The 2024 People's Choice Country Music Awards was held on September 26 at the Opry House. Shania Twain, Parker McCollum, Kane Brown, Keith Urban -- it was a star-studded lineup! However, the audience reception to the show was, uh... unfavorable, if I'm putting it as nicely as possible. Much of the online discourse surrounding the show was focused on how far people felt the country genre had fallen.
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With the show's highly-produced, extravagant feel and fashion-minded country stars, I can see where some people are coming from. As Merle Haggard said in an interview once, the country landscape has changed drastically from the years when Haggard was the king of the mountain. There was a gritty, dirty, "real" feeling to the genre. I may not necessarily agree with the following sentiment, but to many, country is perceived as a shell of its former self.
"This was so baddd. Did make me a laugh when they announced all the top winners, the real country winners, at end. None of them wasted the time to show up," one X (formerly known as Twitter) user lamented. The real stars, y'all. None of these pretenders!
The People's Choice Country Music Awards Leaves Many With Negative Feelings
"I'm sorry, but what is wrong with our world? What happened to good old country music? This sounds like a church choir! Bring back traditional country music," another user cries. Come on, y'all. It's not that bad! What's wrong with a few country superstars having a grand ol' time?
"Shania twain is by far, the worst host of anything ever. It's actually painful to watch." ...I'm sorry, hello? When did people turn on Shania Twain? All she did was host the show -- why is she catching strays for that?!
"I don't know what the bloody Walmart h--ll I am watching, but it is far, far removed from country. Find another name for this ...whatever it is." Okay, let's get real for a second. Things transform over time -- especially creative mediums. Rap isn't the same as it was before the 2000s. Movies aren't the same as they used to be. Heck, the way we enjoy content in general is drastically different than it was a decade ago. Change is inevitable -- there is no going backward.
