Willie Jones

Willie Jones, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, is a vocalist that works in the modern pop country format, with songs that are intended for big stages, complete with their fist-pumping singalongs. While his vocals are anchored firmly in the by-the-book country style, he engages in relatively subtle genre-mixing that introduces distinct cadences of hip-hop and soul as well. There are also moments where he flips the racial script wrt common country music narratives by openly shifting to a point of view that has not been part of the genre's public image all that much, as he does, for instance, in "American Dream". He does all this as an artist who has an obvious affection and respect for the traditions of country music and the credibility that comes with his execution, which is to say, the way he completely rocks it.