RIP Nashville: Top 10 Performances From The Country Music Series

It’s a sombre moment for all country music and television fans out there.

After an extremely impressive debut that garnered several nods from various award categories (ranging from the Critics’ Choice Awards, the Golden Globes and even the Emmys), TV series Nashville has, quite unfortunately, given its final curtain call on the grand ole opry stage/bluebird café/any other iconic music site in Nashville which we are all probably unaware of.

There could be a multitude of reasons as to why the show flopped further with each passing season. Perhaps the plot writing didn’t resonate with enough viewers (especially that of recent seasons where they simply kept reverting back to old plotlines); perhaps fans couldn’t appreciate the music literature of the show, in favour of its notorious counterpart, Empire; or it could have simply just fallen out of favour and was down on its luck. After all, being aired on our all-time favourite channel, ABC (who acts as the hell-keeper of TV shows), we can only wistfully blame them for nothing but their fortuitous stroke of luck.

Depressing moments aside, I genuinely enjoyed the show. Despite having characters which bordered on flat-line boring, I genuinely believed that the music of the show made it exceptionally enjoyable, to me at least, as opposed to cookie-cutter pop tunes which accomplish no lyrical depth whatsoever, apart from–wait for it–repeating the same words in their chorus, over and over again (Yes, Rihanna, I am referring to you).

So in light of commemorating Nashville’s unfortunate demise (though there’s honestly nothing worth celebrating), here’s DANAMIC.ORG’s unbiased countdown of the Top 10 Songs aired on Nashville.

10. “A Life That’s Good”

Pleasant and subtle harmonies are the formulas which Nashville has always stuck to in order to produce simple and stand-out songs. This was by no means, any deviation from the norm. Still a delight to listen to, though.

9. “If I Didn’t Know Better”

This sultry pop tune which featured our all-time favourite harmonisers (Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio) was the right balance of just about everything: sexual tension, drop-dead gorgeous harmonies, and absolutely enchanting lyrics.

8. “Ho Hey”

Lennon and Maisy are absolutely adorable and talented, no question over that. And certainly, these 2 definitely pack a punch vocally, with their flawless synchrony and loveable demeanour. Their cover of “Ho Hey” definitely brought a rather refreshing alternative to the radio version that’s etched in our heads.

7. “Believing”

Arguably, Chip Esten and Lennon Stella have not shined vocally individually in the show. I always viewed Chip Esten as Connie Britton’s back-up singer, while Lennon Stella was locked as a duo unit with her sister. This refreshing mix of both singers’ voices turned out to be a rather pleasant surprise, with their warm tones gelling together harmoniously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v60KiHJmRqY

6. “No One Will Ever Love You”

Connie Britton and Charles Esten absolutely kill it when they sing together. It is just that undeniable magic spark that the two of them have which makes their duets an absolute orgasm for the ears of their listeners. Seriously, can you really not be sucked into this performance by just watching these two forlorn lovebirds singing to each other?

5. “Best Songs Come From Broken Hearts”

I absolutely adore Connie Britton’s voice, partly because of how she tugs at your heartstrings and invokes such a genuine and raw emotional pull when she starts singing. Coupled with how touching this scene was (if you followed the backstory of how this song fit), this certainly took the cake as one of her all-time best performances.

4. “Nothing In This World Will Ever Break My Heart”

I was never ever really a big Juliette Barnes (played by Hayden Panettiere) fan. I absolutely loathed her character for falling back into the same old storylines and being just that same old spoilt little diva she was. However, she stole my heart with this scene, by singing this as a tribute to her mom. The simplicity and rawness of her performance certainly made it exceptionally memorable.

3. “Shotgun”

Let’s face it, Christina Aguilera can sing even the telephone book, and we would scramble to buy it on the release date. Her voice is just INSANELY versatile and absolutely angelic. Though I love her embellishing with her signature growls on all her songs, sometimes the understated beauty of her voice is in the sheer power it holds when it has been stripped down to its bare essentials, best demonstrated through this country song.

2. “Black Roses”

This is a personal favourite of mine, partly because of how beautiful and deep it brought me to, lyrically. I loved how they adapted this song (which I mentioned in my previous article) from a relationship gone bad between a couple, to the abusive relationship of Scarlett and her mother. Oh, and let’s not forget that adding Clare Bowen’s angelic sound onto anything is a major plus point.

1. “When The Right One Comes Along”

Now, if you have disagreed with my entire list based upon personal preferences, it is understandable considering my heavy slant towards ballads on this show. This is, however, the undisputed champion. This is what I would label as an absolute masterpiece: simple, sublime, beautiful, and harmonies which are beyond picture-perfect. This song never gets old, and every time it plays, it never fails to deliver an ethereal experience and tug at every single chord of my heartstrings.

Nashville certainly delivered many memorable songs, which I believed was the main salvation of the show. However, I guess the writing was on the wall nearing the end of season 3. Ratings had started to slump despite mega-superstars appearing in cameos, and rumours of its cancellation had already been abuzz throughout the Internet.

But still, Nashville, you will be missed; mostly by the declining community of country music fans.