Miranda Lambert Gives a Woman’s Take on ‘Bro Country’
In the past few weeks, artists from Eric Church to Vince Gill have weighed in with Rolling Stone Country on the current “bro country” trend, the much maligned subgenre of country music that has never met a pair of denim cutoffs or a dropped tailgate it didn’t like. Most have had mixed feelings on the bro-ing down of country lyrics, including Miranda Lambert. The “Somethin’ Bad” singer, whose new album Platinum debuted atop the Billboard 200, recently shared her explanation as to why that type of country is so popular.
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“This ‘bro country,’ whatever it is, it definitely has this whole theme of party and tailgate and bonfire — I love all that stuff. I think it’s big right now because everybody wants to escape for a minute and think about the fun stuff, and not driving in traffic and going to work,” Lambert tells us. “But there is so much more you can sing about and say.”
Which Lambert does on Platinum with tracks like the meditation on growing old, “Gravity’s a Bitch,” and the vulnerable tortured-soul ballad, “Bathroom Sink.”
Nonetheless, she appreciates what “bro country” is doing for country’s popularity.
“The bottom line is that whatever country is doing right now, it’s working. And I’m damn glad to be part of it. We are popular music, and everybody wants a piece of country music. Every other kind of genre artist wants to come to Nashville and see what it’s all about,” she says. “So whatever the hell we did to get here, I’m happy about it and I don’t have any problem with anything that is going on. I’m just glad to have a spot.”
Lambert will hit the road in support of her new album when the Platinum Tour kicks off July 10th in Ft. Laramie, Ohio.