He's "the man".

(I know. This is out of the blue for my readers, but I've been writing this particular post for a MONTH in my head and it has to spill out.  Forgive me, indulge me, unfollow me...whatever you must...but I really need to get it out of my brain so I can move on.)

This winter, I ended up in a situational road trip with someone I don't hang out with in "real life"; our circles just don't really cross and we seem to get along better that way, oddly enough.  We have a couple things in common besides our cool kids: sports, live on ranches, like our dogs and (I thought) love of music.

Here's where I learned a lot.

I am, it turns out, supremely and hopelessly out of step with the latest country music artists.
Particularly the male country music artists.
SPECIFICALLY the male country music artists that are "hot" and encourage us to "shake it" for them.

To me, they all sound the same.
They're all extolling the awesomeness of wearing cutoff jeans, drinking beer down by the creeeeek while dancing in the back of a truck, shaking it (I'm not sure what "it" is, exactly, but at age 42, I've decided it's better for everyone if nothing on me shakes...) and getting tans.  Bonus points if y'all have boots. Oh! and sometimes there's hay, but not always.  I think I heard one about falling in love in the back of a cop car, too.

Then there's the issue of hotness.
Apparently, Luke Bryan is hot.  And Jason Aldean is hot. And Eric Church is hot. (I don't remember the other names.)
Don't I watch the videos???
Um...
No.
No, I do not.  I sort of LISTEN to music, I don't watch it. The videos in my brain are always better than the ones produced in Nashville.
And even IF I happened to stumble upon them, I sincerely think I wouldn't think they were hot.
(This is also probably due to my advanced age-ed-ness. It seems I'm one of those ridiculous people that is attracted to personality, too.)

I tried to find common ground, musically.
Have you heard Aloe Blacc?
Nope.
Tim Montana and the Shrednecks?
WHO?
Caro Emerald?  Sara Bareilles?
Mumford and Sons?
We got close on Pat Green and Cross Canadian Ragweed.  I mean, at least there was name recognition.
That's big, right?

An attempt was made to school me on the hottiest of hots, Luke Bryan.
We had a solid hour of his songs, with explanations of the videos (which can be found on Youtube, by the way).  There was an interlude of slightly less hot male artists, so that I might be able to compare, then a return to his most royal hotness for replays and such.

I truly appreciate the zeal for artists and their work, and for the enthusiastic sharing. I've sent friends Zac Brown and Kid Rock songs that I thought they should hear, whether they wanted to or not.  I get passionate about things, too....just not Luke Bryan.

*sigh*

(PS:  I've been DYING to send this Aloe Blacc song to my Dad who will simultaneously be irritated and amused by it.  He'd like it better if he could see his grandson walking around the house singing, "I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man; yes, I am, yes, I am, yes, I am."  Angus ROCKS it.)

(Double click on the words Aloe Blacc song, above, to listen.)
(There's no video.  I have no idea if Aloe Blacc is hot.)
(Sorry!)