A wannan makon, Ella Langley ta karya rikodin jadawali da Whitney Houston da Mariah Carey suka riƙe. Waƙarta ta ƙasar "Choosin' Texas" yanzu ta shafe makonni 15 a lamba ɗaya a Billboard Hot 100, wanda ya sa ta zama mafi dadewa a matsayi na ɗaya a Amurka ta mawaƙiya mace ɗaya don waƙar da ba ta biki ba. Masu riƙe rikodin da suka gabata—"I Will Always Love You" na Houston da "We Belong Together" na Carey—sun kasance manyan lokutan pop masu ƙarfi, irin waƙoƙin da ba za a iya tsayawa ba waɗanda suka dace a matsayin masu kan gaba a jadawali. "Choosin' Texas," a gefe guda, waƙa ce mai matsakaicin sauri mai matakai biyu tare da salon murya mai annashuwa da kuma jin daɗin tsohon zamani.
Ga Victoria Banks, mawaƙiya kuma malami a Jami'ar Belmont da ke Nashville, yanayin annashuwa na waƙar shine mabuɗin nasararta. "Waƙar barci ce—ba ta da ƙarfi kuma ba ta da girman kai," in ji ta. "Komai game da waƙar yana mayar da ku zuwa lokaci mafi sauƙi a kiɗan ƙasar da mutane ke sha'awar."
Kalmomin "Choosin' Texas" suna ba da labarin wata mace daga Tennessee da ta tafi tare da abokin zamanta tafiya zuwa jihar Texas ta asali—kuma ta gane a hanya cewa "zuciyarsa har yanzu tana cikin jihar ta lone star." Baƙin ciki ne a ma'aunin ƙasar na gargajiya, kuma Langley ta bayyana shi tare da nuni ga waƙoƙin da suka shuɗe na Jerry Reed, Ronnie Millsap, da George Strait. Samar da rawa, tare da mai da hankali kan guitar da pedal steel, yana kawo waƙoƙin ƙasar daga ƙarshen 70s da farkon 80s, amma tare da gogewar zamani.
"Akwai abubuwa da yawa na tsohon zamani a waƙar, amma an yi rikodin ta a hanya mai zamani sosai," in ji Banks. "Ba ta da tsohon zamani sosai har ba za mu iya danganta da ita ba."
A matsayin alamar ci gaba da mamayar kiɗan ƙasar a duniyar pop, "Choosin' Texas" na ɗaya daga cikin waƙoƙin ƙasar guda biyar a halin yanzu a cikin manyan 10 na Amurka a Hot 100 na kowane nau'i. Idan aka yi la'akari da rashin kyawun tarihin kiɗan ƙasar game da tallafawa mata, ba daidaituwa ba ne cewa kowace waƙa daga cikin waɗannan—ciki har da "I Knew It, I Knew You" na Taylor Swift, "Boston" na Stella Lefty, da "Be Her" na Langley da duet dinta da Morgan Wallen, "I Can't Love You Anymore"—ta ƙunshi mace a matsayin jagorar mawaƙiya.
A tarihi, lokacin da kiɗan ƙasar ya wuce zuwa babban jama'a, tattaunawa kan nisan da nau'in ya yi daga tushensa. "Wani ya kashe kiɗan ƙasar, ya yanke zuciyarsa da ransa," George Strait ya fada a "Murder on Music Row," duet na 2000 da Alan Jackson wanda ya yi kuka game da yanayin masana'antar Nashville a ƙarshen 90s—lokacin da masu fasaha kamar Faith Hill da Lonestar suka mallaki iska da waƙoƙin ƙasar-pop masu santsi. Kwanan nan, "Cowboy Carter" na Beyoncé ya haifar da tattaunawa mara iyaka game da abin da ake ɗauka a matsayin kiɗan ƙasar da wanda zai iya zama ɓangare na shi.
"Choosin' Texas" ta fi gujewa sukar kasancewa "pop da yawa," wani ɓangare saboda rubutun waƙa mai wayo. An rubuta ta tare da Miranda Lambert, Joybeth Taylor, da Luke Dick, waƙar tana haɗa alamomin ƙasar—matakai biyu, Texas da Tennessee, babbar hanya—cikin labarin motsin rai a hanya mai dacewa. Ko da ambaton Jack Daniels da ake buƙata yana da manufar labari; yana da mahimmanci cewa tana shan wiski na Tennessee ita kaɗai.
