Does Country Music Have A “Snapping” Problem?
It's not Thanos- level, by any means, but according to one Country Music aficionado, it could be ruining country music.
The "snap" refers to the beat that is prominent in country music at the moment, as described by Grady Smith, a youtuber and lover of country music. Smith says that the video was made with love for country music, and how he thinks the current trend of using a snapping beat is doing a disservice to the genre.
You might recognize the beat in songs like Meant to Be by Florida Georgia Line ft. Bebe Rexha, Body Like a Backroad, by Sam Hunt, and Speechless by Dan + Shay.
Snap tracks, clap tracks, of drum machine loops as they're also known, are pervasive in current country music.
"This has become the dominant beat in country music over the past couple years," Smith said. "Country is, historically, not a very percussive format. Drums didn't even debut at the Grand Ole Opry until the 1940s."
Smith argues that country music is about stories, lyrics, musicianship, songwriting, and that even in evolution, country should still stay true to its roots. He says that, rather than trying to sound like music in the pop- genre, country should embrace what makes it different and use percussion in a way that doesn't distract from the narrative of the song.
Now that I've watched this video, I can't stop hearing it everywhere. So what do you think? Does country music have a "snapping" problem?