Brad Paisley - "Country Nation"

[Zazie]

A long time ago there was a highly commercial version of country music referred to as the Nashville Sound, some of which was later referred to as Countrypolitan. The sound of that music wasn't anything like Bro, of course, but what the two styles had in common was the sound of money. I'm not sure anybody has been referring to Countrypolitan here, but the use of Metropolitan made me think of it. The "true believers" at that time preferred the music coming out of Bakersfield CA but radio loved the money.

I'm sure you can find Countrypolitan if you search -- that was a well-known movement, though not by any means a recent one.

As for Brad, I've stopped thinking of him as someone who records good songs. As happened to another songwriter and singer I liked, Clint Black, Brad seems (to me) to have run out of musical and lyrical ideas. Camouflage was one bad one, and he's had others. I don't want to insult Brad on the thread about his song, but I'm unimpressed by the lyrics to Country Nation and unsurprised that I am unimpressed. I miss the songs Brad recorded a few years back, but an artist has to pursue his vision even if I think the songs contain one cliché after another.

[Deleted]

Aug 2, 2015 16:50:31 GMT -5 Zazie said:

A long time ago there was a highly commercial version of country music referred to as the Nashville Sound, some of which was later referred to as Countrypolitan. The sound of that music wasn't anything like Bro, of course, but what the two styles had in common was the sound of money. I'm not sure anybody has been referring to Countrypolitan here, but the use of Metropolitan made me think of it. The "true believers" at that time preferred the music coming out of Bakersfield CA but radio loved the money.

I'm sure you can find Countrypolitan if you search -- that was a well-known movement, though not by any means a recent one.

As for Brad, I've stopped thinking of him as someone who records good songs. As happened to another songwriter and singer I liked, Clint Black, Brad seems (to me) to have run out of musical and lyrical ideas. Camouflage was one bad one, and he's had others. I don't want to insult Brad on the thread about his song, but I'm unimpressed by the lyrics to Country Nation and unsurprised that I am unimpressed. I miss the songs Brad recorded a few years back, but an artist has to pursue his vision even if I think the songs contain one cliché after another.

Thank you for that history insight. That's an interesting picture painted of the past of the genre.

I'm sorry you've lost confidence in Brad. As a newer fan of country music, I've found him to be one of my favorites, if not THE favorite of mine. I think naturally as artists get older, they teeter a fine line of too much re-invention versus too much re-tread. I'd say perhaps he leaned a bit too much toward the former with "Wheelhouse" thus pushing him back the other way with "Moonshine."

Brad undoubtedly left his mark on the genre and it may just be past his time of consistent hits. The content of songs such as "Water" compared with "River Bank" isn't really different. Lyrically and sonically they may be a bit different.

I think the most recent unique, thorough, and outstanding single Brad has is "Southern Comfort Zone". I like the others just fine...but all are, as I think you are saying, somewhat uninspiring, regardless of how much I enjoy hearing them. "Perfect Storm" is great as well. Musically, it is close to his other ballads. Lyrically, it is close to greats like "Then" and "She's Everything."

I'd like to think that Brad's in a creative funk, similar to how Kenny Chesney had to take some time away from the game for a bit. Look at how strong he's come back!

I think first and foremost Brad is a songwriter and he is as creative as they come. I would never suggest he look at other writers' work over his own unless that is the path he truly wants to take.

He's obviously still very successful at radio and I think this single will do just fine. I think the "Moonshine" album is outstanding and if anyone feels uninspired by his radio singles for this era, I hope you will take a listen to some other songs on the CD if you have't already. He's got some strong stuff on here if you listen with an open mind.

