Celebrate the Heart of Country, Americana, and Roots Music!

Drop Us A Line, Y'all

Y'all interested in advertising, partnering up, contributing stories, joining our team, or just got a question? Well, don't be shy, drop us a line!

Follow Us

Trisha Yearwood Says that Country Music Has to Change

by
  • Arden is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, specializing in classic hits and contemporary chart-toppers.
  • Prior to joining Country Thang Daily, Arden wrote for Billboard and People magazine, covering country music legends and emerging artists.
  • Arden holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Tennessee, with a minor in Music Studies.

In a recent interview with BBC, Trisha Yearwood gets candid about the current status of the country music industry and how they treat women artists. Industry leaders are “following a set of rules that don’t really exist anymore.”

Trisha Yearwood, Trisha,Yearwood, Every Girl, Girl, Every Girl Tour, Tour, Change, Country Music
via Russ Harrington/Rolling Stone

Trisha Yearwood Says Country Music should Change

In 2015, these rules were made to light when Keith Hill, a prominent radio consultant, had admitted that he put in a heavy word of warning about playing too many songs by women or playing female artists’ songs back-to-back.

Trisha Yearwod, Trisha, Yearwood, Change, Country Music
Photo by Al Wagner/Invision/AP/REX/Shutterstock (9936640c)

He was also truthful with his interview with trade publication Country Aircheck when asked about female country singers’ airtime. Hill also used a very sloppy salad-based metaphor to explain why he holds such a strong premium with male artists.

“I play great female records, and we’ve got some right now; they’re just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.”

According to Hill, he said that these claims were based on “observations on music tests from over the years” and responses from “more than 300 client radio stations.”

Yearwood had a lot to say about that, and even questioned the validity of the data, or its actual existence; asking if people really “change the channels” when they hear female voices on the radio.

Trisha Yearwod, Trisha, Yearwood, Change, Country Music
Trisha Yearwood | Photo credit: wjs.com

She also pushes the narrative that people who run the industry are ‘following a set of rules’ that do not apply to the current status quo.

“Well, that’s not OK. It doesn’t have to be that way. I think the disconnect is between the fans, who want to hear men and women on the radio, and whoever is making these decisions.Those rules are being challenged and I think you’re going to see a change.”

Latest Stories

Country legend George Jones plays guitar under spotlight, embodying the raw heartbreak behind these 12 most depressing country songs.

These 12 Depressing Country Songs Will Have You Sobbing and Hitting Repeat All Night

Straight from the depths of Reddit’s country corner, here’s a list built by real fans who know heartbreak better than any Nashville hit machine ever could. These songs weren’t picked ...

Jimmy Swaggart preaching passionately in an undated photo, remembered now after his death at 90 from a heart attack.

Televangelist Jimmy Swaggart Dies at 90 Just Weeks After Suffering a Massive Heart Attack

There’s a hush across Pentecostal churches this week as believers remember Jimmy Swaggart, the firebrand evangelist, gospel singer, and TV preacher who spent decades filling stadiums, living rooms, and airwaves ...

Gavin Adcock onstage raising a whiskey bottle while blasting Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ as “not real country music.”

Viral Country Star Gavin Adcock Slams Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Says ‘That S— Ain’t Country Music’

Some headlines feel like a parody of the country music circus these days, and this is one of them. Gavin Adcock, the beer-slinging viral star who built half his brand ...

George Strait beams onstage at Patriots Stadium, guitar in hand, as he brings Texas charm with “All My Ex’s Live in Texas.”

George Strait Brings Lone Star Magic to Patriots Stadium With “All My Ex’s Live in Texas”

Some legends don’t need confetti cannons or stadium-shaking pyros. They just need a guitar, a baritone voice, and a song about every ex they ever outran in a pickup truck. ...

Beyoncé points at her Buffalo Soldiers shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour, the shirt that sparked backlash for its wording.

Beyoncé Under Fire for Wearing Shirt That Calls Native Americans “Enemies of Peace”

Some controversy doesn’t fade with the stage lights. Just ask Beyoncé. The Houston-born superstar is facing backlash after wearing a T-shirt during her Cowboy Carter tour in Paris that some ...

Miranda Lambert plays guitar in a cozy bedroom, the perfect moment that shows how she made “The House That Built Me” a classic.

Blake Shelton Was Supposed to Sing “The House That Built Me” Then Miranda Lambert Made It a Classic

Sometimes, the best country songs don’t just find a voice. They rip your chest open and remind you why Nashville can still surprise the hell out of you. Back in ...

Kellie Pickler with her late husband Kyle Jacobs, whose parents now call her “callous” in their feud over his estate and home.

Kellie Pickler’s In-Laws Brand Her “Callous” for Blocking Them From Late Son’s Home

Country music knows heartbreak, but sometimes it hits hardest when the lights are out, and the lawyers start circling. Just ask Kellie Pickler, now knee-deep in a brutal court fight ...

John Schneider’s ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ tribute honors Rick Hurst, pictured here as Deputy Cletus Hogg with the cast smiling.

‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Star John Schneider Honors Rick Hurst With Heartbreaking Tribute

Sometimes, the characters you remember best weren’t the heroes behind the wheel but the guys you’d see rolling their eyes and shaking their heads when the dust settled. Rick Hurst ...

Taylor Swift smiles while strumming a guitar onstage in Nashville, sparking rumors about a possible country music return.

Taylor Swift Crashes Kane Brown’s Nashville Set and Now Everyone’s Wondering if She’s Going Country Again

Taylor Swift showed up in Nashville like a pop comet trying to burn her way back into country music’s atmosphere. It all went down at Tight End University’s charity concert ...

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton burst into laughter during a playful, no-holds-barred roast session on her talk show set.

Kelly Clarkson and Blake Shelton Bicker Like Siblings in a New Interview and It’s TV Gold

Two country megastars walk into a studio. One has 30 number ones and a new album, while the other is hosting the show but not having it. Cue the fireworks. ...

Leave a Comment

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.