HARDY Dubs Chris Stapleton the Reason for “Bro Country” Dying, Likens the Era to Pro Wrestling

Dating all the way back to the 1920s, country music has undergone numerous changes over the decades. Once known for embracing Western music with its use of banjos, fiddles, and harmonicas, country music eventually hit the mainstream with what singer HARDY considered the “bro country” era. While not criticizing the artists of that era, HARDY praised musicians like Luke Combs and Chris Stapleton for transforming the genre and allowing artists like him a chance to share their voices with the world. 

While appearing on the Ten Year Town podcast with Troy Cartwright, HARDY discussed the era of “bro country” and how singers had to look a certain way to have any sort of music career. He said, “Bro country was like a professional wrestler era, and every song was their – every single was their theme song walking out to the…you know what I mean? And everybody was fit and good looking, and like, that was your thing.”

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According to HARDY, that era instantly changed thanks to Stapleton performing alongside Justin Timberlake at the 2105 CMA Awards. “The moment to me that it changed was when Chris Stapleton sang on stage with Justin Timberlake… He was the first dude that was popping off and had a completely different sound…It pivoted for the first time in, whatever, five, six, seven years.”

Luke Combs Agrees With HARDY – “We’re Talking About Country Music”

It wasn’t just Stapleton as HARDY also praised Combs for not looking like a model. “And then, two or three years later Combs came out, and then it just busted wide open with a bunch of normal ass looking dudes, you know what I mean? And all of us were like, ‘F*ck yeah, I can get a record deal now.’”

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HARDY wasn’t the only singer with the same opinion as Combs himself recalled moving to Nashville and being told he would be a better songwriter given his look. While not letting others dictate his future, Combs insisted the other guys didn’t fit country music. “We’re talking about COUNTRY music here… if anybody looks the part, it’s me. The OTHER guys don’t look the part, that’s the problem. I’m not the guy that’s the problem here. Throw these other guys at the Jiffy Lube, they’re gonna look outta place. You put me at the Jiffy Lube and you’re gonna think I manage the son of a b*tch.”

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(Photo by Jason Davis/WireImage)