Playlist: Women in country music
Female country artists produce quality music but go without recognition
ANNIKA ZEIGLER | DAILY EVERGREEN ILLUSTRATION
It’s never a bad time to try new music; check out these female artists
Last month, Country Music Television announced half their programming would be women’s music videos from here on out. Why is this a big deal?
It’s simple. Country music has a problem with women artists and the events of 2019 made it painfully obvious.
In April 2019, a study by researchers at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative found that only 16 percent of country artists on the radio are women and only 12 percent of country songwriters are.
Then the 2019 Country Music Awards tried and failed to shine a light on female artists in the genre. The hosts were a trio of women stars, and women gave a special performance to honor female country stars of the past. It seemed off to a great start.
Jennifer Nettles of the duo Sugarland wore a cape to the event that read “Play our f*@#!n records, please & thank you” on the inside and “Equal play” on the back.
Carrie Underwood was the first woman in three years to be nominated for Entertainer of the Year, somehow an honor she hadn’t yet won in her 15 year career of hit-making.
In the CMA’s 53 years, the group of nominees for Entertainer of the Year have been all male nearly a third of the time.
Miranda Lambert wrote an Instagram post about Underwood’s hard work and both women’s all female tours, and championed for Underwood to win the title.
After weeks of build up, words of support from other female artists, the women empowerment performance, the women hosts, finally Entertainer of the Year was announced and … she lost, to Garth Brooks, a six-time winner of the award.
Hope for country music’s women deflated again.
But some women in the genre keep trucking.
While the industry tackles — or ignores — its issue with women artists in 2020, give a listen to the up and coming women whose songs will make you think: “how is this not a hit?”
- “I Hope” by Gabby Barrett
- “LA” by Lainey Wilson
- “GOOD LORD” by Abby Anderson
- “Ten Year Town” by Hailey Whitters
- “One Night Standards” by Ashley McBryde
- “Ladies in the ‘90s” by Lauren Alaina
- “Blue Jeans” by Jenna Paulette
- “Good Intentions” by Emily Hackett
- “Sister” by Mickey Guyton
- “Wild One” by Alisan Porter
- “Closer To You” by Carly Pearce
- “Mad at Myself” by Morgan Myles
- “Ride Out In the Country” by Yola
- “These Days” by MacKenzie Porter
- “Wearin’ It Well” by Renee Blair
Maggie Quinlan is a junior psychology major from Pullman. She loves art and music from many periods, and hopes to write about interesting characters for...
