COUNTRY CROSSOVERS

posted in: Country

To some true-blue country fans, there is no bigger sin for an artist to commit than to allow their song to play on pop radio. If a singer changes the instrumentation in a hit song in order to reach more fans through other radio genres, then they have secured themselves a spot in country music hell according to country’s most die-hard fans. Many old-school country lovers believe that the roots of our genre fall in with humility, loyalty and fear”fear to step outside of the country cocoon and strike out in other markets. When a star attempts at success outside of Nashville, some people would rather the golden gates of Music City shut behind them and never reopen.

Crossover songs are double-edged swords for many country stars; they can propel an artist into superstardom through a bigger fan base, but betray a singer’s roots by selling out to the pop music conglomerate all at the same time. Most recently, Taylor Swift is receiving flack for allowing at least three of her top hits remixed with faster beats, less guitar and more synthesized melodies in order to cross over into pop”a more widely accepted genre. She even made a video with rap star T-Pain, called Thug Story. Rolling Stone said her self-written rap video was worthy of a Saturday Night Live spot, and Spin praised it while noting All the action happens at award shows (Country Music Television Music Awards) you don’t watch. Comical or not, it was a clear attempt to reach potential fans who may not be initially open to country music.  For thousands of people, whose first choice of music is never country, this was a slam dunk. And, ironically enough, this rap video is the most streamed video on CMT.com. Although she stretched herself into the polar-opposite genre of that in which she started, most music lovers did not hold it against her. However, some did. Country music message boards were filled with disgruntled fans bashing Taylor for her daring foray into T-Pain’s world, some even comparing and equalizing Taylor’s relevance to real country music with that of the rapper’s. For a young star catapulting to success with thousands of tween fans, anything other than positive reinforcement seems silly. Not yet jaded by the glitter of Hollywood, Taylor Swift repeatedly explains that her music is for any girl who needs someone to explain just how she’s feeling. And whatever backtrack accompanies those words seems to be insignificant to her enormous, open-minded and ever-growing fan base.

Before Taylor Swift, there was Faith Hill, who also committed treason against country music fans everywhere. Faith Hill’s third and fourth albums”Faith and Breathe respectively” received heavy criticism due to the ambiguous nature of her songs. The singles that were released from these albums were not country enough,with more than a hint of pop to tick off country fans yet they also lacked the essential pop ingredients, making them too country to garner major success in the pop radio market. Hill was also slammed in the country press for taking a small role in 2004’s Stepford Wives. Many felt she was getting too big for her britches, and the media took it upon themselves to knock her down a few notches. Hill did not take the backlash lying down. She released a single called Mississippi Girl on her sixth studio album, Fireflies, to address the critics of her venture into other genres. The song, co-written with John Rich of Big & Rich, has lyrics directly confronting misconceptions about her character. And some people seem to think, that I’ve changed; that I’m different, than I was back then. But in my soul, I know that I’m way, that I’ve really always been. and Well I spent a few weeks in California, put my face on a big movie screen. But that don’t mean I’ve forgotten where I came from, that’s just me, chasing dreams are just small examples of the direct and literal words Hill uses to explain who she still is, and why she has chosen this path in her career. And even then, Slant Magazine was quoted as saying this very country single had a stench of desperation about it. It seems that no matter where Hill went, she was unwelcome.

What it really comes down to for country fans is a need to remember that our favorite stars are not going to the dark side of Hollywood just because they are experimenting with their talents. If anything, country music can benefit from artists like Taylor Swift and Faith Hill, who are brave enough to combat the critics and truly attempt at being a success in any ring they choose to toss their cowboy hats into.