Is bro-country the worst subgenre of country music in existence?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Bro-country is pretty much what dominated the airwaves in the early/mid-2010s and probably still does, although I haven't been a big country music listener in quite some time. But the themes were always the same: hey girl hop in mah truck, beer, tight or cut blue jeans. I just found out this crap earned its own subgenre on Wikipedia.

I still remember when this mashup was making the rounds:

I admittedly liked some of these songs. Gave them a listen the other day and... yeah, emo's better. Fake emo too.

But you don't have to like country to think these tropes devalue the genre. It contributed to me tuning out country almost entirely, although I still like an occasional Brooks & Dunn song, Alabama(!!!), Randy Travis, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Dolly of course, Garth Brooks, and The Chicks. All or most of those artists were most popular in the '80s-'90s. Can't say I ever liked most of the stuff that's older than that with Johnny Cash being an important exception, but it's still better than the crap that's been coming out of Nashville over the last decade or so.

[Samof94]

Bro-country is pretty much what dominated the airwaves in the early/mid-2010s and probably still does, although I haven't been a big country music listener in quite some time. But the themes were always the same: hey girl hop in mah truck, beer, tight or cut blue jeans. I just found out this crap earned its own subgenre on Wikipedia.

I still remember when this mashup was making the rounds:

I admittedly liked some of these songs. Gave them a listen the other day and... yeah, emo's better. Fake emo too.

But you don't have to like country to think these tropes devalue the genre. It contributed to me tuning out country almost entirely, although I still like an occasional Brooks & Dunn song, Alabama(!!!), Randy Travis, George Strait, Reba McEntire, Dolly of course, Garth Brooks, and The Chicks. All or most of those artists were most popular in the '80s-'90s. Can't say I ever liked most of the stuff that's older than that with Johnny Cash being an important exception, but it's still better than the crap that's been coming out of Nashville over the last decade or so.

This is exactly the demographic that votes for Trump. No wonder I don't like it, on top of the almost exclusively male demographic(Raelynn is an exception, but she is extremely anti abortion and has explicitly endorsed "traditional" gender roles).  I am more into Americana, especially the 2019 Highwomen album(I sometimes even like Aussie country).

[Fight for Trump]

It is one of the worst genres of "music" in existence, ranked only above various types of emo.

[Meclazine for Israel]

There are a couple of songs from this genre that I like.

Jason Aldean

Dirt Road Anthem

https://youtu.be/Lb9q1ScC4cg

(189M views)

___________

Rodney Atkins

Take a Back Road

https://youtu.be/-R9GrGheMRw

(27M views)

That is a classic song. As a guitar player, I've always admired this recording style.

[Fight for Trump]

Rodney Atkins

Take a Back Road

https://youtu.be/-R9GrGheMRw

(27M views)

That is a classic song. As a guitar player, I've always admired this recording style.

This is just a pop country radio song, not bro country... there is no rapping, weird electronic sh**t or girl/truck/booze theme.

[HillGoose]

ngl it's one of my favorite genres and has been for over a decade now

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

This song kinda remains a guilty pleasure of mine, much as I despise the common tropes:

This would probably qualify as "bro-country" as well but I think it's nice:

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's pretty ironic that wokesters love to rave against people who don't listen to rap and/or country, yet country/rap fusion is like the most un-woke music in existance.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

It's pretty ironic that wokesters love to rave against people who don't listen to rap and/or country, yet country/rap fusion is like the most un-woke music in existance.

Interestingly, that's one of the criticisms cited:

In 2017, Steve Earle noted that the genre was, in some ways, a watered-down form of hip hop, stating that "The guys just wanna sing about getting f#cked up. They’re just doing hip-hop for people who are afraid of black people. I like the new Kendrick Lamar record, so I’ll just listen to that.”

[Anti-Trump Truth Socialite JD Vance Enjoying Juror]

It's pretty ironic that wokesters love to rave against people who don't listen to rap and/or country, yet country/rap fusion is like the most un-woke music in existance.

Citation desperately needed

[freepcrusher]

what exactly is bro country. You could argue that its just a continuation of country as its existed since the 80s/90s. It's become a weird sort of offshoot of grunge. Like listen to the song "bad girlfriend" by system of a deadman. It's not a country song, but most country singers sing like that now.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

It's pretty ironic that wokesters love to rave against people who don't listen to rap and/or country, yet country/rap fusion is like the most un-woke music in existance.

Citation desperately needed

It's happened on this very forum.

[Thank you for being a friend...]

I think there's been "bro-country" for a long time.  Wouldn't Toby Keith be an example of it?
  There was a popular female version of it in the 2000s decade, kind of like "kick ass woman country" with "Redneck Woman" and other songs.

