The top three songs in America right now are country tracks, and the top two hits are by artists facing allegations of racism. At the top of the charts is Jason Aldean: he shot to number one after releasing his music video "Try That In A Small Town," which included montages critical of the Black Lives Matter protests and showed Aldean singing in front of a courthouse where a Black teen was lynched. Morgan Wallen has the number two hit, and his popularity rose after being cancelled for using the N-word.But this is not unprecedented for the genre. Brittany sits down with historian Amanda Martinez to talk about country music's history of marketing itself in opposition of Blackness for financial gain. You can follow us on Twitter @NPRItsBeenAMin and email us at [email protected] more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
No persons identified in this episode.
This episode hasn't been transcribed yet
Help us prioritize this episode for transcription by upvoting it.
Popular episodes get transcribed faster
Other episodes from It's Been a Minute
Transcribed and ready to explore now
Canada hates us, but it's not all Trump's fault.
02 Jun 2025
It's Been a Minute
Age gaps & wage gaps: unpacking our Belichick-Hudson obsession
30 May 2025
It's Been a Minute
Can doctors test embryos for autism? And should they?
28 May 2025
It's Been a Minute
Brittany needs a couch. Should she buy now, pay later?
26 May 2025
It's Been a Minute
Why can't we (or Ms. Rachel) talk about Gaza's children dying?
23 May 2025
It's Been a Minute
Pop culture has a "bean soup problem."
21 May 2025
It's Been a Minute