Bless the Sirius XM marketing people for making an Y’allternative country channel. Apparently this is a cultural trend emerging on TikTok, and it needs its own radio station. The channel is promoted as a place to “break out of the mainstream with fresh alt-country, and a mix of genre-blurring artists — from cow punk to Americana, gritty alternative to singer-songwriter, and beyond.

A listen to the channel delivers music from the likes of Sarah Shook and the Disarmers, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Kacey Musgraves, Robert Plant/Allison Krauss, Ringo Starr (his country album), Sierra Farrell, Billy Strings, The Lumineers, and unfortunately many a guy who sounds like they’re wearing a cowboy hat and denim.

According to a Blossom Mag article from several years ago, Y’allternative is a “cultural movement in its early stages, [and] the term itself is difficult to define. […] it refers to anyone raised in the southern United States who does not align with the ‘traditional’ picture of Southerness, but who values certain elements of that picture and seeks to reclaim the identity associated with it.”

An article from Vice says, “There is nothing wrong with country music, […] If you’ve grown up listening to this music but are alienated by the culture, the TikTok hashtag ‘y’allternative’ is here for you.” With the y’allternative tag, southern leftists are “celebrating the music they grew up with. This includes making playlists for each other, telling Republicans to fuck off, and playing the banjo on the back of a pickup truck.”

So there you have it. A new label to attach to yourself. A new rebellion emerging. It’s always better to celebrate your differences and thumb your nose at others when the world seems to be going to shit. For old folks, Y’allternative is bound to make you feel left out and behind the times. Catch up if you can!