For Pride Month, queer country star Fancy Hagood and his famous friends are celebrating with an EP of hit country covers.
Videos by American Songwriter
Hagood recently teamed up with fellow LGBTQ+ country artists T.J. Osborne of the Brothers Osborne, The Kentucky Gentlemen, Jaime Wyatt, Hunter Park of She Returns from War, and Brooke Eden to craft a 4-song Apple Music Sessions EP in an attempt to open the genre up to everyone.
“It’s bringing everyone to the table and saying, ‘Country music, at its best, is for everyone,'” Hagood explained to Apple Music. “It’s about introducing country to new fans, queer people who might not like country, but maybe that’s because they’ve never been able to see themselves in the genre.”
The EP includes takes on the Eli Young Band’s “Even If It Breaks Your Heart,” Shania Twain’s “From This Moment On,” Pistol Annies’ “Hell on Heels,” and Little Big Town’s “Better Man.” Check out some behind-the-scenes footage from Apple Music Sessions: Fancy Hagood & Friends below.
The reel features conversations between Hagood and the EP’s guests discussing their creation and what it means to them and to country music as a whole.
“Queer country music is real country music forever because real country music is about being honest – not a bigoted person in this world can tell you different,” transgender singer Hunter Park of She Returns From War said.
“It’s more important now than ever to have visibility,” T.J. Osborne added in a clip. “We might be out of the closet, but we’re not out of the woods.”
Sibling duo and Black Opry artists The Kentucky Gentleman shared the joy the collaborative effort brought. “We can be family and we can sit here and uplift each other and lift each other’s art,” they said.
Apple Music Sessions: Fancy Hagood & Friends is out now.
(Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
