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Beyonce and country - can anyone ever say a particular genre of music can 'belong' to an ethnicity

118 replies

mids2019 · 02/04/2024 21:02

Well I like the new album.

However it did make me ask the question, can any race or demographic legitimately claim a form of music is theirs and it is problematic if someone performs it e.g. Taylor swift doing rap?

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9
JamSandle · 03/04/2024 15:36

Music belongs to everyone.

MorgansNewHairCut · 03/04/2024 15:46

DramaLlamaBangBang · 02/04/2024 23:33

I was going to say this. Fast Car isn't a country song. Why woukd Tracy Chapman win a CMA? FWIW the song to me grates when sung by a White male country singer. The words don't ring true and it has no emotion behind it at all. I thought it was Ronan Keating when I first heard it and thought ' what a dickhead thinking a song about an abused woman leaving a bad marriage was an appropriate song for him to cover.

Edited

I think it’s unfair to call him a dickhead. He has spoken of his love for the song from childhood and he is clearly in awe of Tracy Chapman. Within the industry, Luke Combs is highly regarded both musically and as a person. Other than his love of hunting, 😬 he seems like a good guy.

DramaLlamaBangBang · 03/04/2024 16:52

MorgansNewHairCut · 03/04/2024 15:46

I think it’s unfair to call him a dickhead. He has spoken of his love for the song from childhood and he is clearly in awe of Tracy Chapman. Within the industry, Luke Combs is highly regarded both musically and as a person. Other than his love of hunting, 😬 he seems like a good guy.

I did say I thought it was Ronan Keating, who is a bit of a dickhead anyway! It was only afterwards I realised it was someone else, and I haven't heard of him. It still baffles me when people cover songs they love but clearly are singing words that are not relevant to them, so completely losing the heart of the song. It seems to be a modern phenomenon.

DramaLlamaBangBang · 03/04/2024 16:58

Esgaroth · 03/04/2024 13:58

@WalkingThroughTreacle Oh I totally agree. To be fair to Italians, I actually find it's non-Italian Italophiles who get the most uptight about cream in a carbonara and suchlike. Like genuinely angry about what other people are having for dinner! 😆

I think it's similar with other forms of 'appropriation' - usually at least half the offence is from people who enjoy being offended on other people's behalf because it makes them feel superior.

My cousin is like this. She always posts pictures of some dish she's picked up from M&S that's apparently from.the same place as we're from in an outraged post or other. I slwsys think blimey calm down!

MorgansNewHairCut · 03/04/2024 17:02

DramaLlamaBangBang · 03/04/2024 16:52

I did say I thought it was Ronan Keating, who is a bit of a dickhead anyway! It was only afterwards I realised it was someone else, and I haven't heard of him. It still baffles me when people cover songs they love but clearly are singing words that are not relevant to them, so completely losing the heart of the song. It seems to be a modern phenomenon.

Ah, sorry I misread. 🤦🏻‍♀️

Poor Luke being confused for Ronan Keating by you though. Luke has a great voice, Ronan, well, not so much. And he is a dickhead. 😅

I like hearing covers and and think Luke did a great job on Fast Car.

Davros · 03/04/2024 17:06

@mids2019
This gives a bit more info

Beyonce and country - can anyone ever say a particular genre of music can 'belong'  to  an ethnicity
AlecTrevelyan006 · 03/04/2024 17:25

Tyiue · 03/04/2024 12:11

I love country music. Mainly because of the lessons, humour, and storytelling behind it.

I like Beyonce's "Texas hold'em" but feel (just my opinion, of course) that the video was a tad unnecessarily sexual than was necessary for a county song.

So for me, it doesn't matter the race of the singer, but would love it if singers crossed over AND maintained the spirit of the genre they are entering.

yep - the lyrics are terrible. There is no story. And it took SIX people to write them.

