Critically, simply stop it.
Accusing somebody of “gatekeeping” is simply an intellectually lazy, thought and discussion-ending enterprise designed to win arguments on-line versus addressing the very actual and systemic points behind why some artists are favored within the music trade, and a few aren’t in ways in which disallow meritocracy and primary equity from proliferating.
Identical to the time period “woke,” “gatekeeping” might be exhausting to outline. However the primary thought is that sure persons are stored out of sure segments of society on account of who they’re, and what they do in a method that’s inherently unfair. In nation music, this typically comes up when performers who initially made their title in different genres determine they need to begin recording nation, although it will also be used to explain perceived biases towards somebody on account of race, gender, sexual orientation, or fatherland.
It’s positively the case that within the historical past of nation music, it’s been tougher and simpler for sure folks to interrupt by. That’s actually nonetheless the case right now in terms of nation ladies. However the way in which this “gatekeeping” declare is mostly deployed is towards people who find themselves truly making an attempt to defend imbalances and injustices within the nation style slanted in direction of established and rich performers from outdoors of nation making an attempt to faucet into nation’s more and more profitable market, whereas artists native to nation proceed to get shaded out on account of these high-profile interlopers.
For instance, far and away the performer we’ve seen characterised as the most important sufferer of “gatekeeping” in nation music is Beyoncé. But her album Cowboy Carter was allowed to chart at #1 on the Billboard Nation Albums chart regardless of Beyoncé herself saying it wasn’t nation. Beyoncé’s track “Texas Maintain ‘Em” charted #1 on the Billboard Sizzling Nation Songs chart, and was performed on mainstream nation radio when promoted to it. And Beyonce received Grammys in two separate nation classes in 2025, together with Greatest Nation Album.
The concept that Beyoncé was the sufferer of “gatekeeping” in nation music is ludicrous. Beforehand the criticism had been that the Grammys themselves we’re gatekeeping Beyoncé although she was essentially the most nominated and awarded artist in Grammy historical past since she had by no means received the all style Album of the 12 months. Lo and behold, she even achieved this with Cowboy Carter. But nonetheless, the insistence that Beyoncé is in some way a sufferer of gatekeeping persists.
However this isn’t nearly Beyoncé. Lord is aware of that who argument has been hashed out advert nauseam. Final week, hip-hop artist BigXthaPlug had the #2 album in nation music along with his straight hip-hop album I Hope You’re Completely satisfied. He’s additionally had a #1 track on the Billboard Sizzling Nation Songs chart and was invited to the CMA Fest. But regardless of all this success in nation, criticize BigXthaPlug’s, and other people will current him as a sufferer of the nation expertise on account of supposed “gatekeeping.”
In reality what’s occurring is that the people and establishments which are truly able to be gatekeepers and are entrusted to maintain a minimum of some semblance of order within the nation style are promoting out their very own constituencies and exacerbating institutional mistrust by being so fully permissive and subservient to any and all artists who need to declare affiliation with nation. They typically accomplish that in concern of getting slapped with this gatekeeping accusation. They know these items isn’t nation. However as a substitute of taking even a average stance or drawing some type of line, they merely acquiesce and let it cross by, if not outright put it up for sale.
Lately, Rolling Stone Country ran a giant function on a hip-hop artist named Intelligent who’s collaborated with Publish Malone previously, asking if he’ll be the subsequent Jelly Roll, and touting how he’s making an attempt to interrupt into the nation market. Jelly Roll and Publish Malone are already interlopers in nation, with the previous not likely even embracing any semblance of the “nation” sound. Why is that this Intelligent man with a longtime profession already getting a giant function in Rolling Stone making an attempt to butter up nation to just accept him, when so a lot of nation music’s established performers can’t even get a point out?
Who is definitely not being given entry to the assist and infrastructure of the nation music trade in a systemic and inherently biased method, a.ok.a. “gatekept”? That’s proper, it’s the precise nation artists who’re taking part in precise nation music. It’s impartial artists not signed to main labels. It’s ladies who’ve devoted their total lives to pursuing nation music who get discounted as a result of they refuse to go pop. These are the artists with beef, not the millionaires and billionaires who’re merely trying so as to add extra zeros behind their internet price by tapping the profitable nation music market, after which utilizing the “gatekeeping” time period as a protect and a cudgel towards anybody who would get of their method.
Take into consideration artists like Brennen Leigh, Sunny Sweeney, and Kristina Murray, or Dallas Extra or the Joe Stamm Band. We sit again and are stupefied they aren’t any larger than they’re. These are the victims of gatekeeping, not Jelly Roll who’s ever-present all through American tradition.
Saving Nation Music is accused of “gatekeeping” generally. However what actual energy does a private weblog have in comparison with the powers that be in nation who’re regularly letting non-country artists by? In reality, most precise nation followers would like to put extra exhausting and quick parameters round what’s outlined as nation, but it surely’s Billboard, the CMA, and main labels who get to decide on such issues. For precise nation music followers and advocates kvetching about this on-line, that energy is a pipe dream. In the meantime the “victims” of this supposed “gatekeeping” are literal millionaires, and within the case of Beyoncé, a billionaire, whereas these complaining about their presence within the style are left with desk scraps.
This web site was based to advocate for the impartial, conventional, marginalized, and legendary artists of nation music which are so typically summarily forged to the facet in a distinctly unfair and undemocratic system that reductions expertise and rewards mediocrity. It’s the people and establishments making an attempt to guard precise nation artists from the true gatekeepers—that means the moneyed pursuits on Music Row and company media—who’re being slapped with this ridiculous “gatekeeping” label.
However in reality, even the oldsters in cost at nation music’s main labels are sometimes reacting to public whims versus being the maniacal puppet masters pulling the strings and selecting who makes it and who doesn’t like they’re typically portrayed. Calling them “gatekeepers” might be hyperbolic too, even when it’s a extra correct portrayal than somebody complaining about Beyoncé and Jelly Roll being referred to as nation on Fb.
Nation followers didn’t assume Beyoncé made a rustic file, and neither did Beyoncé. It was people who demanded or not it’s thought of nation that created the battle, not some supposed gatekeepers who actually don’t even exist anymore due to streaming, TikTok, social media, and different stuff.
So once more, simply stop with it. We must always all advocate for the facility to decide on the winners and losers in music to be held by nation followers themselves, and for expertise and enchantment to be the true arbiter of who makes it, and who doesn’t. If that was allowed to occur, nation music could be higher off for it, and must cope with considerably much less battle.
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