Rolling Stone has always striven to be the a sign of what's hip, both on the musical and cultural front. Its coverage of country music, a form that has long been considered one of the more square genres in music, hasn't gotten healthy coverage from the magazine as a result. Sales trends have encouraged the music media maven to open its doors, in the form of a new website planned for launch during 2014.
Rolling Stone Country aims for launch between April and June, according to Gus Wenner, director of RollingStone.com.
Many of the biggest names in country will be passed over in the typical "best albums" lists published by music publications, but those names are selling better than their competition in other genres. Big names such as Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan have pushed country album sales up 4.2 percent, despite drop-offs in other genres.
Rolling Stone also sees country music as an opportunity to increase its advertising revenue, as country musicians are among the most popular for corporate sponsorships.
"Certain categories of advertisers love country music because it's a very sponsor-friendly genre," said Chris McLoughlin, Rolling Stone's publisher. "The performers are all super likable, they tend to be good people who value their fans and treat their fans well."
Current plans include one special edition print version of Rolling Stone Country to be available on newsstands during the second half of the year.
Wenner says that he's studied country music culture, and he sees an audience ready for his product.
"I went through a lot of the iterations and proposals and modeling for Rolling Stone Country, but the most important thing was a trip I took down to Nashville," he said. "That is a culture that appreciates music."
