that reminded him of us. He loved her… loooovveeedd her. This guy was such a typical metal head but he is a huge Kacy fan. It was the only girl singer he listened to. He told me she was one of the most talented songwriters he had ever heard. She’s amazing, she got me into to several female country acts. Most of them you listed in your video about what else was going on during bro country.
Admittedly, Kacey is one of the few country singers (especially female) that I tolerate, mainly because of her attitude. Compare that to Rae-Lynn who embodies every I hate about the genre. So glad you didn't bring her up, considering how different her brand of Country is.
As somebody who’s followed you and your criticisms/hatred of bro country for a decade, this video essay feels like it’s been a long time coming. While I may not be super into country, I’ve become more aware of different acts and expanded my horizons through watching your reviews of country albums on this channel and also on Billboard Breakdown. Honestly, I think your country reviews are some of my favorites of yours because your passion for the genre really shines through when the music is good, and your visceral rage radiates through the screen when it’s bad. I’ve really been enjoying these video essays, keep them coming.
Mark, as someone who has been a fan of yours since nearly the beginning of this channel, I have to say that this is arguably your best video to date. You do such a good job at explaining the problems that have existed in Nashville since the bro-country boom and how the decisions made afterwards by executives there systemically disenfranchise female country artists. This video feels like a culmination of commentary you have had about Nashville for over a decade now, and you should be really proud of how this video turned out. I hope that this video reaches people outside of your core audience, but even if it doesn't, I hope you know that you have a lot of people who recognize the consistently thoughtful commentary you provide in these videos. Keep up the amazing work!
35:20. I'm so glad you pointed out more of the parallels of glam rock and bro country. That influence is absolutely there once you get passed the twang and marketing.
As a Conservative Texan, I definitely see the downside to capitalism in this way, as well as the systemic way it has allowed the showrunners to consistently push women to the side. Your thoughts on this are very well expressed and I thank you for the exhaustive essay this must have been to write. It’s helped me better understand the state of music as it relates to the “real world” beyond just the songs. Been following you for a long time Mark, and you never disappoint. (Except for a few unexpectedly low scores here & there lol!) Just kidding. Great job man!
It's videos like this that make me proud to be a fan of your channel. It's rare these days to see a video so comprehensive and insightful, on a process behind the scenes of the country industry that many - including myself - have only heard about in passing but never fully understood. The amount of thought, passion, and hard work on display here should not go overlooked. Fantastic video Mark, and keep up the great work!
video going to make me HOLY WATER (high on loving your writing accuracy, technical editing, and recording) …man now I get why people don’t like that hook
Holy hell, this is gonna be goooood. Mark, I know you’re much softer on bro-country than most other (country) music critics. After hearing the uninspired dreck that is much of so-called “boyfriend country”, a part of me is oddly nostalgic for the time when horrible country music was at least catchy and had a smidgeon of a pulse.
Yeah, I'll take the better half of "bro-country" over the top five percentile of "boyfriend country" ANY day: because the latter lacks a pulse and also smacks as emotionally manipulative to me in a way more well-meaning "bro-country" doesn't.
This video was so educational. I’m new to the genre and experiencing it as both a student and a fan. So I definitely appreciate a long for essay like this, providing history and looking at the intricacies. Bro country really was what opened the door for country music for me. There came a time where I realized that I had aged out of mainstream hip hop and that country was a little more aligned with my interests in my late 30s.
Absolutely fantastic work, Mark. Weirdly enough, it was your review of Billy Currington's 'We Are Tonight' that helped me find your channel so long ago, so this feels like a full circle moment in so many ways. Edit: I'll say also that, along with being the only RUclipsr around this time who covered country music, Mark was the only critic in general who covered it WELL, moving beyond simple measures of "this is good / this is bad" and really focusing on the bigger picture; those reviews of the era dive into some wildly interesting territory beyond the music itself! So yeah, I think the reason I appreciate good music criticism is because of Mark ... and, well, bro-country. 😅
Mark this was so fucking good. As somebody who was there during your first special comment on bro country, this feels like a full circle moment and you’ve grown so much.
No bro country song will reach the greatness of Honky Tonk Badonkadonk. Nah, but Mark this was another incredible video essay. As someone getting big into all grounds of country, this was important to hear
This was such a great video! As someone who isnt that well versed in the country genre this really put things into perspective i never quite connected. Glad to see the Kacey Musgraves love. Her and jason isbell were what really gatewayed me into the genre
One frustrating thing about the conversation about women in mainstream country is that they are given FAR NARROWER topics to sing about . For most of country music's comercial history, acceptable "female" repertoire was more conservative than acceptable male repertoire, and thus largely about romance, breakups, God/nostalgia/family maybe. Once in a while someone would do a revenge song or a folk murder ballad. I suspect that one reason it's hard to get mainstream fans to break the long industry trend and actually pay attention to women artists is that the song topics are often kinda boring. Those topics are even boring to me as a woman and a country singer who appreciates female country artists very much. I imagine that all the fans who've been conditioned for decades to think of country music as consisting of stereotypical working class male singers, with female singers as an occasional variation, are all more likely to think that 'female is a genre'. Judging from what I see from young and old-ass guys on Reddit, they're also far more likely to see country women as doing it wrong (like complaints about artists being 'too pop' or 'too Americana' which get thrown at women far more often than at men) This has finally been changing A LITTLE as mainstream country has recently trended a little closer to some of the sounds of the independent/underground scene. For example, the huge success of Ashley McBryde's more storytelling-focused country sound or the breakout of Morgan Wade thanks to a song about mental health are good examples of something other than that trend of "yet another woman singing about a breakup". I moderate R/countrymusic (independent country focused) and one year we ran a thread, looking for songs by female artists that were about things OTHER than romance/breakups. The resulting playlist is on RUclips under 'women sing about everything but romance' , and you might be able to find it on Reddit or if you can see my youtube profile's playlists. We had to dig pretty far into independent artists to fill out a playlist of 'non-romance/breakup/family' kinds of songs.
Interesting to have this view, as a man, I much prefer to have a woman's voice in my ears than a mans, and even the classic women in country have been absolutely epic and their stuff has held up better than most of the stuff put out by men (Connie, Tammy, Loretta, Dolly, Tanya, etc.) the same fantastic session musicians played on all of it anyhow. As far as now, it has been good to see Lainey Wilson and Hailey Whitters get some attention, pretty sad that the country world never got interested in Lindi Ortega though her and Sierra Ferrell and Brennan Leigh are natural outsiders. Don't Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile keep winning awards for writing the best songs ever? Lori McKenna too. Although I guess, literally none of the women I mentioned have anything in common with Bro-Country, I don't agree that women song topics are boring, but certainly aren't much like the 'fucking in a truck with a beer bottle and a skunk' sorta songs.
@@erickent4248 The women who make it in either commercial or independent country are often better at their vocals because there are fewer opportunities so it's a more competitive field than what the guys face. I do think they are usually better singers and are more likely to have more vocal training (I don't know how many small-time male country singers I know who whine about how they refuse to get voice lessons because that's for wimps and Ernest Tubb had a career so they should be able to replicate his success). Women have to work harder at it in this field than the men do and I think the result is that the ones who succeed are succeeding partly because they're the best singers among the competition..
I’ve been a constant viewer of yours since your Billboard Breakdowns were still on this channel, and I’ve got to say… this was your best video I’ve seen so far. I’d probably be considered less than a casual Country music fan because I don’t listen to Country radio at all and never have… BUT you made the topic interesting and approached it like a true labor of love. Great work, Mark 😁✌️
I'm not a country fan and that might be as a result of not really exploring it. Yet I will definitely listen to Mark talk about it for hours. Great essay as always. Looking forward to more.
