I do not like country music. This idea has been pretty definitive for most of my music-listening years. My music taste is pretty open. I’ll listen to R&B, I’ll listen to pop, I’ll listen to Latin music. But country music is where I’ve always drawn the line. 

However, I am equally someone who is open to trying things out. So when I found out we were going to be going to see a country show at the Grand Ole Opry during our time in Nashville for the high school newspaper convention we are at, I would say I felt neutral-positive. I went in with the idea that I may end up snoozing but wasn’t against the idea of having a good time. 

And my expectations were exceeded. There were definitely moments that I could feel my head lolling, but I was way more engaged than I would have anticipated, especially considering I didn’t recognize a single name on the stage. 

I really enjoyed getting to have a variety of tempos and themes within the songs throughout the night. Experiencing a live radio show also added another level – I felt like the host was a master of how to keep the audience interested throughout the waves of the evening. The pacing of the show was really solid and they achieved the perfect balance of how long each person’s performance was. 

There were certainly songs that I did not like much. But all things considered, I had a good time and now understand the popularity of country music a tiny but more. There were three country artists we saw live who released new music today – Layn, Ashley Cooke and Kelsea Ballerini – and I went home wanting to listen to more of the songs on their albums and EPs. 

I would say that the night at the Opry was a success. To anybody else who might think they don’t like a specific genre of music: keep giving it a shot, and you might end up with a newfound appreciation for a type of art.