Perhaps one of the worst developments within the country music world in the early days of the Covid-19 Pandemic was the loss of one of our foremost talents in Joe Diffie. We never got a true tribute to the Iconic country/bluegrass pioneer until this past week when HARDY, Morgan Wallen and genre-bending superstar Post Malone delivered a two song preview to the upcoming HIXTAPE Vol. 3: DIFFTAPE, a collection which promises to be a tribute to Joe Diffie’s influence on the current crop of country music hitmakers. Post Malone takes the stage here with the recording of 1994 hit “Pickup Man.” Diffie is present in this collaboration with a couple lines here and there but Posty goes at it alone through much of the song and showcases why we’ve ALL thought he needed to make a country music record. There will be blowback from some “traditionalists” but these are the same people who replaced other people who thought songs like “Pickup Man” weren’t country songs back in 1994. So, there’s that. Anyway, here, we have a true hit song that’s reborn through a younger artist while also toasting the original departed artist with modern technology giving birth to a duet of sorts. It all, surprisingly, works.
What do you think? Do you agree?
Roy
Wow, that 'traditionalist' line is hostile. I like the new version, as a 90s Diffie fan. I just hope country stations don't start playing Malone's non-country catalogue because of this though. Other crossover artists have had their non-country catalogue brought into country stations by doing one country song or even just duetting a non-country song with a country singer.