Dear All: We Need More Female Country Artists on the Airwaves

Are the glory days of female country artists in the art of country music now gone? Why have we got a handful of them in the ‘90s!  We’ve got Faith Hill, Martina McBride, Sarah Evans, Shania Twain, the Dixie Chicks, Trisha Yearwood, LeAnn Rimes, and Alison Krauss to name a few. While we appreciate CMT’s recent introduction of new female country artists and several hearty welcomes from Recording Companies, the future appears to be bleak for these rising stars.

The reason being is not that these promising sweethearts are not worth hearing. Bluntly, it is that classic case of subtle sexism through radio and media gate keeping. The ‘feminine feels’ were oftentimes marginalized to make room for ‘bro country’ featuring the likes of Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, and Jason Aldean.

Radio programmers’ lame excuse is that listeners favor more masculine songs nowadays. Well, the truth is, people are still getting acquainted and are warming up to female country artists and their voices. For a long time, the airwaves were dominated by male songs. Rarely playing or just plain block listing women from song billboards will just heighten the gender gap.

It is not accurate to say that ratings would decline because of female artists as implied by some male chauvinists. In fact, more millennials  and post-millennials are now choosing their songs based on the depth of lyrics and less of the catchy tunes. With the rise of progressive thinkers, songs are preferred when they’re both relatable and sensible. Female songwriters, therefore, are to be ushered in. Without their contributions to the country music industry, it will just be a matter of time before the feared collapse of this beloved genre will hit us on the face.

So enough of the gender card play. Quality and substance, not the musician’s sex, are what characterizes country music. Also, we believe women have a lot to offer to all media consumers.