[dm2081]

I don't see how some are finding this song uninspiring or unoriginal. I can't name a single song of any genre that manages to unify major universities across the country with a song that even rhymes them. I think this song will definitely speak more to those who recently finished school, are in school, or about to start school. For me, my 4 years at Florida State University were amazing, and being a big college football fan who loved the atmosphere from not just my own campus on Gamedays but also those across the nation, I can't help but feel nostalgic listening to this song. There hasn't been a single song this year that's even close in lyrical content or subject matter. I don't find this to be corny one bit, especially since I lived this song. To me, corny is saying how you "want to kiss someone in the morning" or how you want to "love you like that". This is an authentic song about a huge part/pastime in America. The lyrics don't try to be corny because they don't need too, this song literally speaks the truth.

[sabre14]

Every time I hear this, I just picture how perfect listening to this song on the radio will be come those Friday and Saturday nights in the Fall.

[Zazie]

I am glad to see so many people find meaning in this song, even if I don't. I can find meaning in Who Needs Pictures, He Didn't Have To Be, Whiskey Lullaby, Letter To Me, Waitin' On A Woman, Start A Band, and many more. I can enjoy Ticks and Online, and I appreciate reading your thoughts about why this song works for you. I'll just sit on the sidelines for this one. I'll consider myself a redshirt freshman and I'll hope to make the Brad squad next year. Based on your comments, I don't see why this can't be a future #1, maybe during the playoffs for the national championship.

[hosssulpizio]

Love this song! This is a top favorite song of mine.

[zjames]

Goes for adds September 14, according to R&R Going For Adds.

[sabre14]

Aug 5, 2015 20:51:31 GMT -5 zjames said:

Goes for adds September 14, according to R&R Going For Adds.

I was hoping for August 24th or 31st. September 14th seems a tad later than I was expecting.

[Deleted]

Aug 5, 2015 20:55:25 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

Aug 5, 2015 20:51:31 GMT -5 zjames said:

Goes for adds September 14, according to R&R Going For Adds.

I was hoping for August 24th or 31st. September 14th seems a tad later than I was expecting.

That is a little late. College football is done in January and by then the song could only be 12-15 weeks old. I guess it could apply to college basketball as well. Maybe I'm over thinking it...does anyone listening to country radio really care what sports are on when their music plays? 

I think it's a great fall song but it's probably too late already to make a "fall impact". I'm guessing they just want to let things cool down right now after "Crushin' It" had a lengthy run. A month with no new Brad music may build up some anticipation, especially since I think it's such a strong song. September also gives them plenty of time for it to peak and then have some time off before a lead single. Also: Jason, Blake, Luke, Carrie, and Tim ALL have new singles out or coming out very soon. Probably best to wait I suppose.

[sabre14]

Aug 5, 2015 21:03:51 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

Aug 5, 2015 20:55:25 GMT -5 sabre14 said:

I was hoping for August 24th or 31st. September 14th seems a tad later than I was expecting.

...does anyone listening to country radio really care what sports are on when their music plays? 

I know but I follow sports religiously, so I care, lol. I think late August would have been fine for an add date as Blake and Tim's singles are already in the top 40 and I expect Jason and Luke's to be as well ahead by the last week of August.

I'm expecting a faster climb for this single than "Crushin' It", especially at the beginning; that doesn't mean I predict this will finish strong for a top 2 finish, but I'm hopeful.

Edit: All Access has just put this up going for adds on September 14th as well.

[43dudleyvillas]

Bringing this over from the Sam Hunt, "Breakup in a Small Town" thread to answer it here:

Aug 9, 2015 9:43:53 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

Brad Paisley--not sure how he is experiencing an identity crisis. He was trying something new with Wheelhouse, just as many other artists do. If it had worked, it wouldn't be an identity crisis, we'd be calling it "evolution" and "reinvention."

