IN NASHVILLE, ’90s country hasn’t been this cool since, well, the ’90s. Just look at May’s ACM Awards, which was co-hosted by Garth Brooks while his wife and fellow ’90s star, Trisha Yearwood, duetted her greatest hits with up-and-comer Carly Pearce. One of the night’s biggest winners? “She Had Me at Heads Carolina,” Cole Swindell’s ode to Jo Dee Messina’s breakout hit, “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” On the record, you can hear Swindell grinning as he belts, “She’s a ’90s-country fan—like I am.” ¶ Back in 1996, “Heads Carolina” shot up the charts because it was an archetype of the era’s sound, slipping traditional country signifiers, like mandolin, steel guitar, and organ, into a pop-oriented anthem. Messina put her all into the karaoke-sing-along chorus, and, crucially, the lyrics told a…