Just finished the video. This is incredible! I can't imagine the amount of work that had to go into making this. The nuance you have when discussing music and context surrounding it is frankly unmatched. If it's worth any consolation, I have you to thank for putting me onto some of my favorite indie country and country-adjacent artists (and a couple non country artists) right now. Lori McKenna, Emily Scott Robinson, Brandy Clark, Ian Noe & Adeem the Artist were all artists I first heard of and got into because of your reviews. I'm glad you love country music as much as you do!
glad to see we have one more before the year closes!!!!! will add a larger overall comment once i've finished watching, for now adding timestamps and notes: overall comment: what this essay most reminded me of is more recent episodes of the jimquisition. i thought i was just going to catch on to it myself, but like you say in part eight; so much of this has been made up of things you've commented on before in various capacities, be it reviews, billboard breakdown, and more besides. and that weary tone is truly well-captured in this piece, even during earlier sections where the sheer amount of information in chronicling nashville's incestuous gallery of songwriters, performers and all those outside and in between is exhausting. fun to learn, and a fuckin excellent guide alone, but still exhausting hahaha! to your point of country-as-folksong, i'd agree heartily. country music is decently popular in ireland; fitting given that when you stretch the DNA far back enough, some of what evolved into country are explicitly irish ideas, i.e the name and placement of the fiddle within the country band, some dances like jigs and others carrying their straightforward rhythms there as opposed to bringing in polyrhythmic stuff from various african diasporas, which instead supplied the melodic language of the blues. my boyfriend and i have generally different tastes, but my getting into country and showing him some has provided that shared ground between us. and i won't step around it, i do have to thank you for introducing me to such a wide tapestry of music that i spent my whole life dismissing because of america's 00s reputation. jason isbell, zach bryan, ian noe, adeem the artist, and so many others are not names i would have heard or appreciated without your work. timestamps: 0:00 INTRO 2:50 PART ONE: WHAT IT IS 6:33 PART TWO: REMEMBER WHEN 18:16 PART THREE: THE "HIDDEN" ORIGINS OF BRO-COUNTRY 24:12 PART FOUR: BABY, YOU A SONG 32:26 PART FIVE: DAYS OF GOLD 47:34 PART SIX-A: BOTTOMS UP 57:46 PART SIX-B: REDNECK CRAZY 1:09:29 PART SEVEN: SAME TRAILER, DIFFERENT PARK 1:39:15 PART EIGHT: YOU SHOULD BE HERE 1:47:07 POST-SCRIPT / OUTRO notes: 4:02 im so fucking glad someone around me also hates bo burnham, i thought inside was absolutely intolerable. to take a phrase from your fall out boy essay, more often than not it was wallowing in petty insouciance and utterly repulsive 8:54 jesus fucking christ even tho i was a baby in the 00s i knew that period was the death of the left, whether electoral or radical, but i did not think it was THIS bad 19:45 i retched hearing this clip, i haven't been exposed to something so nauseatingly american since i first found out that they make tea in a fuckin MICROWAVE 21:34 weeping that a man who was on southern family wrote a song called honky tonk badonkadonk, i can imagine the dude was cackling to himself 1:45:57 that tweet might honestly be the last truly fucking excellent tweet i've ever seen. never change, 30-50 feral hogs guy who decided to go into isbell's mentions
Okay I'm a stagehand that's worked concerts a long time and let me tell you something. During 45s term especially towards the end and beginning of 46s term country artists didn't just lean into the politics during live shows. It was very uncomfortable for me. I dont have a problem with people chanting USA, but it was the way they were chanting it. You could taste the fascism in the air. These weren't concerts they were rallies of hatred. I'll never forget in Paducah Kentucky where I taught my friend Kyle how to operate a spotlight. We were having a good time, even if we weren't caring for the music too much. And there was a chant going on and I looked him in the eyes. Was just a glance, but we both saw how uncomfortable we were, like we'd seen something terrible in each others eyes and needed affirmation. Its all better now though. They don't act like that. Point is I've seen it firsthand.
really well researched and comprehensive piece, Mark. i've been a fan for years and i'm so glad to see you get the chance to make some of the video essays you've mentioned. on a video-specific note, i see keith hill's comments and the apologism they represent as a scene-specific manifestation of a patriarchal dialogue feminist academia is quite familiar with. "it's not misogyny, it's just 'common sense'. and i suppose if someone needs to be blamed, it's women again!" i appreciate you taking that with as much disdain as it deserves.
Long time in the making, and it shows. As someone who knows little-to-nothing about mainstream country (I live in a country where the genre is scarce at best), a lot of this video was very eye-opening about the trends and also what went on in the background. Incredibly enlightening.
I am a long time viewer and your coverage of indie country has definitely made an impact on my listening habits! Thank you for making this and the work you put into it. Really enjoyed watching it!
Incredible video, Mark. I understand why you’ve mostly shifted away from it but I always enjoy your long-format content. Any time I need a good laugh I go back to your “Southside” review. Looking forward to your work in 2024.
P.S.: I also unironically enjoy some bro-country songs. Here's a list of some sub-genre songs I genuinely still have a soft spot for: 😊 Florida Georgia Line: "Tip It Back", "Confession", "Hell Raisin' Heat Of The Summer" & "Round Here" (primarily because of the sunny, optimistic, pleasant production and carpe diem-evoking energy) Jason Aldean: "Night Train" (I don't even know if this technically counts, but regardless if it does or not it has a descriptive quality among its writers and a sentimentality that elevates it) Randy Houser: "How Country Feels" & "Runnin' Outta Moonlight" (both have feel-good, sunny, shimmering melodies blending with Houser's excellent vocals that I can't help but be endeared to and truly evoke that carpe diem feeling) Frankie Ballard: All three singles from his hit album (Each one of them are just charming and are elevated equally by their sunny, carefree melodies as well as Ballard injecting a bit more self-awareness in "Young & Crazy" and easy-going likability in the other two) Jake Owen: "Days Of Gold", "Ghost Town", "Life Of The Party" and "Drivin' All Night" Luke Bryan: "Play It Again", "Love It Gone" & "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye" Thomas Rhett: "Make Me Wanna" & "The Day You Stop Looking Back" Blake Shelton: "Doin' What She Likes" (it's always been a guilty pleasure of mine, sue me! =) ) Brad Paisley: "4WP" Billy Currington: "Don't It" (I like how chill the production and groove is) Chris Young: "Lonely Eyes" & "Text Me Texas" Dierks Bentley: "Drunk On A Plane" & "5-1-5-0" Joe Nichols: "Sunny & 75" *
@MACMAMI Plus, I believe the "featuring Brad Paisley" is a reference to the overuse of features in bro-country, especially singers and rappers who aren't labeled country.
You did it, you made a bro-country playlist that I think I might actually unironically love. Putting this together on spotify for when I'm repainting my house after Xmas...
I grew up in Montana and was in college during the pre-bro country days and then a young adult into those years. I think it fully encompassed what my weekends were like. It was the perfect back drop for fishing, hunting and mudding. You don't want to think when you're out there. It's almost the perfect soundtrack to not use your brain, which is what we wanted during a lot of that time. I was not a fan of any pop country when it first appeared. I thought Keith Urban's "where the sidewalk ends" was an affront to all the actual country artists I was used to listening to (George Straight, Garth Brooks etc) but I will admit there is something about standing around a bon fire drinking a beer while listening to any number of those hits. It's a very specific feeling that I often think about.
