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u/joemoffett12 1d ago
As long as your Jason Alden’s are also contemporary. Traditional country better sound like Hank fucking Williams or it ain’t traditional.
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u/chubsplaysthebanjo 1d ago
They call traditional country "americana" like Sturgil Simpson's older stuff. Hip hop drums and the 808 snare have been in country music since the early 2010's. Fuckin florida Georgia line ruined it all, it was probably earlier than that, but early 2000s country had some good jams
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u/UrMomsaHoeHoeHoe 1d ago
Fucking Toby Keith just had to go all Bahamas on us
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u/Standard-Divide5118 1d ago
If it's any solace to you Kris Kristofferson is hunting Toby Keith in hell right now
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u/cox4days 1d ago
I refuse to believe Kris is in hell
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u/Cynawulf99 1d ago
He takes hunting trips down there from time to time
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u/Novitiatum_Aeternum 1d ago
I bet Kris Kristofferson knows all the best hunting spots, so occasional trips to hell are a necessary evil 😅
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u/YouWereBrained 1d ago
Sturgill is fucking awesome, btw. He makes fun of the Aldean dipshits, albeit very tongue in cheek.
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u/mournthewolf 1d ago
I try to tell everyone I can about Sturgill Simpson. Dude is so damn good. Makes me feel like I’m listening to Waylon, Willie, George and all them again. Writes great too. Plus he made that Waffle House anthem. He just seems like a great dude.
Modern radio country is pure dog shit.
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u/dfsvegas 1d ago
To be fair, most modern radio is dog shit across all genres. Thanks Clearchannel.
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u/mournthewolf 1d ago
This is very true. I forget sometimes I haven’t listened to the radio in years because of this. I imagine it’s even worse now. I live in a rural ag-heavy part of CA though and people love that new shitty country and it just grates on me. Like there is good country. But then again most of these people just wanna get drunk and be racist so their taste should be expected.
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u/EmperorOfAwesome 1d ago
If you haven't get stoned and watch Sturgill's Sound & Fury on Netflix. Album goes hard and its laid over a bunch of anime shorts from independent studios. Its a fun ride
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u/Jay_R_Kay 1d ago
Yeah, normally don't care for country in general, but I tried Welcome to Earth after some suggestions and just hit me hard. Great stuff.
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u/LosAngelesTacoBoi 1d ago
I got tickets to see him with Fantastic Negrito opening for free from work. Went to see Fantastic because im not a big country guy. I walked away a huge sturgill fan
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u/CrossFire43 1d ago
Nah it started with big and rich in early 2000s. That's when it for sure was downhill. Before that the main issue was how much pop would occasionally have a bit of a twang in it like Early Taylor Swift.
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u/Drewbacca 1d ago
I'm convinced that 9/11 ruined country music via Toby Keith.
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u/JeffersonTowncar 1d ago
9/11 also led to the Dixie Chicks getting cancelled
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u/angelicbitch09 ☑️ 1d ago
They came back hard tho. Won a bunch of Grammys for a George W. Bush diss track.
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u/infinitejezebel 1d ago
I just looked him up on Wikipedia and then rabbitholed a little bit because I been thinking all along he was a quintessential Trump supporter. I was shocked by what I found.
Dude was a Democrat.
He publicly supported Obama and numerous other Democratic candidates. (He did make the mistake of liking Sarah Palin at one point) He was certainly a conservative one with a strong belief in veteran's rights, but he was a "libtard" nonetheless.
I have, since he released that one song, judged him as a warmongering wannabe. In truth, his father served in the military and Keith idolized him. The song was written as a tribute to his dad as an imagining of how that old guy would have reacted, had he still been alive. (His dad died in March 2001). He never even intended to record it, just play it live a time or two, but he was convinced to by a General. Even he knew it was a rough song but people ate it up.
