In the past year, we have witnessed a significant rise in mainstream country music. Beyoncé released her 8th studio album, “Cowboy Carter,” which is the highest-selling album of 2024 so far. Noah Kahan gained massive fame with his breakout album “Stick Season (Forever).” And Luke Combs performed “Fast Car” with surprise guest Tracy Chapman at the 2024 Grammys, a performance that has since garnered 24 million views on YouTube. With the rise of country music over the past year, one of its subgenres, Americana, remains widely misunderstood.  

When you think of Americana, images of cherry coke, pouty red lips, and Lana Del Ray wrapped in an American flag may come to mind. However, for many it is a way of being, it is rusted trucks, faded flags, twangy banjos and somber harmonicas, small-town ideals, and hometown bars. It’s everything Garth Brooks pretends to know about while writing songs in his $3.5 million home. In reality, Americana music personifies the American melting pot, encompassing elements of folk, country, bluegrass, blues, gospel, and roots music. Americana is easily identified by its three main characteristics: acoustic instruments, a longing for the past, and the use of narrative storytelling, and often symbolic lyrics.  

While Americana is always country, country music isn’t always Americana. It’s the whole square/rectangle conundrum. In other words, modern country music often portrays an overly commercialized version of America, it’s Kenny Chesney singing about how sexy his tractor is with his 60-dollar spray-on farmer’s tan. America’s diversity and depth are what separates it from the top 40 pop country, it is a more authentic representation of the American experience. It is Harry McClintock singing about a hobo’s journey to paradise in “The Big Rock Candy Mountains” with his subtle complaints of everyday life. His paradise has lemonade streams, you never have to change your socks, policemen respect him, and you can sleep all day. It’s about escaping to a place where the joys of life aren’t stripped away and there is no backbreaking labor, nothing is literal, but everything has meaning.   

Amidst the rise in popularity of country music, Americana stands as a testament to a deeper, more authentic narrative. Its essence lies in the raw, unfiltered portrayal of American life through acoustic instruments, evocative storytelling, and a nostalgic longing for simpler times. Americana music does not seek to glamorize or simplify the American experience, but rather to embrace its complexities and contradictions. It’s a genre that reflects the true fabric of American culture, from the dusty roads of small towns to the heartaches and triumphs of everyday life.  

To truly appreciate the soul of Americana, you’ve got to listen to the music. Here are a few recommended songs that exemplify the genre’s distinct characteristics and offer a glimpse into the vast world of Americana: 

1. “Nothing’s Warm as Addiction” by Jesse Woods 
2. “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind” by Chet Atkins 
3. “Even a Dog Has Dreams” by 10 String Symphony  
4. “You’re Dead” by Norma Tanega 
5. “Man of Constant Sorrow” by Dan Tyminsk 
6. “In Spite of Ourselves” by John Prine (feat. Iris DeMent)