You should make more video essay documentaries videos on music and popular culture in general like this!! Would look forward to seeing more of that from you!! (P.S. would love to see you do a video essay documentary on the history of disco music tbh it is such an interesting story in pop music and popular culture and even sociopolitics in general tbh)
Excellent video essay, Mark! 🙂 There are a couple of other noteworthy events I'd like to point out which I feel will only further enrich this illustrated history. 😊 The first is that, although you did mention Toby Keith early on in this essay...............most specifically I believe his 2001 hit "I Wanna Talk About Me" was the spiritual predecessor of "Dirt Road Anthem". Granted it didn't have the drum machine nor the more digitized production sheen, but his "rap" delivery definitely set the stage for "Dirt Road Anthem" nearly a decade later: especially seeing it went platinum before the iTunes generation was ever a thing. The second is a short-lived duo named Fast Ryde. I'd argue they are equally as relevant to bro-country's origins as Colt Ford in that they also had a minor-charting single in "The Thang" which was basically their attempt at another "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and, had they waited just several more years to make their splash as FGL did, it's not that hard to imagine them being decidedly more successful. They ultimately disbanded, but another notable twist is that Jody Stevens would produce none other than Cole Swindell's breakout hit "Chillin' It": which, itself, sounds exactly like Fast Ryde.
Fantastic video Mark! Even as someone who’s more interested in pop, rap, and r&b I was hooked the whole time. Definitely opened my eyes to a genre I haven’t thought of much before
Added info at 10:03: Garth was also in his retirement phase, taking time off to be a father to his 3 daughters, Taylor, August and Allie, as well as his 2005 proposal and marriage to his longtime girlfriend Trisha Yearwood. I also think Kip Moore is very underrated, and it's crazy to think "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" was his only #1 hit on country radio.
Back when I was a teenager in 2014, watching your reviews helped me start paying more attention to music and even inspired me to review country music as well for a few years. Granted I was terrible at it since I was young and only had a terrible laptop camera, but still. You continue to do great work and this essay was no exception. Speaking on Bottoms Up, there was one streamer who asked for people’s guilty pleasure songs to talk about and I linked this song because I used to like it (so I do have a soft spot for it) and I know it would be entertaining to see them roast it. Although it did feel weird afterwards when they were like “Who the fuck is this squid guy?” Lol
Although I honestly never liked "Bottoms Up" personally (and completely concur with Mark that his singing voice is one of THE worst in the sub-genre)..........much like with Florida Georgia Line, I respect him immensely for writing the vast majority of his material. And he seriously has some impressive chops as a songwriter when you do a deep dive into his deeper cuts in particular. 🙂 I still can't get over the fact that Dan Huff (yes, THAT Dan Huff who produced Rascal Flatts) produced most of Gilbert's most recognizable hits. I mean..................the same guy who produced all of Rascal Flatts' Christian rock-sounding fodder..................ALSO produced "Bottoms Up" and "The Weekend" by Brantley Gilbert! Wild stuff! @.@
These types of video essays are done so well! Always well researched and great at giving a new perspective then most of what else is out there. Very inspiring stuff Mark! Keep it up!
This has been one of the best videos this channel has seen in a very long time. Not that Mark hasn’t produced banger videos, but Billboard Breakdown just feels super repetitive and album reviews just don’t hit anymore for me. Excellent excellent video
What a fascinating essay. I've never been a country listener and just put this on while I was working, feel motivated to check some out now. Great stuff
This is a really fascinating video mark, as always your writing is very sharp and your pacing is top-notch, but it gave me a lot of insight into Nashville and music row that I wasn't really aware of before, and I thank you for just such an engaging and interesting video
This video is like an extra chapter to where Ken Burns' excellent 2020 10-hour doc "Country Music" left off lol In that doc he also notes how the music from the southern US (with it's black and British Isles roots) was split into "country and western" and "race music" (which would become R&B). That's why personally "country music" for me is music by a musician from the southern US (or influenced by the type of music originating in the southern US) talking about their mama, their girl/boy troubles, their hometown whether that's Nelly or Beyonce or Tim McGraw or Florida Georgia Line or Flo Rida. In fact, you could plausibly do interpretations of a lot of those artist's songs to make them sound more "country" or more "hip hop." I mean "Ride with Me" and "Just a Dream" by Nelly are country songs (and "The Club Can't Even Handle Me" is def bro country lol).
That documentary over the pandemic made me dive DEEP into a genre I'd never really known much about other than the basics, and have come to genuinely enjoy. Made me realize that Lil Nas X is a LOT less of an anomaly than he was made out to be when Old Town Road broke big.
Great essay as a self styled historian and participating artist in the Texas country red dirt scene you nailed your analysis of our radio cultures development over the early 2000s and teens. If you get bored, give my debut album "bad trip" a spin and let me know what you think.
Appreciate the work and care you put into this essay/video, it was excellent and insightful. I hope it reaches a wider audience and that Mayb more ppl will take more of that deep dive into country music that they might not have before
Amazing video man. Came up on my feed and watched through whole thing. Not to age myself, but I was only 6 in its major prime of bro country so I really didn't understand anything at all that was going on or being said. I was somewhat of raised up listening country but not like it was all my family listened to. That era is so nostalgic and some of it brings back memories. Other times it reminds me why I'm not the biggest country fan anymore and more listen to rap. It's hard to still like it and be reminded that this is probably the biggest reason for people to hate it, especially those around me. But man, just amazing breakdown on what went on and some of the major events in its lead up, which I had no clue about.
Then there’s Machinedrum; an electronic music producer that through HipHop, Footwork, House, Hard Dance, Jungle, DnB and Hyperpop always brought along his peculiar NC country twang. Always been there for me, at least.
The only stuff I know from Machinedrum is 'A View of U' and his work with Tinashe on 'BB/ANG3L' - I haven't been able to gleam that country influence, but given how much I like what I've heard from him, I wanna know more.
@@lydiavalentino When he brings out his acoustic guitar, he arps it country style. Those moments are a few and far between nowadays, especially after his hyperpop experiments “Human Energy” solo and “ZOOSPA” with Jimmy Edgar. Anyway, he did a killer Johnny Cash remix that sold me on his twang. Sounds like Fatboy Slim and Boards of Canada in a moonshine mixer.
i watched this whole video and only at the end did i notice it has 22k views--i think this illustrates your point about capitalism, because this video has the look, feel, and depth of a popular video essay. i have no significant background or interest in country music, but as a terminally-online soy leftist, i always liked watching stuff like bro country, boyfriend country, even montgomery gentry (is that proto-bro country?) music videos ironically. the way you talk about the genre and industry really helps to bridge the cultural gap i've always felt and puts everything into perspective about a topic that people like me tend to dismiss offhand. there probably IS country music i would unironically enjoy, it's just not in the mainstream, much like the music i enjoy from other genres
Hey Mark, just wanted to let you know that you didn't post the script in the description yet, even though the video is live. This is my second viewing. This was so good, especially as someone who doesn't listen to country music like at all.
First time seeing your channel and I appreciate this comprehensive and nuanced take, I can tell it took a long time to write but you deliver it very naturally. We don't have country music stations over here so I only know the very surface of crossover radio hits, so it's fascinating to hear more about the background of how those hits became hits.