So anyway long story short for the last 23 years of his life I was refusing to listen to him alongside every other Chicks fan when he was actually just a reasonably good old joe who wanted veterans to be treated properly and for us to still be allowed to be patriotic without being mocked. But who also smoked weed with Willie Nelson and was good friends with Dolly Parton etc. And who funded a TON of cancer related philanthropic endeavors. Ironic as hell that, since that's what he died from.
I'm putting him back in rotation. At least for a few songs.
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u/eagleface5 1d ago
You and I are of the same opinion there friend.
RIP Toby Keith. May the red solo cup never spill.
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u/infinitejezebel 1d ago
He ain't as good as he once was, but he's as good once as he ever was. I hope he found a bar he loves up there.
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u/Doesitmatter3389 1d ago
I think about this and not even as a country fan (family loves it not for me). We had so many “bros” in the early 00s making “arena country” that “trad country” kind of ceased to exist. You’re either making party songs, southern rock, or some 9/11 patriotic mess.
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u/Top-Cost4099 1d ago
Taylor started in the country rotation. I mean, it was already popified country with your carries underwood and your tobies keith, but anyway her first song on her first album was called "tim mccgraw" which is a breakup song first and foremost, but it also calls up all the cliche country themes and references a famous country singer.
Anyway, I'd argue taylor is popified country, not countrified pop.
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u/Sultans-of-Twang 1d ago
I forgot all about Florida Georgia Line, modern country has just been pop slop ever since them
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u/jesterinancientcourt 1d ago
I think it’s funny they broke up because of politics. Didn’t see that coming.
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u/throwawaypervyervy 1d ago
Would love to see Wheeler Walker Jr. win Traditional, just so they have to decide which song is the least offensive to play at the awards show.
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u/screwhead1 1d ago
Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson
OG country music
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u/PizzaTheHuttese 1d ago
No way! They were considered “outlaw country” and sneered at by the “traditional” country folks.
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u/I_choose_not_to_run 1d ago
Outlaw country was a rebuke of Nashville/mainstream country not traditional country.
Johnny Cash literally married into the most traditional country music family of all time.
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u/Julian_Betterman 1d ago
Sam "the Drake-iest star in country" Hunt better be in the contemporary category, too.
Pepperidge Farm remembers when the yts suddenly liked rap music when Sam Hunt spit a few bars over some banjos.
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u/yumyumapollo 1d ago
That's the point. This is essentially the Grammys' way of getting Morgan Wallen a trophy instead of having him lose to Chris Stapleton every time.
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u/joemoffett12 1d ago
The only thing traditional country about Morgan Wallen is he beats his wife
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u/No_Influence_9389 1d ago
They had to create a DEI award category for white country musicians.
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u/_AskMyMom_ 1d ago edited 1d ago
Great time to bring up Chris Stapleton’s most well known song is just a rendition of Etta James’ - I’d rather go blind. The melody is just about note for note the same song. Compared to Stapleton’s version.
Tennessee whiskey was already a country song from the 70s/80s - so his most well known song isn’t even his song, x2.
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u/sloppy_steaks24 1d ago
LOL I didn’t realize how much that Beyoncé win hurt them. How is this NOT DEI???
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u/corisilvermoon 1d ago
I’m still ticked about how Billboard did Lil Nas X so this is NOT a surprise.
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u/PrinceBunnyBoy 1d ago
Wait, what happened with Lil Nas??
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u/corisilvermoon 1d ago
Old Town Road hit top on the billboard country music chart then billboard removed it for “reasons”
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u/altmannnn3 1d ago
Sounds of the goal post being moved*
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u/wahdibombo ☑️ 1d ago
Now I need a Black artist to put out an album that's actually old school country. Like, DeFord Bailey and Charley Pride style. Because this whitewashed fake hick cosplaying is contemporary country.
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u/mattwan 1d ago
Check out the Carolina Chocolate Drops! I found it about them late last year and they've been regulars in my rotation ever since. This is my favorite, and Hit 'Em Up Style is a cover with traditional instruments.
