These three 2010s country songs owe a ton to country music. Whether it’s their structure, lyricism, or melody, these hits are cousins to this genre. Revisit these throwback hits today and explore how they wove in elements of twangy musicality, whether they were aware of it at the time or not.
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“The A Team” — Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran has long expressed his appreciation for the country community. As a singer-songwriter, Sheeran knows how his music interacts with the acoustic tradition of country music. But many Sheeran fans don’t appreciate the connection enough.
Take one of his earliest hits, “The A Team”, for example. This devastating track about the effects of drug addiction tells hard truths atop simple instrumentation. What does that sound like? “Light’s gone, days end / Struggling to pay rent / Long nights, strange men,” Sheeran sings with a country-level visual. Sure, this Sheeran song might have a pop gleam about it, but the bare bones reveal an innate connection to country.
“Ho Hey” — The Lumineers
The Lumineers’ music has always been country-adjacent. Their brand of folk has a pop appeal, drawing in many listeners who wouldn’t typically call themselves fans of that genre. But there is also a connection to alternative 2010s country that warrants exploration.
“Ho Hey” could just as easily be classified as a country song as a pop one. With the blurred lines of country today, almost everything goes. Even in the 2010s, when the country was more singular as a genre, this song had an undeniable connection to it.
“Million Reasons” — Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga’s “Million Reasons” is, of course, meant to be her leaning into a country-western pastiche. Even so, this 2010s pop-country attempt wasn’t haphazard. Gaga called on one of Nashville’s most prominent songwriters, Hillary Lindsey, to help her write this stunning ballad.
“If I had a highway, I would run for the hills / If you could find a dry way, I’d forever be still / But you’re giving me a million reasons,” the lyrics read, with a very Nashville-esque structure. Many artists nowadays try their hand at country, thinking they can just put on a twang and get away with it. Gaga’s collaboration with Lindsey proves she deserved to be called a country artist, at least for this one album. Not every listener has appreciated the collaboration that forged this song.
(Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage )