RyansWorld: Country Music

'''Special Note: Please note that this scenario is meant to be read as entertainment, not as an accurate prediction of the future. Also note that the viewpoints and opinions that may come across in this scenario are not necessarily the viewpoints and opinions of the author.'''

Until almost the second half of the 21st century, country music will continue to make a strong impression on conservative rural folks with their emotional lyrics and "twangy" music.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, country music has provided the rural folk of Western civilization with a music to call "their own." It was deemed more as "farmer music" and "cowbarn music" back then and the redneck influence of country had not come in until the 1980s.

Summary


Unfortunately, this genre of music has provided the fuel for the tribalism that has dominated the agriculture industry since its inception in the early Bronze Age. When the Singularity arrives, people will think of country music as "petty" and "the polar opposite of erudite." Even the rural folk will eventually abandon country music to more erudite forms of music and entertainment due to this reason. Before its demise into the underground scene along with rock music, country music will continue to be more pop influenced until the late 2020s and early 2030s. Country music will be extremely popular in the 2010s and especially in the later 2020s while Mike Pence president. By the 2030s, a revival of classic sounding country will take place since a new generation will be interested into the real country lifestyle that they had never experienced in their lifetime and not the commercialized pop glam country that has been around since the 1990s and became widespread by the mid 2000s. Classic styled country is slightly coming back but not in strong ways. Most likely in a few acts such as the Zac Brown Band.

Eventually, the spirit of country music will be extinguished even in the American Midwest and the Deep American South (where it has traditionally enjoyed a large audience). Rural society (or at least what is left of it) will have undergone such a shift in their beliefs system by the year 2105. Christianity will be abolished, the Singularity will occur by the year 2045 and rural politicians will become more liberal; supporting globalization instead of agricultural libertarianism. Country music will never be popular there ever again and redneck MPP Toby Barrett will eventually voted out of Ontario parliament because he is out of touch with the young professional voters of Haldimand and Norfolk counties.

During the 22nd century, people who participated in air racing decided to listen to country music and/or heavy metal music as a way to unwind off the track. As a result, country music becomes a "lost" music genre of the Vulgar 20th Century that is appreciated by people who race around in plasma-powered hovercars. Even in the 22nd century, homosexual people will continue to find country music to be uncool and listen to electronica and dance music along with world beat music.