The Dixie Chicks have undergone a name change. In the midst of a nationwide billing with racism, the experienced country band – consisting of Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire – announced on June 25 that they would simply be known as The Chicks in the future. Although the original name was inspired by Little Feat's 1973 album Dixie chickenThe term is still often associated with the Mason-Dixon line and thus the Confederacy. "We want to get to know the moment," the group said in a statement from Weekly entertainment.
"We want to meet the moment."
Before the new name was announced, The Chicks agreed to share the name with an existing New Zealand duo. "A sincere and sincere thank you goes to The Chicks of NZ for their gracious gesture that allows us to share their name," the statement said. "We are honored to live with these exceptionally talented sisters around the world."
On the same day, The Chicks also released a protest song, "March March". The corresponding music video contains recordings of various activist movements over the years and the names of the black victims of police brutality. This is certainly not the group's first political statement: in 2003, The Chicks publicly criticized then President George W. Bush and the invasion of Iraq, which is known to have led to boycotts and backlash by conservative country music fans.
This news comes two weeks after Lady Antebellum announced that she would leave Lady A so that the name could no longer be associated with America before the Civil War. "We are sorry and ashamed to say that we did not take into account the associations that burden this word," the band said in a statement. "It was never our heart's intention to cause pain, but it doesn't change the fact that it actually did that." Many have since criticized Lady A's name change because she feels performative and insensitive to black blues singer Anita White, who also plays Lady A.
