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Contemporary Country
is the mainstream
country and
country-pop that
evolved after the
slick country-pop of
the Urban Cowboy
movement in the
early '80s. At the
outset, Contemporary
Country incorporated
subtle pop
production
techniques, such as
synthesizers, and it
often sounded slick
and polished. At
times, the country
roots of
contemporary country
were fairly
well-hidden beneath
pop trappings, but
new traditionalists
like George Strait
and Randy Travis
began returning
country to its honky
tonk roots. These
artists reworked and
updated the classic
sounds of honky tonk
and traditional
country, adding
contemporary
production touches
to make it more
commercially viable
— even with the
slick production
flourishes, the
music was
essentially hardcore
country. After the
first wave of new
traditionalists
(George Strait,
Randy Travis, Dwight
Yoakum), the genre
became a bit slicker
and demonstrated a
more overt rock
influence, paving
way for the New
Country led by Garth
Brooks, who
skillfully
positioned himself
between New
Traditionalism and
rock-influenced
country-pop. Brooks
and the legions of
artists he
influenced dominated
the '90s, and they
laid the groundwork
for such artists as
Shania Twain, who
owed more to
middle-of-the-road
pop than country. |
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