Sugarland ‘Spill’ Outside the Country Box

They're a little bit country; they're a little bit rock 'n roll. And they're tired of people scrutinizing them for it! Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush have always pushed the boundaries of country music, whether it's covering a Beyoncé song in concert or reflecting their eclectic musical influences in their own tunes.

"People got upset when we put rap and reggae in our song," Kristian tells The Boot, referring to the duo's 'Stuck Like Glue.' "Radio stations couldn't decide whether to play it or not. People were freaked out."

"And next thing you know, Jason Aldean is rapping with Ludacris," Jennifer adds, recalling their country colleague's collaboration with the famous rapper on 'Dirt Road Anthem.' "You know ... rap on! [laughs]"

"Sometimes we are the first on the block -- the first child, and the first child gets off with murder," Kristian analogizes. "But we can't help but be a little more provocative. We are getting to this beautiful space where our fans are starting to support it and not only that, but are wanting and expecting it. It's starting to work."

Also diving into provocative territory are a handful of the duo's lyrics. Jennifer says their CMA-, ACM- and Grammy-winning tune, 'Stay,' written from the perspective of the "other woman," has raised eyebrows in a way she didn't anticipate. "Some people think it's my own story!" she laments. "We definitely write ourselves into or songs, but not necessarily into the characters."

Then there's Sugarland's very first single, 2004's 'Baby Girl.' "The line, 'remember what your knees are for,' was obviously [controversial]," Jennifer says.

No matter how edgy their lyrical or melodic content gets, the duo like to shy away from a particular taboo term when it comes to categorizing their music. "We don't like to call it 'crossing over,' because then I feel like I'm on John Edward's [show, 'Crossing Over'] and we're dying," Jennifer tells 'Extra' with a laugh. "We like to think of it more as a spill over, in the sense that it becomes so full and so exciting with so many fans that it just can't help but dissipate to the rest of the world ... And 'crossover' also sounds like this conscious decision, like, 'Alright, now I'm stepping over this boundary.' 'Spill over' sounds like a reactive effect of what it naturally does."

Besides, the duo argue, genre bending is something most fans don't even think about. "That is actually an industry question and not a fan question ... I get sick of it," Jennifer admits to The Boot. "The industry asks it because by compartmentalizing something, it's how they make money. I am knowledgeable enough and love the legacy of country music enough to know we play in the margin."

"Country music has reinvented itself," Kristian insists. "Fans don't think that way, and that's what matters!"

Sugarland are in the middle of their Incredible Machine Tour, the namesake of their platinum-selling fourth studio album. Click here for concert dates and cities.

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