Beyoncé and Chappell and Kendrick, Oh My
A few things to read from some fantastic music writers
Hellur,
I often wonder what people who have never been to Nashville think about Music City. I assume Nashville looks insane to anyone who’s never been here. The tourism industrial complex sold us out back in the 2010s and the city’s reputation never recovered.
You assuredly know about Music Row, Jack White and Third Man Records, and maybe you even know some of the musicians who live here. Folks like Jack White, Margo Price, Jenny Lewis, Sheryl Crow, Dolly Parton, Keith Urban (and Nicole Kidman), so many Country Critters™️ and countless others who I will remember as soon as I hit “publish.”
Blake Shelton owns a bar here and I can never figure out if he lives here. I could care less about Blake Shelton, but I’m dying to know what my chances are of running into Gwen Stefani at Costco.
Let me get this hollaback train back on track. Whatever you do or don’t know about Nashville, we have some fantastic music writers and critics. Between the Grammy’s and Kendrick’s halftime performance at the Super Bowl, I want to highlight a few pieces.
Not all of these writers live in Nashville, but most of them do, or did at one point. And one of them (hi, Niko!) makes a podcast about The O.C. with someone who used to live here (hi, Alex!), and I think that counts.
Let’s go!
After the Super Bowl, Tiana Clark made an Insta post about all the parts of the halftime show that she was still processing. I read it and thought, man, I hope she turns this into an essay. And she did! For the New York Times! Read it here. (gift link)
And if you liked that, you can pre-order Tiana’s book of poems Scorched Earth, out on March 4. She’ll be in Nashville for a book tour stop at Parnassus on April 5.
I’m a big fan of Niko Stratis. As I mentioned in the intro, she co-hosts an O.C. re-watch podcast with my pal Alex Steed. She’s also an amazing writer and frequent guest on the podcast Commotion, which I listen to religiously.
The night of the Grammy’s, Niko had a post on Bluesky about how despite all the shout-outs from artists like Lady Gaga and Chappell Roan about trans people and trans joy, there were no visible trans artists at the Grammy’s. It stopped me in my tracks because she is so obviously right and I missed it. Luckily, Niko took those character-limited Bluesky thoughts and turned them into post titled Draw us into your picture. (Anxiety Shark / Ghost)
Niko has a book coming out on May 6 called The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman. I’m dying to read it. Pre-order here.
Reading Marissa R. Moss is like taking a masterclass on music writing. Her work is well researched, full of heart and somehow, magically, both of-the-moment and nostalgic. In her newsletter, Don’t Rock the Inbox, Marissa writes about Chappell’s speech at the Grammy’s and the need for not just health care, but equity in the recording industry. (Substack)
If you haven’t read Marissa’s 2023 book Her Country, please do. It’s such a great book.
When I worked at the Nashville Scene, I got to work with and promote Brittney McKenna, which I so enjoyed. Brit is a kind and thoughtful person, which comes through in her writing. I was thrilled to see her piece in Rolling Stone after the Grammy’s: The Grammys Understood Beyoncé Was Country. Why Didn’t Nashville? (Rolling Stone).
One of my other Nashville Scene connections is Sheronica Hayes. I’m a big fan of her music writing. Back in January, pre-Grammy’s, Sheronica wrote about Cowboy Carter and the CMA’s rejection of Beyoncé as a country artist. It’s one of the best things I read last month. Also, the BeyHive found it and it went viral on Twitter, which I LOVE. Read it here. (Nashville Scene)
Have a great weekend!
XO,
Kim
Oh to see Gwen in Costco! I would die. I did see Jack in Home Depot once. Thanks for this post. Going to check out the links...