High praise from one of the best.
In many ways, country music is equally as divided as it is successful as of late. While, of course, we’ve seen record-breaking success from the likes of Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan and Ella Langley over the past few years, the wide array of different styles and sub-genres rising to prominence has led to quite an interesting state for the genre to be in.
Today, you truly don’t have to look far to find a certain artist or group making waves in their respective scene. While artists like Wallen, Jelly Roll and Shaboozey have experienced unprecedented success with their brand of pop and rap-inspired country, artists like Bryan, Sam Barber, Tyler Childers and Sierra Ferrell have brought folk and Americana stylings to the forefront of the genre as well.
Of course, this doesn’t even mention the rise of traditional country spearheaded by Zach Top, the massive southern rock movement led by Whiskey Myers, Treaty Oak Revival, Koe Wetzel, The Red Clay Strays and more or even the always-brilliant Red Dirt scene highlighted by Turnpike Troubadours, Flatland Cavalry and plenty of other talented bands or artists. And then you have Billy Strings who has taken bluegrass to mainstream heights.
Given the fact that the genre is so splintered nowadays, it’s sometimes hard, at least from a mainstream perspective, to find one particular artist that serves as the middle ground between the various subgenres. While names like Langley, Cody Johnson and Lainey Wilson all occupy this middle ground, for all intents and purposes, Luke Combs has served as the quintessential moderate country act for quite some time.
Regardless of your thoughts on Combs entire discography, there are two things that simply cannot be denied about him: his status as an international superstar and his sound that has not wavered in any direction other than country. He brings a pretty traditional country sound that’s made for the modern era.
As the second-highest-selling country artist of all time (second only to Wallen), Combs has built his entire career around being the everyman. While, of course, he’s no Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers or even Zach Top, the “Beautiful Crazy” singer has been as consistent as they come since his debut in 2017. Delivering modern country hit after modern country hit, he’s remained one of the quintessential entry points into the genre.
During a lengthy feature from GQ on Combs, Ashley McBryde shared a similar sentiment on the North Carolina native.
McBryde, who in many ways has been viewed in a similar light in the mainstream, had high praise for Combs. Calling him a “touchstone” in country music, she would compare him to Eric Church, Alan Jackson and George Strait. Noting how the three legends have always served as a base for their respective eras of country music to stand on, she’d essentially call the “Hurricane” singer the center point for modern country.
“He’s a touchstone we can count on. We’ve got Eric Church. We’ve always had voices like George Strait and Alan Jackson, that we can count on. Luke is one of those guys that when we drift too far out, as we sometimes do in country music, there’s always Luke. I think if we took a vote right now of people you would nominate to represent country music in other countries, Luke would make everybody’s short list.”
While the comparisons to Jackson and Strait might sound a bit blasphemous, especially to all the traditionalists out there, McBryde hits the nail on the head here. In a time where Wallen, Jelly Roll and Shaboozey are experiencing massive success both in the genre and abroad, Combs, by comparison, absolutely serves as the center point in the mainstream today.
He might not be delivering a throwback ’90s country sound like Top, the rambling man, vintage tunes of a Charley Crockett or the rootsy, genre-bending styles of Childers; however, he’s still churning out certified country hits year in and year out. And for many fans out there, that’s exactly what they need.
Before you go, fire up his latest release, “I Ain’t No Cowboy.”
My Kinda Saturday Night Tour Dates
March 21 Allegiant Stadium – Las Vegas, NV
April 4 Scott Stadium – Charlottesville, VA
April 11 Jack Trice Stadium – Ames, IA
April 18 Notre Dame Stadium – South Bend, IN
April 25 Ohio Stadium – Columbus, OH
May 2 Neyland Stadium – Knoxville, TN
May 9 Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Norman, OK
May 15 Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI
May 16 Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI
May 30 Parc Jean-Drapeau – Montreal, QC
June 5 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON
June 6 Rogers Stadium – Toronto, ON
July 4 Ullevi – Gothenburg, Sweden
July 7 Accor Arena – Paris, France
July 11 Johan Cruijff ArenA – Amsterdam, Netherlands
July 18 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland
July 19 Slane Castle – Slane, Ireland
July 25 Scottish Gas Murrayfield – Edinburgh, UK
July 31 Wembley Stadium – London, UK
August 1 Wembley Stadium – London, UK
