Cody Johnson believes the country music of today doesn’t like it used to.
The “Dear Rodeo” singer has called out the industry before. But during an interview on Whiskey Riff’s podcast, he called out executives in the country music industry for not even knowing Merle Haggard’s songs.
During a recent concert, Johnson had a bit more to say about mainstream country music while introducing his newest song, “Til You Can’t.”
“I saw somebody with a sign back there that said ‘Save Country Music.’ Can we all agree on something? Country music doesn’t sound like country music anymore. It is my life’s mission to change that,” he says.
Last summer, Johnson was told that his song “Dear Rodeo” was “too rodeo for radio.”
Johnson signed with Warner Brothers Records back in 2019. However, Cody is the type to always do things his way. He also continues to refuse to cater to the “mainstream” country sound. This makes it even more impressive that his song “Til You Can’t” is taking off towards the top of the charts. Looking at the charts, the song will likely be his first #1 single!
Cody Johnson is currently selling out venues on his tour. He recently joined one of Nashville’s top record labels, Warner Music Nashville. We can only wait to see what he puts out there next.
Cody Johnson’s ‘Dear Rodeo’ Makes its Way Into ‘Yellowstone’
It looks like Johnson is finally getting the recognition he deserves for his music. This is thanks to the fact that “Dear Rodeo” was featured in an episode of “Yellowstone,” millions have now heard it. The television show even tweeted about the song!
After discovering his love for music, Johnson left his rodeo days behind him. However, that doesn’t stop him from continuing to enjoy rodeos and sporting his signature cowboy hat.
In the music video with Reba McEntire, viewers see different clips of rodeos that Johnson thinks back to. She also discussed what the song means to her. “It’s kinda like the rodeo released me. It said ‘come on, you go do what you’re supposed to be doing over here.’”
“The minute that I went to my first high school rodeo here in this arena, I fell in love with the whole show. I just want to be a part of it someway somehow,” Cody Johnson said, transitioning to his thoughts. “Looking back on it now, I think the bull was just a representation of something I was looking for. And I didn’t know that it was going to lead to the things I’ve done now.”