"Duk waɗannan marubutan sun yi aiki a kasuwar Nashville shekaru da yawa," in ji Banks. "Don haka ko da sun ce sun rubuta wannan waƙar a cikin mintuna 30 ko makamancin haka, ta fito ne daga ilhami da suka haɓaka na dogon lokaci game da abin da yake jan hankali da abin da yake jawo mutane."
Brian Mansfield, editan gudanarwa na jaridar kasuwanci Country Insider, ya ce sautin waƙar mai ɗanɗano amma mai santsi yana sa ta zama mai jan hankali ga daraktocin shirye-shirye—ko a kiɗan ƙasar ko na manya na zamani, masu fasaha suna gujewa waƙoƙin da za su yi kama da rustic sosai kusa da waƙoƙin pop masu haske. "Waƙa ce da ta dace da kusan duk abin da za ku iya kunna, kuma wannan ɓangare ne da ba a yaba shi ba na ƙirƙirar haɗin kiɗa ga kowane tsari," in ji shi.
Hakanan sauye-sauyen waƙar ya sa ta dace da jerin waƙoƙin streaming. A cewar Luminate, "Choosin' Texas" ta tara sama da rabin biliyan streams a cikin rabin farkon shekara kawai, wanda ya sa ta zama waƙar ƙasar da ta fi yawan streams da nisa.
Tare da tallafi daga mawaƙa tsofaffi kamar Swift da Shania Twain, waƙar kuma ta sami ƙarfafa daga abubuwan da suka faru na kafofin sada zumunta daban-daban—wani abu da ake buƙata sau da yawa don nasarar streaming a kwanakin nan. A watan Oktoba, jim kaɗan bayan an fitar da "Choosin' Texas," mai amfani da TikTok Lane Gorrell ya buga bidiyon kansa yana yin rawa mai fassara ga waƙar a gaban wasu shanu masu ruɗani. Bidiyon ya sami miliyoyin kallo, kuma Gorrell daga ƙarshe ya kai rawarsa har zuwa Grand Ole Opry.
Sai bidiyon kalmomin da aka ji kuskure suka zo. A kusa da Janairu, suna maimaita sanannen lokacin "Starbucks lovers" na Taylor Swift na 2014, masu amfani sun fara buga bidiyon suna da'awar cewa sun ji taken a matsayin "Jews in Texas" ko ma "Jews and Taxes." Wasu kuma sun ba da rahoton jin "drinking Jack all by myself" a matsayin "drink and jack off by myself." Langley ta yi dariya game da kalmomin da aka ji kuskure a wata hira da mai yin podcast Theo Von a watan Afrilu—wanda, ba shakka, ya ƙara jawo hankali ga yanayin. Wani shiri daga wannan hira, inda Von da ke da sha'awa ya ɓata kalmar "tzatziki" a gaban abin sha'awarsa, shi ma ya zama sananne.
[Hoton hoto: Langley an ɗauki hotonta don kundin Dandelion. Hoton hoto: Kyauta daga Sony Music]
Shigar da Ella Fellas. Magoya bayan Langley maza sun bayyana kansu da kowane irin abubuwan da suka shahara, daga bidiyon lip-syncing masu gaskiya marasa jin daɗi zuwa shirye-shiryen kansu suna kallon sha'awa a wasanninta. Har ma an yi bukukuwan ranar haihuwa na Ella Fella. Tawagar Langley ta kula da wannan bin ta hanyar sake buga bidiyon da suka shahara da aika T-shirts na Ella Fellas ga wasu daga cikin masu goyon bayanta masu sadaukarwa. Idan aka kwatanta da yawancin magoya bayan pop, waɗanda sha'awarsu na iya zama marasa zamantakewa, Ella Fellas suna kama da ƙungiya mai hankali da farin ciki.
"Yana ɗaya daga cikin abubuwan da ke haɗa mutane," in ji Hunter Massey, ɗalibi a Jami'ar Georgia ta Kudu kuma mai amfani da TikTok wanda bidiyonsa na kansa yana hauka ga waƙoƙin ƙasar ya sami nasa masu sauraro. "Ana iya samun mutane daga wurare daban-daban na rayuwa, sassa daban-daban na ƙasar, amma duk muna da wannan ƙauna ga kiɗanta, kuma wannan shine abin da ya sa mu zama Ella Fellas."
