this is country music.

There are a lot of people who don't like country music; it's too twangy, too redneck, too... country. However, I'm not one of them; in fact, I absolutely love the stuff. I'm from a small town in the Midwest, so I suppose this isn't that surprising.

To me, country music is about a feeling, a time, a place. Country music takes me home again, no matter where I am. I love country music because it's real. It's honest--sometimes brutally so. Most importantly, country music is down to earth. And at the end of the day, country songs get a part of me that no other music does.

Brad Paisley's recent song, "This Is Country Music," hits the nail on the head of all of the reasons why I love country music.

Yeah, this is country music.
So turn it on, turn it up, and sing along
This is real; this is your life in a song
Just like a road that takes you home
Yeah, this is right where you belong

Here's a few more of my recent favorite country songs.

• Zac Brown Band: Colder Weather
• Keith Urban: Without You
• Tim McGraw: Felt Good On My Lips
• Miranda Lambert: Heart Like Mine
• Sugarland: Little Miss
• Sara Evans: A Little Bit Stronger
• Taylor Swift: Sparks Fly
• Jason Aldean: My Kinda Party
• Josh Kelley: Georgia Clay
• Locash Cowboys: Keep In Mind
• David Nail: Turning Home
• Brad Paisley: Old Alabama