Country's Conflicted Relationship With Religion

Summer is typically party-jam season in the radio-driven lanes of popular music. Lately, though, mainstream country has been playing host to a year-round throw-down. Beat-driven bangers dominated the top spot on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for more than two-thirds of 2014. The Florida Georgia Line single "Sun Daze" — a reggae-doctored soundtrack for poolside high times if ever there was one — was released early last fall and reached Number One on the Country Airplay chart this February.