So Beyonce wins Country Music Album of the year at the Grammy's. Admittedly, I haven't listened to her album but I have heard part of her single. Country music is not a place for pop artists that aren't getting enough attention. Country music isn't about getting a “cowboy” hat and mentioning Texas in the lyrics. A few have made that cross over well because it was inherently part of their roots, like Darius Rucker, Aaron Lewis, and I love Post Malone! I've seen more and more of these artists like Beyonce that are taking a dip in the country pool and it's disingenuous. Country music is all about genuine artists that not only have an intimate knowledge of subject matter they're writing, they connect and relate to the listener on a very real level. I hate to see the genre getting so watered down. I love the songwriter that tells their story. I think of artists like Merle Haggard and Chris LeDoux that lived it, then wrote about it. You had no doubt that they knew every detail of the subject matter that they were singing about and it was unapologetically country. I love rock and roll and listen to practically every genre. However, I think it's important to maintain a level of identity as a genre. Country is selling out on a national level. It's up to the grass roots artists and writers to keep it real. It's up to the listener to pay attention. The only thing we can depend on the industry to do is follow the dollar. Keeping it real!