Country music has recently taken a turn for the worse. Artists are looking for more originality in their songs and, as a result, are taking the "country" out of country music. Adding auto tune, taking away the magical sound of the banjo and fiddle, and putting a "beat" into country songs that sounds more like rap is simply atrocious and upsetting.

Country music has always been different, filled with ridiculous lyrics about tractors, drinking, and love. But with these new additions to the genre, it's all beginning to sound like pop music with a casual guest appearance by a guitar. It's not just the new artists that are the problem, but even old artists are conforming to this insanity.

Here is a list of "country" artists that are tainting the country music reputation.

1. Jason Aldean

We were okay with your brief rap in "Dirt Road Anthem" until you added a version with Ludacris. Blending rap with country, strategically speaking, is smart because gaining a new audience brings in more views and revenue, but you have betrayed your old fans. When we go to a concert for country music, we expect to hear country music. I will listen to some Ludacris or Lil Wayne on my own time, separate from my country music. The two simply do not go together. New songs like "Burnin' it Down" are starting to gain the beat of a more rap vibe -- which, again, just isn't country. What ever happened to "Big Green Tractor"?!

2. Florida Georgia Line

I don't care how thick your accents are. Your music is not "country." The fact Nelly's version of "Cruise" played on my country stations at home was a crime against country music.

3. Taylor Swift

I absolutely love Taylor Swift. I love her old and new music, but she simply is not country anymore. Her last "country" album, in my opinion, was Fearless. Speak Now was the onset of her pop era. If she wants to be considered at any country music awards or played on country music stations again she will have to stop singing about New York and blasting an electronic beat to "I Knew You Were Trouble."

4. Sam Hunt

Sam Hunt especially makes me cringe. Not only am I annoyed by his incessant talking in each of songs, but he's not anywhere close to being country. His music video for "Leave the Night On" takes place in a taxi cab in the city. Sorry, but they don't have those in the countryside. Need I say more?

5. Chase Rice

Who are you? The fact your top song on iTunes is "Ride" -- originally by SOMO, a contemporary R&B artist -- should be the first testimony as to why your country music isn't "country." "Ready Set Roll" just makes it worse with the rap/ electronic intro. The beat of the song isn't bad, but the fact is the beat isn't country. His "50 Shades of Crazy" is 50 shades of "I'm a country boy who didn't make the cut for rap music." Even though country music isn't really working out, he does have potential for male modeling...

6. Brantley Gilbert

No, country is not countrywide at this rate. His song "Bottoms Up" is just plain creepy. It's okay for Trey Songz to sing for parties, but Brantley just sounds like a guy lurking around the corner of the bar whispering to women as they walk by.

7. Tyler Farr

While his music is a little less auto tune and rap, it's just plain annoying. "A Guy Walks Into A Bar" sounds like one giant run-on sentence. The fact "Redneck Crazy" is supposed to be some sort of romantic song about stalking is concerning.

8. Cole Swindell

He's just not worth the whiskey.

9. Jerrod Niemann

"Drink to That All Night" also contains an auto-tuned, rap intro that makes him sound like a wannabe T-Pain.

I still love Nashville Country music, but there is an identity crisis. George Strait is too nice to say it, but he cannot be proud about where country is going. Country is the kind of music you are supposed to be able to play on the guitar and sing around a campfire, not need special equipment for. It's that pure acoustic sound and lyrics about love and heartbreak that makes country, country. The only reason these songs are getting POPular is because the people buying them usually don't like country music unless the pop-rap-R&B-electronic essence is added.

The country artists that stay country are like Zac Brown Band, Eli Young Band, or Miranda Lambert. If you are looking for some pure, homegrown country music, then Texas Country is the new route. Randy Rogers Band, Josh Abbott Band, Casey Donahew Band, and Aaron Watson are all popular Texas Country artists that never stray away from the pure sound of country music.