Country music is currently undergoing its own renaissance. The genre looks to embrace new identities and even new sounds along the way. Shania Twain is one of the biggest advocates for this new change. She takes her big hosting gig to prop up the shift.
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Recently, Shania Twain hosts the People's Choice Country Awards at the Grand Ole Opry. There, she takes care of the evening's festivities and laying the groundwork for performances and award presentations. Moreover, the country icon expresses her joy in how the genre continues to move forward musically and socially. She never wants Nashville to grow complacent and overly traditional. Rather, Twain looks to uplift the upcoming generation of artists and their ambitions to try new things. Unfortunately, this involves blending two genres with country that mix like oil and water.
Shania Twain Embraces New Directions for The Future of Country Music
When introducing presenters Priscilla Block and Tanner Adell, Shania prefaces by expressing how she would love to usher in the new generation. Moreover, she recalls moments in country history where the genre goes past its definable limits. Consequently, it grows and becomes something new and special over the years. "It's really a full circle moment for me. I mean, I've always walked beyond the genre lines myself. And that's what the artists I grew up listening to did," Shania says. "Like Glen Campbell, who brought symphonic pop to country with "Rhinestone Cowboy," for example. Or Ronnie Milsap, who brought what was referred to then at the time as country blue-eyed soul."
Then, Shania emphasizes the next direction country music could go with its presenters coming up. "So you know what? It's so great to see that spirit carry on today, like with our next presenters who are adding hip hop and pop to the mix," Twain says.
As someone who primarily listens to rap and R&B, the LAST thing I could ever want is for them to mix with country. Country can be a beautiful direction because of its own distinction. Trying to stubbornly mend the two over the years gives us bad Jason Aldean raps and country artists masquerading as pop music. Surely, there may be a way to make it work. But right now? Absolutely not, Shania. It would be much better to keep them as their own distinct entities.
