In 1999 Country Music
Superstars George Strait and Alan Jackson performed their song "Murder on Music
Row" on the CMA Award Show- country music’s biggest night. The song,
which has been described
as a “lament and criticism of the ongoing trend of country pop crossover
acts and pop influences on country music, a trend that has pushed traditional
and neo-traditional country music (and those who perform it) to the
periphery,” was brought to the forefront again this year George Strait’s
farewell concert performance where Strait and Alan Jackson performed it again.
The consensus of many in the industry is that the song is more relevant today
than it was almost fifteen years ago- particularly with the emergence of ‘Bro
Country’
The term, coined in 2013 and
defined by the prominent country music blog
Taste of Country, refers
to “music by
and of the tatted, gym-toned, party-hearty young American white dude.” Artists such as Luke Bryan and the platinum-selling
duo Florida-Georgia
Line have been labeled ‘Bro Country’ for their partying, fraternity style
song lyrics and, what some believe, female-unfriendly messages. The female-unfriendly lyrics
aside, country music traditionalists have questioned ‘bro-country’ music being
labeled as country at all- as it often reflects heavy rock and/or hip-hop
influences. For anyone who listens to the lyrics of “Murder on Music Row,”
Strait and Jackson shared similar concerns fifteen years ago.
Over a year after the term ‘Bro Country’ was coined, 'Bro Country' is still thriving and the divides it is causing are getting deeper and deeper. Whether it is the traditionalists versus modern country artists, or even men versus women because of the way women are often portrayed in ‘Bro Country’ lyrics, it is clear that ‘Bro Country’ has everyone’s attention and has people talking (and even singing) about it. Whether or not that talk’s enough to sustain this sub-genre through the natural ebb and flow of the country music industry has yet to be seen. However, until then, it will keep artists like Florida-Georgia Line at the top of the charts and their concert tickets sold out.
