On Wednesday, the CMAs, “country’s biggest night” premiered. It was Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley’s 10th year hosting. They made the show entertaining with their humor and talent. But it was more than just the hosts that made the night so successful. All of country music’s greatest singers and musicians showed up and gave great performances.
In recent years, country music has evolved to expand their audience. It isn’t just traditional anymore. With artists like Sam Hunt, Florida Georgia Line and Kelsea Ballerini, it’s meant for everyone. Whether you’ve been listening to country music your whole life or just started to, everyone has a song or two they can appreciate.
The CMAs started out with Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley mocking our president. They brought attention to the controversy going on with Trump while still keeping things lighthearted. They mocked him by changing the lyrics to Underwood’s famous song “Before He Cheats” and basing it around Trump’s questionable tweets. They showed that even though it’s an awards show they aren’t afraid to address the political issues that everyone is so aware of nowadays.
Of course throughout the night there were numerous awards given and performances done, but some stood out because of their powerful message. Keith Urban showcased his new single, “Female”. Not only was the song a tribute to all women, but if you listened to the lyrics you would hear that there was an underlying message. The song was written because of the numerous and disturbing details of the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault and harassment accusations.
Later on in the show, Carrie Underwood took a break from hosting and performed a tribute to the 58 victims of the Las Vegas shooting. While she was singing “Softly and Tenderly”, photos of all the victims were displayed on the screen behind her. At the end of the song, the whole audience did a moment of silence.
Country music is so special because it is genuine no matter the type of song. There is no competition between artists and they are constantly encouraging and collaborating together. As Garth Brooks, Miranda Lambert and many others pointed out, they are a family. They showed this last night at the CMAs as they came together addressing the controversial political climate. They came together to honor victims after a horrific tragedy. And they came together to celebrate another year of making music that matters to millions of people.