Oulu Ford
It’s finally fall. Autumn leaves drift down as the breeze carries the scent of warm vanilla and cinnamon. A girl wears Ugg boots, bootcut jeans and an overpriced leather jacket, hot coffee in hand. The 2000s aesthetic of small towns, autumn, cafes, friends, romance, sophistication and style dominates social media feeds, making audiences nostalgic for a time they never experienced. The attraction to the country aesthetic seems to follow a similar pattern.
From the South to the Bay Area, country music has traveled a long way to reach the West Coast, bringing core country values, as well as the popularized version of country culture with it — two contrasting appeals of this niche.
“Since country music is more upbeat, it just gives you more confidence, and it lifts up your day,” said freshman Kaylynn Sanchez.
Country music is an American genre rooted in Southern folk music and Western cowboy traditions. Its lyrics often evoke rural landscapes, finding richness amid poverty and Southern romance — imagery that can feel distant from life in the Bay Area.
Here, suburban and urban settings offer a different backdrop. The region’s emphasis on academic and professional achievement can contrast the slower-paced life some students associate with country music.
For students who feel pressure to succeed in the Bay Area’s seemingly inescapable competitive environment, country music may offer an imagined alternative.
“In country songs, the environment is always very rural,” said junior Audrey Young. “There’s lots of grass and hay. Lots of people live in barns or ranch houses, and there are animals running around. It’s very calm and peaceful.”
The appeal may also extend to the relationships portrayed in country songs. For students who see dating as shaped by peer pressure or a desire for status, some country songs about genuine love can offer a contrast; for example, “You Look Like You Love Me” by Ella Langley, or “28” by Zach Bryan.
“Some people like the idea of being in a relationship more than they like the person,” said sophomore Myra Milar. “It’s very common for people to be in a relationship, but most of them end badly.”
Country songs about lifelong devotion present a romantic ideal: a partner who remains committed even as the couple grows older.
“Our generation is 100% more different than how it was back then, and electronics have a big impact,” Sanchez said. “In the past, people would go up to you, and it would be easier to talk to someone that you like or someone you love. Now, the way things are built in our society is weird.”
These perceptions raise another possibility: country music’s appeal may come partly from a desire for something students feel is missing from their lives, whether that is commitment, calm or a sense of connection.
For its listeners, country music can offer a glimpse of experiences beyond their everyday surroundings. It becomes more than an escape — it offers an imagined life that may soften the pressures of their own.
