In true Gen Z fashion, Jessie Murph first established a following on TikTok and YouTube. Inking a deal with Columbia Records in 2021, the Alabama native scored her first Top 20 hit four years later with “Blue Strips.” Country music fans may recognize Murph from her Jelly Roll collab “Wild Ones.” Or, maybe from her cameo on Koe Wetzel’s “High Road.” Or even from the time she walked the ACM Awards red carpet with her pet pig on her arm.
With artists like Beyoncé and Post Malone finding crossover success in the country music arena, the genre’s musical boundaries seem more porous than ever. Predictably, many fans have hurled the “not a real country artist” accusation towards Murph—and frankly, she won’t argue with you.
Jessie Murph Was Just as Shocked as You Were
Rising country star Ella Langley took home a record-breaking five trophies at this year’s ACM Awards. The “You Look Like You Love Me” songbird beat out Kassi Ashton, Ashley Cook, Dasha, and Jessie Murph for New Female Vocalist of the Year.
If you were surprised to see Murph’s name on that list, you’re not alone. “That was such a big surprise,” the 20-year-old revealed during an appearance this week on The Zach Sang Show. “But that event was really fun.
AL.com accurately summed up Murph’s music as ” Lana Del Rey’s sultry charisma and cinematic sound, young Priscilla Presley’s wigs, and a country drawl filtered through Amy Winehouse’s rap-swagger.” It’s catchy and intriguing, but even the “1965” songbird wouldn’t call it country.
“I wouldn’t look at me and be like, ‘That’s a country artist,’” Murph said. “Like, I don’t know that I deserve to be in that category… I feel like there’s other country artists that maybe deserve to have that spot.”
“I’m Not a F—ing Country Artist”
Jessie Murph has always shunned genre. The “Pray” singer bluntly addressed the issue of her Nashville street cred in a 2023 TikTok video.
“Y’all have been going crazy on me about this country thing. I’m not a f—ing country artist, dude,” Murph said. “I’m not a rap artist; I’m not a pop artist; I’m not an EDM artist—I’m not s—, dude. Except myself, and I won’t be put into a genre, ever.”
Two years later, Murph reiterated to Zach Sang that she doesn’t “give a f—” about traditional genre markers.
:”I love mixing genres, and I think that I’ll always do it,” she said. “I don’t like the thought of boxing myself in to express myself… It feels like a dress code, and I don’t like those.”
Featured image by Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images