Lil Nas X's left-field country-rap smash 'Old Town Road' is the biggest song of 2019. Billy Ray Cyrus was smart enough to hitch his wagon to it. So why hasn't Nashville done the same?
The spirit of Johnny Cash — and of country music itself — is as thick as the pollen at the Cash Cabin in Hendersonville, Tenn. This is the place where the Man in Black recorded much of his later work, and on a recent day it's the setting for the unveiling of the video for Sheryl Crow's “Redemption Day,” from her forthcoming duets LP that features posthumous vocals from Cash himself.
Not so much. Perhaps the only folks who don't want to take their horse to the old town road are those in the eye of the storm: the country music industry itself. While musicians such aswith the song, offering cheeky cover versions on Twitter, in the offices of Nashville’s famed Music Row and on country radio, it's business as usual.
“It's not surprising that ‘Old Town Road’ is where it is on the country chart,” says one radio industry executive who asked to remain anonymous as they are not authorized to speak on the subject. “I believe any airplay from country radio is still out of a somewhat muted effort to appear aware of a pop culture event. So these spins are given begrudgingly.”
Country radio's myopic nature has been a point of contention in Nashville for decades. Radio ownership groups such as Cumulus Media and Cox Media insist on playing it safe on the airwaves, lest they scare off advertisers or listeners, whom they presume mirror their conservative values. From the banning of Loretta Lynn's “The Pill” in 1975 to the infamous blacklisting of the Dixie Chicks after their anti-George W. Bush statements, being left of center means being left out of rotation.
“Don't worry about trying to classify it,” says country artist Jimmie Allen, one of the genre’s few artists of color on a major label. “We need to expand the musical culture and our mind-set as people. To challenge ourselves to think and process.” Shannon Houchins, who produced the first record from Bubba Sparxxx and now runs a label with Colt Ford, two artists credited with launching country-rap, also sees country radio's reluctance to embrace"Old Town Road" as a symptom of a divide between fans and programmers."Colt Ford keeps selling out concerts and racking up gold singles and Lil Nas X has the biggest song in the world," Houchins says.
इंडिया ताज़ा खबर, इंडिया मुख्य बातें
Similar News:आप इससे मिलती-जुलती खबरें भी पढ़ सकते हैं जिन्हें हमने अन्य समाचार स्रोतों से एकत्र किया है।
Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus join Diplo at Stagecoach for live debut of ‘Old Town Road’Billboard takes its definition of country music so seriously that it withdrew “Old Town Road” from its Hot Country Songs chart. But at Stagecoach, fans went wild for it.
और पढो »
Lil Xan Just Questioned Whether His Girlfriend Was Ever PregnantJust weeks after Annie Smith announced she'd had a miscarriage, Lil Xan has now cast doubt on her pregnancy altogether.
और पढो »
Here's What You Need To Know About Lil Xan's Latest Claims About His Girlfriend's Pregnancy And MiscarriageJust weeks after Annie Smith announced she'd had a miscarriage, Lil Xan has now cast doubt on her pregnancy altogether.
और पढो »
Lil Pump Is Getting Into BitcoinLil Pump, a Colombian-American rapper named as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 this year, is now accepting bitcoin as payment on his official merchandise store, via bitcoin's Lightning Network...
और पढो »
Lil Pump Is Getting Into BitcoinLil Pump, a Colombian-American rapper named as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 this year, is now accepting bitcoin as payment on his official merchandise store, via bitcoin's Lightning Network...
और पढो »
Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus join Diplo at Stagecoach for live debut of ‘Old Town Road’Billboard takes its definition of country music so seriously that it withdrew “Old Town Road” from its Hot Country Songs chart. But at Stagecoach, fans went wild for it.
और पढो »
Here’s why Instagram is going to hide your ‘likes’Another test will de-emphasize a user's follower count on their profile page, in an effort to make Instagram feel less like a popularity contest.
और पढो »
Why are Sudan’s protesters snubbing the UAE and Saudi Arabia?Protesters warn the two oil rich gulf states against 'meddling' in their country, with many chanting: “We do not want Saudi aid even if we have to eat beans and falafel!”
और पढो »
China's Belt and Road is expanding into this tiny eastern European countryMoldova is set to sign agreements with two Chinese contractors this year to build almost 300 kilometers of roads, according to the country's State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, Vitalie Iurcu.
और पढो »
Morning Update: The Future Is Private Except For When It's NotA DNA testing program at the border, a campus shooting, Facebook's coming changes. Your BuzzFeed News newsletter, May 1.
और पढो »
It's Not Just Autonomous Cars Of The Future That Need Security - Today's Do TooResearchers are working feverishly to make the autonomous vehicles of the future secure from cyberattacks. That is obviously a good thing, but the connected cars of today need that kind of security just as much.
और पढो »