The Erasure & Resurgence of Black & Queer Country Music

#music #country #history #culture
Country Music has been twisted & turned in every which way since it's creation, and I wanted to take a moment to clarify some misconceptions about country music and what the future of country music has the potential to be. Black, Indigenous & Queer musicians are constantly facing roadblocks in the genre they established.
I love country music so much and I want to share that love and meaning with the people who don’t feel like country was made for them, because it was. Its been changed and twisted and rebranded but the roots of country music are alive and well, and I hope you check out some of these incredible musicians and support them as they work their way through the country music landscape. If you wanna see more videos like this and if you have anything you wanna mention, let me know in the comments below.
Find Me on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter @howdyimvictoria.
A Delicious Country Sampler playlist to satisfy your most desirable ~country cravings ~
open.spotify.c...
Queer & BIPOC Country Artists
Queen Esthers Channel
/ @queenesther
Joy Oladokun - Songwriter and Musician
/ @joyoladokun
Crys Matthews
/ crysmatthews
Jake Blount - Where Did You Sleep Last Night
• Jake Blount - Where Di...
Amethyst Kiah
/ amythystkiah
Elias Krell - Live Hanover Strings Presents
• Hanover Strings Presen...
Paisley Fields
/ jameswilsonmusic
Little Bandit - Alex Caress
/ alexcaressme
Secret Emchy Society
/ secretemchysociety
Resources for Country Music History:
Queen Esther: The Origins of Country Music
• Queen Esther: The true...
‪@BuzzFeedVideo‬ How Black People in America Shaped Todays Country Music
• How Black People In Am...
‪@SoundFieldPBS‬ Is Blues the Mother of All Modern Music?
• Is Blues the Mother of...
How Country Music Descended From Black Culture
‪@nowthisimpact‬ • How Country Music Desc...

[@venus4424]

came here after watching your star-crossed reaction and i'm SO glad i found your channel! i grew up listening to country music but when i started realizing my queer identity i shyed away from the genre.. i love the way you describe the face of country vs the base of country- so well said and so accurate. after discovering artists like kacey & orville in the last few years i'm exploring country more than ever and i love it so much! will definitely check out your playlist and other videos

[@howdyimvictoria]

Ahh this makes me so happy, I’m glad you found it too!! Country music is soooo misrepresented in so many different ways, it’s important for me to clearly establish my community in that genre because it’s important to me, ya know? There are sooooo many incredible queer country musicians that are changing the landscape everyday. Highly recommend you check out Lavender Country, they are awesome! I’m making a video about them soon for Pride Month!

[@Lazy.legsss]

Came from Mr. Mom tiktok

[@howdyimvictoria]

Love to see it thank you for coming

[@godshounds]

i've absolutely loved watching your videos on country. i'm a lifelong country listener beginning to try to grasp the genre as a whole rather than just listening to my beloved 90s bops on repeat. i'm also queer and trans, and i've spent a lot of time considering why and how the genre became such a vital part of my life. i think it's because it's always universal in theme, and highly specific in imagery -- the details in a song, that rich backdrop that immerses us, may be about a miner, a cowboy, or a heterosexual marriage, but its themes are so often masterfully conveyed through those details. we all know grief, joy, love, heartache. this resurgence of artists who soak their songs in the details of their own queer, trans, and/or Black lives is so meaningful to see. the universal nature of the music is magical, but for people who grow up feeling alienated because of who they are, seeing our lives unapologetically portrayed in these songs is so powerful.

[@jamessentiba2459]

I'm doing some research for a blog post I'm writing on Beyonce's Cowboy Carter and after watching this video, I just have to link to it on my post. I have to say, the way you discuss these topics of race, gender, and sexuality in country music is both informative and entertaining! Immediately subscribed.

[@inklover8168]

Damn, that video made me want to listen country music again, which I haven’t felt like in a good excitement and enthusiasm were palpable. Also, your makeup is out of his world.

[@CallieGoesRawrr]

Ahhhh I’m so excited to have found your channel! This is the kind of history I love to learn about, and I love the way you worded your points. Can’t wait to see what else you’ve got on the channel. 🤓

[@howdyimvictoria]

Ahh I’m so happy to hear this, and glad you found the channel! I have a new video coming on Sunday about music in horror movies and how the music makes it scary. Hope you like it! 👹

[@CallieGoesRawrr]

@@howdyimvictoria music theory and horror films??? agghhhhh!! 🥳🥳🥳

[@reneeatokaita1286]

Found this looking for more country music by lgbt poc after listening to rina sawayama's send my love to john (which id love to hear your opinion on). Beautiful video, I learned a lot and i appreciate your perspective from someone who didnt grow up enjoying country music.

[@archiesickels8207]

thank u so much for makin this video & putting together that playlist omg!! definitely gonna be listening to a lot more country :-)

[@howdyimvictoria]

Yay I’m so happy to hear that!!! Let me know if you find any new favs 🥺

[@jamesyarbrough778]

What we today call country music primarily comes from Appalachian music, which primarily comes from the ballads and folk music of the British Isle.

[@howdyimvictoria]

There are facets of country music that have descended from many different cultures, including what you mentioned here, but I felt the African origins and contributions in country music are often overlooked. I went into detail about the specific development in the video, starting with the banjo and going through American popular country music..

[@jamesyarbrough778]

@@howdyimvictoria No doubt that African-American musicians contributed to the creation of country music. My issue is that i have noticed a weird trend among some people to claim that black musicians created country music just as they created blues and Jazz. While it is absolutely true that black musicians created the Blues and Jazz, they did not create country music. There's a reason why country music emerged in the Appalachian Mountains, instead of Mississippi/Louisiana

[@nicolew7818]

Found your video when I decided to deliberately look for BIPOC country artists. Thank you for this video! ❤️

[@howdyimvictoria]

Thank you for watching! I’m so glad you found my channel. Happy to have ya 🧡🥰

[@s19aa294d]

love the video!! keep the good work ♡ ♡ ♡ (also love the earrings girl 🥰😉)

[@howdyimvictoria]

Ahh thank you so much!!! Glad you enjoyed it :)

[@samanthashell5770]

I’m definitely going to be listening to more country especially Trixie

[@howdyimvictoria]

Trixie is so much fun in her music and she plays the autoharp and it’s fantastic If you like Trixie also check out Orville Peck I think you’ll like him

[@zanoti4461]

i loooooove trixie country stuff, the Two Birds One Stone era is everything

[@howdyimvictoria]

@@zanoti4461 absolutely agree

[@zanoti4461]

i really got into country with Orville Peck and Trixie Mattel... country isn't really a thing here in Brazil, i guess we have something kinda close to country but its def still very much white cis predominant, i cant even think of a queer/black artist of the top of my head... i'm happy that things are changing to how they're suppost to be

[@howdyimvictoria]

I forgot to respond but I wanted to say I’m glad you enjoyed it!! 💜

[@b4thedinos]

Nick Shoulders was the first queer country artist I found, you should check him out! also I had no idea Trixie Mattel did country music lol

[@howdyimvictoria]

AHH WAIT I LOVE HIM!! G for Jesus cracks me up every single time thank you for the reminder I need to make sure hes on the playlist!! Trixie is such a wild card like she does everything at this point

[@emmagynparton5251]

I could listen to you talk about literally anything

[@howdyimvictoria]

This is so sweet 🥺😭💜

[@TheMacStroud]

an amazing video

[@howdyimvictoria]

Thank you 🥰