Lady A Says Band Formerly Known as Lady Antebellum "Only Wanna Be Partially Woke"

"If you're going to be an ally, sometimes you have to give up something"

BY Allie GregoryPublished Jul 22, 2020

Lady A — the solo artist — has once again spoken out against the band formerly known as Lady Antebellum in response to ongoing legal battles between the two parties, saying that the country group only wants to be "partially woke" by changing their name to Lady A.

Speaking with Desus & Mero, the solo artist born Anita White detailed her experience dealing with Lady Antebellum's decision to swipe the name she has been using for decades, saying that she "had already been grinding [as Lady A] before they were born."

White also criticized the band, telling her hosts that she feels their decision to remove the offending part of their name addresses only one of many aggressions artists of colour face in the industry.

She stated:

It's ironic that they wanna be woke, but at the same time, you only wanna be partially woke. They called me after Rolling Stone magazine called me. That's the only way you know about me. Then the management company and Hillary [Scott] started reaching out to me. I finally decided to reply. The first thing I said was I do not want to share the name. What does coexistence look like? Nobody would answer that specific question.

Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour — we've had our artistry, our music, our language our culture, and our names taken from us. You can't continue to take from us. Because if you're going to be an ally, you need to put some power behind your words. If you're going to be an ally, sometimes you have to give up something.


The blues singer also revealed she has a "Lady A" tattoo on her upper arm. "I am the real Lady A," she explained.

Watch the full interview below.

Latest Coverage