Mainstream country music certainly has no shortage of trend chasers. In 2013 and early 2014, you were pretty much guaranteed to hear songs about pickup trucks, alcohol, and hot girls (not that we don’t still now, but it was extremely more prevalent and noticeable then). In the latter half of 2014, there was a noticeable abundance of Pop starting to infiltrate the mainstream country airwaves to the point where you couldn’t even hear a token country instrument. Of course, we had acts who latched onto either one or both of those trends. Some males have even switched trends, gradually moving on from one trend to the next (we call this evolution, right Thomas Rhett?).
One of these acts who has done so is Chris Lane. Chris is an act who is signed to Big Loud Mountain Records. His debut single, “Broken Windshield View” was an absolute train wreck of a song, and was a 100% pure bro-country song complete with a loud production, obnoxious lyrics, and an obnoxious vocal performance. Thankfully, it tanked. I really want to leave his new single alone, mostly because I was hoping to never have to hear this thing ever. Well it looks like I won’t be able to avoid it, as according to some sources, this is already shaping up to be the next On The Verge pick after Granger Smith’s bro “Backroad Song”. I mostly hate this program, save for the lone exception of Cam’s “Burning House”. Well, I definitely will hate it a whole lot more if Chris’s next single is the next pick, because this is even worse than “Broken Windshield View”.
Remember how I said there were males who switched from one trend to the next? Well you better believe it’s in full force here. “Fix” is a total Pop song. There’s no arguing it. And no, don’t give me shit about the banjo that plucks faintly in the background, that doesn’t do a damn thing to add a country element to this song. A lot of people will argue that Sam Hunt is lyrically a country artist, and I while I highly disagree with this statement, I at least understand where they’re coming from with the argument. “Fix” however, is not something you could call a country song, in fact, even as a Pop song, this is an absolute disaster (and that’s being nice!).
The song not only combines Country’s trend of masquerading Pop songs as Country, but also goes further with what seems to be the new lyrical trend of comparing love to a drug. Tyler Farr’s, “Withdrawals”, Zac Brown Band’s “Beautiful Drug” and Brett Eldredge’s “Drunk On Your Love” all compare the effects of a woman’s sexiness to the effects of either alcohol or drugs. But wait! This song is TOTALLY different! This time, the MALE is the drug! How clever Chris! Yeah, no. Screw that. Like I said, the song talks about a woman who apparently is in need of love, and apparently Chris can be the drug (the “fix”) she needs. What’s even worse is the arrogance that accompanies the lyrics. Take a look here:
I make you feel invincible, I’m more than recreational, I’m what you need
And on top of that, the girl in the song apparently already has someone who she is already seeing. But hey! Screw him! Chris is who you need! He even says so himself. There’s apparently nothing wrong with the relationship but screw love! Sex is better! Here are the lyrics to prove my point:
Hey girl, he don’t get you then never, then just leave
This goes even more full on arrogant than Old Dominion’s “Break Up With Him”. Sure, maybe there’s something wrong with the relationship, but we only hear it Chris, not the woman, so in this sense, I’m led to believe that Chris is only after one thing.
All in all, this song is the perfect representation of what mainstream country is falling to. There’s nothing country about this whatsoever, and there’s nothing even original or redeemable about it whatsoever either. There’s still time before the next On The Verge pick, so maybe I’m wrong. I pray to God I am, because if this song hits the mainstream airwaves, it’ll truly show why mainstream country music needs a major “fix."
Grade: F
Listen: “Fix” (Note: Must have an AllAccess account to listen, but I highly recommend skipping this)
Author: Zackary Kephart
One of these acts who has done so is Chris Lane. Chris is an act who is signed to Big Loud Mountain Records. His debut single, “Broken Windshield View” was an absolute train wreck of a song, and was a 100% pure bro-country song complete with a loud production, obnoxious lyrics, and an obnoxious vocal performance. Thankfully, it tanked. I really want to leave his new single alone, mostly because I was hoping to never have to hear this thing ever. Well it looks like I won’t be able to avoid it, as according to some sources, this is already shaping up to be the next On The Verge pick after Granger Smith’s bro “Backroad Song”. I mostly hate this program, save for the lone exception of Cam’s “Burning House”. Well, I definitely will hate it a whole lot more if Chris’s next single is the next pick, because this is even worse than “Broken Windshield View”.
Remember how I said there were males who switched from one trend to the next? Well you better believe it’s in full force here. “Fix” is a total Pop song. There’s no arguing it. And no, don’t give me shit about the banjo that plucks faintly in the background, that doesn’t do a damn thing to add a country element to this song. A lot of people will argue that Sam Hunt is lyrically a country artist, and I while I highly disagree with this statement, I at least understand where they’re coming from with the argument. “Fix” however, is not something you could call a country song, in fact, even as a Pop song, this is an absolute disaster (and that’s being nice!).
The song not only combines Country’s trend of masquerading Pop songs as Country, but also goes further with what seems to be the new lyrical trend of comparing love to a drug. Tyler Farr’s, “Withdrawals”, Zac Brown Band’s “Beautiful Drug” and Brett Eldredge’s “Drunk On Your Love” all compare the effects of a woman’s sexiness to the effects of either alcohol or drugs. But wait! This song is TOTALLY different! This time, the MALE is the drug! How clever Chris! Yeah, no. Screw that. Like I said, the song talks about a woman who apparently is in need of love, and apparently Chris can be the drug (the “fix”) she needs. What’s even worse is the arrogance that accompanies the lyrics. Take a look here:
I make you feel invincible, I’m more than recreational, I’m what you need
And on top of that, the girl in the song apparently already has someone who she is already seeing. But hey! Screw him! Chris is who you need! He even says so himself. There’s apparently nothing wrong with the relationship but screw love! Sex is better! Here are the lyrics to prove my point:
Hey girl, he don’t get you then never, then just leave
This goes even more full on arrogant than Old Dominion’s “Break Up With Him”. Sure, maybe there’s something wrong with the relationship, but we only hear it Chris, not the woman, so in this sense, I’m led to believe that Chris is only after one thing.
All in all, this song is the perfect representation of what mainstream country is falling to. There’s nothing country about this whatsoever, and there’s nothing even original or redeemable about it whatsoever either. There’s still time before the next On The Verge pick, so maybe I’m wrong. I pray to God I am, because if this song hits the mainstream airwaves, it’ll truly show why mainstream country music needs a major “fix."
Grade: F
Listen: “Fix” (Note: Must have an AllAccess account to listen, but I highly recommend skipping this)
Author: Zackary Kephart