God, you know, I'm an Indian born and raised in Australia who enjoys all types of genres including rock, hip hop, soul, R&B, and I'm starting to really get into American country - might be the only Indian in the world who does lol and I know that if I wanted to be a country star in the US I'd have no chance - and I did not realise how complex and multi-layered the whole country music industry was. Did not realise that women had such a hard time in country music - I actually kinda prefer female country singers since they tend to have a more homely sound. This was a fascinating video essay. Well done.
This was fascinating. I'm not the target audience for country music (not straight, not conservative, male) and I never gave much country music a shot because I just found a lot of it bland, inauthentic, and of no substance. I can enjoy stuff that doesn't have substance (Dua Lipa) but I just found a lot of it bland. I enjoyed some of the bro country I heard, mainly because of some of the rock elements (alt is the main genre I listen to) and I enjoyed a lot of stuff Luke Combs put out. I didn't give country much time of day. Then I heard Something In The Orange in late summer 2022 and it became one of my top songs of the year. I found it authentic, well written, raw, emotional, and realized I didn't hate country music- I hated the commercialization of country music. The pedaling of certain ideas and things (the outdoors, being alone, etc.) that are supposed to be a disconnect from the speed of cities and our world today just feels wrong. And the longer I live in a big city, the more I miss the two year span of my life I lived way out in the Appalachian Mountains. I want to find more artists in the same vain as someone like Zach Bryan, but it's so tough when I'm trying to steer clear of most of the mainstream stuff to begin with, only for those artists to get big too. So I'd love some artist recommendations if you have them. I also think a lot of the surge in popularity for these artists comes from an increased desire for authenticity among young people that has come as a counterculture to the social media era of making yourself look as good as possible.
friend, please look at the independent artists out there. There's a ton of queer country, but more importantly so much good country about almost every topic out there.
I have a ton of independent artists on my channel's playlists - not sure if you can see my YT channel or not from just the comments. Some queer country stuff in there too. @@megaascension2748
take a look at the account that's commenting(below? Above?) about women singers and 'women's repertoire' below. They have tons of independent artists to explore @@megaascension2748
I'm not really a country fan, though I do enjoy rock acts like Ratboys and Wednesday that have country in their sound (Also, those Kasey Musgraves clips sounded fantastic). That dislike of the genre has more to do with the sound of what's presented, at least in the mainstream, than anything to do with the content of the music. That being said, I remember this sound for it's place in mainstream music both on the radio and on the Hot 100, which is why I checked this essay out (besides being a fan of the channel) and this is a fantastic dive into the discourse and nuance of the topic.
i have pretty much no connection to country music but this video essay was fascinating. well done! - oh and i checked out that mentioned kacey musgrave album expecting i'd be indifferent to it like any other country music i've been exposed to past garth brooks. man, was i wrong. there's depth, lyrical & musical, and a real journey within the record. mind blown, horizon expanded! thx
This video is incredible. As someone who’s been diving more into the indie country scene the past couple years, I feel like I now have such great context/understanding for how I wound up gravitating toward that sound. This video is superb
This is the first video of yours I've seen and it was incredible! I loved hearing about this topic I personally know very little about from a dedicated, passionate expert.
I think something that bothers me is that the toxic attitude towards women in country music by country radio is trickling down to fans. Sigh. Anyway, I enjoyed this video essay so much and learned a lot. Thank you for all your hard work, Mark!
I love bro country in a “so bad it’s good” way. And that’s not meaningfully different from enjoying something that I think is “good.” Because either way it’s genuine enjoyment. I think part of the humor for me is that it’s such an over the top presentation of masculinity it becomes absurdist to me. So I really enjoyed this thoughtful deep dive.
Amazing work, Mark. Worthy of repeat watches so I can explore artists (I must agree, I like how easy bro-country can be when you're an extremely superficial country fan like myself). However, I must once again thank you for getting me into Pistol Annies (they fucking rule!) and Gabe Lee, which I consider the best country album of 2023 (and it's not even close!). Looking forward to more video essays 🥳
Growing up as a queer girl in the country I had the most complex relationship with bro country. On one hand, I longed for female voices in country music but also it gave me an excuse to sing along to sexually charged lyrics about women with no one batting an eye. On another note, Kacey Musgraves stole my young heart. I had the lyrics to "Follow Your Arrow" on my 7th grade binder. In fact, it was on this very channel over a decade I first heard of her.
See, that's a fascinating reading - I'd love to see a feminine queer look at the subgenre because for as male-coded as it can be, so much of it was placing attention on women rather than elevating its male stars (might be the big reason why so many of its lesser acts felt so disposable), and Maddie & Tae proved how easily the coding and gaze could be inverted.
Another queer girl who grew up having their music taste particularly formed by mark? LET’S GO LESBIANS!
Bro country is trash country.
Mark, how DARE you imply i forgot Rascal Flatts cover of Life is a Highway...
I was raised on that movie, I will never forget that rascal flatts cover. In my head it's the canonical version of the song, I was born well too late to hear the original on the radio.
I loved this cover I had it on my iPod.
@@henatatorplays i was scandalized when i learned it was a cover and not an original track
I can’t hate that song. Too much nostalgia
I remember when I was in middle school. My principal used to play this song every Friday at lunch. I think short of a lobotomy I will never forget this song 😂.
Watching a Spectrum Pulse video essay?
*_Yeah that's my kinda night._*
- Luke Bryan, 2013
Mark you're a legend. I've been drowning in year-end work and have been sent this like 20 times by various people, but finally gotten to watch it today. Half-way through it now, and your thoroughness is truly admirable. This is an amazing piece of work. Happy holidays, dude!
This essay was just incredible. The amount of thought & hard work you put into this really should be noticed to a bigger audience in Country, whether Nashville or Music Row would listen or not. Even outside of Country, the music industry has a problem, and more Indie acts in every genre deserve the platform they work hard for. If the industry got it in their heads to take notes, we could actually get more deserving artists on the charts.
Metalhead here. I DETEST bro-country but I like to learn, even about things I detest. This is extremely well done, thank you.
this video feels like the natural culmination of the entire past decade of this channel's history and it is really something to witness
as another person who can relate to the feeling of being mostly alone on this platform in their in-depth coverage of a specific musical niche one might think would be a lot broader and more popular than it is, here's one going out to the possibility of this video going viral
It may sound blasphemous, to to paraphrase any super-villain, Country and Electronic music aren't all that different, in that there's more variety and quality below the surface. We just need in-house experts like you to talk about and we will listen.
That said, Country gets a lot of flack because it mainly sticks to its conservative values, speaks to a limited audience outside of North America and rarely improvises; when it does, we get hilariously bad results like Bro-Country.
Compare that to most Electronic genres who constantly try to innovate and improve their sound and the tech they use, not always sticking the landing and usually failing to be more that simple music to dance to, often if its a more mainstream grenre. There's a reason most of us think the likes of Tiësto and David Guetta are uncreative sell-outs. Country is not that different.
I discovered Mount Moriah and Brandy Clark in 2016 from your thorough coverage of this un-critiqued scene & that ended up influencing my songwriting a lot, thanks, and this was an excellent watch too
I discovered Kacy Musgraves from a metal head cook I worked with. He told me and some other girls who worked there that Blowin Smoke was the song that reminded him of us. He loved her… loooovveeedd her. This guy was such a typical metal head but he is a huge Kacy fan. It was the only girl singer he listened to. He told me she was one of the most talented songwriters he had ever heard.