Well, if Wheelhouse had worked, I don't think that Brad would have presented Moonshine in the Trunk as a project on which he was delivering what his fans want, with his tail between his legs. I see Wheelhouse and Moonshine in the Trunk as part of a broader pattern for Brad -- American Saturday Night featured some tracks in which Brad pushed for a more inclusive vision of everyday life than mainstream country music has typically embraced, and then he retreated somewhat with This Is Country Music, which was more about preaching to and celebrating the choir. Then Wheelhouse pushed the envelope again, followed by another retreat. So the reason I see Brad as being in the middle of an identity crisis is that he seems wants to make progressive mainstream country music that incorporates multiculturalism, gender equality, explores racial tensions, and that figures out ways to incorporate techniques from other genres of music (like samples) into country music that still sounds country, but he has been spooked by pushback and, perhaps more to the point, the ascent of a new generation of male superstars that has pushed him out of country radio's top tier of core artists.

Aug 9, 2015 9:43:53 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

But really, are Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney at their best either? Look how Kenny fared his last two albums before The Big Revival.

I would argue that they holding up better right now than Brad. Tim has, of course, released some embarrassing duds, but he is enjoying some strong consistency with his singles and his last few singles offered a rather dignified, well-received return to a '90s country feel. Kenny, meanwhile, enjoyed a huge hit in "American Kids" and prior to that, generated a fair amount of good will by releasing "You & Tequila." Brad simply hasn't had a single impact that way at radio/retail or in terms of positive buzz over his last couple of albums, and his album sales lag well behind those of Kenny and Tim as a result.

Aug 9, 2015 9:43:53 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

"Perfect Storm" was top 5 in Luke Bryan speed.

With a fairly obvious assist from Arista Nashville's promo team, whose work in support of his singles has gotten more concerted and with less return over the last few years, in my view.

I'm a fan of Brad's. I see him as an antidote to the "himbo" marketing of many the format's bros -- a songwriter who still chases the clever turn of phrase, a creatively restless artist who doesn't ever seem to meet a formula he doesn't want to tweak, and a country music observer and participant who seems constantly to be thinking about the state of the format and how to bridge to its history. But for Brad to be effective, he needs great songs, and that's what his last couple of albums have been missing. It's not that those albums haven't been acceptable, or devoid of clever or moving moments. But "Country Nation" is representative of Moonshine in the Trunk in that while it has a warmth and sincerity to it, it scans as too studied an attempt at populism and a plea for ESPN placement. I think Brad has sharper observations in him, and I hope that in the future he finds stronger vehicles for them.

[Deleted]

Aug 9, 2015 21:54:47 GMT -5 43dudleyvillas said:

Bringing this over from the Sam Hunt, "Breakup in a Small Town" thread to answer it here:

Aug 9, 2015 9:43:53 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

Brad Paisley--not sure how he is experiencing an identity crisis. He was trying something new with Wheelhouse, just as many other artists do. If it had worked, it wouldn't be an identity crisis, we'd be calling it "evolution" and "reinvention."

Well, if Wheelhouse had worked, I don't think that Brad would have presented Moonshine in the Trunk as a project on which he was delivering what his fans want, with his tail between his legs. I see Wheelhouse and Moonshine in the Trunk as part of a broader pattern for Brad -- American Saturday Night featured some tracks in which Brad pushed for a more inclusive vision of everyday life than mainstream country music has typically embraced, and then he retreated somewhat with This Is Country Music, which was more about preaching to and celebrating the choir. Then Wheelhouse pushed the envelope again, followed by another retreat. So the reason I see Brad as being in the middle of an identity crisis is that he seems wants to make progressive mainstream country music that incorporates multiculturalism, gender equality, explores racial tensions, and that figures out ways to incorporate techniques from other genres of music (like samples) into country music that still sounds country, but he has been spooked by pushback and, perhaps more to the point, the ascent of a new generation of male superstars that has pushed him out of country radio's top tier of core artists.

Aug 9, 2015 9:43:53 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

But really, are Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney at their best either? Look how Kenny fared his last two albums before The Big Revival.

I would argue that they holding up better right now than Brad. Tim has, of course, released some embarrassing duds, but he is enjoying some strong consistency with his singles and his last few singles offered a rather dignified, well-received return to a '90s country feel. Kenny, meanwhile, enjoyed a huge hit in "American Kids" and prior to that, generated a fair amount of good will by releasing "You & Tequila." Brad simply hasn't had a single impact that way at radio/retail or in terms of positive buzz over his last couple of albums, and his album sales lag well behind those of Kenny and Tim as a result.