...
This ain't Texas (woo), ain't no hold 'em (hey)
So lay your cards down, down, down, down
So park your Lexus (woo) and throw your keys up (hey)
Stick around, 'round, 'round, 'round, 'round (stick around)
And I'll be damned if I can't slow dance with you
Come pour some sugar on me, honey too
It's a real life boogie and a real life hoedown
Don't be a bitch, come take it to the floor now, woo, huh (woo)
There's a tornado (there's a tornado) in my city (in my city)
Hit the basement (hit the basement), that shit ain't pretty (shit ain't pretty)
Rugged whiskey (rugged whiskey) 'cause we survivin' ('cause we survivin')
Off red cup kisses, sweet redemption, passin' time, yeah
Ooh, one step to the right
We headin' to the dive bar we always thought was nice
Ooh, run me to the left
Then spin me in the middle, boy, I can't read your mind
This ain't Texas (woo), ain't no hold 'em (hey)
So lay your cards down, down, down, down
So park your Lexus (woo) and throw your keys up (hey)
Stick around, 'round, 'round, 'round, 'round (stick around)
And I'll be damned if I can't slow dance with you
Come pour some sugar on me, honey too
It's a real life boogie and a real life hoedown
Don't be a bitch, come take it to the floor now (woo)
And I'll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Come pour some liquor on me, honey too
It's a real life boogie and a real life hoedown
Don't be a bitch, come take it to the floor now (woo)
Woo-hoo
Woo-hoo
Woo-hoo
There's a heatwave (there's a heatwave) coming at us (coming at us)
Too hot to think straight (too hot to think straight)
Too cold to panic (cold to panic)
All of the problems just feel dramatic (just feel dramatic)
And now we're runnin' to the first spot that we find, yeah
Ooh, one step to the right
We headin' to the dive bar we always thought was nice
Ooh, you run to the left
Just with me in the middle, boy, I can't read your mind
This ain't Texas (woo), ain't no hold 'em (hey)
So lay your cards down, down, down, down, oh
So park your Lexus (hey), throw your keys up (hey)
Stick around, 'round, 'round, 'round, 'round (stick around)
And I'll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Come pour some sugar on me, honey, too
It's a real life boogie and a real life hoedown
Don't be a bitch, come take it to the floor now (woo)
And I'll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Come pour some liquor on me honey, too
It's a real life boogie and a real life hoedown
Don't be a-, come take it to the floor now, ooh
Take it to the floor now, ooh
Hoops, spurs, boots
To the floor now, ooh
Tuck, back, oops (ooh, ooh, ooh)
Shoot
Come take it to the floor now, ooh
And I'll be damned if I cannot dance with you
Baby, pour that sugar and liquor on me too
Furs, spurs, boots
Solargenic, photogenic, shoot

ItsMeNotTheProblem · 03/04/2024 17:55

AlecTrevelyan006 · 03/04/2024 17:30

this is miles better

I don’t get what the similarities are supposed to be to say this is better?

MorgansNewHairCut · 03/04/2024 17:55

@AlecTrevelyan006 A fun catchy song has its place. There are people who class Lainey Wilson as too modern and not ‘proper’ country. The country genre is wide and there’s room for fun catchy songs right through to traditional country. I can’t stand snobbery about music.

ItsMeNotTheProblem · 03/04/2024 18:01

MorgansNewHairCut · 03/04/2024 17:55

@AlecTrevelyan006 A fun catchy song has its place. There are people who class Lainey Wilson as too modern and not ‘proper’ country. The country genre is wide and there’s room for fun catchy songs right through to traditional country. I can’t stand snobbery about music.

Music snobbery is exactly what led to this album.

She said it herself, ‘This ain’t a country album. This is a “Beyonce” album.’

MorgansNewHairCut · 03/04/2024 18:08

ItsMeNotTheProblem · 03/04/2024 18:01

Music snobbery is exactly what led to this album.

She said it herself, ‘This ain’t a country album. This is a “Beyonce” album.’

Yes, and it continues with people comparing her to Lainey Wilson.

PaperDoIIs · 03/04/2024 18:26

There's country fun and country "story time".

m.youtube.com/watch?v=F33torRtRc8

By "their" own admission. The silly thing is actually catchy .

Meem321 · 04/04/2024 15:55

ItsMeNotTheProblem · 03/04/2024 18:01

Music snobbery is exactly what led to this album.

She said it herself, ‘This ain’t a country album. This is a “Beyonce” album.’

Country Music is political. So I think it's more than music snobbery.

Meem321 · 04/04/2024 15:57

LauderSyme · 02/04/2024 23:42

@Meem321 "I think it's clear that white American Conservatives have claimed the genre as their own and that to them, yes it is problematic when other races try to break into it".

The mere existence of anyone not exactly like themselves is problematic to white American Conservatives.

Quite. But that's another thread...

K0OLA1D · 04/04/2024 16:07

AgingDisgracefullyHere · 03/04/2024 10:48

I love seeing black people in metal - metal is universal and there's literally academic research into the connection between economic development and the emergence of metal scenes around the world.

I think gatekeeping is seen in both directions. I have heard black rock and metal fans complain that their communities have given them grief.

That said, there are tons of fantastic fun YouTube videos of "Black People React Too..." rock, metal and country music.

It was the media that segregated music - radio stations that wouldn't play certain races. Entire careers were built on "white guys who can sing like black guys" just to maintain the status quo. I welcome anything that breaks down the divides.

Skindred are one of my favourite bands

Davros · 04/04/2024 19:40

Crystal Gayle wasn't considered "country enough"

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