"Say Something" And Cell Phones Get Lost!

Nashville artists were sprinkled ever so lightly at the 60th Grammy Awards. There was good music coming out of Music City for sure, but was it a great crossover year? Not really.

If your only connection to Country are the Grammys, you get a very interesting view. Urban, of course; Maren Morris is a rising Grammy star; Chris Stapleton is really loved by award voters on Music Row.

CMAs and Grammy voters, many vote in both, love his rootsy approach. Stapleton has no trouble getting into the pages of Rolling Stone or getting a SNL booking. Just this week the world saw him with Justin Timberlake in the new song "Say Something."

"Say Something" is some kind of musical hybrid. One commentary called it genre-less.

It is some hip-hop flavoring at first that blends into some pop then feels bluesy. Then sing-along with Chris. Bottom line: It probably can't be corralled into a single genre.

Can Country radio play it? The question that comes up all the time: "What is the gold standard for what is Country and what is not?" I couldn't tell you. Johnny Cash was and Alan Jackson is. George Strait is and Loretta Lynn was. Today?

Look at the top 50 songs. Country music couldn't be more like Top 40 of the late '60s. You never know what the song is like next. "Ain't My Fault" is sure different from "Yours" Russell Dickerson ... in "Yours" ... You can feel the hand of traditional last 20 years Country.

"Yours" could have been a Tim McGraw song and "Aint My Fault" was often confused for Trace ... "Round Here" is a Country song ... Country radio is where it belongs.

So back to "Say Something," Timberlake and Stapleton. Does it fit in between the lines? Again, how do you decide?

Country radio bosses would kill to get Justin Timberlake in the format. Stapleton is a sales/critical giant. Could this be a breakthrough song for them? I like the song, but is it Country

These days who knows?

Legend Neil Diamond took a shot at Country crossover. It pretty much didn't work. He got with the best on Music Row in the mid-'90s for "Tennessee Moon." It was nice and radio didn't know what to do with it. (I do like his version of "Kentucky Woman" on that album). Neil Diamond gets a Grammy lifetime award this weekend. He announced a few days ago that he suffers from Parkinson's disease, His touring days have stopped immediately. He is a classic and a songwriting hero!

Getting pop stars into Country has always been tricky. Elton John is saying goodbye over the next two years. Some of his music was certainly Country worthy. But not in a hit Country radio sense. Is that a good or bad thing?

I personally listen to a wide variety of music but I also understand the concept of genre. The Country genre is pretty blurry these days, for better or worse.

See what Nashville hipster music mogul Jack White did with cellphones? He is banning them and the fans will put them in a pouch if they want to see him.

White says you will enjoy the music, phone-free, 100% human experience. Is this going to fly?

I hate iPads and photo phones at concerts. It's like being in a flock of junior Spielbergs. But I'm not sure he is going to get away with this. If he does, will Country acts try it?

I doubt it. Though many would love to. You look out from stage and you just see cellphones.

Brad Paisley, among, others works with the issue. Others do, too. Is there any age group that will sign off on this?

You can't shoot in Vegas, TV tapings, etc. Stay tuned.