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Taylor Swift
Beth GarrabrantThe Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will highlight the achievements of Taylor Swift, Jimmie Allen, Brothers Osborne, Luke Combs, Mickey Guyton, Carly Pearce and more with the March 4 opening of the latest installment of the Hall’s “American Currents: State of the Music” exhibit.
The annual exhibit highlights notable music, artist achievements and events from the past year, as determined by the museum’s curators.
The exhibit will also feature Brandi Carlile, Jerry Douglas, John Hiatt, three-time CMA musician of the year winner Jenee Fleenor, the Grand Ole Opry, Walker Hayes, Wanda Jackson, Alison Krauss, Old Dominion, Allison Russell, Chris Stapleton and Billy Strings. Several of the artists highlighted in the exhibit are recent CMA Awards winners, including Fleenor, reigning entertainer of the year Combs, reigning female vocalist of the year Pearce, reigning new artist of the year Allen, reigning vocal duo of the year Brothers Osborne, reigning vocal group of the year Old Dominion and 2021 multi-award winner Stapleton.
The exhibit also includes a video compilation of important country music moments from 2021, and recaps the year’s chart-topping country albums, singles and highest-grossing tours as reported by Billboard and Pollstar.
Another portion of the exhibit, titled “Unbroken Circle,” will feature artists and their musical influences, including Breland and Keith Urban, Thomm Jutz and Tom T. Hall, Brittney Spencer and Reba McEntire, as well as Lainey Wilson and Lee Ann Womack.
“Through the annual American Currents exhibit, the museum documents the genre’s evolving history, diverse sounds and broad cultural influence,” said Kyle Young, CEO of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. “In another year characterized by the complexities of the pandemic, the continued pursuit of social justice and more, country music stood out as a microcosm of American culture. This exhibit offers perspectives on music and events that shaped the genre in 2021.”
The exhibit runs through Feb. 5, 2023.
Not for the first time, Moby is speaking out against Donald Trump’s administration with clear frustration.
“The U.S. is collapsing under a deeply corrupt and shockingly ineffective administration,” the longtime electronic musician shared on social media. “These are unbelievably dark times.”
Moby went deeper into his thoughts through a video message, where he explained that people outside the United States keep asking Americans what is actually happening in the country.
“So many of my friends outside the United States keep asking me, ‘what the hell is happening over there?’ And honestly, we don’t even know,” he said. “The country is being controlled by one of the most corrupt, dangerous and incompetent administrations imaginable. Nobody fully understands what’s happening right now. These are very dark times in America.”
Moby joins a growing list of artists publicly criticizing Trump and MAGA politics, including Bruce Springsteen, Jack White, Eminem and Billie Eilish.
Earlier this year, Moby uploaded another statement to social media where he addressed how people should respond following the killing of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis. “The real question isn’t whether people should feel horrified or outraged by what’s happening in the United States,” Moby explained in the Jan. 26 clip. “The question is what are we actually going to do about it?”
The musician and activist also encouraged people to protest, saying demonstrations are a constitutional right and something he believes Trump’s administration is attempting to weaken.
In the end, he urged people to vote regularly, “not only during the upcoming midterms, even though those matter, but also in every special election throughout the year.” He also encouraged supporters to “stop giving money to the scumbag corporations backing Trump and ICE. We all know who they are. Boycott them.”
His newest remarks arrive as the U.S. Justice Department unveils a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund for Trump allies who claim they were unfairly investigated. At the same time, the Strait of Hormuz remains shut down following military action launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran in late February without approval from Congress, leading to rising gas prices across the globe.
Throughout his independent music career, Moby has earned 10 entries on the Billboard 200 along with two songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and an enormous catalog of sync placements. Overseas, particularly in the United Kingdom, he is viewed as one of the defining artists of his era. He scored two No. 1 albums there with Play from 1999 and 18 from 2002, alongside 18 top 40 singles and two nominations for Best International Male at the BRIT Awards.
Check out Moby’s newest social media post below.