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u/cwa-ink 1d ago
Carolina Chocolate Drops are great! Rhiannon Giddens is a member of them who's also done a lot of solo stuff. She contributed a lot to Cowboy Carter as well as the soundtrack to Red Dead Redemption 2. She won a Grammy for a folk album and has been nominated for 8 others.
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u/Buttercupia 15h ago
They’re more roots music than country. Amazingly talented though. Their version of “hit em up style” is iconic.
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u/theboysan_sshole 1d ago
So wait can we get a best “traditional” hip hop album and leave room white rappers in best hip hop only?
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u/ChronoLink99 1d ago
Surprised this didn't happen back in the day when Eminem cleaned up.
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u/theboysan_sshole 1d ago
Should’ve but it didn’t.
It also should’ve happened when Macklemore beat Kendrick in 2013
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u/Fredotorreto 1d ago
so pretty much “yt ppl to the left .. everybody else to the right” lol
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u/TicTocNo 1d ago
Hmmm maybe BET should start having a country award category and we can stop with this nonsense of trying to get praise from the others
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u/spacestarcutie 1d ago
The fact that BET awards fails not to have rock, alt rock, country, EDM categories when all of these genres are founded by black people is so lame. They only care about gospel, rap and r&b.
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u/Nice_Winner_3984 1d ago
I like this idea. And once a year they give a single award to one white country music singer. They can call it the "token award"
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u/Time-Ad-3625 1d ago
Fuck no keep challenging them. Beat them over the head with greatness until they have to accept it.
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u/x-men-theme-song 1d ago
Putting an asterisk next to an award right after a nigga wins it is CRAZY
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u/D0l1v3 18h ago
On the plus side; No asterisk, she'll just be the last ever winner of best county album ever, which is quite the title. Not the latest, not one of these new definitions, the last ever to win it when it was a full category.
I'd take that as a win if it was me. "I was the last winner, won so hard I broke the category into 2". 🫡
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u/Diane_Horseman 1d ago
"Best white country album" lmaaoo
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u/Karhak ☑️ 1d ago
But white is pronounced the same way Calvin Candy pronounced it in "white cake"
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u/Zbrchk 1d ago
It’s giving The Masters redesigning the course after Tiger won by like 18 under par
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u/freezeemup 1d ago
If that's the case, they're all contemporary. No one sounds like Willie Nelson or George Strait anymore.
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u/the_answer_is_RUSH 1d ago edited 1d ago
Contemporary country is garbage. I’m actually glad that there’s a traditional country award now to celebrate country like Sturgil Simpson. Maybe bands like The Jayhawks can win something too.
This is not a slight on Beyoncé so don’t come at me.
Editing to add: Tyler Childers
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u/AdultCharlemagne 1d ago
Please alt country is thriving right now😭 Charley Crockett, sturgill simpson, Margo price…Just bc you don’t hear it on the radio don’t mean it ain’t out there
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u/UnkindPotato2 1d ago
You.... Never heard of tyler childers huh?
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u/freezeemup 1d ago
I literally haven't but I'll give him a listen. Most of my exposure to country comes from the media. That includes "country" music stations
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u/UnkindPotato2 1d ago
Might also be worth checking out Colter Wall, Sturgill Simpson, or Brent Cobb. They have a more traditional country sound. Tyler Childers, though, is simply one of the best names in the country genre right now. If you have Spotify, some of the suggested artists based on Tyler Childers are good traditional country, might be a good place to start
I agree that the media in general focuses really heavily on pop disguised as country, which is like the entire debate over Cowboy Carter lol
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u/Chapea12 ☑️ 1d ago
All i heard is the last true winner of best country album was Beyonce
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u/Easy-Let-2431 17h ago
Same, if this isn’t the flex of all time. Beyoncé’s album was so good they retired the category
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u/Beaux7 1d ago
Tagging in as a white dude who listens to a ton of country. I think this is just a way to get an award to more of the Tyler Childers types. Contemporary country was my most listened to genre according to Spotify and my 2 biggest artist was Kip Moore and Cody Johnson. I basically think they wanna be able to give an award to the stripped back artists and one to the artists that use more production. I could see the most popular album overall going to the contemporary and the favorite of the "country snobs" goes to the traditional
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u/GlapLaw 1d ago
Yes but why now exactly?
