Analysis | Solution to Evan Birnholz's July 5 crossword, 'Country Music'

The analysis of Evan Birnholz’s July 5 crossword, titled “Country Music,” also announced that next week’s puzzle will be a rerun from The Washington Post’s archives. The writer explained that after a vacation with family in Pittsburgh, the upcoming rerun will still be enjoyable for first-time solvers. This weekend’s puzzle is described as a major anniversary edition, a semiquincentennial-themed puzzle measuring 23×23 squares with meta instructions seeking an eight-word song lyric. The commentary notes there are 190 answers and an average word length of 4.47 letters, emphasizing how the constrained grid hides the meta solution. The article points to clues involving the postal abbreviation “CAPITAL LETTER” tied to 89A and flags “Country” as the relevant title word, while referencing “UHF” as a key clue at 17D. It then states the provided solution continues into further details.