Aug 9, 2015 9:43:53 GMT -5 @nickv1025 said:

"Perfect Storm" was top 5 in Luke Bryan speed.

With a fairly obvious assist from Arista Nashville's promo team, whose work in support of his singles has gotten more concerted and with less return over the last few years, in my view.

I'm a fan of Brad's. I see him as an antidote to the "himbo" marketing of many the format's bros -- a songwriter who still chases the clever turn of phrase, a creatively restless artist who doesn't ever seem to meet a formula he doesn't want to tweak, and a country music observer and participant who seems constantly to be thinking about the state of the format and how to bridge to its history. But for Brad to be effective, he needs great songs, and that's what his last couple of albums have been missing. It's not that those albums haven't been acceptable, or devoid of clever or moving moments. But "Country Nation" is representative of Moonshine in the Trunk in that while it has a warmth and sincerity to it, it scans as too studied an attempt at populism and a plea for ESPN placement. I think Brad has sharper observations in him, and I hope that in the future he finds stronger vehicles for them.

In response to that, I would say that Brad may have lost some of his identity with Wheelhouse, only to regain bits and pieces of it in Moonshine in the Trunk. I tend to agree on your examination of American Saturday Night and This Is Country Music as well. Sometimes I get caught only looking at the radio singles, but I think this is a viable excuse as radio singles (obviously) tend to drive (or suffer from) the radio trends. If that's the case, "Then" was no different than some of Brad's early ballads and "Water" was along the same simple lines as "Ticks", "Online", and "Celebrity". 

I do see how This Is was a return to, perhaps, his original musical inclination. With songs like "This is Country Music" and "Old Alabama", Brad was really digging deep into the country aspect of the music.

Brad is not in the top tier of male artists, but I do think Dierks Bentley is a reasonable comparison right now. Brad is still capable of drawing 14,000 to 20,000 people on any given night which I think is partially because A) he is a great entertainer with a large catalog of hits and B) because he is a country music star playing outdoor shows in a world of folks looking to have a good time.

Tim and Kenny may be doing better right now, but if you look at each of them over the past 5 years they have all had their struggles. This, of course, comes with age, no doubt. I think as you mentioned for Kenny with "You and Tequila", Brad gave us "Remind Me" which was a monster hit, certifying 2x Platinum and almost breaking the top 15 of the Hot 100 chart (helped by the wonderful Carrie Underwood, of course). Unfortunately, any momentum from that may have been derailed by its follow-up ("Camouflage"), the Wheelhouse effort, and/or the "Accidental Racist" backlash.

I absolutely agree that Arista's promo team has clearly struggled with Brad lately ("Crushin' It" and the Wheelhouse era singles are good enough proof of that) but I can't see how "Perfect Storm" was 'fairly obvious'ly assisted by promotion for such a swift run. If that were such an easy task, every promo team would push singles up in 10-15 weeks. That speed absolutely had to do with the song itself, which may or may not have been a collective breath of relief from radio when given a song that perhaps allowed them some more confidence in finding some "vintage" Paisley.

Brad probably has a decent number of top 10 (and hopefully a handful of #1) hits left in him, even with the current state of radio. I agree that I'd like to see him make less of an effort the next go-round. He has nothing to prove to anybody and at this point in his career he legitimately has nothing to lose. He might as well take the "risk" and make songs that are truly Brad.

While "Country Nation" could be seen as somewhat a "let's give 'em something they can't not play" tune, I'm not entirely hung up on that. It's got great instrumentation--something sorely lacking with recent releases--and beyond that, I never get the impression that he is "pushing" any of the sport references. They all flow and they all work in my eyes.

Thanks for that discussion.

