The Dixie Chicks have changed their band’s name. From this point on, they are simply known as The Chicks.
This is part of the changes sweeping through America right now as people try to erase the glorification of racism and slavery from today’s culture.
Why did Dixie Chicks change name?
The Dixie Chicks released a press announcement that revealed they were changing their name to The Chicks.
The news hit their website with the band saying that they want to “meet this moment.”
“IF YOUR VOICE HELD NO POWER, THEY WOULDN’T TRY TO SILENCE YOU.”
They already updated their social media handles and their new song’s video features their new name.
That new single — titled March, March — also features images of the social protests that recently swept across America during the Black Lives Matter movement. The song is a tribute to protests for social issues and equality over the past decades.
This new song comes from the band’s upcoming album, titled Gaslighter. It is the band’s first album in 14 years and will go on sale on July 17.
It makes sense that the Dixie Chicks would make a move like this during the current social issues that threaten the country.
This is the same band that almost ruined their careers while they were at the top of the industry due to speaking out about former President George W. Bush during his invasion of Iraq in 2003.
While performing in London, they said they were “ashamed” that President Bush was from Texas. Sadly for the band, country music radio is ultra-conservative — especially at that time — and basically blacklisted the band for differing political views.
Despite the blacklist and constant protests against the band, their next album, Taking the Long Way, still sold 2.5 million copies and went double-platinum, proving enough fans didn’t care about the radio’s punishment of the band.
That album also won five Grammys, showing they were as popular as ever.
However, that was also the band’s final album until this year.
What does Dixie mean?
The Chicks removed “Dixie” from their name.
Dixie is a word that has strong connotations to the Confederate-era South. This was just a way for the band to step away from those connotations of racism and slavery.
It also follows Lady Antebellum changing their name to Lady A. Antebellum is a style of architecture in the Confederate-era South, and most houses in that form were built on the backs of slaves.