Modern country has seen its fair share of experimental outliers in recent years, and the strength of the genre has only increased as a result. By taking away the gatekeeping mentality a lot of country stars and fans seemed to share throughout the ‘90s and early ‘00s and allowing fresh, new voices a chance to fiddle around within the same playing field, the consequences have been nothing but remarkable.
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Take for instance the oft-cited “Old Town Road,” one of the biggest country hits in years due to its viral presence on social media platforms and its controversial blending of genres — this is merely one such example of a track that transcends your typical genre classification in the modern sense, but there has been an increase in tunes that follow the same trend, be it out of copycat mentality or artists simply seeing an open door finally in front of them. One such artist from the latter, Vineet, should ring a bell with fans of independent pop. Vineet’s output over the years has been stunning with its versatility, and it was only a matter of time before he shifted focus to the country music genre. With “City Roads,” the shift in focus has happened.
Vineet is not an artist unaware of what he’s doing, as every genre experiment released from him has been nothing if not well-planned and intentional. Artistically, Vineet’s sandbox seems like just about the best place to create new art, as he has shown a knack for just about every sound, instrument, and venue with his past releases. “City Roads” features something a little more pensive than past single releases, as a mournful acoustic guitar and harmonica are placed front and center within the song’s production. The lyrics tell a tale of love gone awry as a man is left by a woman for dreams of the city; things don’t go as planned and heartbreak (and eventually death) ensue, which feels pretty par for the course when it comes to country ballads. The nifty thing that Vineet does with “City Roads” is incorporating a hip-hop beat to move the track and plot along. The mesh of the two genres comes together startlingly well, and the upbeat production does help take some of the melancholy sting away from the lyrics.
As far as Vineet’s discography is concerned, “City Roads” is a massive new step for the artist. Not only is this a new genre for him to explore and experiment with, but his vocal performance feels firm and renewed; the mix on the song is well done and well-produced, and the overall result on the song feels like something primed for mainstream radio and appeal. It’s an intriguing new move for Vineet’s career as he ultimately gives himself another tool to add to his belt, and this first venture into country music already feels well-polished and thought-out. Vineet never runs the risk of coming across as an amateur, with his high-profile musical sensibilities clearing the way for whatever he decides to attempt next — before we know it, Vineet will be the one opening doors across genres from within the mainstream.
Loretta Kim