This is the second post exploring why the Nashville establishment would want to shut Shania out.

This reason is more subtle. Shania by her actions puts into question the very basis of country music and suggests there is not much of substance.

There are many characteristics that have traditionally surrounded country music in the USA that, really, have nothing to do with the music as such. These include a southern twang and traditional country or western garb. Clearly, Shania lacks the twang (at least of the southern variety) and as her videos have progressed, has dressed less and less like country songstresses of old - YWML, WIM, IGGG and FTMO are as uncountry as you can get. Then too there is the big hair that always used to characterize female country stars. Shania had this at first but has since dropped it in favour of a variety of styles.

Now Nashville would look silly if they objected to such peripheral conformity. These aspects have nothing to do with music really.

Then much of country music has traditionally focussed on trucks, tractors, love of the US south, drinkin', cheatin' and hurtin', American jingoism and songs that tell a story, especially sad ones. Shania does almost none of this. True, Love Ain't Where His Heart Is Any More is sad, as is Raining on Our love, but Shania's main mood is Up!beat, especially in her latest album.
Apart from those very few sad songs, none of Shania's songs have any of this. The latest fad in country music is aggressive US nationalism in reaction to 9/11. Shania's music has none of this either and a lot of us suspect Shania opposes this viewpoint.

Again, any claims that any of the characteristics in the above paragraph are essential to country music would make country music look silly and very parochial.

So what is left to define country music? Well, look at what Shania has done. If she had recorded only the green album and nothing else, I think everyone in Nashville would have hailed it as a country album. BUT Shania recorded exactly the same songs in pop and Asian versions. If country music were so special, this would not really be possible or, at least, the songs would be good in one format but would not sound right in another. But, at least as regards the red and green versions, most of the songs sound equally good. And what is the difference between the red and green versions? Mainly the choice of instruments. If a song has a banjo and fiddle, it is country. If it uses more electronic instruments, it is pop. Now, really, that is not much left to define country music, is it?

Shania has demonstrated that there is precious little to distinguish country music from other forms of music - mainly peripheral stuff that is essentially non-musical. She is right in my opinion but this can't make the Nashville establishment that is desperately trying to save a dying genre feel good.


Roger