Folk music, above all else, aims to change the world. With every lyric, chord strum, and recording, the genre is attempting to shift the minds and perspectives of its audience. Folk music wants to make people smarter, more compassionate. That’s its top priority. It’s the heart of the genre, really.
Below, we wanted to take a look at three modern folk songs from the 2020s that do just that. We wanted to highlight a trio of recent folk songs that work to open your eyes and ears. Indeed, these are three folk songs from the 2020s that might just shift your perspective.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Rich Men North Of Richmond” by Oliver Anthony (Single, 2023)
In the summer of 2023, when this song came out, music fans and music execs everywhere wondered just what the heck was going on. Who was this person? And why was he seemingly the only one speaking (er, singing) truth to power? Too often in history, the powers that be have a way of making working people fight against one another and trudge their lives away during the workweek. Here, Oliver Anthony had something to say about that with “Rich Men North Of Richmond”.
“Join Ice” by Jesse Welles (Single, 2025)
Whatever your political leaning, seeing children and families torn apart on the news by masked agents is unseemly. Immigration is obviously a thorny issue, and we certainly don’t have the answer here, but what we’ve seen in recent times on TV doesn’t seem to be working, either. That’s what the Grammy-nominated songwriter Jesse Welles sang about so eloquently on a recent late-night show appearance.
“Faraway Skies” by Dean Johnson (Single, 2023)
All too often, music stars are supposed to be these young, fresh-faced artists. But when Dean Johnson came onto the scene, he brought a weathered sense to the landscape. His song “Faraway Skies” was everywhere in 2023, garnering millions of streams and even appearing in TV shows like Reservation Dogs and commercials for boots. It’s okay to sing about real people. Heck, it’s okay to be a real person!
Photo by Jake Johnson / Courtesy Saddle Creek
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Phil Collins (born in 1951), British actor and singer-songwriter, during a concert at Bercy. Paris (12th arrondissement), March 5, 1985. (Photo by Christian Rose/Roger Viollet via Getty Images)