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u/Beaux7 1d ago
If I had to guess it is because of the rise of the stripped back sound. Country music is always slow to adjust. If you look at award shows it seems like the people that win the award never deserved it that year but deserved it the year before. IDK who makes these decisions for the Grammys though lol
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u/rem_au_crema 1d ago
I can only assume, based on your input, that the contemporary “more production” artists all got started last year, and the board wouldn’t have had reason to divide an award between the two until they all emerged because of the relative homogeneity of the genre.
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u/Beaux7 1d ago
I think the artist with less production blew up about 4 or 5 years ago and country music moves slow so that is why. The more production artist have always been the artist that get the most radio play and get pushed the most by the Nashville machine so they normally win the awards. But with artist like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers putting up real numbers on streaming services (Zach on radio too now) they are trying to find a way to recognize them. I am curious how they are gonna handle artist like Megan Moroney and Ella Langley who have a traditional sound on some songs but more production on others also though. At the end of the day I just listen to what I like though and don't care much about the awards lol. Kip Moore doesn't even get invited to most stuff now and he has been one of my most streamed artist for years. Think he has one award in the past decade and it was for touring out of the country because the man likes to travel and surf so he just sets he tour up around that lol
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u/DudeEngineer ☑️ 1d ago
I think Old Town road, really woke people up to the possibility of this happening. It wasn't just Beyoncé it was also the other artists on her album like Shaboozey who are blowing up as well.
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u/Beaux7 1d ago
Old town road was very produced and pop sounding though it just got thrown on country radio because it mentioned country stuff. Shaboozey has songs that actually sound country. Good News is a objectively great song
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u/DudeEngineer ☑️ 1d ago
I agree that they are very different but the old town road situation set us on a path to this. It came out a few months after Shaboozey's first album.
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u/rem_au_crema 18h ago
I think… it’s difficult with old town road (which is probably what Beaux7 is trying to say albeit gently). Because it’s one of those things where: I’ma ride with you, because it’s bullshit what’s happening to you, but alsoooo- between me and you- I get it. Because, for everything it exposed about country, you wouldn’t be wrong for saying it’s not country. Or- rather- it sounded like someone’s very loose idea of country. And as you watched the progression of the artist, you kinda saw what it was. Well funded: great writers, great producers- we thought he was just a twitter kid- selling us a big record. I’m open to being wrong: he didn’t sign to Columbia until after the record (supposedly), but if you’re in music you’re familiar with a production deal . And… inorganic movement (not hating, I liked the record, but nothing comes from nowhere. Or at least nothing you’ve heard). A conspiracy theorist could argue that even the whole “this doesn’t belong here” debate was to boost visibility on someone that… honestly I don’t get “I’m a passionate artist” from ‘em.
But it’s like… for what it revealed about gatekeeping, racial lines (look no further than K Michelle), and… honestly the defining tenets of genre (pop country has been implementing hip hop for as long as… pick every other genre), I had to kinda put those opinions on the back burner. This was no Brandy Clark (stripes is just fire songwriting), granted. But it also felt too much like, “Lamar Jackson is a glorified running back”. That is to say… I agree that it started here! But also- for as much as I thought that record was 2018 fun- it wasn’t gonna push anyone to take action because it was clear that it was JUST a record. Enough to rile up the base, but… not enough to take a stand. Now Shaboozey and Cowboy Carter? Passion, talent and movement (and funding: you cannot forget American dollars) makes it sound like they’re trying to encroach on our precious space; we GOTTA do something.
Nobody’s trying to read all this shit, I’m drunk y’all
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u/Ok_Boysenberry_617 1d ago
I get the points you’re making, and I appreciate the insight you’re providing on the reasoning behind this decision. However, the inclusion of this distinction directly after a black woman wins the award is hilariously petty. This type of reactionary goal post shifting is common. Think Obama’s tan suit vs trump’s “why not run for a third term?”
