Maybe it’s the southern twang, the jazzy boots with spurs jangling, the 10-gallon hat…or maybe not.  If you have listened to country lately then you know that there is a new look and feel to it. Country got an edge and is gaining more and more mass appeal.

So what makes your country music so different from the country that your parents know and love? Well, for starters, it’s not so whiny!  There is less pining after your one lost love and more picking up your pride, dusting it off, and then kicking butt and taking names. Sure, there is still a crooner or two left in the mix, but for the most part the new country is about being an individual, taking chances and getting through the hard times with a cool attitude.

What’s more is that the country artists have been crossing over into the pop genre and succeeding. It used to be that when a country artist crossed over they were not “country” enough to be a country star and not big enough to be a pop star. All of that has changed.  Think about some of the huge names in country today. Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and the Dixie Chicks are all examples of artists who stay true to their country roots while climbing the pop charts.

So now with country becoming part of the mainstream music industry you may have noticed some differences between your country and the country of 20 or 30 years ago.  The outfits may be skimpier (with fewer tassels…finally!), the look may be sleeker (with smaller hair) and the sound may be harder, but the messages in the lyrics remain as clear and strong as ever.