Massey yana cikin ƙarar adadin masu ƙirƙira waɗanda ake biyan su don buga bidiyon ta amfani da waƙoƙin masu fasaha a TikTok—ciki har da na Langley. Ya ce wani lokaci yana ƙi buƙatun waƙoƙin da ba su dace da shi ba, amma bai taɓa samun matsala wajen tallata kiɗanta ba.
A gare shi da sauran Ella Fellas, sha'awar tana cikin yadda take da sauƙi. Ta ƙarfafa wannan hoton da waƙoƙi kamar "Dandelion," inda ta rera cewa "ba a yi ni don gilashin crystal mai kyau ba," da "Somethin' Simple," inda ta yi tunani game da barin shahara don "gida a kan tudu, doki a farfajiya."
"Ba ta da kyalkyali, Hollywood, ko wani abu makamancin haka," in ji Massey. "Wannan shine abin da muke so game da ita."
Tambayoyi da Aka Yi Yawa
Ga jerin tambayoyin da aka yi yawa game da yadda Choosin Texas ta zama babbar waƙar shekara bisa ra'ayin cewa tana da kyau kusa da kusan komai
Tambayoyi na Matakin Farko
Tambaya: Menene Choosin Texas?
Amsa: Waƙar ƙasar-pop ce da ba zato ba tsammani ta zama babbar waƙar shekara. An san ta da sauƙi mai jan hankali wanda ya dace da kowane jerin waƙoƙi.
Tambaya: Me ya sa ta zama sananne haka?
Amsa: Musamman saboda sauye-sauyen sautinta. Waƙar tana da sauti mai tsaka-tsaki mai dumi wanda ba ya cin karo da sauran nau'o'i—rock, pop, hip-hop ko ma waƙoƙin baƙin ciki. Jerin waƙoƙi da gidajen rediyo suna son ta saboda ba ta taɓa jin ba daidai ba.
Tambaya: Menene "tana da kyau kusa da kusan komai" ke nufi?
Amsa: Yana nufin cewa saurin waƙar, maɓalli, da samarwa sun daidaita sosai har tana gudana cikin sauƙi tsakanin waƙar rock mai nauyi da ballad mai laushi. Ba ku samun wannan jin daɗi lokacin da ta zo bayan wani salon kiɗa daban.
Tambaya: Shin yanayin TikTok ne kawai?
Amsa: A'a, yayin da TikTok ya taimaka ya yada ta, ainihin ƙarfinta ya kasance a kan jerin waƙoƙin streaming da rediyo. Mutane sun ci gaba da sanya ta a cikin juyawa saboda tana aiki a matsayin waƙar gada tsakanin yanayi daban-daban.
Tambaya: Wanene ya rera Choosin Texas?
Amsa: Waƙar ta wani sabon mawaƙi ne wanda ya mai da hankali kan sanya waƙar ta dace maimakon ta yi fice sosai.
Tambayoyi na Matsakaici
Tambaya: Ta yaya salon samarwa ya sa ta zama dacewa ta duniya?
Amsa: Mai samarwa ya yi amfani da bugun matsakaicin sauri, riff guitar acoustic mai sauƙi, da haɗin murya wanda ba shi da haske sosai ko bass mai nauyi. Wannan bayanin martaba na EQ mai tsaka-tsaki yana nufin ba ta mamaye lasifika ba ko kuma ta yi bakin ciki kusa da waƙoƙin pop masu nauyin bass.
Tambaya: Shin daraktocin shirye-shiryen rediyo sun taka rawa a nasararta?
Amsa: Ee, daraktocin shirye-shiryen rediyo suna son waƙoƙin da ke da sauƙin haɗawa. Choosin Texas tana da ƙarewa mai ɓacewa wanda ya dace da gabatarwar yawancin waƙoƙin da suka shahara, yana sa canje-canje su zama marasa tsangwama. Daraktoci sun kira ta ƙari mara tunani.
Tambaya: Menene ka'idar jerin waƙoƙi a bayan nasararta?
