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kGxnNB rponsive-asset AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO KhjZz AssetEmbedRponsiveAsset-cXBNxi eCxVQK asset-embed__rponsive-asset rponsive-image rponsive-image--expandable"><noscript><img alt="Le Bryan and Eric Church stretch untry to clu a wi variety of pop genr." class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src=" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w, 960w, 1280w, 1600w, 1920w, 2240w" siz="100vw"/></noscript></picture></span></div><div class="CaptnWrapper-jSZdqE iTuhkZ ptn AssetEmbedCaptn-fNQBPI fmQnYP asset-embed__ptn"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnText-bHjzlu iUEiRd hWyo iXWezO ptn__text">Le Bryan and Eric Church stretch untry to clu a wi variety of pop genr.</span><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ CaptnCred-ejegDm iUEiRd iicloT jbIJNS ptn__cred">Illtratn by Casarramona</span></div></figure></div><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg">In July, Nielsen SoundSn released s midyear sal figur. The top-sellg album, at 2.7 ln rerds, was the soundtrack of the animated movie “Frozen.” Send, sellg almost two ln fewer pi, was Beyoncé’s self-tled album. Third, not far behd, was Eric Church’s “The Outsirs,” released Febary. At No. 7 was Le Bryan’s “Crash My Party.” If you mostly read the mastream prs, or survey die Web s such as Pchfork, or if you’re jt out of touch wh the movements of Nashville pop stars, you uld be fiven for not knowg who the guys are. Church and Bryan are both phg forty, and have released five albums each. They are neher grizzled veterans nor teens, but they are perfect exampl of how Nashville has built a mol for the pop song, wh s standard verse-chos-bridge archecture, that has outlasted the other genr that have tradnally ed the form.</p><p class="paywall">Until recently, untry mic was seen as stylistilly retrogra—nservative mic for the nservative stat. But the tth is more plited. In the neti, Garth Brooks was blendg stadium rock to his untry songs. He was also sgg about gay rights, somethg that took a Top Ten rapper two more s to do. In 2000, when pop stars were unlikely to wre songs about domtic vlence, the Dixie Chicks sred a Top Twenty h wh “Goodbye Earl,” a cheerfully thls narrative about two iends poisong an abive hband. And Taylor Swift is only one of many untry artists who rporate vers of hip-hop and R. & B. to their live sets, a favor that is not often returned by their peers other genr. Country ref to die bee isn’t particularly specialized—’s an ecumenil church that adms all ers.</p><p class="paywall">Church and Bryan, like almost everyone unr forty currently workg Nashville, need jt a few elements to signal that they are untry before they are other thgs: a Southern-leang, medium vol twang and an emphasis on realistic storytellg. Atic guars are mon the talogu of both artists, but no more so than the work of many die-rock micians. When Eric Church sgs about Tallaga the song of the same name, om “The Outsirs,” might nfirm the ia that untry is tend for Nasr Natn. The song mentns whiskey and one of Nasr’s most famo speedways, and has a nostalgia for the immediate past that seems enmic to untry: “We were lghg and livg, drkg and wishg and thkg, as that checkered flag was wavg, sure would like to stay Tallaga.” But the mic is as much classic rock as untry; several solos are tucked behd Church’s even tenor.</p><p class="paywall">The tle track reveals how poro the boundari between untry and the genr rporat are. The song opens wh fger-picked guar arpeggs that sound more like Dire Stras’ Mark Knopfler than like the hard crack of a tradnal flat-pickg guar player. Several wav of majtic guar chords h, and massed background vols of “whooah oooh ooh” follow. The mic don’t entirely le up wh lyrics like “Our women get hot, and our leather gets staed when we saddle up and ri them the pourg ra. We’re the junkyard dogs, we’re the alley ts, keep the wd at our ont, and the hell at our back.” The tune feels more like “We Will Rock You” than like Johnny Cash. Around 3’15”, there’s an stmental break that, ptg two time signatur agast each other, uld have been lifted om the progrsive-rock group Y; the song then builds to a crcendo that skips forward a , soundg like a bridge om an early Metalli rerd. The wboy hats have turned to mouflage. Anythg, pretty much, n go on a untry rerd if ’s sung well and don’t e abstract imagery.</p><div class="Contaer-bkChBi byNLHx"></div><p class="paywall">Church and Bryan are both regular-guy stars, termtently scffy and not given to a signature stage or vio outf. Church has more plex narrative material, while Bryan sticks to tal of the good life that rt fortably an album tled “Crash My Party.” One of Church’s most emotnally shad songs is “Homeboy” (2011). Acpanied largely by atic guars, and leavg bravado mostly to the si, Church sgs to a fay member who seems to be culturally mixed up: “You were too bad for a ltle square town wh your hip-hop hat and your pants on the ground.” The character skirts trouble wh the law, while Church plays on the tle word and sgs the prais of a tradnal life: “A’t no shame a blue-llar forty, ltle hoe, ltle kids, ltle small-town story. If you don’t ever do anythg else for me, jt do this for me, brother—e on home, boy.” His ma argument is “We both know who you are.” If that sounds vaguely nservative or even slightly racist, ’s imprsive that Church sgs about the culture clash at all. His tenncy to discs domticy and the fay un don’t exclu all the variatns those choic might entail, givg his versn of untry a broar social gaze than many expect. In Nashville, at s bt, observatn tmps preachg.