CMA's Chris Stapleton nailed it!

Yep.... you're right John... I think the ship has already turned it's just coming out of the fog now.

Last record guy I talked to told me they were looking for guys just like Chris, and that they were not signing anymore of the bro country types, or the "Disco Country" types. That was 6 months ago and from the way he told me it was something globally with all the labels over on the row. I think you're right, I think it's not over night. But, I also think the label guys saw this long before we've given them credit for, I think they were aware that this trend was a flash in the pan and that they were not going to be able to just shut it off because then a sense of panic could arise or they could be looked at as being knee jerk.

I think these folks knew the public was eventually going to get tired of this and crave and want change, maybe tonight was the first little push with putting Chris out there like that, they damn sure did it in grand fashion considering he is a new "artist" not so much a new face, but, I had a lot of folks texting me asking if I'd ever hear of this guy and how great he was, I chuckled and just told them yep, sure have heard of him. In the interviews after the show, you had artist like little big town publicly saying it's obvious that the public is wanting a change. Now, me and you both know that a lot of folks around town have had no problem voicing their opinions on this subject, but most of the artist and producers have had a zipper over their mouth and haven't said a word besides the "well music evolves blah blah blah." Tonight, that wasn't the case man, it's almost like a pre planned tsunami was set in place and if you just read through Facebook at John q public and what they are saying, it's a lot of "why can't we hear this music on the radio" etc.

That's why I say that I think ship has already been turned around, I honestly think they're going to let it cruise now. Kristina was asking me what would happen in the genre, and I told her it wasn't going to be some massive mass exodus or anything. I think a lot of the acts will start focusing more on meaningful songs, I think a lot of artists like FGL will definitely become an after thought and I think some acts will move on to other genre's. It may take a couple of years indeed, but for guys like me and you I think the work might start to move in that we can feel good about. I have a feeling we're moving to a fusion of muscle shoals with a country attitude and modern fidelity. The groove becomes important again, the dumb goes away and only the talented dare to apply. Chris is setting a bar, all those people in that building felt and knew it tonight.

I thought it was interesting that they paired him with Justin Timberlake. It was like they were saying "hey  audience, don't be scared of that bearded, scraggly looking guy with the great voice, he's got soul just like JT and you love him".

My $.02 is that a lot of country marketing is to suburban mom's and I thought it was smart move by country music to ease in Stapleton this way.

I heard somewhere that JT himself was doing a country record.... no joke, I heard that from somewhere or another.