Liberal Cowgirls- A 20-year Sentence
By Dáire McConville
Nashville, Tennessee, has often been recognised as the centre of the universe for country music. The Country Music Hall of Fame, the live music and the infamous Grand Ole Opry, but country music has long stood with the history, people, and culture in America’s most southern state, Texas. For decades, the Lone Star State has stood as one of country music’s spiritual homes, birthing some of the most influential artists in the genre, like Willie Nelson, giving rise to red dirt music and the like. Texas country has balanced tradition with defiance and often been at the heart of many industry controversies, and one in particular that has led to a large shift in the country music scene.
In March 2003, at the Shepherd’s Bush Empire Theatre in London, a single statement ended the careers of country’s most prominent female band, The Chicks (formerly Dixie Chicks), but only temporarily. 20 years later, liberal country artists aren’t disappearing from Texas; they’re reshaping it, and The Chicks are largely responsible.
18 months after the 9/11 attacks in New York, patriotism and national unity spread like wildfire throughout the United States. There was a renewed sense of trust in politicians, and most notably for the President himself, George W. Bush, with unquestioning support for his military invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.
9 days prior to the invasion in the Middle East, lead singer of The Chicks, Natalie Maines, spoke out to the London audience, stating ‘Just so you know, we’re on the good side with y’all. We do not want this war, violence, and we’re ashamed the President of the United States is from Texas!’ A provocative remark that didn’t just lead to backlash, but to institutional punishment. The women were subject to radio black-listings and CD-burning protests from conservative country music fans. Death threats and hostility at the American Country Music Awards were just the tip of the iceberg for the trio.
Following a three-year hiatus from the music scene, The Chicks returned with their 7th studio album, ‘Taking the Long Way’, with the lead single ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’, an ode to the backlash experienced previously. But the Grammys offered forgiveness long before country radio did, as the ladies had an almost clean sweep, winning album, record and country album of the year. A pivot towards redemption, but still seen as outsiders in their own genre. Outspoken, critical and politically confrontational, The Chicks had broken the acceptable country female image, but at what cost?
With the ever-changing political landscape that is the USA, one thing that has stood clear: Country artists who challenge boundaries are often the ones who reshape the genre most. 20 years on from The Chicks’ historic Grammy wins, the machinery that once controlled the country music narrative has shifted in America, and political boundaries no longer hold the same power. Artists build more personable audiences and are no longer tied to the mainstream Radio gatekeeping. Younger audiences and a less culturally rigid genre have led to artists like Kacey Musgraves, the modern liberal cowgirl, emerging onto the scene.
A native of the Lone Star State, Musgraves is an 8-time Grammy winner who has been vocal on her political standpoints. Rather than limiting her success, it has arguably strengthened it. Openly progressive views, queer allyship and anti-Trump positioning are not presented in opposition to her Texan identity, but are a part of it, and no more than what it means to be a true Texan. ‘I was inspired by the Mexican community, their resilience, their hard work, and their passion. It’s so woven into our Texan culture, we would not be who we are as we know it, without Mexican influence.’ And this is heavily denoted in her latest album ‘Middle of Nowhere’ featuring heavy influences of música Mexicana.
Following the mass deportations under the Trump administration, hundreds of immigrants were detained and held in ICE detention centres, sparking outrage throughout the country and beyond. Families were torn apart, including Luis Antonio-Gámez and his three sons, in a case that sparked outrage, particularly as the family had entered the country on an asylum claim and attended all their required court dates in 2023. They had followed the rules, yet were being torn apart. Following their subsequent release in mid-March, singer Kacey Musgraves celebrated their homecoming on social media ‘Great, so come on the road with me,’ and the family did just that.
A week after her 6th studio album dropped (Middle of Nowhere) on 1st May, Kacey took to the stage at one of the most well-known country music venues in Texas, Gruene Hall, and with her, the mariachi band that is Luis Antonio-Gámez and his three sons, Antonio (18), Caleb (15) and Joshua (12). An album that explores Tex-mex, mariachi and norteño influences, through songs like Uncertain TX, and Mexico Honey, Musgraves highlighted the pivotal intersection that lies between the symbolism of immigration and Americana, something synonymous with Texas.
This was no ordinary concert, as the renowned mariachi players from McAllen, TX, opened for Kacey Musgraves dressed in all-black suits. Just weeks prior, the family had been in a ‘dark place’ and were now ‘opening for one of the country’s biggest stars’ according to their eldest brother, Antonio. Moments like this reflect how country music is an ever-changing, broadening culture day by day, and audiences are fragmented now, which is largely part of the reason why Kacey succeeds. She represents a version of country music that would have struggled to survive in 2003, liberal, feminine and deeply rooted in Tex-Mex culture.
Female artists have always paid the price in music, bearing heavier expectations than their male counterparts, and this is more prevalent in the country scene. The Chicks paid the price for what is celebrated today, opening doors to artists like Kacey Musgraves to exist in a landscape partially reshaped by backlash. Political tolerance has expanded in country music, and with it, a new sense of life. Twenty years ago, liberal cowgirls were run out of country music. Today, they can headline it, even if Texas still isn’t entirely ready for them.
References
Images:
Vogue- https://www.vogue.com/article/kacey-musgraves-gruene-hall-the-mariachi-brothers
Billboard- https://www.billboard.com/music/country/chicks-radio-banned-george-bush-oral-history-1235087442/
