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Zach Bryan’s anti-ICE song drew ire from Trump officials. Is country music waking up?
(www.theguardian.com)
the dixie chicks might resent that sentiment
this post was submitted on 22 Jan 2026
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This. Outlaw country has a decades-long tradition, even if rightwing pop country is more popular.
Willie Nelson ain't no republican
Yea, but how many of his conservative fans are like conservative RATM fans?
You're not exactly working with the most cognisant group, here...
Modern might-wing pop country is just rap for people afraid of black people. And much like their ‘patriotism,’ is superficial and in name only.
Well, I’m calling country music “r-pop” from now on for sure.
They’re just The Chicks now. They were uncomfortable with the racist implications and confederate associations with the word Dixie.
I liked The Dixie Chicks then, and like them now. Her statement has aged well, and the response to it hasn’t. But their music wasn’t particularly woke or progressive in the way Guthrie’s was or Hellas’ is.
There is something satisfying about critique coming from what conservatives would consider ‘their music.’
If anyone's curious, they actually wrote a song addressing that whole kerfuffle a few years after the fact called "Not Ready to Make Nice". In so far as pop-country goes, it's pretty good.
Also, "Gaslighter" is a bop, while I'm recommending songs of theirs.
In the spirit of Renee Good, pull a switcheroo and give the credit to Beyonce.
For a genre that owes itself to guitars with "this machine kills fascists" stamped on it and men who "wear the black for the poor and the beaten down", modern country sure is a sad cesspool of media consolidation.
Jesse Welles has a great song that yall might enjoy - "Join ICE"
He also went on Joe Rogan, and has a similar song about the Epstein files.
Of course, all Joe needed to 180 yet again was to invite another conservative back on...
Love Jesse Welles. He was my top artist last year and I’m going to see him in March. Very excited. More people on Lemmy need to check him out, he really appeals to the politics here.
If you had to pick one for people to listen to, what song/album is your favorite?
The way I see it, he sort of has two sides to his music. There’s the Guthrie-style political protest stuff, and then the Dylan-esque poetic stuff. Both are fantastic.
For political stuff, it kind of depends on what you want to hear since he basically sings the news, but War Isn’t Murder, about the genocide in Gaza, and Red, about the Trump administration, are his top songs. The Great Caucasian God is probably my favourite though since it’s such a good dig at the stereotypical conservative rural American, even down to the style he chose to write in (more of a twangy hillbilly country style, unusual for him typically).
For more poetic stuff, my favourite that he’s published is Malaise, which does still have a couple digs, mostly at Musk (e.g. “will they measure mars in acres?”), but it’s not as outright protest-y as the first few I mentioned. But for his poetic side I actually prefer the stuff he hasn’t published and is just on his YouTube channel, namely Nothing which just came out less than two weeks ago, and Siddhartha. His guitar work on both is great and so are the lyrics.
Both Malaise and Great Caucasian God are from his album Devil’s Den (and he also released With The Devil on the same day, with all the same songs just in a different style, both are excellent), and that’s my favourite album of his. It’s not as political though (aside from the first song), for a more political album from him, Hells Welles is probably my recommendation. The first eight songs off that album are great protest songs, mostly done in a sarcastic manner which is his style (sing from the perspective of the person he’s criticizing).
If you like stripped down acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals, and aren’t feeling overly political music, Patchwork is great. I’ve got it on vinyl, it’s awesome.
TL;DR check out War Isn’t Murder, Red, and/or Great Caucasian God for political stuff and if you like it check out his album Hells Welles. For poetic stuff, Malaise, and then Nothing and/or Siddhartha on his YouTube channel. If you just want stripped down acoustic music that’s more easy listening, his album Patchwork is great.
Oh man, I didn't know he did War Isn't Murder, fantastic song, thanks for the reccos!
No problem! I’m always happy to talk Jesse Welles, feel free to ask any time!
By the way, if you love War Isn’t Murder and Red, check out Domestic Error too. It’s got a similar feel and also has great lyrics (like all his songs).
No
And it is a shame. Country music used to be rebel music about outlaws and non-conformity. Now it is all god bless America the police protect us and boy the Army sure is cool.
also its done by rich millionaires mostly, Taylor swift was like that before she made it big. she comes from upper class, not poor, and adversity. thats why she still mesh with maga people, or at least she hangs out with them.
I tried to explain to my girlfriend, who is a big fan of Taylor’s music, that there is no such thing as a good billionaire. It didn’t go over well.
travis is totally maga, but he has to be careful not to taint taylors brand, she might as well be one herself. her family moved her to tennesee to appear poor, its so obvious
9/11 was a disaster for country music
9/11 was a tragic event, but it’s been milked for over two decades. I don’t give a fuck about 9/11 anymore and honestly when people grieve it nowadays I can’t help but think of them as sheep. Shit happens, move on, or use it as a foundation for a conversation that aims to do more than stir nationalistic sentiment.
I can't see anyone 'grieving' for 9/11 in current year being anything other than performative.
Like, are we still fucking mourning the Titanic? Come on.
We had a 9/11 every day during peak covid.
Its always had plenty of both.
Depends on what era really. Compare Merle Haggard "Soldiers last letter" to something like "American Soldier" by Toby Keith.
Country music was never about conformity and licking the balls of authoritarianism. The army certainly used country since the 1950's for recruitment though.
Country music was ORIGINALLY rebellious music. They were against authority, company scrip, stood for the rights of the worker, picket lines and even unionization.
Much like hip hop, it was co-opted by the exploitative system and turned into another narcicistic, self indulgent & egoistic bullshit.
Reclaim what was lost.
A Century of Folk Musicians: "Are we a joke to you?"
No, but that energy has been mostly dormant in the public eye for decades. It's not the origin of leftist country, it's a revival.
I haven't seen a shortage of it. But I also haven't seen the corporate media pumping these artists to the top of the charts.
the sniff test of conservatism.
If it doesn't smell like shit I doesn't get to be a hit.
Country music isn't "waking up," it's just that there are a number of established artists who aren't participating in the mainstream. They have always been there, and there are just as many of them now as there were in 1978. The mainstream of country is the same as any other genre. There are all kinds of Hip Hop artists that didn't get heavy airplay in the 90s because the industry didn't want it, and the country music industry is no different now. So insular. No messages, all money.
No, and I hate headlines like this
Journalism is a joke nowadays
there was lots of antigov/antilawenforcment country. Wonder what happened there.....must have been some woke shit.
Betteridge's Law of Headlines strike again.
Country doing what rap did in the 80's?