When people ask me about my music taste, I always respond with the despicable answer: “everything.” When I say that, I mean it — I listen to everything (with the exception of NAV, of course). 

And yes, that includes country music. Despite the profound mainstream hatred for it and all of the stereotypes that come along with it, I argue that country music is still so much fun to listen to.

These songs can be the perfect summer jams for blasting on beach trips and driving with the top down. They make you want to be huddled next to a small campfire. They carry that classic, feel-good twang. Bottom line: There are lots of country bops.

Now, don’t get me wrong — I’m not a die-hard country enthusiast, and my Spotify library is definitely not solely composed of country music. However, country music is criminally underrated and deserves an opportunity to show the world its true flexibility and charm.

You don’t need to own a pair of cowboy boots or love sipping iced tea in the evenings to enjoy listening to it. The songs carry a fervor of life. You haven’t experienced true joy until you have screamed the chorus of “Leave the Night On” by Sam Hunt with no commitments in the back of your mind or belted “Tequila” by Dan + Shay in the car late at night. It is an easy pick-me-up of positive energy.

In order to gain a better understanding of my friends and foes on the other end of the country-music-loving spectrum, I put in the effort to ask Google, “Why do people hate country music?” 

The main results I encountered talked about how country’s classic twang, accents and pronunciation and unrelatable lyrics are all major turn-offs. I have to admit, it is very hard to refute these notions, as they are all correct. I personally can’t relate to almost all the lyrics I hear, either. I’ve never been infatuated with a red solo cup at a party, nor have I been caught a little catfish dinner after floating down the Flint River (I’m a vegetarian.) 

But the vibe. Is so. Good.

So for all the first-time listeners who feel newly inspired to open up Spotify and give country music a try, here are some pop-country recommendations to help you understand that country can be cool sometimes: “My Church” by Maren Morris, “Leave The Night On” by Sam Hunt and, of course, “Red Solo Cup” by Toby Keith. You might just discover your inner cowboy.