Free Republic

AI-generated singers routinely rank among the top-streamed country music artists in the United States -- a trend that for now is limited to a genre that industry observers fear is becoming too formulaic. Breaking Rust, Cain Walker, Aventhis, and Outlaw Gospel have more in common that cowboy hats, denim and leather. They are all completely computer-generated, from their faces to their melodies. And they are all hitmakers. "That's a phenomenon I didn't see coming," said Jennie Hayes Kurtz of the country music band Brother and The Hayes. "I thought AI was going to be curing cancer or something." Many of...

Loretta Lynn voiced her displeasure with current country music during a recent podcast, and she didn’t hold back. The 87-year-old country music pioneer told Martina McBride that she thinks country music is “dead.” “I think it’s a shame,” she said on the ‘Vocal Point with Martina McBride’ podcast, according to WhiskeyRiff.com. “I think it’s a shame to let a type of music die. I don’t care what any kind of music it is. Rock, country, whatever. I think it’s a shame to let it die, and I’m here to start feeding it.” She later told McBride, who is also a...

Rapper wants to 'hick-hop' his way to country stardom By Mario Tarradell The Dallas Morning News Cowboy Troy Coleman wants to become the first black country artist to break out since Charley Pride hit the charts almost 40 years ago. DALLAS - Cowboy Troy can't walk into a concert venue without turning heads. He knows there's no way a 6-foot-5-inch black country rapper can escape the curious stares. Especially when he's wearing a Superman T-shirt. The spotlight, he admits, can be intimidating. ''There are times where if you let it wear you down, you can feel the pressure,'' says...