She’s amazing, she got me into to several female country acts. Most of them you listed in your video about what else was going on during bro country.
Admittedly, Kacey is one of the few country singers (especially female) that I tolerate, mainly because of her attitude.
Compare that to Rae-Lynn who embodies every I hate about the genre. So glad you didn't bring her up, considering how different her brand of Country is.
As somebody who’s followed you and your criticisms/hatred of bro country for a decade, this video essay feels like it’s been a long time coming. While I may not be super into country, I’ve become more aware of different acts and expanded my horizons through watching your reviews of country albums on this channel and also on Billboard Breakdown. Honestly, I think your country reviews are some of my favorites of yours because your passion for the genre really shines through when the music is good, and your visceral rage radiates through the screen when it’s bad. I’ve really been enjoying these video essays, keep them coming.
Mark, as someone who has been a fan of yours since nearly the beginning of this channel, I have to say that this is arguably your best video to date. You do such a good job at explaining the problems that have existed in Nashville since the bro-country boom and how the decisions made afterwards by executives there systemically disenfranchise female country artists. This video feels like a culmination of commentary you have had about Nashville for over a decade now, and you should be really proud of how this video turned out.
I hope that this video reaches people outside of your core audience, but even if it doesn't, I hope you know that you have a lot of people who recognize the consistently thoughtful commentary you provide in these videos. Keep up the amazing work!
35:20. I'm so glad you pointed out more of the parallels of glam rock and bro country. That influence is absolutely there once you get passed the twang and marketing.
As a Conservative Texan, I definitely see the downside to capitalism in this way, as well as the systemic way it has allowed the showrunners to consistently push women to the side. Your thoughts on this are very well expressed and I thank you for the exhaustive essay this must have been to write. It’s helped me better understand the state of music as it relates to the “real world” beyond just the songs. Been following you for a long time Mark, and you never disappoint. (Except for a few unexpectedly low scores here & there lol!) Just kidding. Great job man!
It's videos like this that make me proud to be a fan of your channel. It's rare these days to see a video so comprehensive and insightful, on a process behind the scenes of the country industry that many - including myself - have only heard about in passing but never fully understood. The amount of thought, passion, and hard work on display here should not go overlooked. Fantastic video Mark, and keep up the great work!
video going to make me HOLY WATER
(high on loving your writing accuracy, technical editing, and recording)
…man now I get why people don’t like that hook
WAS NOT EXPECTING TO HEAR THE NAME COLT FORD IN THIS VIDEO!!! Mark you're a legend!
Theis is like one of those things you don't realize you needed until it's here
Holy hell, this is gonna be goooood.
Mark, I know you’re much softer on bro-country than most other (country) music critics. After hearing the uninspired dreck that is much of so-called “boyfriend country”, a part of me is oddly nostalgic for the time when horrible country music was at least catchy and had a smidgeon of a pulse.
Don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone…
Yeah, I'll take the better half of "bro-country" over the top five percentile of "boyfriend country" ANY day: because the latter lacks a pulse and also smacks as emotionally manipulative to me in a way more well-meaning "bro-country" doesn't.
Just wanted to say thanks for your coverage of country. You've single handedly introduced me to so much amazing country music.
This video was so educational. I’m new to the genre and experiencing it as both a student and a fan. So I definitely appreciate a long for essay like this, providing history and looking at the intricacies.
Bro country really was what opened the door for country music for me. There came a time where I realized that I had aged out of mainstream hip hop and that country was a little more aligned with my interests in my late 30s.
Absolutely fantastic work, Mark. Weirdly enough, it was your review of Billy Currington's 'We Are Tonight' that helped me find your channel so long ago, so this feels like a full circle moment in so many ways.
Edit: I'll say also that, along with being the only RUclipsr around this time who covered country music, Mark was the only critic in general who covered it WELL, moving beyond simple measures of "this is good / this is bad" and really focusing on the bigger picture; those reviews of the era dive into some wildly interesting territory beyond the music itself!
So yeah, I think the reason I appreciate good music criticism is because of Mark ... and, well, bro-country. 😅
Mark this was so fucking good. As somebody who was there during your first special comment on bro country, this feels like a full circle moment and you’ve grown so much.
No bro country song will reach the greatness of Honky Tonk Badonkadonk. Nah, but Mark this was another incredible video essay. As someone getting big into all grounds of country, this was important to hear
This was such a great video! As someone who isnt that well versed in the country genre this really put things into perspective i never quite connected. Glad to see the Kacey Musgraves love. Her and jason isbell were what really gatewayed me into the genre
Fantastic and interesting video Mark! Great to have someone like yourself continually take the time out of your life to document this kind of material
Also shouts out to Mark for being the best Country Music reviewer ever
One frustrating thing about the conversation about women in mainstream country is that they are given FAR NARROWER topics to sing about . For most of country music's comercial history, acceptable "female" repertoire was more conservative than acceptable male repertoire, and thus largely about romance, breakups, God/nostalgia/family maybe. Once in a while someone would do a revenge song or a folk murder ballad. I suspect that one reason it's hard to get mainstream fans to break the long industry trend and actually pay attention to women artists is that the song topics are often kinda boring. Those topics are even boring to me as a woman and a country singer who appreciates female country artists very much.
I imagine that all the fans who've been conditioned for decades to think of country music as consisting of stereotypical working class male singers, with female singers as an occasional variation, are all more likely to think that 'female is a genre'. Judging from what I see from young and old-ass guys on Reddit, they're also far more likely to see country women as doing it wrong (like complaints about artists being 'too pop' or 'too Americana' which get thrown at women far more often than at men)
This has finally been changing A LITTLE as mainstream country has recently trended a little closer to some of the sounds of the independent/underground scene. For example, the huge success of Ashley McBryde's more storytelling-focused country sound or the breakout of Morgan Wade thanks to a song about mental health are good examples of something other than that trend of "yet another woman singing about a breakup".
I moderate R/countrymusic (independent country focused) and one year we ran a thread, looking for songs by female artists that were about things OTHER than romance/breakups. The resulting playlist is on RUclips under 'women sing about everything but romance' , and you might be able to find it on Reddit or if you can see my youtube profile's playlists. We had to dig pretty far into independent artists to fill out a playlist of 'non-romance/breakup/family' kinds of songs.
Interesting to have this view, as a man, I much prefer to have a woman's voice in my ears than a mans, and even the classic women in country have been absolutely epic and their stuff has held up better than most of the stuff put out by men (Connie, Tammy, Loretta, Dolly, Tanya, etc.) the same fantastic session musicians played on all of it anyhow. As far as now, it has been good to see Lainey Wilson and Hailey Whitters get some attention, pretty sad that the country world never got interested in Lindi Ortega though her and Sierra Ferrell and Brennan Leigh are natural outsiders. Don't Brandy Clark and Brandi Carlile keep winning awards for writing the best songs ever? Lori McKenna too. Although I guess, literally none of the women I mentioned have anything in common with Bro-Country, I don't agree that women song topics are boring, but certainly aren't much like the 'fucking in a truck with a beer bottle and a skunk' sorta songs.
@@erickent4248 The women who make it in either commercial or independent country are often better at their vocals because there are fewer opportunities so it's a more competitive field than what the guys face.
I do think they are usually better singers and are more likely to have more vocal training (I don't know how many small-time male country singers I know who whine about how they refuse to get voice lessons because that's for wimps and Ernest Tubb had a career so they should be able to replicate his success). Women have to work harder at it in this field than the men do and I think the result is that the ones who succeed are succeeding partly because they're the best singers among the competition..
