Single Review

Rascal Flatts, “Why Wait”

by Tara Seetharam

Their latest single is a tasteful, vintage-Flatts track. By staying true to what it is –a slice of pop-country, nothing more, nothing less– the song gets everything right.

Feature

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties

by the Country Universe staff

The writing staff of CU looks back on the best songs from the decade that brought country music its greatest commercial success.  Check out the whole countdown now!

Single Review

Sugarland, “Stuck Like Glue”

by Kevin John Coyne

So sugary. So sweet. Wha-oh, Wha-oh,  so, so good.

CMA 2010: Female Trouble

by Kevin John Coyne

September 3, 2010

It’s pretty rare that the CMA nominations garner much attention outside of the country music press, but the always excellent Whitney Pastorek at Entertainment Weekly has a lengthy article trying to rationalize the exclusion of Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift from the Entertainer category.

It’s amazing that in a year where a record was set for the most nominations by a female artist, there can still be a valid accusation of gender bias among the nominations. Women have been poorly represented in the Entertainer category for pretty much the entire history of the CMA Awards. Even when you include duos or groups with female members, there have never been more than two out of five nominees that are women.

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2010 CMA Nominations

by Kevin John Coyne

September 1, 2010

Last month, I suggested an infusion of new blood at the CMA Awards. They’ve exceeded even my wildest expectations, rejecting the usual nominees in nearly every race. Lady Antebellum, Zac Brown Band, and Dierks Bentley have quite a bit to celebrate, but this year’s awards belong to Miranda Lambert, who earned a stunning nine nominations, a record for a female artist.

Let’s take a look at this year’s nominees:

Entertainer

  • Lady Antebellum
  • Miranda Lambert
  • Brad Paisley
  • Keith Urban
  • Zac Brown Band

Who’s In: Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Zac Brown Band

Who’s Out: Kenny Chesney, George Strait, Taylor Swift

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Recent Articles

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #25-#1

by Kevin John Coyne

August 30, 2010

And so we come to the end. The top of our list includes a wide range of artists singing a wide range of country music styles. Thematically, these entries are diverse, but what they all have in common is what has always made for great country music. They are all perfectly-written songs delivered with sincerity by the artists who brought them to life.

400 Greatest Singles of the Nineties: #25-#1

#25
Smoke Rings in the Dark
Gary Allan
1999 | Peak: #12

Listen

A dark, atmospheric wonder, as Allan delivers the final eulogy for a love that couldn’t help burning out. – Dan Milliken

#24
Just to See You Smile
Tim McGraw
1997 | Peak: #1

Listen

Being deeply enamored of someone can make it easy – even appealing – to forfeit your own well-being. This single’s sunny sound reflects the persistent affection pulsing through its protagonist, but its story demonstrates the heartbreak to which such unmeasured selflessness leads. – DM

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Single Reviews: James Otto, “Soldiers and Jesus”; Due West, “The Bible and the Belt”

by Kevin John Coyne

August 29, 2010

I’m getting tired of the dime store theology in country music today. It’s officially reached pandemic proportions.

Up for airplay are two new singles in which religion is just a decorative prop used to elevate a human role to something divine. Instead of achieving that impossible goal, all they do is cheapen the divine into something that is only human.

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Single Review: Carrie Underwood, “Mama’s Song”

by Kevin John Coyne

August 27, 2010

Love ain’t no fairytale.

The latest single from Carrie Underwood knows and embraces this. I can’t remember another wedding song that is so understated in its declarations. As she prepares to marry, she reassures her mother that this man is good. That’s pretty much it.

Pretty much it on paper, at least. But notice how the term is repeated – “He is good, so good.” Underwood chooses to emphasize those five words more than any others in the song, singing them as if just being good is enough to qualm a worried mother’s fears for her daughter’s future.

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