Love it or hate it, country music is trending upward. The music genre boasts a huge recent growth making up 8.6 percent of 2021 album sales as compared to pop music sales at 10.7 percent, according to MRC data, and according to the Country Music Association, 51 percent of adults in America are listeners.
The real question is, is country music quickly becoming one of the biggest genres in the American music industry?
One of the reasons that has helped country music grow is that it is and has always been a very song written and driven. You have always been able to hear country songs and catch a glimpse into someone else’s life story, even if it was just the truck breaking down, the D-I-V-O-R-C-E, or the dog dying. People have used country music as a way of relating to their everyday life.
Country music had really started to lose its appeal during the 1990s and early 2000s when, quite frankly, everyone was tired of the real-life stories and wanted that upbeat hip-hop, rap, and pop flavor that made them feel good. So how was country music able to make a comeback? They began having artists like Taylor Swift integrate a pop sound with a country foundation and bring country mainstream. They also began to bring diversity into country music which was formally only really inclusive of white men and battered white women. Stars like Billy Ray Cyrus introduced Lil Nas into the country scene. They made country music a little “cooler” now to listen to and tried to reshape the identity of what country music is. Also, musicians such as Snoop Dogg and Wilie Nelson worked together on “Superman.”
Millennials now make up 57 percent of the country’s fan base today according to www.insideradio.com. You can look at your list for summer events and you will find Country Music fests all over the world. They are selling out.
It helps also that people are realizing that country music isn’t just about geography. You don’t have to be from the South to love it. It is about songwriting. People love to relate to what they can sing along with. Also, tv shows like “Nashville” and “Yellowstone” have made the case for people of all ages to dust off their boots, put those blue jeans on, and get on their horses.
This month in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Van Andel Arena, we will be welcoming Morgan Wallen on Thursday, April 27, 2023. According to www.musicmayhemmagazine.com, Morgan Wallen’s first-ever stadium concert becomes the fastest sellout in Globe Life Field History.
He sold over 37,000 tickets by the end of the first day that he went public.
If you don’t yet know who Morgan Wallen is just type in his name on tik tok, and you will see every young girl belting off one of his songs at the top of her lungs.
If you need tickets, to see him at Van Andel you will need at least $500 for a decent seat. The Morgan Wallen/country craze is real. If you need some boots or gear before the show, you can always go to Jackson’s in Wayland. They carry whatever you need for looking like you live on the ranch.
If you happen to miss this country music concert Kenny Chesney, who also sold, out is coming to Van Andel on May 6. Another night to sing along with music that you can relate to, Like “Beer with my friends”.
And well, if you want a full weekend of all things country music, you might just want to pitch a tent at the Faster Horses Country Music Festival in Brooklyn, Michigan from July 14-16 2023.
No one knows the exact reason why country music is making a comeback, but it sure is, so if you are feeling like throwing your cowboy hat and boots on, and chewing a piece of hay like me come join me at the shows.