3 Modern Songs From Country and Pop That Might as Well All Be the Same Genre

The line between genres has been irrevocably blurred. If the industry continues on the path that it’s starting down, we may very well see a collapse of genre classifications. But, for now, we have finite little boxes to put everyone into, which often don’t fully explain their sound. The three songs below are technically from different genres, pop and country. But when we listen to them, it’s hard not to see their similarities. These modern hits might as well all be from the same genre.

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“Slim Pickins” — Sabrina Carpenter

Sabrina Carpenter’s “Slim Pickins” is considered a pop song, but really, it has country leanings. Country has really become king over the last several years, with almost every genre taking a turn towards twang. Carpenter slapped on an accent for this tongue-in-cheek track, doing her country inspirations proud.

From the title alone, it’s easy to see that Carpenter is trying her hand at country. But it’s not just in name. The sound of this song is far less polished pop than the rest of her efforts. If a country artist released this song as is, no one would really bat an eye.

“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey’s

Though Shaboozey is considered a country artist, his breakout track has all the makings of a pop hit. Largely due to his sampling of J-Kwon, this track would find a comfortable home on pop radio. Listeners who typically don’t venture too far out of the Top 40 would easily find something digestible about this modern country hit.

Country music has leaned into pop sounds over the last couple of decades. Somewhere along the way, the relatively niche genre realized it needed to bring in some outside ears. The quickest way to do that, it seems, was to de-countrify the sound. Shaboozey is a product of that genre-melding approach that modern country is increasingly embracing.

“Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” — Dasha

Is this a pop song or a country hit? Really, both. Dasha’s breakout track held her Californian sensibilities in one hand and country horizons in the other. It’s hard to tell if this is a pop star who wanted to sing about some boots or a country artist who leaned a little far into the pop realm. Either way you look at it, this song is a hit befitting both genres.

This song epitomizes the breakdown of genre classifications. There’s no real, definite box to put this song in, which is directly against the demands of the industry. Nevertheless, this song earned Dasha success, further proving that a catchy song will get you far, regardless of genre.

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