Similar to Beyoncé's "Country Carter" a year ago, Tyler Childers' new album "Snipe Hunter" kicked up conversations about how we describe music.

The intrigue: Both albums earned critical acclaim, while challenging critics how to categorize the music.

Why it matters: "Snipe Hunter" creates a golden opportunity for a refresher on what defines Americana music, the umbrella genre that has its roots in the Nashville music industry.

Driving the news: Steven Hyden, one of the preeminent rock music critics, propelled the discussion forward with his column in which he lauded "Snipe Hunter," while also expressing disdain for the use of the term "Americana" to categorize it.

• Hyden says Childers' latest release is good old-fashioned heartland rock.
• "On my list of pet peeves, it's up there with people who spell 'whoa' like 'whoah' and 'rock star' like 'rockstar,'" Hyden said of the term Americana. "I've conceded [defeat] on those other two fronts, but I continue to fight for heartland rock. It partly stems from my distaste for 'Americana,' which I always type out reluctantly because it's part of the common nomenclature, even though the 'sepia-toned old-timey small-town folk' connotations are corny and kind of gross."

State of play: For a refresher on the term Americana, we went to the expert, Jed Hilly, who's executive director of the Americana Music Association.

• We asked Hilly to read Hyden's column and then called him up for a history lesson.

Flashback: First, the history lesson from Hilly. On the heels of the unprecedented chart-topping domination of country artists like Garth Brooks and Shania Twain, Music Row record labels began to chase their successors, Hilly says. The search for country stars with pop appeal left artists like Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle and Rodney Crowell somewhat on the outside looking in.

• At the same time, those artists felt out of place in country music, Hilly points out bands like Wilco, the Jayhawks and the Old 97s were making alt-country albums that bled into multiple genres.
• A group of music industry stakeholders met at the 1999 SXSW festival to discuss carving out a new trade association to give those artists a home. About 30 people, including Harris and Crowell, convened in Nashville that fall for three days to brainstorm ideas. Out of those meetings, the Americana Music Association was created.

Zoom out: Advancing Americana music is a professional passion of Hilly. Over the last decade, Americana Fest has grown into one of Nashville's preeminent music festivals, and its awards show is consistently one of the best concerts all year in Music City.

• Hilly was instrumental in getting the definition "Americana music" added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary in 2011, and two years before that, the Recording Academy created a best Americana album Grammy Award category.

What he's saying: "The truth is Americana is not a vertical genre, it's a horizontal genre," Hilly tells Axios. "It goes through gospel, rock, folk, blues, bluegrass."

The bottom line: Over his discography, Childers ventured from squarely a country artist to a rock-leaning singer-songwriter in the mold of Mellencamp. For Hilly, it's all Americana music.

• "Americana is artists who write stories to tell through songs in the best way they can," Hilly says. "They are singers who can sing, players who can play. And writers who can write."

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Musicians can park for free when playing at venues across Nashville under a new program called Park & Play.

Why it matters: Parking in Nashville is often an expensive inconvenience for working musicians lugging around gear and playing long gigs.

How it works: The program applies to 25 parking lots operated by the parking and technology company Metropolis.

• Members of the Nashville musicians union and musicians playing at a Musicians Venues Alliance Nashville venue are eligible to take advantage of Park & Play.

Catch up quick: A previous iteration of the program provided a 60% discount for parking.

• During the recent Metro budget process, music industry stakeholders pushed to expand the program and Metropolis stepped up to finance the 100% discount.

What he's saying: "We want [local musicians] to know we not only see and appreciate them, but that we also support them," Metropolis chief revenue officer Ryan Hunt said in a statement.

What's next: Park & Play starts Friday. Additional details, including the list of parking lots participating, are available on the Park & Play website.

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⬇️ Jelly Roll discussed his weight loss journey in a motivational speech to the Titans. (Tennessean)

Social media influencers, podcasters and authors sold nearly 500% more tickets this year compared to 2024, according to StubHub.

Why it matters: Content creators are turning their fame into profitable, real-world fan engagement — and changing the live entertainment economy.

Zoom in: Creators visiting Nashville this year have appeared in some of the city's most iconic venues.

• The Crime Junkie podcast tour appeared at the Opry House in March.
• Podcaster and author Glennon Doyle stopped by the Ryman Auditorium in June.
• YouTuber Kurtis Conner is coming to the Ryman next month.

By the numbers: Creator tours are also more affordable: The average price of tickets sold across all live entertainment in 2024 was $159, compared to $99 for the top six creator tours.

The bottom line: What started as a niche has become a new lane of mainstream entertainment.

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