Pero zmaj said:Look, before you all start bashing "country music" en masse, maybe do a little homework on what actually falls under that label. You’ve got traditional folk, pop-country, and then there's that trashy commercial stuff. Pop-country is basically those upbeat, catchy tunes you can blast at a tailgate all night long. Real traditional folk is more like Safet Isovic or Haris Dzinovic—artists with actual talent and deep lyrics, even if some tracks feel a bit overly dramatic, like "Zarasle su staze moje," though the songwriting is solid. Then there’s the bottom-of-the-barrel stuff—think mindless radio filler like Djogan's "Na silu"—which honestly isn't my cup of tea either.
Also, jokes or tongue-in-cheek tracks—like those silly songs about whole villages being in love or some of Braco's ridiculous stuff where he's basically running around without pants—should be taken for what they are: jokes. The point is, the writers are messing around, which is a huge step up from that brain-dead, repetitive garbage you hear on mainstream country radio.
Hope that clears things up for you guys.
The last part of this reminds me of Severina's recent single. I get the feeling she knows exactly what she’s doing (okay, sure, she might slip up or make a mistake here and there 😉), but she’s clearly having a blast, and if she’s entertaining people too... why not? Even though I’m not exactly a huge fan of her "artistry," that song was actually pretty funny and charming. I seriously couldn't wrap my head around how much drama people stirred up over it as if it were some major cultural statement for the US—man, please, it’s not like Eurovision is some high-brow, prestigious masterpiece competition (just look at who won 😬).
Anyway, obviously, you have to distinguish between real roots music and just "country-flavored" pop, and you should respect the heritage. But honestly, people are weird—there are tons of genres out there, so everyone should just listen to whatever makes them happy.
Sure, some genres carry more weight or depth, but that doesn't mean they're inherently "better" or more appropriate than others.
What really bugs me is the gatekeeping and the intolerance from people who haven't even bothered to learn about what they're arguing about, judging others solely based on their own narrow tastes.
Personally, I have a ton of respect for authentic traditional music. It sucks that we don't promote our own roots enough here, because plenty of other nations have turned their folk traditions into something the entire world admires. Maybe we'll catch on eventually.
I'm not into pop-country, and I don't hang out with many people who listen to it, but I don't go out of my way to avoid them either; it just happens. What actually creeps me out is the baggage often attached to that scene—you know, the organized crime, the violence, the shootouts, and all that mess. (Again, I'm not saying all country fans are criminals, but it makes me uneasy whenever I see those headlines.)
But hey, I love Bon Jovi and Bob Dylan (among others), and I really hate it when people judge me for it.
I really hope the OP was being a bit sarcastic in their first post (even though they're totally entitled to their opinion), because it would be pretty hilarious if they were being dead serious about labeling every single person who listens to that music—especially since their own girlfriend fits right into that crowd.
