Country music singer-songwriter Jason Isbell, in a rather humorous way, is asking Twitter to consider adding a “Year in Review” feature to its platform. Although his idea may be a little too sardonic for the platform’s taste.
Isbell is referencing users tendency to share headlines and articles without reading into them first.
Some of his followers shared their responses to Isbell’s comment.
Obviously, they ranged between the funny and ridiculous to somewhat absurd.
Meanwhile, on his website, Isbell is letting fans hear short cuts from his latest album “Reunions” with himself and his band, The 400 Unit.
Jason Isbell Responds to ‘Country’s Songwriters Battling Alcohol’ Headline
Back in November, Isbell expressed his displeasure with a headline that was written for a story in Billboard magazine.
The music giant published the article titled, “Country’s Songwriters Grapple With Alcohol’s Abundance.”
Additionally, within the article, Billboard’s Tom Roland discusses alcohol and its influence on the country genre. It seems far-fetched at first, but as any country fan knows – a whole lot of excellent country music is about alcohol.
Roland pulls in statistics to back up the article’s title. “But the liquor flows in more subtle ways,” he insinuates. “Thirteen of the top 20 songs reference beer, whiskey, wine, bars or drinking in the verses, as do 25 of the top 40 singles.”
Isbell is perplexed by Billboard’s article title.
Obviously, he is far from a stranger to country music, songwriting, or substance abuse battles of his own.
“Wow this isn’t the onion,” Isbell tweets upon seeing it for himself.
Additionally, his reference is about the farcical “news site” “The Onion” which, in kind, references itself (sarcastically) as “America’s finest news source.”
Also, Isbell is known as someone who will tackle social issues. He offered a comment around Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, pleading guilty to three criminal charges in November.
Isbell has been candid in the past about his alcoholism and drug use. It isn’t surprising that someone who has been in the position of having an addiction would have harsh criticisms for the company.
Isbell Gets Honest About His Substance Abuse
In 2013, Isbell shared his experiences in an NPR interview.
“I had it timed where, by the very end of the show, I’d done just about all I could do standing up,” he said. “I knew I needed two or three (drinks) before I went on, and then during the show, we’d just pass a bottle around between the band.”
By the end of a show, Isbell figures he’d have drunk a fifth of Jack Daniels.
In addition, he said his drinking brought him “close to the point of no return.”
Isbell said he’s sober and newly, giddily married to singer-songwriter and fiddler Amanda Shires.
Further, on his solo album, Southeastern, Isbell digs deep, drawing on his personal relationships and experiences with sobriety.