I’ve been a constant viewer of yours since your Billboard Breakdowns were still on this channel, and I’ve got to say… this was your best video I’ve seen so far. I’d probably be considered less than a casual Country music fan because I don’t listen to Country radio at all and never have… BUT you made the topic interesting and approached it like a true labor of love. Great work, Mark 😁✌️
This is the essay I’ve felt coming since I first started watching your videos Mark, so excited for this
My man just made a feature film
Great work!
I'm not a country fan and that might be as a result of not really exploring it. Yet I will definitely listen to Mark talk about it for hours. Great essay as always. Looking forward to more.
Just finished the video. This is incredible! I can't imagine the amount of work that had to go into making this. The nuance you have when discussing music and context surrounding it is frankly unmatched. If it's worth any consolation, I have you to thank for putting me onto some of my favorite indie country and country-adjacent artists (and a couple non country artists) right now. Lori McKenna, Emily Scott Robinson, Brandy Clark, Ian Noe & Adeem the Artist were all artists I first heard of and got into because of your reviews. I'm glad you love country music as much as you do!
Damn I could not take my ears off of this video, great analysis and writing in this video. Can’t wait for the next one.
glad to see we have one more before the year closes!!!!! will add a larger overall comment once i've finished watching, for now adding timestamps and notes:
overall comment:
what this essay most reminded me of is more recent episodes of the jimquisition. i thought i was just going to catch on to it myself, but like you say in part eight; so much of this has been made up of things you've commented on before in various capacities, be it reviews, billboard breakdown, and more besides. and that weary tone is truly well-captured in this piece, even during earlier sections where the sheer amount of information in chronicling nashville's incestuous gallery of songwriters, performers and all those outside and in between is exhausting. fun to learn, and a fuckin excellent guide alone, but still exhausting hahaha!
to your point of country-as-folksong, i'd agree heartily. country music is decently popular in ireland; fitting given that when you stretch the DNA far back enough, some of what evolved into country are explicitly irish ideas, i.e the name and placement of the fiddle within the country band, some dances like jigs and others carrying their straightforward rhythms there as opposed to bringing in polyrhythmic stuff from various african diasporas, which instead supplied the melodic language of the blues. my boyfriend and i have generally different tastes, but my getting into country and showing him some has provided that shared ground between us. and i won't step around it, i do have to thank you for introducing me to such a wide tapestry of music that i spent my whole life dismissing because of america's 00s reputation. jason isbell, zach bryan, ian noe, adeem the artist, and so many others are not names i would have heard or appreciated without your work.
timestamps:
0:00 INTRO
2:50 PART ONE: WHAT IT IS
6:33 PART TWO: REMEMBER WHEN
18:16 PART THREE: THE "HIDDEN" ORIGINS OF BRO-COUNTRY
24:12 PART FOUR: BABY, YOU A SONG
32:26 PART FIVE: DAYS OF GOLD
47:34 PART SIX-A: BOTTOMS UP
57:46 PART SIX-B: REDNECK CRAZY
1:09:29 PART SEVEN: SAME TRAILER, DIFFERENT PARK
1:39:15 PART EIGHT: YOU SHOULD BE HERE
1:47:07 POST-SCRIPT / OUTRO
notes:
4:02 im so fucking glad someone around me also hates bo burnham, i thought inside was absolutely intolerable. to take a phrase from your fall out boy essay, more often than not it was wallowing in petty insouciance and utterly repulsive
8:54 jesus fucking christ even tho i was a baby in the 00s i knew that period was the death of the left, whether electoral or radical, but i did not think it was THIS bad
19:45 i retched hearing this clip, i haven't been exposed to something so nauseatingly american since i first found out that they make tea in a fuckin MICROWAVE
21:34 weeping that a man who was on southern family wrote a song called honky tonk badonkadonk, i can imagine the dude was cackling to himself
1:45:57 that tweet might honestly be the last truly fucking excellent tweet i've ever seen. never change, 30-50 feral hogs guy who decided to go into isbell's mentions
Okay I'm a stagehand that's worked concerts a long time and let me tell you something. During 45s term especially towards the end and beginning of 46s term country artists didn't just lean into the politics during live shows. It was very uncomfortable for me. I dont have a problem with people chanting USA, but it was the way they were chanting it. You could taste the fascism in the air. These weren't concerts they were rallies of hatred.
I'll never forget in Paducah Kentucky where I taught my friend Kyle how to operate a spotlight. We were having a good time, even if we weren't caring for the music too much. And there was a chant going on and I looked him in the eyes. Was just a glance, but we both saw how uncomfortable we were, like we'd seen something terrible in each others eyes and needed affirmation.
Its all better now though. They don't act like that. Point is I've seen it firsthand.
really well researched and comprehensive piece, Mark. i've been a fan for years and i'm so glad to see you get the chance to make some of the video essays you've mentioned.
on a video-specific note, i see keith hill's comments and the apologism they represent as a scene-specific manifestation of a patriarchal dialogue feminist academia is quite familiar with. "it's not misogyny, it's just 'common sense'. and i suppose if someone needs to be blamed, it's women again!" i appreciate you taking that with as much disdain as it deserves.
Mark, this might be the best video you have put together. Bravo🎉🎉
Long time in the making, and it shows. As someone who knows little-to-nothing about mainstream country (I live in a country where the genre is scarce at best), a lot of this video was very eye-opening about the trends and also what went on in the background. Incredibly enlightening.
i love the part of that Steve Earle interview where he plugs Kendrick's "DAMN"
enjoyed your essay very much
if I'm not engaged with the discourse around contemporary country, what is the controversy around Sturgill Simpson you seemed to allude to?
I am a long time viewer and your coverage of indie country has definitely made an impact on my listening habits! Thank you for making this and the work you put into it. Really enjoyed watching it!
Incredible video, Mark. I understand why you’ve mostly shifted away from it but I always enjoy your long-format content. Any time I need a good laugh I go back to your “Southside” review. Looking forward to your work in 2024.
P.S.: I also unironically enjoy some bro-country songs. Here's a list of some sub-genre songs I genuinely still have a soft spot for: 😊
Florida Georgia Line: "Tip It Back", "Confession", "Hell Raisin' Heat Of The Summer" & "Round Here" (primarily because of the sunny, optimistic, pleasant production and carpe diem-evoking energy)
Jason Aldean: "Night Train" (I don't even know if this technically counts, but regardless if it does or not it has a descriptive quality among its writers and a sentimentality that elevates it)
Randy Houser: "How Country Feels" & "Runnin' Outta Moonlight" (both have feel-good, sunny, shimmering melodies blending with Houser's excellent vocals that I can't help but be endeared to and truly evoke that carpe diem feeling)
Frankie Ballard: All three singles from his hit album (Each one of them are just charming and are elevated equally by their sunny, carefree melodies as well as Ballard injecting a bit more self-awareness in "Young & Crazy" and easy-going likability in the other two)
Jake Owen: "Days Of Gold", "Ghost Town", "Life Of The Party" and "Drivin' All Night"
Luke Bryan: "Play It Again", "Love It Gone" & "Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye"
Thomas Rhett: "Make Me Wanna" & "The Day You Stop Looking Back"
Blake Shelton: "Doin' What She Likes" (it's always been a guilty pleasure of mine, sue me! =) )
Brad Paisley: "4WP"
Billy Currington: "Don't It" (I like how chill the production and groove is)
Chris Young: "Lonely Eyes" & "Text Me Texas"
Dierks Bentley: "Drunk On A Plane" & "5-1-5-0"
Joe Nichols: "Sunny & 75"
*
Brad Paisley's 4WP is actually mocking bro-country. But, hey, I like that song too, especially it "featuring Brad Paisley." Lol
@@6oclocknewsat8 I know, but it's still bro-country by virtue because it all goes out leaning into its cliches.
