3 Modern Songs That Made Country Music Feel Dangerous

Country music nowadays can feel a tad pop-y. It feels like everyone is chasing after accessible hits, no danger in sight. The modern landscape of the genre is focused on wide appeal, so scaring off listeners is no option. But there are listeners who have leaned into the genre’s edginess. The three songs below make country music feel dangerous. You get an entirely different perspective on the genre when you listen to these country tracks.

Videos by American Songwriter

[RELATED: No Matter How Many Times We Hear These 3 Outlaw Country Deep Cuts from the 1970s, They Don’t Get Old]

“Gunpowder & Lead” — Miranda Lambert

Though this song is a decade or so old, “Gunpowder & Lead” has modern appeal and an enduring influence. This rough-and-tumble song gave country an edge. Miranda Lambert turned a story that typically trends towards damsel-in-distress territory and made herself the hero. It’s morally murky, hard-edged, and endlessly energizing.

“I’m goin’ home, gonna load my shotgun / Wait by the door and light a cigarette / He wants a fight, well, now he’s got one / And he ain’t seen me crazy yet,” she sings, standing up to an abuser. Lambert isn’t largely considered an outlaw artist, but she certainly feels like one in this track.

“Long Violent History” — Tyler Childers

Tyler Childers has long been an artist who lives on country’s fringes. He sings about topics many of his peers wouldn’t touch and doesn’t care about alienating some of the genre’s listeners. He leads with his own perspective and throws caution to the wind.

Take “Long Violent History” for example. This track touches on police brutality, a topic that isn’t a conventional subject in country music. This song feels like a treacherous step for an artist of Childer’s caliber to take, given its controversiality.

“Sleeping On The Blacktop” — Colter Wall

Colter Wall’s “Sleeping On The Blacktop” is a modern outlaw country anthem. He builds a mystique for himself in this song, painting a portrait of a vigilante. “Hey darlin’, leavin’ for the next town / Less’n my sense catches up with me,” the lyrics read. The listener can’t help but picture a dangerous man, meandering from town to town.

This song gives the country artist a rock-star-like edge. This isn’t the polished, upbeat anthem of country radio. It’s something far darker and sharper. If country music has ever felt too conventional for you, this song will change your mind.

(Photo by Rich Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images)