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There’s a long, rich history of rodeo songs in country music, but not every artist who sang one has necessarily saddled up a horse. That’s not the case with Kylie Frey, a 25-year-old Opelousas, Louisiana, native who spent her formative years competing in regional rodeos. “I tied goats and roped calves,” the 25-year-old says proudly. Rodeo wasn’t just a hobby for Frey — her experiences in the dust and the mud, as Garth Brooks colorfully sang about the sport, inform both her worldview and the half-dozen songs on...

When Martina McBride’s “Independence Day” was released to country radio in April 1994, it was easy to mistake the country song for a U-s-a! U-s-a! anthem. It was titled after America’s most patriotic holiday after all, and its irresistible chorus of “Let freedom ring!” seemed custom-made for small-town Fourth of July celebrations to come. But the true meaning behind “Independence Day,” written by Gretchen Peters and recorded by powerhouse vocalist McBride, was lost on many listeners — the seemingly July 4th holiday hit turned out to be a story of...