[sabre14]

From Music Row. Brad Paisley announces the Country Nation College Tour presented by Zaxby's:

Brad Paisley has announced the Country Nation College Tour Presented by Zaxby’s. He will take his show on the road to select IMG College partner universities to provide free entertainment for the campus community. IMG College, serving more than 200 universities nationwide, is a division of WME | IMG, which also represents Paisley and brokered the college tour deal.

The first show is scheduled for Sept. 6 at the Virginia Tech campus is Blacksburg, Va. Eric Paslay will open the show on this date.

The Country Nation College Tour Presented by Zaxby’s will also see Paisley play on Sept. 10 at the University of Texas with Pat Green, on Sept. 11 at Baylor University and Sept. 12 at The University of Arkansas. Both the Sept. 11 and Sept. 12 shows will include special guest duo The Raging Idiots, which features Bobby Bones and Eddie from iHeartMedia’s national country radio program The Bobby Bones Show.

“Music and sports are passions of so many people—Zaxby’s included—and we couldn’t think of a better way to unite the two this fall,” said Zaxby’s CEO and co-founder Zach McLeroy. “We’re even more passionate about the guests and communities we serve, and this sponsorship is a perfect opportunity for us to give back to our fans.”

The tour is named after Paisley next single, “Country Nation,” from his current album Moonshine in the Trunk. The tune, penned by Paisley and longtime collaborators Kelley Lovelace and Chris DuBois, manages to include shout outs to 18 college sports mascots. “Country Nation” will be shipped to country radio on Aug. 31 with an airplay impact date of Sept. 14.

"Country Nation" will be officially delivered to country radio on August 31st.

[robenglund]

This is a fantastic song. Vintage Brad Paisley. The lyrics are awesome and sometimes when I listen to it I get choked up. It's that beautiful of a song. I hate to say this but I think the production could be better. After doing some research I noticed that Frank Rogers produced all of his albums up until Wheelhouse then Brad either produced/co-produced his own albums. Wheelhouse is when Brad's music really started to change direction so it all makes sense. His old stuff is produced way better in my opinion. I think the drums are too loud and the fiddle and steel guitar are so quiet at times that you can't hear them. In the solo/instrumental break in the middle of the song you can hear them since he isn't singing. Perfect Storm has the same problem in my opinion. Chill with the drums and turn up the fiddle and steel please!

[sabre14]

Delivered to country radio today:

[Deleted]

Paisley...will perform his new single, “Country Nation” for the crowd and viewers at home during the Saturday, Sept. 5, season-opening telecast (9 a.m. – noon ET)...

espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2015/08/country-music-superstar-brad-paisley-to-headline-college-gameday-season-opener/

He'll also perform on the TODAY Summer Concert Series on the 4th (Friday).

[dm2081]

Brad will be performing this song during College Gameday this Saturday (Sept. 5), which will be stationed in Fort Worth, Texas.  Show airs from 9am-12pm ET.

Source

[Deleted]

Glad to see this one got a video and is getting a plethora of live performances (I assume it will be this song) right out of the gate. Surprised this one got a video before the song was even released (being the fourth single) but that's great. I wonder if the new man in charge has anything to do with this apparent increase in promo.

[sabre14]

^ Great video. Was maybe hoping for some actual football highlights but the mascots were fun to watch and the comedic aspect was a given since it's Brad after all.

I liked Brutus the Buckeye working with Safelite, lol. Mike the Tiger strolling his kitten too. :)

[zjames]

Sept 4, 2015 8:33:18 GMT -5 buythecaseof12 said:

I am starting to get the feeling that this song will go as far as football will take it.
It is a good song on it's own, but it seems highly dependent on college sports (mainly football).
It will be interesting to see how it sells in the upcoming weeks.
Many people will probably only know this as the college mascot song.

I disagree that this will be thought of as the college football song. Yes, college football is the main theme, but it also involves the interconnectedness of America, blue-collar life, and, perhaps most importantly for country radio, country radio. I think a lot of people will relate to this song, and I see it becoming a big hit.

