Siobhan is a Baybeats Budding Writer mentored by Eddino Abdul Hadi, music correspondent for The Straits Times and Hidzir Junaini, editor and writer for Bandwagon Asia.

Shortly after the March 2024 release of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter—the second instalment in a planned trilogy of albums—a new contender in the internet’s league of microtrends and -cores emerged. Referred to as “Cowgirl Couture”, this microtrend led to media reports that Google searches for “cowboy hat” had surged more than 212% worldwide.

The popularity of the cowboy hat, which is arguably country music’s quintessence distilled into a fashion accessory, has even infiltrated the album covers of certain major alternative American artists. Adrianne Lenker, frontwoman of indie folk band Big Thief, dons a white cowboy hat on the cover of her thoughtful and intimate project Bright Future, while indie pop singer Role Model woefully poses with a cowboy hat on the cover of the folk and country tinged Kansas Anymore. Both albums were also released in 2024.

While these examples indicate that country music and its accompanying aesthetic is back in the zeitgeist, it was not until recently that country music was negatively (and unfortunately) associated with an exclusionary audience, specifically that of a white, cisgender male demographic with certain red hat political leanings. Or, put simply, some may just hold preconceived biases that country music is corny or embarrassing. Nevertheless, there lies a nascent hopefulness that this microtrend may spark a revival in country music scenes across the world.

Taking a deep dive into the once thriving local country scene and groups that are championing country music and culture in their own unique ways, this article poses the simple question: is there a future for country in Singapore?

Who were the first Singapore Cowboys?

When charting the trajectory of Singapore’s country music scene, it is necessary to mention pioneering bands such as Matthew and the Mandarins, Leonard and the Country Riders and Gypsy. Matthew Tan is often credited as the Singapore cowboy, and, together with his band the Mandarins, he made an American debut in Oklahoma in 1978. Their hit single, Singapore Cowboy, is a clever yet earnest song that details a yearning to sing country songs in Nashville, Tennessee, despite being a cowboy from sunny Singapore. The song has undoubtedly captured the heart of many listeners and in 1993, it was even featured in a karaoke laserdisc released by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board to market the country as a tourist destination.

Gypsy, on the other hand, was a band that experimented with many genres, with country and disco being a few main examples. Comprising brothers Dixie ‘Laurance’, Richard ‘Don’, Joseph Kelly and Melvin Stuart Ferdinands as well as Terrance ‘Bianco’ Lange, the band earned a loyal following by performing regularly at hotel bars and clubs in the 1980s.

Melvin or Mel Ferdinands, a member of the band Gypsy, explains that early interest in country music locally was prompted by the burgeoning regional oil industry, which saw an influx of American oil rig workers (or “oilies”) who were homesick and craving a slice of familiarity. They would therefore frequent the bars and clubs that Gypsy would play at. Ferdinands fondly recalls performing regularly at a bar called the Treetops Bar, which had an “African theme” but patrons would also commonly don “cowboy outfits”.

In their heyday, Gypsy was a regular fixture in a few clubs, performing as frequently as six nights a week, and they also received substantial support from local radio and television stations. Pursuing this model of performing and gaining exposure, Ferdinands notes, was common practice for other bands and as a result, fans “knew where to go” to enjoy their favourites.

“Sometimes we would recognise the guests and even play their favourite songs,” Ferdinands recounts.

With the astute sensibilities of a seasoned performer, Ferdinands describes the unfortunate consequences of eventually losing this culture of performing and enjoying music. Returning to the topic of country music, Ferdinands explains that the stark decline in the number of dedicated Western or country music clubs, coupled with the layperson’s lack of exposure to country music, were reasons for the genre’s dwindling popularity locally.

Championing the y’allternative lifestyle

Inevitably, this dwindling popularity also ushered in a similar declining popularity in wearing cowboy hats, embroidered shirts, bolo ties and any markers of country music culture. “Country is also about dressing up and the overall experience,” remarks Ferdinands as he elaborates on the strong correlation between country music and its accompanying aesthetics and lifestyle.

It is heartening to learn, however, that there still exists a handful of associations that carve out a space for country music and culture lovers. The Country Line Dancing Association (Singapore), for instance, is a non-profit association founded in 2000 that offers line dancing classes and organises weekly jams for members to dance together. Michael Pang, Founding President of the association, recalls that due to the novelty of the activity, “many joined out of curiosity” and there were around 1,800 members in the early years. A memorable event organised by the association was an attempt to form the world’s largest line dance in 2002. Just this year, the association also held a jam at the Esplanade Forecourt Garden for A Date with Friends 2024.

While speaking with Yeo Kok Pang, treasurer of the association, at the weekly jam, it is evident that the association’s enduring success is due to the members’ unwavering dedication. Despite members contributing on a voluntary basis, the association has built a strong line dancing community and will be celebrating its 25th anniversary next year.

Currently, the association’s most pressing challenge is attracting younger audiences to the pastime. 

The country state of mind

When speaking of the shifting winds in public interest and a possible revival of country music and culture amongst younger generations, Pang is cautiously hopeful that “perhaps change is in the air”. Citing the viral dance routines that have been created by TikTok users for Beyoncé’s song Texas Hold ‘Em, Pang is excited to see that the steps “bear more than a passing resemblance to line dance” as they incorporate “heel-tapping, hip-swaying, and a good old-fashioned lasso”. This new wave of exposure to country music and culture could potentially lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation in new audiences.

Ferdinands also expresses a tentativeness towards country being back in the zeitgeist.

Whether the virality of country aesthetics becomes a helpful boost to the local country music scene or a passing fad is up to the consumers scrolling through their TikTok For You pages or their Spotify daily mixes.

Beyond the superficial and immediately distinguishable features of country music and its accompanying aesthetics, Ferdinands believes that above all, “country is a state of mind”. Gesturing to the rich storytelling abilities of country acts and their focus on realistic themes as characteristics that drew Ferdinands to the genre, he adds that country music should not be reduced to the twanging guitar melodies or the all-too-familiar keywords like “pick up trucks” and “my mama”. What is more important is an access to the country state of mind—that knack for charming with a story in song, and an accompanying earnestness in delivery.

At the musical frontier

Locating and accessing this country state of mind could be a promising direction to move towards—it could be the new musical frontier.

Whether you’re a fervent naysayer or advocate for country music, it is undeniable that country as we know it is evolving and taking on new shapes. The act of donning a cowboy hat is symbolic of how newer artists have placed country atop other genres including pop, folk and rock. This not only disrupts the labels of “exclusionary” and “corny” unfairly ascribed to country music, but also welcomes a new generation of listeners. Thai band Khana Bierbood, for instance, is an exciting act from the region that explores the genre luk thung, or Thai country music, amongst other musical styles such as 60s psychedelia and surf rock.

The future of country music, ultimately, is undecided and nascent—it evades an easy conclusion. However, what can be offered in this absence of a conclusion is a promising road map: if audiences and musicians alike could locate the sincere spirit of country music and culture, perhaps this could open the doors for new innovation for the genre and in turn, a new audience and a new appreciation.

Head down to Baybeats 2024 from 11–13 October for three electrifying days of indie rock and alternative music by the bay, featuring top acts from Singapore and beyond.