Growing up in the music world, I often heard people of all races in America saying that they're generally open to most music genres with the exception of country music.
Sometimes I hear an exception of metal music, which I can understand is so unique that it isn't everyone's cup of tea.
But why do country music and all the subgenres under it get so much hate when it is one of the most popular genres of music in the US?
I've been trying to get to the bottom of it by asking friends, family, and even looking at online polls of strangers to get an overall idea of why this option is shared.
Objectively speaking, country music has as much potential as other popular genres like blues, folk, jazz, dance, and rock music. So is there just a little bit of jest behind the phrase, and we all like country music to a certain extent, or is it much deeper?
Here are a few standout reasons that I've found when trying to dive deep into why people claim they don't enjoy country music, and some even say they straight-up hate it.
One common reason that music consumers complain about country music is if they are in a town where they are exposed to it way too much.
These people might like the music in general, but too much of anything is not good for you and can easily cause annoyance.
Another common complaint that people have with county music is the intents southern accents they here in some country songs from singers that are famous. Those who are not used to country accents or feel like they don't work well with music can easily be turned off.
People from locations outside of the US giving American country music a try may think that the accents sound way too strange to really connect to the overall musical ideas.
Related Post: 35 Country Music Quotes For Lovers Of The Genre
Certain types of country music, including "bro country" and "pop country" include the type of dumb fun songs that you may hear on the radio or in a crowd of drunk people that can really turn off some music fans, especially older ones.
The problem with hating music, for this reason, is that you can easily dive deeper into country music to go beyond the surface stuff that you may hear on the radio or on social media sites.
Some music fans like me from the east coast or west coast may not have much in common with country songs proudly gloating about their lifestyle, and not even in a way that we would take offense or anything.
There are just some inside phrases and jokes in country music that people from other locations won't be able to pick on, preventing them from further enjoying the genre like locals could.
Country music does have the tendency to repeat certain things, and one of those things is the lyrical content.
So many country songs are lyrical songs about the same topic, using the same basic rhyming schemes and keywords that you will often find in a love song.
For many popular genres, simple and repetitive lyrics are just a way of life. The simpler musical and lyrical phrases are, the more catchy they can be, which makes people only want to hear those types of songs more.
Related Post: How To Write A Country Song - 10 Tips To Make A Hit
Just like lyrics that repeat in pop songs, the chord structures are often the same across many country songs out there that are popular.
While this is not necessarily a bad thing, fans of more complex genres like classical and jazz can easily find country music to be a bit of a bore.
Some people just like to hate everything, and the same goes for the genre of country music.
If you're asking the opinion of someone who is overall cynical and negative about everything, then they will likely say they hate country music and come up with tons of reasons why on the spot.
People like this don't really have a legit reason to hate on anything in particular; they just hate on pretty much everything anyone asks their opinion on to be a devil's advocate.
Similar to naysayers, many people say they don't like country music just because they are used to other people saying that they don't like country music.
If a person who often lacks their own opinion hears a friend or a family member complaining about country music, they might wind up doing the same thing, even subconsciously.
People with opinions like these often wind up revisiting things they once thought they hated and actually begin to enjoy the music once they actually give it a chance and trust their own opinions.
Some people feel that besides country music lyrics often being too basic, the topics are very few and far between. It's either whining about love, patriotism, or religion.
That could be a valid complaint that can easily be remedied if a few more country artists think outside of the box more often, or if the listeners would take the time to discover other artists than the ones that are big celebrities.
Speaking about patriotism and religion, some negative connotations about country music creators and lovers include them being too patriotic, too religious, racist, and low in intellect.
Again, this is not true of many country music artists out there putting out clean material that doesn't offend anyone and could relate to everyone!
Related Post: What To Wear To A Country Concert - 9 Tips For Women And Men
As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 300 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, and features, Yona spends her time creating and marketing new music and helpful resources for creators. Check out Yona’s latest releases on her Spotify, her Youtube and share if you like it!
If you are in need of singer, songwriter or song producer services, see what Yona Marie can offer you on her services page.
