2022: tradition or inclusivity, or tradition and inclusivity?

"When I first came in, with how I look — tattoos, biracial, all that stuff — I was already getting perceived as a rapper, and it kept going on for years. [So] I might as well just take on that role."

(Kane Brown / nytimes.com, September 4, 2022)

Diversity and inclusivity was also a topic in Nashville throughout 2022. As a socio-political topic it has been on the forefront ever since the George Floyd issue in 2020. At the same time it has been a touchy subject within the country music format for a long time.

Or as journalist Billy Duke put it on tasteofcountry.com in December of this year: "There's an important, ongoing conversation happening right now about diversity in the format, and while change is slow and debatable, it's pretty clear that for decades, clean cut, white males have had the easiest time notching radio hits."

While the established Award Shows especially seem to struggle with it, labels have moved forward, hard on the heels of their audience. For in contrast to past years, when social media had not been awakened yet, the music industry in 2022 is no longer the primary taste maker for music.

Instead this role has been handed back to the audience, which has been stepped up and let the industry play catch-up. Under these circumstances more and more hopefuls crowd onto the fields of public goodwill, while award shows at the opposite end of the spectrum seem to become less and less important. A fact that is also affected by the fading of traditional linear TV consumption, which up to now has been the backbone of award shows.

This was obviously a contributing factor for the ACM Awards to move from CBS and traditional broadcasting to an exclusiv deal with Amazon Primce, hence entering the streaming age for the first time. An attempt to stay up to date and potentially gain new audiences. But instead of being able to access the event from all Amazon Prime platforms (meaning, also those abroad) as one would expect, this still is not possible due to license legalities. Duh!

The Country Music Association (CMA) avoids all this by sticking to the old fashioned broadcasting model and has already confirmed last year (2021) an extension of their agreement with ABC until 2026.

But most disappointing is the lack of imagination these award shows exercise, when setting up their award nominations. They seem to be nothing but a tiresome continuation of tradition. For years, a handful of artists get nominated and given the award. Such as Miranda Lambert, who has been nominated by either of the ACM or the CMA more or less for the past 15 years (and has also been handed the award most of the times).

Or take Chris Stapleton, whose voice is unique in all of music, no doubt. But either you give him the award for life (and get rid of the award alltogether) or you let artistic output and commercial success play a role in it. After all his last album dates back 2 years (2020) and the only commercial hit he has had over the past 2 years is 'You Should Probably Leave'.

But in the end no other artist currently falls more between the stools of tradition, progress and inclusivity, than Kane Brown does. As a son of biracial parents, the 29-year old artist by now ranks among the commercially most successful of the format. On Spotify alone, his songs have passed the 2 billion streams mark and on the radio (Billboard Country Airplay) chart he has put 8 number-1 hits under his belt up till now.

A success that is no longer kept within the US, as his current Drunk Or Dreaming Tour takes him through Australia and Canada and in January of 2023, even to Europe (Scottland, England, Netherlands, Germany and Sweden).

But when looking at awards, one has to get the impression, that Kane Brown does not play a major role in the format. Admittedly he has received ACM- and CMA-nominations for the song 'Famous Friends', but it feels like this is more owed to the fact, that it is a Chris Young song, which accidently also includes Kane Brown as a duet partner.

However to be fair, the hesitation of the establishment can be understood to a certain degree. After all Kane Brown does not only look like an R&B star, but very often his music also sounds like that. Nobody would seriously consider putting his most succesful songs on Spotify (the duets 'One Thing Right' with Marshmello and 'Be Like That' with Khalid) in the country format.

At the beginning of September 2022 Kane Brown released his third full-length studio album ("Different Man") of his career. Produced by Dann Huff, he uses the full breath of 17 songs on the project to impress as one of the most versatile artists in today's music. They allow him to perform at the Video Music Awards (VMAs) with the pop song 'Grand' and put a stamp on 'Bury Me in Georgia' and 'Riot' with gospel and (gothic) rock.

On his current top-10 love ballad 'Thank God' he duets with his wife for the first time and on 'Pop's Last Name' he uncompromisingly opens up about his own past with his father. And next to his number-1 radio (Billboard Country Airplay) hits 'One Mississippi' and 'Like I Love Country Music', Kane Brown proves that he can also genuinely do traditional country music soaked in steel guitar with 'Whiskey Sour'. In the end it remains to be seen, whether this will help him finally earn more recognition from the establishment next year.

After all country icon Randy Travis has recognized the human and the artist Kane Brown already a while ago by the words: "I have not only become a fan of his voice, his style and talent, but of his heart, his passion and his character.  If you listen to the stories his songs tell, you will understand his journey."