Dixie Chicks famously caught flak for criticizing former president George W. Bush back in March 2003 — and apparently country music fans are still holding a grudge against them.
The trio have finally re-entered the Billboard music charts thanks to a guest spot on Taylor Swift's Lover track "Soon You'll Get Better," which has reawakened the angry conservatives of America.
As Rolling Stone reports, KKBQ in Houston has been playing the song (despite most country stations widely ignoring it), but director of operations Johnny Chiang said, "After just four plays of the song, we had several complaints from listeners. They weren't complaining about the song — they were complaining about the Dixie Chicks."
As you might remember, frontwoman Natalie Maines remarked at the 2003 show in England that "we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." Radio stations subsequently banned Dixie Chicks' music and former fans publicly bulldozed CDs.
As such, the Chicks have been largely off the pop charts since their 2006 album Take the Long Way, until every single song on Swift's latest album charted on Billboard, including "Soon You'll Get Better."
Ironically enough, Swift recently addressed the effect that Dixie Chicks' outspoken politics affected her own career and decision to remain politically neutral until very recently.
"I come from country music. The number one thing they absolutely drill into you as a country artist, and you can ask any other country artist this, is 'Don't be like the Dixie Chicks!'" she told The Guardian. "I watched country music snuff that candle out. The most amazing group we had, just because they talked about politics. And they were getting death threats. They were made such an example that basically every country artist that came after that, every label tells you, 'Just do not get involved, no matter what.'"
At least it's easier for fans of Dixie Chicks to voice their support for the group these days. See some of the retroactive Twitter support for the band below.
The trio have finally re-entered the Billboard music charts thanks to a guest spot on Taylor Swift's Lover track "Soon You'll Get Better," which has reawakened the angry conservatives of America.
As Rolling Stone reports, KKBQ in Houston has been playing the song (despite most country stations widely ignoring it), but director of operations Johnny Chiang said, "After just four plays of the song, we had several complaints from listeners. They weren't complaining about the song — they were complaining about the Dixie Chicks."
As you might remember, frontwoman Natalie Maines remarked at the 2003 show in England that "we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." Radio stations subsequently banned Dixie Chicks' music and former fans publicly bulldozed CDs.
As such, the Chicks have been largely off the pop charts since their 2006 album Take the Long Way, until every single song on Swift's latest album charted on Billboard, including "Soon You'll Get Better."
Ironically enough, Swift recently addressed the effect that Dixie Chicks' outspoken politics affected her own career and decision to remain politically neutral until very recently.
"I come from country music. The number one thing they absolutely drill into you as a country artist, and you can ask any other country artist this, is 'Don't be like the Dixie Chicks!'" she told The Guardian. "I watched country music snuff that candle out. The most amazing group we had, just because they talked about politics. And they were getting death threats. They were made such an example that basically every country artist that came after that, every label tells you, 'Just do not get involved, no matter what.'"
At least it's easier for fans of Dixie Chicks to voice their support for the group these days. See some of the retroactive Twitter support for the band below.
I can't imagine still holding a grudge against the Dixie Chicks in 2019 when people have said worse about both Presidents since Bush. Did y'all boycott everyone who disrespected Obama in office too?
— Andy (@yepandytweets) September 10, 2019
