Back in 2007, Bon Jovi received their first and only Grammy Award for the hit song “Who Says You Can’t Go Home.”

This song, featuring a blend of folk elements and fiddles, didn’t win in a rock category but rather took home the award for best country collaboration with vocals, thanks to a clever collaboration with Jennifer Nettles, who was flourishing with her band Sugarland at the time.

However, Bon Jovi isn’t the only iconic band exploring genre intersections at the Grammys, particularly in the country field.

Numerous artists such as Steven Tyler, Bret Michaels, Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga, Elvis Costello, Tina Turner, and Ray Charles have also embraced country influences, while Darius Rucker transitioned from Hootie & The Blowfish to a successful career in country music.

As we approach the 67^th annual Grammy Awards, the nominees this year, including Beyoncé, Post Malone, Jelly Roll, and Shaboozey, are hoping that their genre-blending submissions will enhance their chances of winning.

Beyoncé merges country and pop influences

Harvey Mason Jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, remarked that this year’s diverse range of nominees represents an exciting blurring of genres. “It allows artists to be creative,” he said, noting that voting members are specialists in their respective fields and will evaluate cross-genre artists accordingly.

Among Beyoncé’s 11 nominations, only two are within pop categories: best pop solo performance for “Bodyguard” and best pop duo/group performance for “Levii’s Jeans” with Post Malone. The lead single from her album “Cowboy Carter,” titled “Texas Hold ‘Em,” is nominated both for general record and song of the year, as well as for best country song. Additionally, she delves into rap with a nomination for best melodic rap performance for “Spaghettii” featuring Linda Martell and Shaboozey, as well as Americana with “Ya Ya.”

Is there a strict genre standard in country music?

Naturally, there has been some backlash on social media regarding the Grammys’ acceptance of pop artists in country music, especially with Beyoncé’s involvement, despite her song “Cowboy Carter” being just as country as her competition for best country album, which includes artists like Kacey Musgraves, Chris Stapleton, Lainey Wilson, and Post Malone, whose transformation into a country artist we will explore shortly.

Among these genre-blending artists, Jelly Roll and Shaboozey are considered authentic country-rock-hip-hop hybrids, while Post Malone’s acceptance isn’t questioned due to factors that are still not fully clear.

Once a chart-topper known for collaborations with hip-hop and pop artists such as 21 Savage, Swae Lee, Ty Dolla $ign, and Doja Cat, Malone now enjoys a No. 1 song (and two Grammy nominations) alongside country artist Morgan Wallen, has collaborated with country veterans like Blake Shelton and Luke Combs, and performed at Stagecoach with Brad Paisley this spring, plus made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry in August.

Given Beyoncé’s notable exclusion from the upcoming CMA Awards, it’s clear that some traditionalists in the genre maintain a strict “stay-in-your-lane” mentality.

According to Luke Bryan, the amiable co-host of the November 20 event, if Beyoncé were to more actively engage with the country community—like attending an award show and mingling—she might have found a warmer welcome. He expressed, “Everyone loved that Beyoncé made a country album. But the challenge arises if you’re making country music; you need to be involved in the culture with us a bit more.”

“Everybody loved that Beyoncé made a country album,” Bryan noted. “But where things get a little tricky is if you’re going to make country albums, join in on our world and be country with us a little bit.”

Shania Twain’s Expertise in Blending Country and Pop

The country music scene often struggles to embrace artists from the pop genre, but the opposite isn’t true.

Long before Taylor Swift transitioned from country sounds to a vibrant pop explosion with her album “1989,” Shania Twain was already making waves, dominating the charts and setting records across both genres for a decade.

Twain’s clever artistry, combined with the production skills of her former husband Robert John “Mutt” Lange—known for his ability to fuse metal with mainstream sounds for bands like Def Leppard and AC/DC—resulted in iconic pop hits like “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “Man! I Feel Like a Woman,” and “You’re Still the One.”

However, even Twain, a beloved figure in country music, experienced the harsh reality of unpredictable fan reactions at the 2023 CMT Awards, where rapper Megan Thee Stallion presented her the Equal Play award, while Gwen Stefani and Alanis Morissette each celebrated with performances of their classic hits, “Just a Girl” and “You Oughta Know.”

In a 2023 interview with YSL News, Twain remarked, “Pop music has embraced collaborations or duets with country singers. I’m puzzled as to why this acceptance isn’t mutual.”

Maybe the Grammy nominations this year will encourage a change in perspective.