Hit Show ‘Yellowstone’ Fuels Boom in Country Music, Says Singer Riley Green

Country music has experienced an unprecedented increase in mainstream popularity in the last five years, particularly with its move towards storytelling and culture to identify and create a more diverse audience. Country fans have strongly favored deeper lyrics and emotional context in their songs, compared to the pop and bro-country themes that dominated the previous decade.

Because of artists like Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers, a renaissance has recently emerged into a more traditional phase of storytelling as artistry. This narrative is always steeped in heartbreak, endurance, and mystery. Their success has helped reinstate independent and alternative country music and highlighted an authenticity movement.

One of the biggest pushers for the increase in country music has been due to the televised hit series Yellowstone. The emphasis on Western lifestyle themes has created what many people refer to as the "Yellowstone Effect," which has exponentially increased the exposure for country artists. The soundtracks of the show have exposed millions of viewers to the music of artists such as Zach Bryan, Chris Stapleton, and Lainey Wilson, and given the genre unprecedented exposure.

“Well, I think that a lot of the television has really worked lately. The ‘Yellowstones' and that western lifestyle has gotten so popular everywhere. But also, I think that the storytelling of country music is something that people can really appreciate everywhere,” said Green to Whiskey Riff.

This cultural shift has also been driven by the crossover success of country artists to pop and other genres, as well as the sociopolitical climate generally. The connectivity of country music with its listeners led to a visibility in country music that extended beyond its traditional audience who appreciate the genre's simple ideas of love, loss, and hope.

As the genre evolves, the idea of storytelling, which provides a connection to the past, will still exist as a foundation for contemporary audiences. With television, cultural trends, and key figures working together, country music's regained momentum is not predicted to slow down.