@MACMAMI Plus, I believe the "featuring Brad Paisley" is a reference to the overuse of features in bro-country, especially singers and rappers who aren't labeled country.
@@MACMAMI and don't forget the precursor to bro-country "Honky-Tonk Badonkadonk" by Trace Adkins.
You did it, you made a bro-country playlist that I think I might actually unironically love. Putting this together on spotify for when I'm repainting my house after Xmas...
I’d love to see more video essays like this, truly ❤️ finally finished watching it over the span of a couple days
Wow, I just made it to the hour mark and I swear I was only watching for 5 minutes. Great essay Mark!
I grew up in Montana and was in college during the pre-bro country days and then a young adult into those years. I think it fully encompassed what my weekends were like. It was the perfect back drop for fishing, hunting and mudding. You don't want to think when you're out there. It's almost the perfect soundtrack to not use your brain, which is what we wanted during a lot of that time.
I was not a fan of any pop country when it first appeared. I thought Keith Urban's "where the sidewalk ends" was an affront to all the actual country artists I was used to listening to (George Straight, Garth Brooks etc) but I will admit there is something about standing around a bon fire drinking a beer while listening to any number of those hits. It's a very specific feeling that I often think about.
this is going to be amazing and that list of sources is BEAUTIFUL.
You should make more video essay documentaries videos on music and popular culture in general like this!! Would look forward to seeing more of that from you!!
(P.S. would love to see you do a video essay documentary on the history of disco music tbh it is such an interesting story in pop music and popular culture and even sociopolitics in general tbh)
I've been waiting for this one. Excellent analysis.
And thank you so much for showing me Mama's Table because oh my God I couldn't hold back tears.
Great essay. You really tackled this in a thoughtful way.
Excellent video essay, Mark! 🙂
There are a couple of other noteworthy events I'd like to point out which I feel will only further enrich this illustrated history. 😊
The first is that, although you did mention Toby Keith early on in this essay...............most specifically I believe his 2001 hit "I Wanna Talk About Me" was the spiritual predecessor of "Dirt Road Anthem". Granted it didn't have the drum machine nor the more digitized production sheen, but his "rap" delivery definitely set the stage for "Dirt Road Anthem" nearly a decade later: especially seeing it went platinum before the iTunes generation was ever a thing.
The second is a short-lived duo named Fast Ryde. I'd argue they are equally as relevant to bro-country's origins as Colt Ford in that they also had a minor-charting single in "The Thang" which was basically their attempt at another "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" and, had they waited just several more years to make their splash as FGL did, it's not that hard to imagine them being decidedly more successful. They ultimately disbanded, but another notable twist is that Jody Stevens would produce none other than Cole Swindell's breakout hit "Chillin' It": which, itself, sounds exactly like Fast Ryde.
Fantastic video Mark! Even as someone who’s more interested in pop, rap, and r&b I was hooked the whole time. Definitely opened my eyes to a genre I haven’t thought of much before
Another quality video essay, keep up the good work!
Getting a new Alexander Avila video on Taylor Swift, and then this video a day later is pretty awesome!
Added info at 10:03: Garth was also in his retirement phase, taking time off to be a father to his 3 daughters, Taylor, August and Allie, as well as his 2005 proposal and marriage to his longtime girlfriend Trisha Yearwood.
I also think Kip Moore is very underrated, and it's crazy to think "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck" was his only #1 hit on country radio.
This essay is fantastic! I can tell you put a lot of work into it
lovely job, mark, this was an amazing video and i really enjoyed it.
Very thoughtful and well-researched video.
Back when I was a teenager in 2014, watching your reviews helped me start paying more attention to music and even inspired me to review country music as well for a few years. Granted I was terrible at it since I was young and only had a terrible laptop camera, but still. You continue to do great work and this essay was no exception.
Speaking on Bottoms Up, there was one streamer who asked for people’s guilty pleasure songs to talk about and I linked this song because I used to like it (so I do have a soft spot for it) and I know it would be entertaining to see them roast it. Although it did feel weird afterwards when they were like “Who the fuck is this squid guy?” Lol
Although I honestly never liked "Bottoms Up" personally (and completely concur with Mark that his singing voice is one of THE worst in the sub-genre)..........much like with Florida Georgia Line, I respect him immensely for writing the vast majority of his material. And he seriously has some impressive chops as a songwriter when you do a deep dive into his deeper cuts in particular. 🙂
I still can't get over the fact that Dan Huff (yes, THAT Dan Huff who produced Rascal Flatts) produced most of Gilbert's most recognizable hits. I mean..................the same guy who produced all of Rascal Flatts' Christian rock-sounding fodder..................ALSO produced "Bottoms Up" and "The Weekend" by Brantley Gilbert! Wild stuff! @.@
These types of video essays are done so well! Always well researched and great at giving a new perspective then most of what else is out there. Very inspiring stuff Mark! Keep it up!
This has been one of the best videos this channel has seen in a very long time. Not that Mark hasn’t produced banger videos, but Billboard Breakdown just feels super repetitive and album reviews just don’t hit anymore for me. Excellent excellent video
What a fascinating essay. I've never been a country listener and just put this on while I was working, feel motivated to check some out now. Great stuff
Really great video! I'm not a huge country fan, but every time I watch this channel it gives me a few albums and artists to check out
This is a really fascinating video mark, as always your writing is very sharp and your pacing is top-notch, but it gave me a lot of insight into Nashville and music row that I wasn't really aware of before, and I thank you for just such an engaging and interesting video
This video is like an extra chapter to where Ken Burns' excellent 2020 10-hour doc "Country Music" left off lol In that doc he also notes how the music from the southern US (with it's black and British Isles roots) was split into "country and western" and "race music" (which would become R&B). That's why personally "country music" for me is music by a musician from the southern US (or influenced by the type of music originating in the southern US) talking about their mama, their girl/boy troubles, their hometown whether that's Nelly or Beyonce or Tim McGraw or Florida Georgia Line or Flo Rida. In fact, you could plausibly do interpretations of a lot of those artist's songs to make them sound more "country" or more "hip hop."
I mean "Ride with Me" and "Just a Dream" by Nelly are country songs (and "The Club Can't Even Handle Me" is def bro country lol).
That documentary over the pandemic made me dive DEEP into a genre I'd never really known much about other than the basics, and have come to genuinely enjoy. Made me realize that Lil Nas X is a LOT less of an anomaly than he was made out to be when Old Town Road broke big.
This video is a masterpiece. You should be proud.
I feel like I must confess this, I know it’s hot trash but I really like bro-country…
wow! just finished and as someone who has rarely listened to country, this makes me wanna check out more of your indie country review
a two hour historical analysis of a music genre by a source i trust im so excited
Great essay as a self styled historian and participating artist in the Texas country red dirt scene you nailed your analysis of our radio cultures development over the early 2000s and teens. If you get bored, give my debut album "bad trip" a spin and let me know what you think.