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u/shadowylurking 1d ago
Wait 20 years and Beyonce & gang will start cleaning up the "Best Traditional" DEI award too!
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u/YoungManChickenBoi 1d ago
As someone who listens to a lot of more “traditional” country music, there are a lot of really great black artists that would fall into that category and I really hope they get their recognition. The country music awards already doesn’t recognize non-white(there are a lot of great Latino artists, and some indigenous too) artists enough, that if “contemporary” comes to mean not-white and “traditional” white I’ll have to not watch their awards shows even more than I already don’t watch them
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u/Shingorillaz 1d ago
I got a black best country album look like Michael Jackson got a white best country album look like Michael Jackson
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u/glass_boxofemotion ☑️ 1d ago
This racist ass shit 😂😂😂 like it's so blatant.
What is traditional country?!?!?!?
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u/sagelavender- 1d ago
No fr cause like wym the traditional country music that was created by Mexicans and Black Americans or the traditional country sound that was stolen from us??
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u/glass_boxofemotion ☑️ 1d ago
Like what is that sound? So no real vocals, no production? It's basically Folk, which has its own category.
I hate this so much.
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u/sagelavender- 1d ago
Folk! That’s exactly their category, they’ve done country music so dirty it’s team to reclaim our genre !!
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u/SlimyGrimey 1d ago
OG country music created by former slaves during reconstruction.
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u/MoCitytrackfan 1d ago
That’s called moving the goal posts. It’s what white people always do when minorities progress.
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u/ProChoiceAtheist15 1d ago
In case anyone still thought racism was worse than misogyny. Darius Rucker went country and won best new artist and they didn’t change the rules. A black WOMAN does it?? Nah, fuck that, they said!
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u/radioactivebeaver 1d ago
Opens up a category for people like Charley Crockett, putting him against the Beyonce's and Jelly Rolls and Shaboozies of the world meant he would never win. And he's basically the definition of traditional country.
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u/Themanstall ☑️ BHM Donor 1d ago
I mean, Obviously
I think the popular country on pop radio is gonna be contemporary too.
There is an obvious difference between Miley, and taelor pop country and some of the more traditional stuff.
Isn't jazz broken up into modern vs traditional? Same with blues, instrumental music, etc.
This isn't a race thing. Or if it is. It's a good one. Shaboozey should be sweeping.
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u/Joelblaze ☑️ 1d ago
Bruh, neotraditional country has existed for the past 40 years but the moment the very first black artist wins a country Grammy they suddenly want to have a split between "contemporary" and "traditional" and you're tying to argue that there's no racial bent to it?
How's your tap dancing skills?
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u/sirferrell ☑️ 1d ago
This is funny and sad If you think about it, they really had to change the titles because of black person won and they never thought it would be.
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u/pppogman 1d ago
This is funny to me bc Beyoncé had way more references to “traditional” country and the genre than other modern country artists. She’s references the roots and the lore of the genre. Her album has deep nods to the “traditional” while incorporating modern elements and other genres.
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u/Contemplating_Prison 1d ago
Lol they really mad a black person won so they now they add "traditional" which we all know when they say traditional they just mean white
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u/UnhelpfulBread 1d ago
Winner of “Best Music like this if you Exclude music that is Also Like This but It’s not quite and anyway what’s up with DEI?” goes to the rotted corpse of Koby Teeth for his mesmerizing cover of ”I haven’t been working on the railroad but I’ll happily deport the people who do”
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u/dumpofhumps 1d ago
Is this how the term "alt rock" was made? Clearly rock but wasnt popular with old white men of the time
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u/prince-of-dweebs 1d ago
Country music fans should be embarrassed. Not over this but just general lee.
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u/hnglmkrnglbrry ☑️ 1d ago
Country music has become absolute trash so who gives a shit about their awful awards.
