One of the biggest country hits of the year has been "All The Way," by Texas rapper BigXthaPlug and country rocker Bailey Zimmerman, which peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is a perfectly mixed cocktail of trap sonics with country melodies, held together by a shared southern drawl between the two artists.

As the genre of "country" expands and morphs to include different sounds, artists, and styles, "All The Way" serves as an exemplary example of the country-rap hybrid done right. But the song isn't the first to feature an unlikely collaboration across the genre aisle. This episode of Switched On Pop, we go deep on this collab and others, to see what works and what doesn't when the gates that keep the country music industry separate are swung wide open.

Songs Discussed:

• BigXthaPlug, Bailey Zimmerman – All The Way
• BigXthaPlug – Texas
• War – Slipping Into Darkness
• BigXthaPlug – The Largest
• Bailey Zimmerman – Where It Ends
• Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus – Old Town Road
• Eminem, Rihanna – Love The Way You Lie
• Nelly – Country Grammar (Hot Shit)
• Nelly, Tim McGraw – Over And Over
• Florida Georgia Line, Nelly – Cruise - Remix
• Ernest, Snoop Dogg – Gettin' Gone
• Lil Durk, Morgan Wallen – Broadway Girls

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices