Morgan Wallen—a singer known for blending traditional country and modern pop—achieved an unprecedented accomplishment for a country artist in March: his album One Thing at a Time broke the record for most weeks at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 for a country album.
In the same year, Beyoncé and Post Malone—both renowned pop musicians—each released country albums. A new generation of country stars, including artists like Zach Bryan and Megan Moroney, have rapidly gained traction. Country music is clearly having a moment.
Just five years ago, country music only had a fraction of its current popularity, and many members of Gen Z saw it as a genre they’d never listen to.
“I used to dislike country music because I felt it was just talking about beer, girls, backroads, and hometowns,” junior Brealyn Trujillo said.
But today, country music is one of the most popular genres for Gen Z. At M-A, country ‘converts’ have shifted their former anti-country opinions.
It was only after Trujillo listened to the genre more thoroughly that she realized the music extended beyond those stereotypes. “The more I listen to it, the more I’ve grown to love it because of how homey and warm it feels,” she said.
Trujillo’s favorite country song is either “Pink Skies” or “28”, both of which are by Bryan. Bryan’s raw writing style has been a key element of this new generation of country fans.
Freshman Lila Stern said “the accent” was the primary factor that initially deterred her from exploring the genre.
Despite this, Stern began to see the appeal of the genre by listening to popular country artists, “I started listening to Zach Bryan. Then I started listening to more country music after, like Morgan Wallen.”
Some weren’t converted to country because of a specific artist but instead because of a specific person in their life.
“I was introduced to some artists by an ex-girlfriend and actually enjoyed them,” junior Parker Guntren said. He added that folk-pop artist Noah Kahan’s country vibes have helped people transition into the genre.
Campus aide Marquise Reid was initially not willing to open up to the genre. “I didn’t want to step out of my comfort zone,” he explained.
Like Guntren, it was a loved one who influenced his conversion to country music. “My best friend loves country music. He actually writes songs for some of his friends. So just being around him naturally made me kind of fall in love with country,” Reid said.
“The lyrics are actually telling a real story,” he added. “In some other music, they just kind of be talking to talk. But any country song, or at least any country song that I’ve heard, resonates with something that’s going on in the artist’s life.”
Only time will tell if high school students’ love for country is here to stay or will fade away as just another trend.
