Inside Donatella Rettore’s 1983 Country Concept Album 'Far West'

How the Italian singer paid homage to country music, musical theater, and spaghetti western through the electronic Italo disco sounds.

2024 appears to be the year where Americana and country fully transitioned from being corny to being mainstream cool: think of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and Lana del Rey’s Lasso. Hell, even Ari Aster is directing a contemporary Western, starring Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, and Emma Stone.

Country music did, somehow, penetrate the Italian music industry …