</p><div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un nsumer-marketg-un--article-mid-ntent" role="prentatn" aria-hidn="te"><div class="nsumer-marketg-un__slot nsumer-marketg-un__slot--article-mid-ntent nsumer-marketg-un__slot---ntent"></div><div class="journey-un"></div></div></div><p class="paywall">Bryan’s new sgle is pecially ee style—the song uld have bounced between Atlanta and New York nference rooms before returng to Mic Row. “Roller Coaster,” about a summer flg, is one gree of regnal flectn removed om beg a h for almost any pop star: One Directn, P!nk, Bno Mars. The chos ends wh a classic Nashville explaer, makg sure no loose metaphors are released to the world: “I should’ve known that kd of feelg would last longer than that week did, blown away and barely breathg. Sunday me, and was over. Now she’s got me twisted like an old beach roller aster.” Bryan sgs higher and wh ls twang than Church; on “Roller Coaster,” the songwrers Michael Carter and Cole Swll pull off the mercial bull’s-eye of makg a song that sus a vio of ntemporary attractive young people but works, when heard and not seen, as the kd of nostalgia that uld be about the summer of 1969 as easily as about that of 2014.</p><p class="has-dropp has-dropp__lead-standard-headg paywall">There are lims. The mic that out of Nashville isn’t likely to e the kd of mimal, sere electronics of an emergg producer like Ar. If your dience is gog to stretch to acmodate several taste horts and several generatns, elimatg certa kds of sounds serv to suate listeners. But this remag slice of sonic rtrat may not be long for the world. “That’s My Kd of Night,” om “Crash My Party,” works over a dumb, simple beat that says “dance mic” at any weddg. Though the stments clu a banjo, the lyrics make clear that the world of the narrator isn’t limed to whatever untry mic is rced to TV mercials. “Might s down on my diamond-plate tailgate, put my untry ri hip-hop mixtape—ltle Conway, a ltle T-Pa, might jt make ra,” Bryan sgs, referrg both to Conway Twty and to throwg dollar bills at dancers a strip club, a hip-hop age. There’s also a river and some tfish the song, geographil touch that reassure people who might not love the sound of that mixtape.</p><p class="paywall">Bryan works the leage of acts like Kenny Chney, which the beach seems as ccial as the pickup tck, and the emotnal range isn’t as important as the relaxed, boot-cut feelg of the mic. Church, on the other hand, has amped up his ambns on “The Outsirs,” which may be dog so mercially well bee is so milly tholic. Land on the right (or wrong) track and ’s not even clear that Church is makg untry mic. (He says he grew up listeng to Pk Floyd, and the album mak this entirely clear.) Bryan and Church show how hardy the genre is, no matter the year. But theori be damned—people e untry mic, whatever is. ♦</p><p class="paywall"><a href="><em>Vio: Sasha Frere-Jon ments on Nashville’s shift to a more pop-like sound.</em></a></p></div></div></div><div class="GridItem-buujkM fVLMby grid--em grid-layout__asi"><asi class="PersistentAsiWrapper-VGrR daRVRt persistent-asi" style="posn:absolute;top:to;height:to" data-ttid="PersistentAsiWrapper"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box ArticlePageSplAdRail-OyjwD jikppc"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="ArticlePageSplAdRailContent-jsltpq iZDmmY spl-ad-rail-ntent"><div class="ArticlePageSplAdRailTop-jUrrVY jzzFg"><div class="StickyBoxWrapper-jfYB jxBcTH sticky-box"><div class="StickyBoxPrimary-dzWDWL cdhYoN sticky-box__primary"><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ ad ad--rail"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--rail" data-no-id="m0su2k"></div></div><div class="ConsumerMarketgUnThemedWrapper-iUTMTf jssHut nsumer-marketg-un 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class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Profil</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/magaze/2011/10/10/taylor-swift-profile-you-belong-wh-me" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">You Belong wh Me</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2011/10/10/taylor-swift-profile-you-belong-wh-me" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-1" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="You Belong wh Me" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">How Taylor Swift ma teen angst to a bs empire.