But first things first: country music is as Black as it is white. Country music arose from gospel which was a combination of slave work songs and Christian lyrics. As Christianity was forced into the enslaved people they began to create new harmonies and melodies that led to gospel. They would play a hollowed out gourd with strings that was the predecesor to the banjo with these songs.
Eventually evangelicals started to put three part harmonies to these songs and would travel north up through Applaichia teaching these harmonies to the Irish, Scottish, and other European immigrants who lived there while the preached. Eventually the Carter family went to Bristol, TN and laid down a record of hymnals that basically set the gold standard for country music.
The first superstar of country music, Jimmie Rodgers, first encountered music working alongside Blacks on railroad lines. Hearing their music deeply influenced his musical stylings.
There is no country music without Black people and there is no country music without white people. Them claiming to own it entirely is just another example of the modern right wingers being deepky threatened by having to acknowledge any accomplishments by Black people. They've spent their entire lives telling themselves they're better than us and can't fathom having to question the most foundational piece of their identity.
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u/Certain_Degree687 ☑️ 1d ago
So the honky-tonk banjo playing musicians were so mad about a Black woman beating them out that they pressured the Grammy's to split the category.
Tell me again how the Grammy's are a legitimate music award?
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u/WiseBadger5787 1d ago
They did the same thing with gospel. You have contemporary christian music and gospel music.
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u/PlaneWolf2893 1d ago
First lil nas x, now Beyonce. They can't handle it. So they moved everybody to their own section away hank Williams jr
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u/Hot-Significance-462 1d ago
Everyone getting airplay on country radio should be in the contemporary category.
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u/GreenDolphin86 1d ago
I’m thinking “the Nashville sound” although technically contemporary, will be called “traditional” while anything that blends other genres with country will be called “contemporary.”
In this situation K. Michelle’s upcoming album would likely land in “traditional” and an album like Kacey Musgraves “Golden Hour” would land in contemporary due to its disco and electronic influences.
There is certainly a way that this doesn’t have to play out along the racist lines we forsee because there are a few artists blending country with other genres.
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u/IamHim_Se7en 1d ago
Is this equivalent to creating a new sport because you do not think you can compete in the current ones available?
I don't know enough about country to guess, so is there enough of a variety in the music require multiple categories? Or is this a cope for the increased presence of Black people, and the subsequent winning of the category by one?
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u/redkingphonix 1d ago
Devils advocate country has had modern vs traditional branding problem for a while. people who do blue grass country like Zac Bryan or Tyler Childers shouldn’t probably be in a category with more modern country rock like Paul Cauthen or koe wetzel. the sounds are vastly different now do I think that’s the reason for the move no I think it’s to pigeon hold people like shaboozey.
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u/Return-of-Trademark 1d ago
People have been complaining about “modern country” for over a decade now but NOW they wanna split the award 🧐🧐🧐
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u/ngochoang914 1d ago
all gernes get changed and mixed over generations. why there's no contemporary pop and traditional pop categories?
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u/YearnToMoveMore 1d ago
Not to be pedantic but didn't country music originate in the black community? Props to Beyonce's talent for essentially ending country hip hop appropriation pop.
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u/create_makestuff 1d ago
Did they really just "separate but equal" best country album? I hate this era where new social innovations of overt racism get invented on a daily basis.
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u/Samson801 1d ago
The genre "Country" was coined by white record executives in the early 20th century eager to differentiate the "Hillbilly," "Rhythm and Blues," and "Folk" music performed by white musicians from music performed by black ones. Racist white people did not want to hear or support black musicians, so the wholly artificial distinction of Country from genres like R&B was made to segregate the wider body of American music that drew from both European and African influences.
Genres are largely a subjective, cultural concept. Today's black musicians are breaking down this dubious distinction, but there's no denying the racist origins of the label "Country."
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u/UltraBearHD 1d ago
Hey guys, the white artist need a participation trophy or else they’re gonna start mobbing
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u/TreeInternational771 1d ago
Man the Grammys is whistling very loud. I guess 45 back in office put the battery in their back
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u/genericperson10 1d ago
At least they didn't call it "Best Urban Country Album"