Country music: don't judge so fast

by Hannah Boggs, Arts and Style Editor

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

Country music is something that has been around for a long time and many people have different opinions on if it’s worth listening to. Although a lot of people say that they don’t like country music, they may be judging it too quickly without actually giving it a chance.

There are many different types of country music. People automatically assume that it’s all the same, songs about trucks and dirt, when in reality, there’s so much more to the genre. When asked, Christopher Crock (11) says that he “personally likes country music and [believes] that people jump to the conclusion that it’s bad just because it’s the common thing to say”. There’s a large stereotype around country music and a lot of people may fear judgement for liking the genre, so they automatically say it’s bad just because everyone else does. Baylie Lawrence (11) also agreed with this statement and said that she “enjoy[s] country music but people definitely judge it too quickly without even listening to it”.

Today’s country music is also a lot different than people expect. A lot of the songs tell stories and they’re very uplifting. Science teacher, Mrs. Simpkins, says that she “love[s] country music because [she] can hear what they’re saying and understand the story that is being told”. If you give a close to listen to country songs you can 

find a deeper meaning within the lyrics.

Country music may not be for everyone though, it doesn’t always match people’s music taste. Caleb Hinzman (11) says that he “personally [doesn’t] like country music”, but he “think[s] that some people can be a little too quick to judge it”. Everyone should at least give it a chance before jumping to the conclusion that it’s a bad genre.

Although someone may not like it now, that doesn’t mean they can’t grow into liking it. Math teacher, Mrs. Santille, says that she “love[s] country music but [she] didn’t get into it until college”. She also said that she “used to be someone who judged it, but once you start listening to it more often you start to enjoy it”. It may just take some getting used to since it’s a unique genre compared to what people like today!

I personally love country music! I do love a lot of other genres too, but country is definitely one of my favorites. The songs are especially great to listen to during the summer with the windows down in your car! I think that before people start saying that they don’t like country music, they should at least give some good songs a listen before forming their opinion. Maybe try some popular artists such as Dan + Shay, Kane Brown, Sam Hunt, Thomas Rhett, and many more!

The country genre is still popular regardless if a lot of people judge it too quickly, so you might as well give it a try before you say you don’t like it! Try listening to today’s country hits, they’re mostly modern sounding and a lot of them are super cute and romantic! It’s a good start to finding out if country music fits into your taste. In fact, you may be surprised to find out it’s not what you expected.