How country music became cool again: Gen Z’s are ditching boozy nights out for country-inspired events with line-dancing, bucking broncos and Beyoncé bangers

The baby-faced Glastonbury crowd that crammed in front of the Pyramid stage to watch country music legend Shania Twain weren’t even born when her 1999 hit Man! I Feel Like A Woman was in the UK charts. 

The cowboy hat wearing Gen-Zers who sang along to the Canadian star’s classic hits are part of a movement of youngsters turning their backs on booze-fuelled nights out on sticky dancefloors in favour of a rooting-tooting evening of line-dancing. 

The booming drum and bass that pounds out of speakers in dimly-lit city nightclubs is fast being abandoned for the twang of a steel guitar. 

And on TikTok it feels like every other clip posted on the social media site is a ‘cowboycore’ video of people showing off their fringed jackets, denim jeans and cowboy boots. 

All that’s missing from the authentic look is for them to be chewing on a straw of hay while slapping their thigh.

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Head over to the glowing neon lights of Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry and it’s a movement bosses are becoming all too familiar with; a younger clientele are bow-legging their way through its doors for ranch-themed birthday parties. 

It has resulted in a boost to its membership numbers as hundreds of Gen-Zers pack out the hall every weekend to get a taste of Nashville as they do-si-do the hours away to country tunes played by a live band. 

Secretary Deborah MacIndoe has noticed in the last year the drastic change in the number of students and teens coming through the doors. 

She explained to MailOnline that it’s more than just the culture and music they are enjoying. 

‘They feel safe, it’s a safe environment. It’s got lovely people that make them feel comfortable when they come in.

‘At nightclubs or wherever they would be worried about getting their drinks spiked. In here they don’t need to worry about that.

‘It’s a different kind of atmosphere and they enjoy that.  They enjoy talking to people and learning the line dances and talking about the music and talking about the culture they’re really interested in it.’ 

Maxwell Thompson was the brainchild of Buck n Bull Saloon, a pop-up country music bar that is growing in popularity among youngsters. 

It was during a trip to Canada to see some family members that the country music fan realised there was a gap in the UK market. 

Although still quite niche, it didn’t deter the entrepreneur from setting up the fun-packed country-themed nights in 2017 with the first event taking place at the Vauxhall Arches in London. 

But by 2021, with the business growing, Maxwell was rushed to St George’s hospital in Tooting where they discovered he had been living with a brain tumour for two years. 

His family took the heartbreaking decision two weeks after he was admitted to turn off his life support machine when doctors told them there was nothing they could do. He died on September 11, 2021, aged just 31. 

His brother Adrian, 36, and wife, Sarah, 35, took over the reins of the company and has taken Buck n Bull from strength to strength in Maxwell’s memory with high hopes for the future. 

The couple oversee things from their Florida home in America with Maxwell at the heart of everything they do and now want to find a permanent venue in the UK for its country music nights. 

‘We love what we do,’ Adrian told MailOnline. ‘We love country music, and we love putting on these events for people just to have a great night out. 

‘That’s our ultimate goal is just to create something where people can come along and enjoy what they love in a safe and fun environment. 

‘That’s what Max wanted to do. And that’s kind of what we that’s what we intend to do as well, bring country music to as many people as possible.’

Adrian told me TikTok is playing a big part in its success with a number of influencers coming to their events to make videos to post on the social media site which is appealing to the Gen-Z masses. 

‘That has increased our profile in that respect which definitely draws in a younger crowd, and I think just as more and more young people are getting into country music. It’s sort of spreading,’ he said. 

Events are selling out months in advance as youngsters look to fill a craving to be around like-minded people.

The days of worrying about country music being seen as ‘dorky’ or ‘goofy’ are long gone, Sarah believes. 

‘They want to dress up. They want to have an outlet where they can put on their cowboy hats and their cowboy boots. And we’re just attracting such a great audience of people from 18 up to their sixties, maybe even older. 

‘So people are coming to the event and are seeing it’s just such a nice environment of people to be around. And so people are coming back again. And they’re bringing more people with them because they’re able to go on a night out and not head to like a nightclub where there might be sketchy people.’ 

Adrian concurred with that sentiment who himself found it hard when he was younger to find other country music fans. 

‘You wouldn’t go to a Prism [nightclub] dressed in your best cowboy boots and a cowboy hat so they’re looking for an outlet where they can,’ he said. 

‘Country wasn’t cool for a bit, and you know, like myself, I’ve always liked country music, and my Nan used to run a country event back in the 90s. So I’ve always been around country music, but for a long time I didn’t know anybody else who liked country music. 

