Issue #78: CMA Recap (grimace face) and subscriber playlist

We just couldn't wait until next week to talk about...whatever that was

Ashley McBryde. (Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

By Marissa

Last night, we once again got to witness one of Nashville’s most beloved traditions: the CMA Awards, which I am pretty sure stands for Clichės, Microaggressions and Ashley McBryde (did I get that right? Feel like it’s close). In a time when country music is more popular than ever, this was a bizarre, snoozy show that included repeatedly making fun of a Black man’s name, yet another absurdly hokey performance from Luke Bryan and a five minute prayer session/Brooks & Dunn song. Of course, we love country music - hence the existence of this newsletter - but it’s hard not to be disappointed (and, on occasion, downright enranged) by what took place on that stage. 

Now, I watched from my couch - I attended the awards once as a reporter in 2014, and was promptly banned when I published this account in Rolling Stone. Since the entire communications staff has turned over since then, I am not sure if the ban is still in place, but I choose couch (and thank you to the folks that came and hung out in the Don’t Rock the Inbox subscriber chat - that was extremely fun!). 

To be honest, I was dreading these awards more than I was looking forward to them - and I look forward to awards shows, normally! But given the state of affairs and recent election, I knew that we would get some dismissive, not very funny political jokes (we did), and some newly emboldened racism (we did). 

First off, why the fuck is Peyton Manning there? I cannot remember a single joke he made. Actually, I don’t even remember if he was ever on stage? My memory of that show is like the Leftovers, and Peyton was the one who got disappeared at the very beginning. Did he just stand there? Did he talk at all? All memories have entirely left my brain because he was so boring. We get it: country music, football, etc. He is terrible. Kick him off. 

And, while you’re at it, also fire Luke Bryan. Unlike Peyton, my brain is willing to preserve the memory of his appearance, which was many awkward, sometimes sexist, often racist (see next point) jokes that landed terribly, doubling down on every country music stereotype that keeps folks from exploring the genre to begin with. His apparently required performance was equally terrible, and I say this as someone who objectively understands the appeal of what he does and who it’s for - running around on stage singing cheesy choruses about teenage love is all just a little…Gaetzian for me? Enough. Next year, Lainey Wilson will do just fine on her own. Seriously. Stop making that woman do duets with mediocre men just to exist in spaces she deserves to be in. If she needs a partner, I vote for Ashley McBryde. Just…because.

And about those jokes, which brings us to Shaboozey - who, being that he has the biggest song in the world right now, “A Bar Song,” should have actually opened the show instead of Post Malone. One joke about his name is cringe, two is red flag and three is five alarm fire - and CMA burned that shit all the way to the ground with Bryan’s repeated jokes about Shaboozey’s name which the singer, born Collins Obinna Chibueze, adopted because people would repeatedly fuck up when they tried to pronounce it. Which also leads me to believe that whoever was writing those jokes didn’t bother to even google or learn about Shaboozey’s history or biography, because his mere existence is seen as an inconvenience or, worse, a joke. One way Music Row deals with Black artists in country music is to simply treat them like a novelty and something funny they can kick out of the way when their appropriate time has expired, and laughing repeatedly at Shaboozey’s expense is one way to make sure his career and tenure in Nashville follows suit. Good news for Shaboozey: he doesn’t need Nashville. 

But perhaps the most egregious Shaboozey slight of the night was when Cody Johnson producer Trent Willmon took the mic after Johnson’s win to say, “I got to tell you, this is for this cowboy who’s been kicking Shaboozey for a lot of years.” Unconscious bias or intentional racist dis? Who cares. It’s all bad. If that man feels comfortable enough to say a joke like that on camera in front of the world, what is he saying when the mic is off? I simply will not listen to any more white men lecture about how you have to “do time” in country music to make it and then be completely fine with Post Malone because he goes through the right channels, but not Beyoncé - or lecture about how Shaboozey is more of a “content creator” than musician because he came up in the digital landscape. Have you guys forgotten that Zach Bryan’s career began with just a bunch of online videos? Oh yes…it’s ok when a white dude does it. 

Here’s what I liked: Ella Langley and Riley Green. It was so refreshing to see and hear some new faces on that stage, and Ella sounded great. Kacey Musgraves was simple and stunning, putting some much needed thoughtful lyrics on that stage. Ashley McBryde was exquisite in her tribute of Kris Kristofferson (if all was right in the world, she’d be playing stadiums and up for entertainer of the year, but I digress), and Eric Church brought a damn flute to the CMA’s in his terrific new song “Darkest Hour,” of which he donated publishing royalties to his home state of North Carolina in perpetuity (my condolences to the pub team who has to administer those rights). Charlie Worsham winning Musician of the Year was fantastic, but also sort of like giving Lamar Jackson an award for Running Fast instead of MVP - yes, he’s a great musician, but consider his songwriting and his albums for CMAs, too! And though it’s unrelated to last night directly, I always want to shout out and appreciate the good work that the CMA Foundation does.

I wouldn’t say there was even really anything to be particularly excited about when it came to awards themselves - Chris Stapleton won stuff, Morgan Wallen won entertainer of the year, which Natalie called. Jelly Roll didn’t win anything, which I was wrong about - but, no shit, CMA Awards EP Robert Deaton compared him to Johnny Cash, because apparently proximity to jail is the only requirement? (Meanwhile, please try to picture the genre welcoming a woman or a Black artist who has gone to jail. Just try!). 

Speaking of Jelly, I found his performance of “Believe” with Brooks & Dunn to be downright uncomfortable - Ronnie sounded great, and I get that this song was successful, but a full on worship session in the middle of a secular event felt completely over the line. But I have a feeling we will be seeing more of this especially in round two of Trump - unabashed Christianity creeping into the mainstream in every way possible. I enjoy worship music even as a Jew, but that performance was a reminder that, yup, I am not really welcome here! This is a Christian zone!

Another place I am not welcome: in whatever Bailey Zimmerman is selling. Just dudes being bros? Who needs this? I wanted something more upbeat at this point, because most of the show was a snooze, but lord not that. 

The one CMA event I did attend this year? A luncheon for the CMA International Awards, where Kip Moore was honored. Kip’s sold tens of thousands of tickets in South Africa and Australia this year, and headlined the first Country Music festival in South Africa, CTC: Cape Town, which basically was able to exist because of him. Why did we not see this mentioned during the broadcast? Why didn’t he get a performance slot?

I’ve stopped pining for a world where Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price and Tyler Childers and Sierra Ferrell and Orville Peck and Roberta Lea and Adeem the Artist suddenly appear at the CMA Awards. I know better - and I know that until the voters and labels and requirements change, that won’t happen, and that those people are a threat to the mediocrity of someone like Luke Bryan, anyway. I can’t help but wish for it, though.

Anyway, my favorite category at the CMA’s is song of the year, and for our loyal subscribers, here is a playlist, below, of the past decade or so’s winners - I hope that one day we’ll see some of the names I just mentioned here, too. Till next year….