Country music has always been a staple in my life, and now that I'm in college in the South, it's only intensified. And yes, I know not everyone is a fan of country music, but sometimes, it's what you need. Music can be a stress reliever and for me, when I'm down or I need advice and don't want to talk to people, I pop in my headphones and listen to some good ole country music. Here are the Top 5 Country Top 40 hits, and what you can learn from these songs.
1. "This Is It" by Scotty McCreery
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This song is so beautiful because it's a song about where Scotty McCreery proposed to his now wife. He took one of the most important moments of their lives and he turned it into a beautiful song. What makes this song even better is how simple yet beautiful the gesture is. Scotty proposed to his wife on top of a mountain. Nowadays, men do huge spectacles when proposing, and in this, you realize all that matters is the love that you two have. He took a route where he focused on love, and that's what marriage is really about.
2. "Beautiful Crazy" by Luke Combs
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As everyone who listens to country music knows, Luke Combs has taken over the country scene. While he hasn't written as many love ballads to the likes of Thomas Rhett, this song is a ballad about loving the crazy things about our significant others. Why this song is significant is because, for some people, they are looking for their perfect significant other. In reality, no one is perfect, and if we try and find perfection, we could wait a lifetime. This song is so great because it makes us realize to appreciate the quirks we see in our significant others because it's what makes them so beautiful.
3. "Girl Like You" by Jason Aldean
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Like Beautiful Crazy, Jason Aldean's Girl Like you is appreciating the uniqueness that our significant other has, but he took the twist on the song. He took the route to express how his significant other's being and actions made him feel. This is important because he's expressing the way he feels and how his other half has made him feel, which promotes telling those you love how you feel. For men, it can sometimes be hard to share feelings and to have someone who is a man expressing the way they feel when they are around their significant other.
4. "What Makes You Country" by Luke Bryan
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If you didn't grow up in the South, you may not know this, but there are 100% stereotypes and cliques within the southern community. Some people who would consider themselves a country boy or girl may be considered to be a yuppy, or city folk, by others. If you grew up on a dairy farm, you might consider yourself just a country boy or girl, but others might see you as a redneck or hillbilly. What's great about this song from a well-known name in country music is that Luke Bryan makes it known that whatever you think makes you country, it really does make you country. There is no one definition or quality that makes someone southern, and that is the point of the song.
5. "Take It From Me" by Jordan Davis
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This song is such a fun one! With an upbeat rhythm and catchy tune, you can't help but to sing along. Through the lyrics, you hear about a guy and a girl who meet in a bar, and all about the fun they have together. I, and many others, can hear this song and appreciate it because it's talking about having fun and living in the moment. For myself personally, I'm not necessarily looking for Mr. Right. I'm not necessarily looking for my forever when I go out on dates with guys, so I appreciate the idea of enjoying the time you have with that person and living in the moment and enjoying the small things, and I know this is true for others like me.
All in all, country may not necessarily the music for everyone, but there are messages throughout the music that we can learn from and relate to. Take time to listen and pay attention to lyrics, you may just learn a thing or two.