Podcast Summary: Business Daily – How Country Music Became Cool
Podcast: Business Daily, BBC World Service
Episode Date: January 27, 2026
Host: Ellie House
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Overview
This episode of Business Daily explores the dramatic resurgence and global popularity of country music. Through interviews with rising artists, industry strategists, broadcasters, and executives, host Ellie House investigates how country music transcended its American roots to become a worldwide phenomenon. The episode dives into the strategic expansion of the genre, the impact of social media, evolving audience demographics, and the economic dynamics behind country music’s current boom.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The Country Music Boom (01:18–03:00)
- Setting: Ellie House reports live from Nashville, Tennessee during the Country Music Association (CMA) Awards—country music's marquee event.
- Surge in Popularity: Streaming of country music in the US on Spotify rose by nearly 110% in five years (to 2024), with big gains in the UK and Australia, now the third largest global market.
- Wider Appeal: The former stigma around country music has diminished, making it “cool” for new demographics.
“I think the barrier of just admitting that you like it has come way down. This might be the coolest time ever.”
— Scott Borchetta (02:07)
2. Country Music’s Genre Fusion & Social Media Power (03:00–06:26)
- Emerging Artists: Interview with Tucker Wetmore, Gen Z breakout star nominated at the CMA Awards and celebrated for genre-crossing music and social media prowess.
- Genre Crossovers: Modern country fuses elements of pop, hip hop, reggae, and rock.
- Social Media Impact: Viral hits like Wetmore’s “Brunette” gain explosive traction through TikTok and streaming.
“You can go write a song yesterday, post it today, tomorrow there’s 2 million people that have listened to it… The reach that artists are capable of now has never been done.”
— Tucker Wetmore (05:25)
- Redefining Country Identity: The genre is seen less as an American niche and more as a global, lifestyle-centered music.
“Instead of making it so niche and cliquey, understanding that other parts of the world are doing the same exact things that you’re doing... it’s not a place, it’s a lifestyle.”
— Tucker Wetmore (06:00)
3. The Global Strategy: Country Music Beyond America (06:26–09:30)
- Nashville’s Heartbeat: Description of Honky Tonk Highway, underlining Music City’s centrality.
- International Growth: Interview with Matias Hansén, Swedish country radio host and newly-named CMA International Broadcaster of the Year.
- Scandinavian Success: Sweden’s top radio request became country, reflecting a wider appetite for the genre, partly due to shared folk music roots and an affinity for rural, nature-centered themes.
“All over the world, country music has seen a new day rise. Even my teenagers back home in Sweden love country music.”
— Matias Hansén (02:31, 08:14)
- Adaptation: Sweden has its own parallel genre, “dance band music,” sounding like American country but with Swedish lyrics.
4. Executive Steer: Making Country Music Global (09:30–11:40)
- Strategic Expansion: Scott Borchetta (Big Machine Label Group/Taylor Swift’s former label boss) describes the push to bring artists internationally, especially to the UK.
- Case Study: Taylor Swift: Persistence paid off with Swift’s 2012 hit “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” breaking UK radio, proving the need for physical presence to win new markets.
“We need to be on the ground here twice a year... Taylor helped kick down the door of helping our music to travel better.”
— Scott Borchetta (10:13)
- Demographic Shift: Country now enjoys a broad listener base, blending younger and older fans.
“Country is its strongest when the net is the widest. And the net is very wide right now... This might be the coolest time ever to love country music.”
— Scott Borchetta (11:08)
5. The Live Music and Global Touring Boom (12:57–17:48)
- Industry Insight: Millie Olikan (Live Nation) outlines strategies for growing country worldwide, especially through touring and festivals rather than just streaming.
- Evidence of Growth: Data-driven rise—746% increase in country music ticket sales in Australia since 2019.
- International Strategy: Early-career artists now see value in building a global audience from the outset, even if it means smaller or less profitable tours at first.
- Future Markets: Latin America (Mexico, Brazil) flagged as major growth areas owing to commonalities with US rural culture and rodeo traditions.
“Since 2019, we’ve seen 746% growth in country music ticket sales in Australia.”
— Millie Olikan (15:35)
“I think that we’re just really beginning here... It’s just going to become more mainstream and it’s going to be with us forever, really.”
— Millie Olikan (17:12)
6. Songwriting, Publishing, and The Live Experience (17:48–19:31)
- Songwriters’ Round: On location at Bluebird Cafe, where songwriters and artists bridge historic division, increasingly taking control of their creative output.
- Music Business Evolution: Modern record deals now often start with publishing as artists want to be recognized as creators as well as performers.
- Outlook: Growth in songwriter-centered live experiences is anticipated as audiences seek deeper, more authentic connections with music.
“It used to be in the past that there would be the artist and then the songwriter and they wouldn't necessarily meet. And now people want to be seen not just as the artist who's conveying the songs, but as the person who's super involved in how they're created.”
— Erica Nichols, Bluebird Café (18:22)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Breaking Out Internationally:
- “You must be present to win.” — Scott Borchetta (09:54)
- On Social Reach:
- “The reach that artists are capable of now has never been done. It’s kind of unfathomable.” — Tucker Wetmore (05:25)
- On Country Music’s Universal Appeal:
- “It’s not a place, it’s a lifestyle.” — Tucker Wetmore (06:00)
- On Global Country Audience:
- “There’s real rural areas there, there’s a big rodeo culture... It’s just going to become more mainstream and it’s going to be with us forever.” — Millie Olikan (17:12)
Important Timestamps
- 01:18 – Introduction, live at CMA Awards; overview of country’s US streaming surge
- 02:07 – Scott Borchetta: Why it’s “the coolest time ever” for country music
- 03:32 – Interview: Tucker Wetmore on starting in Nashville and going viral
- 05:25 – Wetmore: Importance of social media to today’s artists
- 06:26 – Inside Nashville and interview with Swedish broadcaster Matias Hansén
- 09:30 – Scott Borchetta: Taylor Swift’s breakthrough and international touring strategy
- 11:08 – Borchetta on country music’s evolving, wide-ranging demographics
- 12:57 – Millie Olikan (Live Nation) on live industry strategy and international ticket growth
- 15:35 – 746% growth in Australian country music ticket sales since 2019
- 17:48 – Songwriters’ Round at Bluebird Café: Modern role of songwriters and future trends
Conclusion
This episode thoroughly traces country music’s path from a US-centric, occasionally unfashionable genre to a global industry powerhouse, now seen as “cool” with rapidly expanding audiences. Key drivers include genre fusion, TikTok/social media virality, calculated international touring, strategic market entry, and a new appreciation for storytelling and songwriting. With momentum building across Europe, Australia, and new frontiers in Latin America, country music appears poised for long-term and borderless appeal.