Nathan MooreCountry music has taken over. It seems you can not turn the radio dial or scroll social media without hearing a country song, usually Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas,” Whiskey Myers’ “Broken Window Serenade,” or Colter Wall’s rendition of “Cowpoke”. The latter two have both been turned into popular social media audios. As someone who frequently listens to country music, I wondered whether or not other students at Santa Ana College really listen to the genre. “Choosin’ Texas” was also named No. 1 in the streaming charts for Anaheim. But you wouldn’t know it if you walked through campus.
What do students actually listen to? Are radio and social media inflating numbers or are people actually “Choosin’ Texas?” Students are choosin’ R&B over Texas, but they should give country music a chance.
In a survey of 35 students across campus, three said they listen to country music. This did not come as much of a surprise. Country music has not been prevalent locally with the younger generation. Three was a higher amount than I expected because there is such a negative stigma towards country music.
A common argument against country music is that all of the songs sound the same and have the same lyrics. Every song can be traced back to a common theme, which would make every song the same. Country is no different. The misconception is that country music is just beer, trucks, and guns, but there are a lot of different themes under the umbrella of country. For that we get to blame Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan, the faces of the unfortunate “bro country” subgenre. While I hate hearing this argument, Luke Bryan proved the haters right with his song “Fish Hunt Golf Drink.” If you enjoy music, avoid this song.
Hip-hop, R&B and rap, which were grouped together, received the most responses to the survey; 16 students said they listen to the genres. I anticipated this group to be the most popular among students who tend to love the category due to the laid-back beats and lyrics. These genres are not the only ones with good voices, melodies and rhymes. The folk subgenre of country is one of the most laid-back styles of music out there, often featuring the presence of a soft guitar. You can find the same romantic themes of folk music in R&B.
Another issue I believe people have with country music is that they only hear the top songs. “Choosin’ Texas” is inescapable. The same thing occurred two years ago with Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night.” On the week of Oct. 10, 2026, hip-hop and R&B artists took up 21 of Billboard’s top 100 artist slots in the U.S., ranging from Drake at number five to Beyoncé at 97. In contrast, country held 18 of the top 100 spots, most of which were at the top end of the chart. Hip-hop and its subgenres were much more spread out across the chart. People only hear the same three country songs; that gets annoying. It even makes me feel less engaged in the genre.
In music, popularity does not always equate to quality. Of Billboard’s top 100 songs, country takes up nearly a third of the chart, with 31 slots. I, an avid country listener, haven’t heard 19 of the 31 featured songs. Of those I’ve heard on the chart, my two favorites are at numbers 69 and 80, respectively.
I’m not saying you need to like country music; I don’t even like some of it. Musical diversity is very important. Being able to hear different styles and histories is crucial for media literacy. All I ask is that you give country music a shot.
