My Vendetta Against Country Music

Country music, you’ve been very good to me, for the most part. But while you have helped me discover myself, you have simultaneously caused the majority of my insecurities.

Image: Forbes

There are many aspects of the country music industry that are not really my favorite. For one, systemic racism plagues the industry. And I think I will focus on that Vendetta for now, as I could ramble on and on about the lack of diversity in country music. We see Black and women artists grossly underrepresented, and Asian artists, not represented AT ALL.

During the wake of the heightened Black Lives Matter movement in Summer of 2020, the country music industry pledged to be more inclusive, promote diversity, and in some ways, did that. We saw much more air time for Jimmie Allen on the CMAs and other live TV performances. We also saw country music push Mickey Guyton, a Black female artist who was paving her way by preaching her story fearlessly. She began hosting award shows and performing on the CMA stage, and even at the Grammys! This was exciting and inspiring for me, to see fellow artists from minority groups finally getting their opportunity to shine.

But as always, there is room for more diversity. I’m still waiting for the moment that Asian artists will be given a chance. I’m still waiting for the moment that more Black artists will be on the radio and get nominated at award shows. The issue, I think, stems from the people in charge– the executives that determine who gets signed, who has the starpower, who has the most potential to rack in money for the label. And the issue with this, is that this group of executives is not diverse. And we won’t start seeing real, permanent change, until we diversify this team.

Oh, and let’s not forget, the many times that I have stepped into a recording studio or a bar and have received many uncomforting eyes on me. Little subtle aggressions like “You? Sing country music?... Well, okay!” or “You should change your name” or “Oh! Welcome to America!”. Very nice, makes me feel very welcome. In this context, I feel like the country music industry exacerbates national racism to another level, it being a tight community mostly populated by White males.

In conclusion, there are tidbits of racism and discrimination in every crevice of the music industry– both subtle and blatant. It is a sad, bleak reality. But as creators and consumers of music, we cannot simply wait around for change. We have the opportunity to take charge of this situation, and prevail despite the cards being against us. Some good news– with the evolution of streaming, it is much easier for ANYONE to be a successful artist. Artists don’t necessarily need labels to increase their reach and audience. Just themselves, a self-made demo, and maybe a tik tok account.

#racism #countrymusic #blacklivesmatter #asianlivesmatter