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Country Music for Non-Country Fans

Maggie Cavalenes
UGA Contributor
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UGA chapter.

Living in the south, songs about tight jeans, trucks, cold beer, and “shaking it” can get real old, real fast. This kind of country music is so rampant that Bo Burnham wrote a parody country song that is just too genius to be ignored. However, there are still some artists in the country genre that are writing and releasing good music, not caving to the stereotypes of the artists they are up on the radio charts again. While greats like Carrie Underwood are well-known by everyone, here’s four artists in the country genre that you may not know about who can appeal to all:

 

Cam

Cam’s, full name Camaron Ochs, breakout single was “Burning House“, but this is the song we currently can’t stop hitting replay on. So many songs are from the perspective of the girl who was being cheated on, but this one is from the perspective of a girl who didn’t know she was “the other woman”. We can’t wait for Cam’s third studio album for more heartfelt lyrics and fantastic vocals!

 

Maren Morris

Nominated for the Best New Artist at the 2016 Grammy Awards and the winner of the 2016 CMA New Artist of the Year, Morris’ album Hero is filled with relatable anthems. “Drunk Girls Don’t Cry” and “Rich” in particular are too real for college girls, while “I Could Use a Love Song” and “Once” are poignant ballads that make us feel like we’ve been through the emotional wringer. Morris has crossed genres, collaborating with Zedd and Grey on “The Middle“, and even dueting with Niall Horan on his debut solo album.

 

Kelsea Ballerini

Ballerini moved to Nashville at fifteen, and her songs are reminiscent of Taylor Swift’s early albums. Nominated for Best New Artist at the 2017 Grammy Awards, Ballerini has released one studio album, and “Legends” is the first single from her second studio album. In late 2017, Ballerini got married, so we can’t wait to hear what kind of songs follow from that huge life change for her!

 

Striking Matches

Sarah Zimmerman and Justin Davis (who’s from Georgia!) met at Belmont University and became a rocking, guitar-playing, country duo. They’re known for insane guitar solos and great harmonies that flow perfectly with their stellar lyrics. It’s hard to get songs like “Ghost” or “Shameless” out of your head once they’re stuck in there.

 

So, there you have it! Give these stellar artists a try, and let us know what you think, or comment with your personal favorite country artist!

 

Cover photo by Anthony Delanoix on Unsplash.

Maggie is pursing a Public Relations degree with a certificate in Public Affairs Communications at the University of Georgia. Her favorite cities are Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Florida. Her regular Starbucks order is a grande iced vanilla coffee, and you can find her on Instagram and Twitter @maggie_cav.