Updated: April 26, 2023, at 12:28 a.m.

Grammy-nominated country singer Kelsea Ballerini sent shockwaves through the country music industry after performing her single “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO)” at the Country Music Television Awards, which she hosted alongside Kane Brown earlier this month. But her impressive vocals, tongue-in-cheek lyrics and engaging stage presence had nothing to do with it.

Following her performance with a group of four “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alumni, Ballerini has faced backlash and even accusations that her music is “not country” at all. Yet the criticism contradicts the fact that the track, like the vast majority of her discography, is undeniably a classic country song both sonically and lyrically. But these accusations are not and have never been about what is or isn’t “country.” In a genre built on authentic storytelling, Ballerini is as country as it gets. The incessant hatred thrown at Ballerini is just the latest attempt to silence women in country music who experiment with the genre, uplift marginalized groups or speak out about uncharted, more progressive territory with their art.

Despite the heavy criticism levied at them, Ballerini and other outspoken progressive country artists like Maren Morris and Kacey Musgraves draw in an otherwise disassociated group of listeners who stand by the classic blanket statement that they hate country music. Even those who have come out in support of Ballerini after the CMT Awards have prefaced by saying they aren’t country fans but will listen to Ballerini’s music because it underscores a more progressive subgroup of the genre. While everyone is entitled to their taste in music, many people who say they dislike country music don’t mean that they hate traditional country lyrics, sounds or instruments. They mean that they’ve become disillusioned with the one-dimensional ideas that the industry continues to push – country artists must fit into a strict mold. In the minds of many radio station executives, unless they play male country artists singing about beers, trucks and women, no one will listen.

But this limited viewpoint is far from the case – country music at its core is about storytelling, and it must tell the stories and appeal to the interests of a diverse group of people rather than a select few. Sticking to the latter only limits experimentation and individuality, alienating artists and audiences alike. But new artists are apprehensive to take creative risks for fear of being blacklisted from radio stations, causing their career to end before it begins.

These fears are not unfounded – from the infamous silencing of The Chicks in 2003 after members said they were “ashamed” of former President George W. Bush due to the Iraq War to the incessant backlash toward Ballerini two decades later, it’s clear not much has shifted within a genre so resistant to change. And even without any controversy, it’s hard enough as it is for a new female artist to break into the country scene – in 2020, employees at country radio station KCQ admitted the station bars them from playing two women back to back. In one of the few genres where the radio still carries immense weight, this matters – and it’s happening in plain sight.

Despite what it has become, country music used to be something entirely different than it is today with iconic artists like Dolly Parton publicly supporting the LGBTQ+ community far before it was popular. But the post-9/11 era of country music led to a wave of social conservatism and ushered in a new silencing of artists like Ballerini, Morris and Musgraves who make the same statements of support more than three decades later.

If country artists felt comfortable enough to push boundaries without risk of getting blacklisted and censored, they would draw in a new fanbase to the genre beyond a narrow-minded following ready to boycott them at the drop of a hat. But if record labels refuse to sign them and the radio won’t play them, these artists are forced to either conform or be ousted from the genre entirely. Like many of her predecessors, Ballerini has already hinted at wanting to “cross over” to pop, and it’s not because the Tennessee native doesn’t want to sing and write country songs – it’s because the industry no longer welcomes her.

Freedom of expression is essential in all aspects of media, particularly in the universal language of music – a connector of cultures, identities and backgrounds. The music industry – in all genres – should be a place where every person can see themselves positively reflected, and country music shouldn’t be the exception.

The country genre continues to sabotage itself by alienating artists and audiences alike, and the industry must evolve to broaden the scope of its talent and fanbase. It’s difficult to force an antiquated industry to shift, and it may seem like an easier feat for disillusioned fans to stop listening and frustrated artists to make a genre switch. But this issue can only be fixed if artists push boundaries and fans continue to listen. So even if you’ve “never liked country,” give artists like Ballerini, Musgraves and Morris a try. They’re putting their careers in the genre they love at risk to make art they care about in an immensely polarizing climate. Fans outside of their typical pool of listeners may find themselves surprised at how authentic country music can be when it’s free of constraints.

Julia Koscelnik, a senior majoring in political science and minoring in journalism and mass communication, is the contributing opinions editor.

This post has been updated to correct the following:
The post incorrectly stated that Ballerini is facing criticism a decade after The Chicks faced backlash in 2003. Ballerini faced criticism two decades after The Chicks faced that criticism. We regret this error.