Another Hip-Hop Star Is Trying Out Country Music, And It's A Tough Listen
Well, it's happened again. Another non-country music artist has decided to … take up country music. A tradition unlike any other, especially over the past year.
First it was Post Malone. Then we had Beyoncé, who, naturally, won a Grammy for a song and album that nobody likes. Solid box-check from the industry on that one.
Now? Let's all welcome Akon to the country music scene! That's right. Akon, who is actually an artist that I love and grew up with. So this pains me. It hurts. I don't want to dump on Akon today. It wasn't my goal.
But, here we are. He told TMZ a few weeks ago that he intends to country-fi all of his hit songs, and it appears he's doing just that based on this latest teaser from Josh Ross (who, admittedly, is another country dude I've never heard of).
Song of the summer?
Akon is better than this
Yeah, I mean … what are we doing here? That song was a banger back in the day. Still is, actually. Still holds up. Most of Akon's songs do.
He was that dude back in high school, for me at least. Feel like Akon really peaked from 2006-11. That was his sweet spot. I mean, look at some of these bangers:
- Right Now (Na Na Na)
- I’m So Paid (what a jam)
- Bartender
- Don't Matter
- I Wanna Love You
- Keep You Much Longer
I could go on and on. Like I said, the man put out a ton of hits over a 7(ish)-year period.
The First Lady – my wife, not Melania – actually made me a mixtape (OK, a CD) of the top Akon songs back when we were dating in 2009. True story. That's when I knew she was the one. She threw the bait in the water then, and I gobbled it up like one of those stupid fish at your local putt-putt golf.
And that's why I don't love what's happening here. Akon hasn't had a real song in, like, 12 years. Seriously, the dude just bounced. But bursting back on the scene as a country artist isn't what I had in mind.
Frankly, the above clip isn't even that bad. The song is catchy, so it's not the worst thing you've ever heard. Lord knows it's better than Cowboy Carter. But, Akon just auto-tuning a bunch of his existing songs, and trying to make them sound country, ain't it.
It's not how I want my childhood hero to go out.
For the love of God, make this trend stop. Please.