Brooke Hogan Receives Mixed Reception As September 4 Country EP Release Nears

Brooke Hogan has brushed off the controversy surrounding her father, Hulk Hogan, who was recently exposed for racist comments, with the announcement of her new country music EP. The EP is set for release on September 4 and features a song titled, “I Want To Be Your Girlfriend.” The music is reportedly heavily influenced by her move to Nashville four years ago.

Brooke tweeted on August 3 about her recent coverage in Country Weekly, but her road to acceptance will be a long one. Hogan’s coverage there shows that she still has a lot to prove to her new audience. As they rightly show in their introduction, Brooke Hogan is mostly known for her father’s wrestling exploits and Brooke’s reality TV appearances. Some fans took to the social network to express significant negative feelings about Hogan joining the country music fold.

Clearly passionate about her switch to country music, Brooke Hogan told ET Online that it was songwriting that made her make the switch.

“Country, as I got older, it started making sense. Being a songwriter, it started to mean more to me and this just was pulling me in that direction.”

For many traditional country fans, Brooke Hogan’s first outing in the genre will feel like a pop song performed in a country style, rather than a true classic. Hogan’s lyrics lean in the direction of lips that “are looking awesome” and away from the struggle and yearning for “lost love” themes that permeate country music.

However, when looking back at Brooke Hogan’s early career, punctuated by singing on Hogan Knows Best in front of crowds there to see Hulk Hogan, and scenes from the same show where Hulk Hogan intimidated Brooke’s boyfriends, one can hardly be surprised to see her struggle with the issue of love.

Despite all the difficulties and recent controversy, Brooke Hogan has showed a lot of class and composure when the Hulk Hogan story broke, writing a poem about really knowing and forgiving someone. Brooke Hogan’s attempts to enter the racism debate, however, were met with scorn by many who had little sympathy for “bologna-gate.”

Man alive, I was about to buy this bologna but it distinctly reeks of Brooke Hogan.

— Gail Simone ?? (@GailSimone) August 5, 2015

Of course Brooke Hogan is defending her father he's gonna marry her one day

— Sofiya Alexandra (@TheSofiya) August 6, 2015

With all that said, the recent publicity and controversy has generated a significant fan base that are eager to hear Brooke Hogan’s new sound. Brooke finished the work in 2014 and teased the release date on Fox News. Expect the new project to get some significant airplay over the coming weeks.

What do you think? Can Brooke Hogan successfully navigate away from being the daughter of wrestling superstar Hogan, and her pop, R&B, and reality TV past into a future in the country music scene?

[Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for Waiting For Wishes]