‘So I think now, where that community is getting bigger, people are finding people who like country music as well. So it’s just a really great place for people to come and express something that they’ve loved, but didn’t know how to express it before.’

MMA and kickboxing champion Benedict Ang, 28, is one of those to have ditched the nightclub as he was ‘craving something different’ from the ‘overpriced drinks and questionable dance moves’. 

But why country music? 

‘For one, country music just feels more…authentic,’ he told MailOnline. ‘The lyrics tell stories about real life. Like heartbreak that hits you right in the feels, or small-town pride that makes you want to wave your flag. 

‘It’s a far cry from the braggadocious tunes or the manufactured pop beats that feel so impersonal. Plus, country concerts are a whole vibe. 

‘They’re outdoors most of the time, there’s usually some line dancing going on, and everyone’s there just to have a good time, sing along at the top of their lungs, and maybe shed a tear or two during a ballad. It’s a sense of community you don’t always get at a club. 

‘Don’t get me twisted, I still love to dance! But there’s something about the two-step that feels more down-to-earth than grinding on a stranger in a crowded club. 

‘You can actually have a conversation with your partner, learn a new skill, and it’s way easier on your feet after a night of bootin’ scootin’.’

Gen-Zer Gabrielle Yap once loved the pulsating lights and deafening music of the nightlife scene but soon grew tired of hitting the clubs. 

‘I want something more authentic, more meaningful,’ she said. 

‘That’s where country music comes in. There’s something about the storytelling, the raw emotion, and the sense of community that really speaks to me.’

She added: ‘It’s not just about the music; it’s about the culture, the values, and the sense of belonging. And, let’s be real, who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned country hoedown?!

‘It’s just a more authentic, more enjoyable experience for me, and I’m not alone – I see more and more of my friends and peers making the switch too.’

The bucking bronco bug is slowly starting to ebb its way into pop culture too with the likes of Post Malone, Lana Del Rey, and Lilly Allen saddling up to make a country album. 

But it is Beyonce, as ever, who appears to be behind the cowboy-mania. 

Queen Bey became the first black artist to ever take a country album to the top of the UK charts with Cowboy Carter. 

Khloe Kardhashian has jumped on the bandwagon too having just celebrated her 40th with a Dolly Parton themed party.  

But surprisingly Gen-Zers are having their country needs met by more authentic means through the genre’s legends such as Dolly Parton. 

Gen Z expert Alex Atherton told MailOnline: ‘As was the case for every other generation when they were in their twenties, Gen Z is looking for fun things to do in the evenings and at weekends.

‘Alcohol is far less popular than used to be the case and trends spread very quickly via social media. The same is true of tastes in music via streaming platforms.

‘Gen Z’s interest in country music and “country core” is also a reflection of how resourceful they are in being able to track down the clothes and boots. When the trend is over for them, they know they will be able to sell it on, possibly at a profit.

‘Given the cost of living has hit them the hardest, they need to be prudent in how they spend their money.

‘Ultimately it’s good clean fun, it’s a singalong and a dress up.

‘And if you can buy the gear and sell it later for at least what you paid for it, it’s efficient.

‘For my generation, Gen X, buying all the gear and finding others to do it with would have been far more expensive and difficult. Today, trends can come and go quickly, partly because it’s less of an investment to make it happen.

‘But influencers can have very significant reach so quickly. I would stress though that what Gen Z has done with it is not replicate. It’s Dolly Parton that’s getting played rather than Beyonce’s new album.’ 

Spotify data appears to back up that sentiment with country music stars Noah Kahan, Zach Bryan, Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs the most streamed country artists in 2024.

And the music streaming giant says the consumption of country music has swelled by a staggering 175 per cent in the last five years and 39 per cent in the past year alone. 

Consumer booking platform DesignMyNight has noticed a 246 per cent surge in searches for cowboy-inspired events, with 50,000 people a year now looking for their next rodeo fix.  

Head of brand Katie Kirwan said: ‘I’m not surprised to see that cowboy culture is of interest to a UK audience. 

‘It’s vibrant, it’s down to earth, and it’s a damn good time. Hospitality is latching on to trends more than ever before to tap into consumer interests on a broader scale, and with country music topping the charts, weekend activities and events can now be crafted with this in mind.

‘We’re seeing club spaces capitalising on the trend in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds as well, with events listed for themed suppers and brunches. 

‘These consumer insights offer an opportunity for clubs to adapt and get people through the door at quieter times.’