[Thank you for being a friend...]

I think there's been "bro-country" for a long time.  Wouldn't Toby Keith be an example of it?

"Bro country" usually refers more to country music that draws elements from hip hop. Most Toby Keith songs probably don't fall within that (though "I Wanna Talk About Me" might).

oh I c.  Wow I didn't know there was a hybrid of country and hip hop....

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I think there's been "bro-country" for a long time.  Wouldn't Toby Keith be an example of it?

"Bro country" usually refers more to country music that draws elements from hip hop. Most Toby Keith songs probably don't fall within that (though "I Wanna Talk About Me" might).

So Old Town Road is bro-country? More reason to hate it.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I think there's been "bro-country" for a long time.  Wouldn't Toby Keith be an example of it?
  There was a popular female version of it in the 2000s decade, kind of like "kick ass woman country" with "Redneck Woman" and other songs.

Toby Keith's songs are more "amurrica F#CK YEAH"-country than bro-country.

In fact, Kid Rock is probably closer to the artists mentioned here than Keith. A few years ago there was a meme that Kid Rock's songs are for guys who like getting their picture taken next to the Hooters waitress. I'd also give that description to people like Blake Shelton.

[Fight for Trump]

I think there's been "bro-country" for a long time.  Wouldn't Toby Keith be an example of it?
  There was a popular female version of it in the 2000s decade, kind of like "kick ass woman country" with "Redneck Woman" and other songs.

Toby Keith's songs are more "amurrica F#CK YEAH"-country than bro-country.

In fact, Kid Rock is probably closer to the artists mentioned here than Keith. A few years ago there was a meme that Kid Rock's songs are for guys who like getting their picture taken next to the Hooters waitress. I'd also give that description to people like Blake Shelton.

Blake Shelton was at least legit until about a decade ago when went bro-country to stay commercially relevant.

[certified hummus supporter 🇵🇸🤝🇺🇸🤝🇺🇦]

Speaking as someone who has to deal with this sh!t blasted at work semi-regularly, yes it is.

[Interlocutor is just not there yet]

I've always found great amusement from this song, which is more than I can say for other subgenres:

[Samof94]

I think there's been "bro-country" for a long time.  Wouldn't Toby Keith be an example of it?
  There was a popular female version of it in the 2000s decade, kind of like "kick ass woman country" with "Redneck Woman" and other songs.

Toby Keith's songs are more "amurrica F#CK YEAH"-country than bro-country.

In fact, Kid Rock is probably closer to the artists mentioned here than Keith. A few years ago there was a meme that Kid Rock's songs are for guys who like getting their picture taken next to the Hooters waitress. I'd also give that description to people like Blake Shelton.

Blake Shelton was at least legit until about a decade ago when went bro-country to stay commercially relevant.

Also, he's only relevant these days because of who he married.

[morgieb]

I'm just glad this genre never made it big outside of America. Hell it's very easy to avoid country music in general here unless the song/artist is very poppy (ala Shaina Twain/Taylor Swift).

[Samof94]

I'm just glad this genre never made it big outside of America. Hell it's very easy to avoid country music in general here unless the song/artist is very poppy (ala Shaina Twain/Taylor Swift).

Ever heard of Tamworth? That’s a big spot for country artists in Australia.

[morgieb]

I'm just glad this genre never made it big outside of America. Hell it's very easy to avoid country music in general here unless the song/artist is very poppy (ala Shaina Twain/Taylor Swift).

Ever heard of Tamworth? That’s a big spot for country artists in Australia.

Well yes, but it seems that most Australian country doesn't get much pop crossover. Nor are there really country music radio stations in the city.

Keith Urban for example is basically the Blake Shelton of Australia (best known for who his wife is).

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'm just glad this genre never made it big outside of America. Hell it's very easy to avoid country music in general here unless the song/artist is very poppy (ala Shaina Twain/Taylor Swift).

Is emo more popular than country in Australia?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I think there's been "bro-country" for a long time.  Wouldn't Toby Keith be an example of it?
  There was a popular female version of it in the 2000s decade, kind of like "kick ass woman country" with "Redneck Woman" and other songs.

Toby Keith's songs are more "amurrica F#CK YEAH"-country than bro-country.

In fact, Kid Rock is probably closer to the artists mentioned here than Keith. A few years ago there was a meme that Kid Rock's songs are for guys who like getting their picture taken next to the Hooters waitress. I'd also give that description to people like Blake Shelton.

Blake Shelton was at least legit until about a decade ago when went bro-country to stay commercially relevant.

That's true. I still made a point of searching that stupid Boys Round Here video just to give it a thumbs down.