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Lizzie Widdibe</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--article summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm fvDIAb" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2010/08/02/man-of-many-hats" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Man of Many Hats" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Profil</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href="/magaze/2010/08/02/man-of-many-hats" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Man of Many Hats</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href="/magaze/2010/08/02/man-of-many-hats" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-2" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Man of Many Hats" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">Brad Paisley’s untry-mic ntradictns.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Kelefa Sanneh</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm fvDIAb" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="If You Can Make Mic There, Could You Have Ma It Better Anywhere Else?" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">Dept. of Collaboratn</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">If You Can Make Mic There, Could You Have Ma It Better Anywhere Else?</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-3" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="If You Can Make Mic There, Could You Have Ma It Better Anywhere Else?" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">To pete wh mic powerho like L.A., Atlanta, and Nashville, a pop producer started a New York songwrg mp, like speed datg for micians.</div><div class="SummaryItemByleWrapper-boCfbi hYsZi summary-em__byle-date-in"><div class="SummaryItemBaseByle-fFbXkY cgDBtc summary-em__byle"><div class="summary-em__byle__ntent"><div data-ttid="BylWrapper" class="BylWrapper-KIudk irTIfE byl"><p class="ByleWrapper-jWHrLH dSEWiO byle byl__byle" data-ttid="ByleWrapper" emProp="thor" emType="><span emProp="name" class="ByleNamWrapper-jbHncj fuDQVo"><span data-ttid="ByleName" class="ByleName-kwmrLn cYaBaU byle__name"><span class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ BylePreamble-iJolpQ iUEiRd jslZfG gnILss byle__preamble">By </span>Andrew Marantz</span></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="SummaryItemWrapper-iwvBff hlYhBH summary-em summary-em--ARTICLE summary-em--no-in summary-em--text-align-left summary-em--layout-placement-text-below-sktop-only summary-em--layout-posn-image-right summary-em--layout-proportns-33-66 summary-em--si-by-si-align-center summary-em--si-by-si-image-right-mobile-false summary-em--standard SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm fvDIAb" role="button" tabx="0"><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Ey Nsbm on Country Mic’s Culture Wars" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="SummaryItemContent-eiDYMl ldWYvC summary-em__ntent"><div class="RubricWrapper-dKmCNX kImuKS bric bric--disvery SummaryItemRubric-dguGKN fYiFyD summary-em__bric"><span class="RubricName-fVtemz cLxcNi">The Polil Scene Podst</span></div><a class="SummaryItemHedLk-civM cZPaWG summary-em-trackg__hed-lk summary-em__hed-lk" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-hed-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" href=" target="_self"><div class="SummaryItemHedBase-hiFYpQ iIjKeM summary-em__hed" data-ttid="SummaryItemHed">Ey Nsbm on Country Mic’s Culture Wars</div></a><div class="SummaryItemAssetContaer-gwhFFH VOyg summary-em__asset-ntaer"><a class="SummaryItemImageLk-dshqxb USLvL summary-em__image-lk summary-em-trackg__image-lk" href=" aria-hidn="te" tabx="-1" data-ponent-type="recirc-river" data-recirc-id="em-image-4" data-recirc-pattern="summary-em" target="_self"><span class="SpanWrapper-umhxW kGxnNB rponsive-asset SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image"><div data-tt="aspect-rat-ntaer" class="AspectRatContaer-bJHpJz jMoLpX"><div class="aspect-rat--overlay-ntaer"><picture class="RponsiveImagePicture-cWuUZO dUOtEa SummaryItemRponsiveAsset-hjGIGg egpoQR summary-em__image rponsive-image"><noscript><source media="(max-width: 767px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w, 640w" siz="100vw"/><source media="(m-width: 768px)" srcSet=" 120w, 240w, 320w" siz="100vw"/><img alt="Ey Nsbm on Country Mic’s Culture Wars" class="RponsiveImageContaer-eybHBd fptoWY rponsive-image__image" src="></noscript></picture></div></div></span></a></div><div class="BaseWrap-sc-gjQpdd BaseText-ewhhUZ SummaryItemDek-CRfsi iUEiRd jxOIpm cPtisA summary-em__k">The staff wrer talks wh David Remnick and the sger Aem the Artist about the creasgly polarized polics of Nashville.</div></div></div><div class="AdWrapper-dQtivb fZrssQ SummaryCollectnGridSummaryItem-WColm fvDIAb ad ad--read-more"><div class="ad__slot ad__slot--read-more" data-no-id="02dhv8"></div></div></div><div class="SummaryCollectnGridToActnWrapper-gnReGN eGayfk"></div></div></div></div></div></div><div data-ttid="RowWrapper" class="RowWrapper-UmqTg HEhan"><div class="TaboolaWrapper-hMVdpE iYfBhy"><div class="TaboolaWidgetWrapper-egPIjc hkSrgt TaboolaWidget-eUSdED hQCCRa" data-ttid="TaboolaWidgetWrapper"><div class="TaboolaWidgetContent-iBEQTO eXroXG TABOOLA" 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