Country lovin’, happens so fast.
Country music is a genre that has remained popular throughout the many different changes in the music industry, being both a music taste and a cultural taste.
It is commonly recognized with the stereotypical cowboy/girl, associated with cowboy hat, cowboy boots, lassos and bolo ties.
“Country music tells stories that make the songs interesting and upbeat,” said senior Michelle Diaz.
Music never ceases to bring smiles to fans faces and spurs dreams of laying out in the sun. Despite the praises over this highly popular genre, a statistic was taken on the negative effects country music has on listeners.
Steven Stack from Wayne State University and Jim Gundlach from Auburn University found that “the content of analysis of country songs note a number of suicidogenic themes that can foster suicide.”
This could be true, but one could argue that hard rock or alternative genres, share these popular themes, and could therefore also contribute to hurtful behavior and negative thoughts.
“Country music can be a really happy genre, it makes me really happy,” said freshman Nacy Yousaf.
Rather than spurring harmful or hard core country fans, country music stays popular all year round. Some people, however, choose to begin listening to country during the spring and summer seasons. While fans choose to listen to this genre at different times of the year, it seems to most popular to some during the summer.
“[Country music is] always talking about partying, hanging out in the sun and drinking root beer,” said junior Jordan Bridgewater.
Despite what some may think, the true innocence of country music will continue to add smiles to people’s faces even if some analysis yields deeper meaning.
It will bring up fond memories from people’s pasts, and will likely foster happy feelings as opposed to sad ones by reminding them of the good ol’ days.
“My summers I grew up in the south, and I can relate to the feeling of the songs,” said junior Emily Walker. “They remind me of being at the lake, or chilling on a dirt road.”
