Carly May Gravley
Audio By Carbonatix
Dallas country trio The Chicks, formerly known as The Dixie Chicks, were announced by CNN as performers for the final night of the Democratic National Convention. They’re the latest in an all-star lineup of musical guests that includes Pink, Stevie Wonder, John Legend and others.
July’s Republican National Convention placed less emphasis on music and none on music from North Texas artists. But if you’re a fan of Kid Rock or Lee Greenwood, you were likely entertained regardless.
The Chicks will round out a series of performances from North Texas country artists at the DNC. Arlington native Mickey Guyton took to the stage on Monday to perform her 2021 song “All American,” which touches on themes of patriotism and unity:
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“We’re hand-me-down, tailor-made, daisy dukes, dookie braids / James Brown and James Dean / We’re cold beer, Champagne, millionaires, spare some change / And everything in between.”
Guyton is the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category, earning a Best Solo Country Performance nod for “Black Like Me,” which speaks to the experience of being a Black woman in the predominantly white genre of country.
Maren Morris, also from Arlington, performed her 2020 single “Better Than We Found It” on Wednesday. Morris has been politically outspoken for her entire career, making headlines for going up against Jason Aldean and Tucker Carlson on LGBTQ issues.
She came out as bisexual earlier this year, lending her prominent voice to the growing movement of queer artists in country music.
“Better Than We Found It,” which was released in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests, sees Morris standing firm in her beliefs and firing back at detractors:
“When time turns this moment to dust / I just hope that I’m proud of the woman I was / When lines of tomorrow are drawn / Can I live with the side that I chose to be on? / Will we sit on our hands, do nothing about it? / Or will we leave this world better than we found it?” she sings.
The Chicks, who will deliver the National Anthem tonight, have a long and controversial history of political advocacy. Lead singer Natalie Maines famously stated that she was “ashamed” then-President Bush was from Texas ahead of the United States’ imminent invasion of Iraq, causing the country music establishment to “cancel” the band.
The trio has since released a series of defiant responses to the backlash, such as their 2006 single “Not Ready to Make Nice” and broader protest anthems such as 2020’s “March March.”
The choice to have a band widely viewed as anti-American by conservatives perform the National Anthem is a bold one for sure. Regardless, we’re thrilled to see North Texas country prominently represented on a national stage.
