1.
You have to deal with questions like “YOU like country music?!"
2.
And microaggressive responses like “Hmmm. That’s interesting."
3.
You have to show restraint when people say they never would’ve pictured you as a country music fan.
4.
You find it exhausting when people assume country music is just for white people…
5.
...and that you can't possibly relate to any of it.
6.
People tend to take your interest in country as a license to debate about your "blackness."
7.
You get irritated when people ask, "Aren't most country singers racist?"
8.
Or when people ask if black people even sing country music.
9.
You don't understand why other people are concerned about whether or not you feel “out of place” listening to country music.
10.
And you really don't understand why other POC think you must have self-hate for liking country music.
11.
You get frustrated when folks assume the only reason you like country is because it sounds more like pop music these days.
12.
You CAN'T STAND when people think by “country” you mean those occasional hip-hop country collabs.
13.
Or that you just like black artists who crossed over into country.
14.
But it's exceptionally irritating when people wonder where you’re from — as if there has to be some other reason for your taste in music.
15.
Despite the annoyances, country music is relatable regardless of appearance — which is why you enjoy it.
