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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 7h

I know the lists have been a huge driver of traffic for Slant for a long time now. For the blog, it's actually our historical content and the aggregate weekly posts of the album reviews from "on here" that have been driving traffic for the last two years.

Gotta keep the lights on!

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 7h

The deficiencies of Showgirl actually bring the strengths of Reputation into even sharper relief: www.slantmagazine.com/features/eve...

Every Taylor Swift Album Ranked

From her self-titled debut to 'The Life of a Showgirl,' we ranked every Taylor Swift studio album.

www.slantmagazine.com

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 7h

Love this perspective, honestly, and agree that "lists" as a shorthand for "canon" function as criticism these days. That's a really great observation I haven't seen articulated in that way before.

(And I say that as someone about to cross-post an updated ranked list of a certain catalog).

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 10h

Good morning to everyone discovering the utter chaos of Dolly Parton's Sisters' Social Media.

Y'all think Frieda was being alarmist?

Spend *10 minutes* on Stella's Xitter.

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Reposted by Country Universe

Slant @slantmagazine.com · 3d

what’s most surprising about 'The Life of a Showgirl' is the extent to which it’s off-putting both as a pop album and as a Taylor Swift album.

Taylor Swift ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ Review: The Artifice of Authenticity

The album finds Swift making a purposeful shift in her persona.

www.slantmagazine.com

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 1d

Yep. I even put that in the alt text. 😬

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 1d

I didn't think I could be a bigger fan of Kelsey Waldon's, and then I read the three words, "Probably John Rich."

Marissa R. Moss @marissarmoss.bsky.social · 1d

asked Kelsey Waldon to answer our DRTI questionnaire and she did not dissapoint!

Kelsey Waldon Answers the DRTI Proust-ish Questionnaire

For as long as I have been living in Nashville, Kelsey Waldon has been making her own kind of country music. I remember the first time I heard that voice, the voice John Prine said he’d listen to sing...

www.dontrocktheinbox.com

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 1d

To quote Kathleen Edwards herself:

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

Over on Xitter, Kathleen Edwards retweets The Free Press' video of Bari Weiss' announcement of TFP joining Paramount.

Edwards writes that she has, "enjoyed so many interviews by Bari Weiss over the years. Congratulations to you and your team," and apparently all of the people raising an eyebrow at the song "Need a Ride" on Edwards' latest album were correct, after all.

Because yikes.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 1d

100%.

It is big Feast On Scraps energy.

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Reposted by Country Universe

Tim Carmichael @timcintn.bsky.social · 2d

What do you think is happening in Appalachia with the rise of Christian Nationalism?

appalachianmemories.org/2025/10/06/g... #christiannationalism #appalachia #appalachianmountains #church #God #love #politics #booksky #books #book #author #reading #read #viral

God’s Country or Man’s Cage? Inside the Silent Rise of Christian Nationalism in Rural Appalachia

Drive through the small towns of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia or any part of Appalachia and the first thing that stands out is not the poverty or the abandoned factories. It is the chur…

appalachianmemories.org

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 1d

We would be far better off running a goddamn hologram of the late Gatewood Galbraith than doing this again with McGrath, and the Not From Here folks in the replies do not get that and are not listening.

Politico @politico.com · 2d

Amy McGrath has announced a second bid for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat.

McGrath announces second bid for McConnell’s Senate seat

The retired fighter pilot said she is “battle-tested and ready to fight.”

www.politico.com

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 1d

My local councilwoman, fully understanding the assignment re: McGrath.

Councilwoman Emma Curtis @emmacurtis.bsky.social · 2d

No.

Politico @politico.com · 2d

Amy McGrath has announced a second bid for Mitch McConnell’s Senate seat.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

An essential, timely read by our pal @rachelcholst.bsky.social for the venerable No Depression:

No Depression - Roots Music Journalism @nodepression.bsky.social · 2d

Under proposed policies from President Trump’s administration, the term “outlaw” country could become literal for queer country artists.

nodepression.org/queer-countr...

✍️: Rachel Cholst
📷 : Jessye DeSilva, photographed by Laura Schneider

QUEER COUNTRY: Will You Let Queer Country Be Outlawed?

“Outlaw country” often evokes a certain rough-and-tumble (cis white) dude — The kind of person who doesn’t take any shit and isn’t interested in conforming to Music Row’s ideals of what it means to…

nodepression.org

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

Looks like he's only released that teaser thus far.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

I was really hoping it was just some online rando projecting, but then it actually happened...

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

Nope. He's shown himself to be far too feckless when challenged.

But, given the size and generational skew of his audience, I do think this is still *significant*. Heroic? Nah, I'm not holding my breath on his behalf.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

I remain a skeptic, but I will say it's significant for Zach Bryan, specifically, to drop a lyric that includes both ACAB and anti-ICE sentiment: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HE52...

Zach Bryan - Bad News [Unreleased]

YouTube video by Zach Bryan Archive

www.youtube.com

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

I do, too, but it's hard to know how the Swifties will take anything less than a rave.

And people are being very, very weird in some of the negative reviews.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

And here I thought my main worry on this Monday morning would be getting doxxed by pissed off Swifties, but no, it's goddamn Amy McGrath.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

It is *absolutely* this.

Honestly, it's one of the reasons they should've let Andy cook with his, "He ain't from here," read on JDV. If you actually know KY politics, you know that's the right message.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

And it's not helpful in any way to have Debra Messing et al shouting on Xitter about how McConnell's 30-point margin over McGrath was evidence of voter fraud.

It wasn't. It was evidence that all y'all didn't actually listen to Kentuckians who said from the jump she would lose, badly.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

And it's important to know that a lot of centrist and even right-leaning Kentuckians do not *like* McConnell or Barr. But it actually matters that voters here like McGrath less than either of them, and the state has already proven that. Twice.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

Folks here are well aware that this Senate race is a very long-shot under the best of circumstances. But those of us who believe it's still a shot worth taking know that McGrath is a complete non-starter here and have no interest in seeing people throw money at her again.

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Country Universe @countryuniverse.net · 2d

This right here.

Kentuckians resent the hell out of being condescended to by (1) out of state folks and (2) the donor class, generally. And the perception on the ground in KY is that McGrath was a poor candidate forced on us by (1) x (2). Twice, she failed to prove she's invested in KY *for KY*.

Le Caghoul @lecagle.bsky.social · 2d

Speaking as a Kentuckian, I want Senate candidates who have already held elected office in the state and demonstrated their civic commitment outside of running for Senate.

Noah Berlatsky @nberlat.bsky.social · 2d

I don't really understand the anger about amy mcgrath running again? 1

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Reposted by Country Universe

Dawn of the Dead 💀 @502eire.lol · 2d

if you are out of state and you send Amy McGrath money you are obligated to send an equal amount to a regular Kentuckian as penance for making her a thing again. my Venmo is jdhowa2 ✌️

Lexington Herald-Leader @kentucky.com · 2d

“This is a different race, it’s a different year, it’s a midterm,” McGrath said, comparing 2026 to her 2020 run for U.S. Senate.

‘Battle-tested’ Amy McGrath launches second Kentucky U.S. Senate bid

“This is a different race, it’s a different year, it’s a midterm,” McGrath said, comparing 2026 to her 2020 run for U.S. Senate.

bit.ly

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