When describing taste in music, it's not uncommon for someone to say "I'll listen to any type of music," or even more specific, "I'll listen to any type of music...except for ___." For me, this blank is country music. As a college student in Indiana, this is sometimes an unpopular opinion to hold. And, don't get me wrong, there was definitely a time in my life where country music was my everything. I still hold those memories dear, and even sometimes have the urge to listen to my old favorite Dixie Chicks albums. But, for the most part, I have long grown out of the country music phase. What remains is a complicated, complex, contradictory relationship with country music. Here are 10 things you know if you share this same relationship.
1. Despite your insistence that country music isn't your style, you still know all the words to any song by Jo Dee Messina, Sara Evans, Jamie O'Neal, or the Dixie Chicks from your childhood.
2. If anyone starts talking about any country artist post-2006, they might as well be speaking a different language. If they ask you your opinion, can't even come up with anything.
3. But sometimes, when your roommate is in that country mood, you can't help but peer around the corner to get a better listen and see who the artist is, because the song is secretly a jam.
4. When you first heard Beyonce's "Daddy Lessons" from her album Lemonade, you were shocked and a little appalled.
5. But then, after listening to it a few dozen times, you suddenly found yourself returning to your country roots.
6. And when you heard that the Dixie Chicks were doing a "Daddy Lessons" cover on their summer tour, you freaked out, because, is there anything better (other than seeing Beyonce perform, obviously.)
7. Your neighbors blasting country on a warm summer day is your own personal Hell.
8. But...sometimes you open your window a little bit because you're feeling those vibes.
9. Occasionally you'll find a really beautiful message in a feel-good country song.
10. But, more times than not, when someone requests country music, you can't help but have an extreme reaction.
