Country music

==Culture==
=== Race in modern country music ===
The history of country music is complex, and the genre draws from influences from both [[Music of Africa|African]] and European musical traditions.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-11-14 |title=On the Complicated Legacy of American Country Music |url=https://lithub.com/on-the-complicated-legacy-of-american-country-music/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=Literary Hub |language=en-US}}</ref> Despite this multicultural origin, country music is today largely associated with [[white Americans]]. This has been attributed to the efforts to [[Racial segregation|segregate]] the music industry by [[record label]]s, beginning in the 1920s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-07-17 |title=Why Is Country Music Considered So White? |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/country-music-black-artists_n_5d2de760e4b085eda5a25516 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}</ref> However, because country music is a wide genre, subgenres including [[Native Americans in the United States|Indian]] and [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]] country, have existed since the early 1970s.<ref>{{Cite news |last1=Romero |first1=Simon |last2=Zehbrauskas |first2=Adriana |date=2019-11-30 |title=Navajo Country Music Shatters 'Cowboys and Indians' Stereotypes |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/30/us/navajo-country-music.html |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Hispanic American country music artists spotlight the genre's next evolution |url=https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2022/10/13/hispanic-american-country-music-artists-singers-nashville-tn/69540280007/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=The Tennessean |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Sapiens |date=2019-07-23 |title=Why Navajos Love Their Country Music |url=https://www.sapiens.org/culture/navajo-music/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=SAPIENS |language=en-US}}</ref> Furthermore, one of the first artists to perform at the [[Grand Ole Opry]], a famous country music show, was [[DeFord Bailey]], who was African-American.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=Country Music Doesn't Deserve Its Conservative Reputation |url=https://jacobin.com/2023/09/country-music-white-rural-working-class-south-civil-rights-challenge-injustice |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=jacobin.com |language=en-US}}</ref> African-American rapper Lil Nas X, whose breakout song Old Town Road, a mixture of country and rap, has achieved widespread success. His aforementioned song topped the [[Hot Country Songs|Billboard Hot Country Songs]] list, before controversially being removed, sparking a debate around whether the removal was racially motivated. [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] denied these allegations, stating that the decision was purely based on musical composition.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-03-29 |title=Billboard removes rapper Lil Nas X from country chart |url=https://apnews.com/article/6045fec139204644b616afb63622c2d9 |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref>

The close association of [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative values]] and contemporary country music began as a counter-reaction to the [[Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War|anti-war movement]] of the 1960s. Prior to this, virtually all country music, up until that point referred to as ''hillbilly music'', lacked specific political alignment, and was instead focused on everyday problems and angst of the working class.<ref name=":3" /> [[Merle Haggard|Merle Haggard's]] 1969 album [[Okie from Muskogee]] brought a staunchly political, conservative take on country music, which proved popular. Republican president [[Richard Nixon]] further cemented this conservative musical association during his years in office, by frequently hosting country musicians, declaring October 1970 to be country music month, and by politically pandering to audiences where country music was popular.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Debbie |first=Elliott |date=18 February 2007 |title=The Conservative Evolution of Country Music |url=https://www.npr.org/2007/02/18/7484160/the-conservative-evolution-of-country-music |access-date=17 January 2024 |work=NPR}}</ref>

The [[Country Music Association]] has awarded the New Artist award to a black American only twice in 63 years, and never to a Hispanic musician. The broader modern [[Nashville, Tennessee|Nashville]]-based Country music industry has underrepresented significant black and Latino contributions within Country music, including popular subgenres such as Cajun, Creole, Tejano, and New Mexico music.<ref>{{cite news |title=Country music reckons with racial stereotypes and its future |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/country-music-reckons-racial-stereotypes-future-71468648 |access-date=February 22, 2021 |agency=[[ABC News]]}}</ref><ref name="CNN">{{cite news |title=Morgan Wallen and country music's race issue is no surprise |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2021/02/04/entertainment/morgan-wallen-country-race-issue/index.html |access-date=February 22, 2021 |agency=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Country Music Continues To Confront Racism |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/02/21/970001646/country-music-continues-to-confront-racism?t=1613955941153 |access-date=February 22, 2021 |agency=[[NPR]]}}</ref>{{Fact or opinion|date=January 2024}}

Black country-music artist [[Mickey Guyton]] had been included among the nominees for the 2021 award, effectively creating a litmus-test for the genre.{{Fact or opinion|date=January 2024}} Guyton has expressed bewilderment that, despite substantial coverage by online platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, her music, like that of Valerie June,{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} another black musician who embraces aspects of country in her Appalachian- and Gospel-tinged work and who has been embraced by international music audiences, is still effectively ignored by American broadcast country-music radio.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/now-playing/2021/08/03/1024237994/mickey-guyton-remember-her-name|title = Mickey Guyton, 'Remember Her Name'|newspaper = NPR|date = August 3, 2021|last1 = McKenna|first1 = Lyndsey}}</ref> Guyton's 2021 album ''Remember Her Name'' in part references the case of black health-care professional Breonna Taylor,<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 24, 2021 |title=On Debut Album, Mickey Guyton Remembers Her Name |url=https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1040353485 |access-date=December 28, 2023 |website=NPR}}</ref> who was killed in her home by police.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/03/13/973983947/a-year-after-breonna-taylors-killing-family-says-theres-no-accountability|title=A Year After Breonna Taylor's Killing, Family Says There's 'No Accountability'|newspaper=NPR|date=March 13, 2021|last1=Booker|first1=Brakkton|last2=Treisman|first2=Rachel}}</ref>{{Relevance inline|date=January 2024}}

In 2023, "[[Try That in a Small Town]]" by [[Jason Aldean]] became the subject of widespread controversy and media attention following the release of its music video. Tennessee state representative [[Justin Jones (Tennessee politician)|Justin Jones]] referred to the song as a "heinous vile racist song" which attempts to normalize "racist, violence, vigilantism and white nationalism".<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=July 20, 2023 |title=Jason Aldean's 'Try That in a Small Town' Condemned as 'Vile Racist Song' By Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/country/jason-aldean-try-that-in-a-small-town-condemned-vile-racist-song-tennessee-rep-justin-jones-1235375301/ |access-date=August 2, 2023 |magazine=Billboard }}</ref> Others understood the lyrics to be supportive of [[Lynching in the United States|lynchings]] and [[sundown town]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Skipworth |first=William |date=July 18, 2023 |title=Jason Aldean Sees Backlash For Music Video About Guns And Police Protesters |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/willskipworth/2023/07/17/jason-aldean-sees-backlash-for-music-video-about-guns-and-police-protesters/?sh=1ebc39aa704c |access-date=August 2, 2023 |work=Forbes}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Power |first=Shannon |date=July 17, 2023 |title=Jason Aldean's New Song Sparks Outrage Over Guns—'Very Scary Lyrics' |url=https://www.newsweek.com/jason-aldean-guns-lyrics-try-that-small-town-1813325 |access-date=August 2, 2023 |work=[[Newsweek]]}}</ref> Aldean himself responded to the criticism by stating that the song at no point made any references to race, nor did he believe that such interpretations were accurate.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jason Aldean defends 'Try That in a Small Town' song: 'What I was seeing was wrong' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/10/19/jason-aldean-responds-try-that-in-a-small-town-criticism/71242357007/ |access-date=2024-01-17 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref>