Nominees include a monster pop song that went country, country songs that went pop, a message song for the #MeToo era and, of course, drinking songs. The track won the best country song Grammy earlier this year, making it a strong contender in both CMA categories, and the emotional way Stapleton sings the song makes it a fan favorite. He attributes the song’s success in part to Rexha’s huge streaming popularity. But it’s also a polarizing contender with many arguing it’s not a true country song and its crossover success could turn off some more traditionally-minded CMA voters. Even though it was not released in the eligibility period, Hunt’s song made the second ballot because it remained a Top 5 country single.

Source: Washington Post November 08, 2018 20:48 UTC