How Social Media Has Changed Country Music
Country music has gone through many changes since it emerged in the 1920's. For years there has been debate over what true country music is. While it certainly isn't what it used to be, some people see this as a positive thing while others find these changes to be negative. Though I fall into the latter category, I will do my best to keep this article as impartial as I can, and I apologize in advance if I slip up now and then.
Social Media Is Partly To Blame
Since the emergence of the internet, the world has drastically changed. Society has become tied to their cellphone and just about everybody has either a Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn account. The changes don’t end there. Music was dragged along with these changes.
Social media allows music to be exposed to a wider audience. While on the surface this seems like a good thing; after all, more exposure means more popularity and a booming business. However, when it comes to true country fans, these changes had major undesirable effects. Because people that weren't normally fans of country music began hearing it on the internet, they realized that it wasn't as bad as they thought it was. Country record sales skyrocketed and country songs were being played on mainstream radio stations.
How Did This Sudden Popularity Change True Country Music?
These new fans of country music were mostly people under the age of twenty-five. They were just getting a taste of the real world, or soon would be. Some of these people decided to try their luck with a career in the entertainment industry. They weren't always a fan of country music, but they were now. The idea of becoming a country music star was becoming more and more exciting. It was also an easier genre for new talent to start out in.
This rise of new talent (and I use that term loosely) being signed to country recording contracts led to a new group of artists that grew up listening to music that was by no means country. Since artists usually draw on their influences when deciding what to record, these artists began making music that was influenced a wide variety of genres including pop, alternative and rap.
Why Is This New Variety of Country Music Selling?
The answer to this question is simple. The fans with the most disposable income are the same age as these new artists, so they have very similar taste in music. Since record executives are good businessmen, they like to sign artists that will be the most profitable. The most profitable artists in country music today are classified as pop country and sing songs that don’t even resemble true country music.
To make a long story short, the presence of too many influences has gradually changed country music. These changes may have happened slowly, but over time they have become obvious. Social media, although helpful at times, has prompted these changes by marketing country music to the masses.