Appreciate the work and care you put into this essay/video, it was excellent and insightful. I hope it reaches a wider audience and that Mayb more ppl will take more of that deep dive into country music that they might not have before
Amazing video man. Came up on my feed and watched through whole thing. Not to age myself, but I was only 6 in its major prime of bro country so I really didn't understand anything at all that was going on or being said. I was somewhat of raised up listening country but not like it was all my family listened to. That era is so nostalgic and some of it brings back memories. Other times it reminds me why I'm not the biggest country fan anymore and more listen to rap. It's hard to still like it and be reminded that this is probably the biggest reason for people to hate it, especially those around me. But man, just amazing breakdown on what went on and some of the major events in its lead up, which I had no clue about.
Then there’s Machinedrum; an electronic music producer that through HipHop, Footwork, House, Hard Dance, Jungle, DnB and Hyperpop always brought along his peculiar NC country twang. Always been there for me, at least.
The only stuff I know from Machinedrum is 'A View of U' and his work with Tinashe on 'BB/ANG3L' - I haven't been able to gleam that country influence, but given how much I like what I've heard from him, I wanna know more.
@@lydiavalentino When he brings out his acoustic guitar, he arps it country style. Those moments are a few and far between nowadays, especially after his hyperpop experiments “Human Energy” solo and “ZOOSPA” with Jimmy Edgar.
Anyway, he did a killer Johnny Cash remix that sold me on his twang. Sounds like Fatboy Slim and Boards of Canada in a moonshine mixer.
You did a great job on this video!
i watched this whole video and only at the end did i notice it has 22k views--i think this illustrates your point about capitalism, because this video has the look, feel, and depth of a popular video essay.
i have no significant background or interest in country music, but as a terminally-online soy leftist, i always liked watching stuff like bro country, boyfriend country, even montgomery gentry (is that proto-bro country?) music videos ironically. the way you talk about the genre and industry really helps to bridge the cultural gap i've always felt and puts everything into perspective about a topic that people like me tend to dismiss offhand.
there probably IS country music i would unironically enjoy, it's just not in the mainstream, much like the music i enjoy from other genres
Hey Mark, just wanted to let you know that you didn't post the script in the description yet, even though the video is live. This is my second viewing. This was so good, especially as someone who doesn't listen to country music like at all.
First time seeing your channel and I appreciate this comprehensive and nuanced take, I can tell it took a long time to write but you deliver it very naturally. We don't have country music stations over here so I only know the very surface of crossover radio hits, so it's fascinating to hear more about the background of how those hits became hits.
Jokes on you the Rascal Flatts Life is a Highway lives rent free in my head as an 8 year old NASCAR fan when the movie came out.
Never seen one of your videos before but this was really well done. Subbed.
God, you know, I'm an Indian born and raised in Australia who enjoys all types of genres including rock, hip hop, soul, R&B, and I'm starting to really get into American country - might be the only Indian in the world who does lol and I know that if I wanted to be a country star in the US I'd have no chance - and I did not realise how complex and multi-layered the whole country music industry was. Did not realise that women had such a hard time in country music - I actually kinda prefer female country singers since they tend to have a more homely sound. This was a fascinating video essay. Well done.
This was fascinating. I'm not the target audience for country music (not straight, not conservative, male) and I never gave much country music a shot because I just found a lot of it bland, inauthentic, and of no substance. I can enjoy stuff that doesn't have substance (Dua Lipa) but I just found a lot of it bland. I enjoyed some of the bro country I heard, mainly because of some of the rock elements (alt is the main genre I listen to) and I enjoyed a lot of stuff Luke Combs put out. I didn't give country much time of day. Then I heard Something In The Orange in late summer 2022 and it became one of my top songs of the year. I found it authentic, well written, raw, emotional, and realized I didn't hate country music- I hated the commercialization of country music. The pedaling of certain ideas and things (the outdoors, being alone, etc.) that are supposed to be a disconnect from the speed of cities and our world today just feels wrong. And the longer I live in a big city, the more I miss the two year span of my life I lived way out in the Appalachian Mountains. I want to find more artists in the same vain as someone like Zach Bryan, but it's so tough when I'm trying to steer clear of most of the mainstream stuff to begin with, only for those artists to get big too. So I'd love some artist recommendations if you have them.
I also think a lot of the surge in popularity for these artists comes from an increased desire for authenticity among young people that has come as a counterculture to the social media era of making yourself look as good as possible.
friend, please look at the independent artists out there. There's a ton of queer country, but more importantly so much good country about almost every topic out there.
@@_s827 I just don't know what artists to start with.
I have a ton of independent artists on my channel's playlists - not sure if you can see my YT channel or not from just the comments. Some queer country stuff in there too. @@megaascension2748
take a look at the account that's commenting(below? Above?) about women singers and 'women's repertoire' below. They have tons of independent artists to explore @@megaascension2748
I'm not really a country fan, though I do enjoy rock acts like Ratboys and Wednesday that have country in their sound (Also, those Kasey Musgraves clips sounded fantastic). That dislike of the genre has more to do with the sound of what's presented, at least in the mainstream, than anything to do with the content of the music. That being said, I remember this sound for it's place in mainstream music both on the radio and on the Hot 100, which is why I checked this essay out (besides being a fan of the channel) and this is a fantastic dive into the discourse and nuance of the topic.
i have pretty much no connection to country music but this video essay was fascinating. well done! - oh and i checked out that mentioned kacey musgrave album expecting i'd be indifferent to it like any other country music i've been exposed to past garth brooks. man, was i wrong. there's depth, lyrical & musical, and a real journey within the record. mind blown, horizon expanded! thx
ngl Mark, I'm like 3 minutes in & I don't even care bout da topic at hand anymore cuz now I needa video essay on WHY U DON'T LIKE BO BURNHAM
I'd also love to hear this
This was so interesting, thank you!
I love 'Bro-Country'! In my opinion, Country music has never been better!
This video is incredible. As someone who’s been diving more into the indie country scene the past couple years, I feel like I now have such great context/understanding for how I wound up gravitating toward that sound. This video is superb
This is devious, you know I am gonna watch some tonight and finish tomorrow
I watched the whole thing.
Your essays are always so great, thorough, and enjoyable; thanks for making them!
thank you for all you do man
you gotta drop the playlist of bro-country songs that are actually good 🙏
This is the first video of yours I've seen and it was incredible! I loved hearing about this topic I personally know very little about from a dedicated, passionate expert.
This kept popping up in my feed so I gave it a watch and I'm glad I did. You gained a subscriber and a new fan.
I think something that bothers me is that the toxic attitude towards women in country music by country radio is trickling down to fans. Sigh.
Anyway, I enjoyed this video essay so much and learned a lot. Thank you for all your hard work, Mark!
Thanks for the essay, I love learning about country music
So many good memories from this time and the songs are still on my active playlist. I will always love Bro Country. No shame and no regrets.
I love bro country in a “so bad it’s good” way. And that’s not meaningfully different from enjoying something that I think is “good.” Because either way it’s genuine enjoyment.
I think part of the humor for me is that it’s such an over the top presentation of masculinity it becomes absurdist to me.
So I really enjoyed this thoughtful deep dive.
I will never forget how excited I was the first time I heard Florida Georgia Line mention Shinedown in a song lol
Amazing work, Mark. Worthy of repeat watches so I can explore artists (I must agree, I like how easy bro-country can be when you're an extremely superficial country fan like myself). However, I must once again thank you for getting me into Pistol Annies (they fucking rule!) and Gabe Lee, which I consider the best country album of 2023 (and it's not even close!). Looking forward to more video essays 🥳
Incredible video
This is possibly the best christmas gift i could get.