I think it's safe to say that most of us can agree that country artist Taylor Swift isn't quite so country anymore. For hardcore country fans this is a problem because they want their artists to be authentic and true to the genre. For non-country fans this is great this is great because they can listen to a country artist and enjoy it. For the music industry in Nashville this is especially great because they earn the attention and money that Taylor brings in from her pop music sales.

Taylor's newest release "I Knew You Were Trouble" goes a step further from pop. This one integrates a bit of dubstep. Yep. Dubstep. In a "country" song. Not that I expected her new song to be anything close to country in the first place, but it seems that every song Taylor releases finds itself further and further from country music.

Not that the song is awful. It's great for pop radio, will naturally become a major hit, and like any other song of hers I know I'll belt it out in the car whenever it comes on the radio (don't act like you don't do it too). But after the releases of Taylor's newest songs, I've read many tweets and statuses from people upset about how far from country has gone from actually being country and asking what is up with this "country/pop."

Here's what's up with country/pop. It's not by any means a concept that only just emerged in this generation, and Taylor Swift is certainly not the only country star to have her musical styles questioned. Country with a pop spin has been around since the 1950s when producers in Nashville developed a new sound in an attempt to reach out to the younger audience that was quickly turning to rock 'n' roll. This new movement was called the Nashville sound (surprise!) and traded out traditional instruments like the banjo and fiddle for string orchestras to create a smoother, less twangy country sound.

Ever since the development of the Nashville sound there, of course, has been opposition to the Nashville industry turning out one money-making pop star after another. Traditionalists turned to movements such as the Bakersfield sound and outlaw country.  Today, artists that don't want to associate themselves with the Nashville pop industry turn to the alternative country scene and roots music (a blend of country, folk, and bluegrass styles).

Don't get me wrong. I don't think there's anything wrong with taking influence from other genres and styles of music. That's how new styles are developed and how music stays fresh and exciting. I also certainly don't have a problem with country/pop. Many of my favorite artists--Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, etc.--fall into this category. These artists have made major contributions to country and will forever be important to the industry. And I don't think many people will argue that Patsy Cline, the most famous artist to come out of the Nashville sound, is one of the most iconic figures in country music history.

I have and always have had a love and respect for Nashville for not being just another New York or LA industry that is only out to make money, but with the strong presence of the world's largest record labels in Nashville there is obviously going to be a part of country that is motivated by making profits. Country/pop stars like Taylor bring in this money and attention to Nashville and the country music industry. Her music reaches out to a wide, young audience that may not necessarily like country music but will contribute to the industry by buying her music and seeing her shows.

Maybe I'm going off on a little bit of a tangent. I guess the big question here is how far can a country/pop artist go before they just simply aren't country anymore? Truth is, I think they can go as far as they want. Taylor and her producers can continue making pop albums and Nashville will always claim her as their own. She can add as much dubstep into her music as she wants as long as one or two of her songs has a hint of banjo or steel guitar. She will never not be country to the country music world because she brings in the sales and the audience that was initially intended with the creation of the Nashville sound. Taylor can even just go ahead and make full out EDM albums for the rest of her career. It doesn't matter. She'll still end up in the Country Music Hall of Fame and will forever be a major country music icon.