[Deleted]

And after the music video release and the Today show performance, this is sitting in the top 50 on iTunes country...wasn't even in the top 200 two days ago. As a fourth single, I'd say that's pretty good. He's also doing one more promo tomorrow and airplay hasn't even kicked in yet (still 10 days out from the impact date, even though it's gotten a handful of early adds).

I wouldn't be surprised if this was on par with "Perfect Storm" for this era.

[northwestfan]

I saw him perform this song on the Tonight Show recently and I was not impressed. I couldn't understand the lyrics at all -- he just didn't seem invested in his performance.

[Deleted]

Brad's always been a kind of mellow performer, for whatever reason. He definitely lets the music do the talking (much like Joe Nichols) versus someone who bounces around on stage (like FGL) or someone who really belts out the lyrics (like Lee Brice). (I think they're all great performers, just different).

Three days, three performances, and one music video later this song is up to #22 on country iTunes, and #93 overall. The album also moved up to #17, country. I think this song is really resonating considering there's still minimal airplay and it's a fourth single.

[defying gravity]

Absolutely adore the song and music video. At first, I found the song rather boring, but after many listens I realized how beautiful the music is. That fiddle and steel though

[bksouthga]

Sept 4, 2015 13:35:52 GMT -5 zjames said:

Sept 4, 2015 8:33:18 GMT -5 buythecaseof12 said:

I am starting to get the feeling that this song will go as far as football will take it.
It is a good song on it's own, but it seems highly dependent on college sports (mainly football).
It will be interesting to see how it sells in the upcoming weeks.
Many people will probably only know this as the college mascot song.

I disagree that this will be thought of as the college football song. Yes, college football is the main theme, but it also involves the interconnectedness of America, blue-collar life, and, perhaps most importantly for country radio, country radio. I think a lot of people will relate to this song, and I see it becoming a big hit.

I saw this one this morning solo acoustic on Gameday. I haven't heard the studio version yet but so far I'm not really feeling it. It seems like a lot of rehash of Forty Hour Week by Alabama (in fact it mentions a lot of the same occupations) but I don't really see the connection of these to college football. I realize that college football is popular among non-grads also esp. In the south, but it still seems like a bit of a stretch conceptually. College sports and blue collar don't quite mix to me.

[.indulgecountry]

What a great music video. I love the concept. Brad Paisley has done some really creative videos, the one before this being a good example, but unlike that one, at least this one is for an equally great song!

[Deleted]

Debuts at #53 on Billboard (hot shot) a week before adds date. :)

[Deleted]

Some great exposure for "Country Nation". CBS will be featuring the song each week this fall during their coverage of the SEC 'Game of the Week'.

» Custom Tune-Up: Arista's Brad Paisley has recorded custom versions of "Country Nation" that will be part of CBS Sports' Southeastern Conference football broadcasts. The video for each SEC Game of the Week will feature players and fans. See the clip promoting this Saturday's (9/12) Georgia v. Vanderbilt game here.

Source: Country Aircheck Today (09/11)

[sabre14]

When I heard "Country Nation" for the very first time (back when Moonshine In The Trunk was about to be released), I really liked it but I couldn't help but feel that this was a little pandering on Brad's part and his trying too hard to be anthemic; the same problem I had with "This Is Country Music." In the end though, the instrumentation, production and quirky lyrics (team nicknames) was just too hard to ignore and I can't help but adore this song. The opening guitar riffs which are accompanied by those fiddles really make me smile, hearing this song in the car tonight, knowing there's a full slate of college football games tomorrow.

The biggest complaint I've heard so far his how his/her favorite school/team wasn't mentioned, lol. He could only include so many.

[sabre14]

This one made a nice debut at #46 on MB's top 50 this morning, with just over 3.0 million in total audience. I think we'll see a relatively fast climb for this song through the fall. I'm not saying that this will end up going to #1 but it looks like Arista had a good sense of how this song would perform and decided until college football was in full swing before its impact date.