In 2017, the Americana genre went through an identity crisis, as musicians of color made their demands for more inclusivity hard to ignore. While the genre has never been rigidly defined — due to its origins in fusion and genre mixing — it still shut out many artists, following a music industry standard that consistently privileges non-Latine white, Anglophone musicians. Reporting for Rolling Stone, Jonathan Bernstein wrote that Americana has “incredible potential for cross-cultural connection,” which comes with “the subtle racial tensions and profound power dynamics at play in the world of roots — or Americana — music.” The Southern roots of the genre clashes with the non-Latine majority-white artists who headline festivals and Americana-specific awards.
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