Earlier this week the social media platform Tik Tok shot another independent artist’s song up the charts premiering it at #1 in all of country music & #4 in all music charts on iTunes. This time, however, I had the privilege of knowing one of the writers, Nell Maynard. Nell is a frequent co-writer & friend of mine & I honestly couldn’t be happier for her & this major win! The song in question is called “Blueneck” performed by Chris Housman, written by Housman, Maynard, & Tommy Kratzert, & produced by Kratzert & Matt Geroux. If you haven’t hear it I’ll attach it below, definitely give it a listen:
The song, if you didn’t click the above link, details what it’s like being a liberal redneck, or as the term has been coined here, a blueneck & I think its success out the gate is no accident. You see there are a lot of us in this world & in this industry who love country music but don’t align with the often bigoted stereotype that comes along with it. I think when you tell someone you work, listen to, perform, or write country music there’s a certain assumption that comes up in their mind around your political beliefs or the way you view human rights issues when for the most part, especially amongst the younger country music industry itself, that narrative is false. We as liberal fans & creators of the genre have been mostly excluded from the narrative of country music in favor of party songs about trucks & beer or loud boasting right leaning artists so much so that the stigma remains regarding country music but dear lord is this a much needed breath of fresh air.
I grew up loving country music of the late 90s, 00s, & 10s (up to a point) where I found grounding & representation in the stories being told. At a certain point, that shifted. We went from heartbreak ballads & story songs to just straight up Yee Yee or songs without purpose. I often find it ironic when ‘country purists” say pop country is killing country music when in reality pop country is one of the few forms of country that is maintaining the heart of country music, which boils doing to telling an honest story. Within the last year especially it seems the gates of relatable storytelling are once again being blown wide open in favor of demographics that are typically not represented in country.
I think it is worth noting that Housman is an out, gay country artist (as is Nell). Hailing from Kansas, much like myself, Chris embodies the country lifestyle & legacy & is more than worthy of inclusion in this genre. However, I fear that much like Mickey Guyton, Chris will face adversity simply for being who he is. As much as it pains me to admit, country still has a lot of gate keepers in the industry & in the fan base lest be forget the attempted “cancellation” of Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush.” Housman’s story is one that so many living in rural America face, we’re often forced to blend in or fake who we are as a survival tactic or we’re forced to alter parts of ourselves simply to fit in. That’s precisely why this song debuted at #1. This song blew up because so many people out there, like myself, like Chris, like Nell, feel exactly like this song’s album cover; we are little dots of blue swimming in a sea of red.
Think I’m even the slightest bit wrong? Go read the comment section on the link I inserted. Go to Chris’s Tik Tok & read the comments on the video he posted for the song. Go look at his instagram story. There is an overwhelming amount of people who didn’t know how badly they needed this song to validate who they are, to show them that they’re not wrong, that they’re just as valid in country music as their redneck counterparts. Country music is changing, quickly. This is evidence & a half of that, just like Guyton’s “Black Like Me” or Maren’s “Better Than We Found It” show. I for one can’t wait to see the direction it’s heading & hope to be a active part of the change as well! Until then I guess I’m a red state blueneck.
Congrats to all involved in this song! I’ll post the lyrics below so you all can give them a read!
Grew up with cornfields in every direction That's where I learned all of my lessons About life and living without fences In the land of the free to have opinions If you gotta job, you oughta make a living George Straight or George Gay, there's no difference People need help and I think that we should listen Three chords and my truth is I'm a good ole boy with a bleeding heart Just a homegrown hick with a hybrid car I think y'all means all and I know we all Just wanna know that we belong There's a lot more color in the mix Whеn you're loud and proud out in the sticks I am what I am, you get what you gеt Yeah, I guess I'm a red state Blueneck My American dream is wide open spaces Plenty of room for us all to be safe in Yeah, that's a future that I'm chasing So I'm gonna go make it I'm a good ole boy with a bleeding heart Just a homegrown hick with a hybrid car I think y'all means all and I know we all Just wanna know that we belong There's a lot more color in the mix When you're loud and proud out in the sticks I am what I am, you get what you get Yeah, I guess I'm a red state Blueneck Yeah, I'm a red state Blueneck Can a country kid wanna see the glass ceiling shatter? Wanna see a world where Black Lives Matter Liberty and Justice for just some of us Ain't how the heartland brought me up I'm a good ole boy with a bleeding heart Just a homegrown hick with a hybrid car I think y'all means all and I know we all Just wanna know that we belong There's a lot more color in the mix When you're loud and proud out in the sticks I am what I am, you get what you get Yeah, I guess I'm a red state Blueneck Yeah, I'm a red state Blueneck Yeah, I'm a red state Blueneck