Heteronormatizing Musical Genres: The Case of Truck Driving Songs

Based on a sample of 1,311 songs about long-haul truck driving released between 1939 and 2026, we analyze how lyrics normalize heterosexuality and reinforce the gender binary, which we call heteronormatizing a musical genre . We unpack two key contradictory narrative processes and their variations: (1) traditional heteronormatization refers to domesticated tales of men’s sacrificial breadwinning and women’s gendered servicing and (2) liberated heteronormatization refers to adventurous tales of uninhibited heterosexual selves and relations. Our analysis contributes to research on sexuality and music by conceptualizing and centering the process through which an entire genre is heteronormatized. We conclude by addressing the role of culture in systemic heteronormativity, exploring intersectional implications, and encouraging scholars to conceptualize heteronormativity as processual.