Luke Bryan might have a bit of an issue being labeled as the “party guy” in country music.
The artist behind songs like “Country Girl” and “That’s My Kind of Night” really took advantage of the “Bro Country” movement that took over Nashville in the early 2010s. Some of Bryan’s biggest hits came during that time, and because of that, most music fans will always think of Luke’s music when the phrase “Bro Country” is thrown around.
Unfortunately for artists, that’s just how it works (and I have to point out that Luke hasn’t exactly changed up the vibes of his music since then).
That being said, Luke Bryan will always be viewed as a part of the country genre’s overarching storyline. Though he doesn’t make everyone’s favorite country music, Bryan has always been a good steward of genre, which is at least partly why he was asked to join Under the Umbrellas – a video interview series that was put on by The Masters.
Professional golf’s first major championship of the season went all out this year, and the media coverage surrounding the tournament seemed to be taken to the next level (the jury of golf fans is still out on whether or not that’s a good thing). One of the pieces of additional content the tournament provided outside of the golf itself was interviews under the iconic umbrellas that sit beside August National Golf Club’s club house.
Luke Bryan was one of the people selected to be interviewed.
The choice wasn’t out of left field. The country singer was born and raised in Georgia, so he’s got plenty of memories that involve The Masters. Bryan is also known to play golf on occasion, so those two things together were enough for the Masters to reach out and ask for an interview.
During the sit down, host Kira K. Dixon asked Bryan about the similarities between the storytelling of the Masters and the storytelling that’s often presented through country music. The “Play It Again” singer appreciated the question, and when it came time for him to answer… it seemed like he had something that he wanted to get off his chest.
Specifically how he got labeled as the “party guy” of country music:
“With country music, you look at it’s popularity as it gets bigger and bigger year in and year out, the storytelling obviously… I think a lot of times, I get coined as the ‘party guy’ and all that, which is fun. I love having that in my repertoire. But when I look at songs that I write and have written in the past that talk about small town life, and the nuances of growing up in small town life. The ups and downs that come with that, I think country music has always told the story of the American journey. It’s just what makes country music special. You can have serious songs, heart break songs, cheating songs, the bar songs. Country music can make all that happen.”
Just to be clear, it certainly seemed like Luke Bryan has some negative emotions attached to the fact that he’s just known as the party song guy in the country music world.
He went on to talk about how country music as a whole does a great job telling stories, and arguably tells the story of the American journey the best. But you could certainly tell the whole “party guy” thing has stuck with him. You can see for yourself in the interview below: