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Post by countrygirl918 on Jul 5, 2014 13:21:08 GMT -5
If the comments on this Taste of Country post about the song are any indication of how the general public is going to react, yikes. Pretty ironic (and sad) to see so many women attacking Maddie & Tae for standing up for women, though. It does make me worry about how Maddie & Tae will be received by country fans, though. While a lot of us are more knowledgeable about the behind-the-scenes stuff and the growing dislike of "bro country," the general public (i.e. the majority of country radio listeners) are completely unaware of why Maddie & Tae are singing about this. They think Maddie & Tae are releasing this simply to be controversial and get their 15 minutes of fame, and the way the media is writing about the song so far they are already pitting the artists called out in the song against the two of them, when we actually don't know how they feel about the song yet because they haven't commented on it yet. I think the key thing for people to understand is that Maddie & Tae are not attacking the artists personally, they are attacking the sexism so prevalent in the songs.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 5, 2014 14:48:59 GMT -5
If the comments on this Taste of Country post about the song are any indication of how the general public is going to react, yikes. Pretty ironic (and sad) to see so many women attacking Maddie & Tae for standing up for women, though. It does make me worry about how Maddie & Tae will be received by country fans, though. While a lot of us are more knowledgeable about the behind-the-scenes stuff and the growing dislike of "bro country," the general public (i.e. the majority of country radio listeners) are completely unaware of why Maddie & Tae are singing about this. They think Maddie & Tae are releasing this simply to be controversial and get their 15 minutes of fame, and the way the media is writing about the song so far they are already pitting the artists called out in the song against the two of them, when we actually don't know how they feel about the song yet because they haven't commented on it yet. I think the key thing for people to understand is that Maddie & Tae are not attacking the artists personally, they are attacking the sexism so prevalent in the songs. I do applaud that one Facebook commenter for remembering that Conway Twitty absolutely did do it this way...in Tight Fittin' Jeans. The escapist girl he meets at the bar in that song is basically the inspiration for the girl featured in every bro country song.
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mus1cr0w
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Post by mus1cr0w on Jul 5, 2014 15:04:30 GMT -5
...."in my mind she's still a lady.."
Yeah..that sounds just like today's bro country depiction of women.
Whatever...
Mus1cr0w
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.indulgecountry
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jul 5, 2014 15:10:08 GMT -5
Looks like the comments are a pretty mixed bag though; I see a lot of women are agreeing with the message of the song, already. I expected it to be a lot more of lop-sided towards negative because of the misleading nature of the article title. I'm expecting it will resonate with a lot of women, even if they are fans of some of those artists seeing the criticized songs.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 5, 2014 15:19:39 GMT -5
...."in my mind she's still a lady.." Yeah..that sounds just like today's bro country depiction of women. Whatever... Mus1cr0w Actually listen to the song - or at least read the lyrics. You'll realize the part you just quoted has no bearing on this discussion. But the bigger point is that we shouldn't all be naive and act like women--country girls and non-country girls--are have not been portrayed this way for decades in music. I agree that the bro country genre has taken the objectification to a new level - and thus makes the Maddie and Tae song perfect to release at a time like this - but it's crazy to even begin to suggest that tan girls wearing Daisy Dukes are an image first conceived by Florida Georgia Line, Brantley Gilbert and Jason Aldean. And, it's funny, but I actually anticipate more MEN defending the lyrics than women. Stylistically, of course the song will be more popular with females, but I generally find that male writers/media like to jump aggressively onto these sorts of causes. And I think that will be particularly true here, since men are already more hostile to this section of country music than women. Of course you'll have some moronic guys saying, "If they don't want to be objectified, maybe girls shouldn't dress like sl*ts," but I think that will be a minority. Women, meanwhile, will take the issue more personally because they either DO wear the cut-off jeans and bikini tops that Maddie and Tae seem to think aren't real clothes or are passionate fans of the bros bashed in this song and thus don't want their favorite singers dismissed as sexist.
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jul 5, 2014 15:24:38 GMT -5
This new wave is not the first time songs have been addressing the attractive qualities of women, but it's definitely taken it to a new level of objectification. The likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Conway Twitty, and others have done so in a much more classy way in the past. It's not new for male country acts to find women to be good lookin', but this idea that that's all they really are is the problem we're having now. There's just no comparison imo, and "Tight Fittin' Jeans" doesn't belong anywhere near the likes of "Get Me Some of That" or "Ready Set Roll."
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mus1cr0w
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Post by mus1cr0w on Jul 5, 2014 15:31:28 GMT -5
This new wave is not the first time songs have been addressing the attractive qualities of women, but it's definitely taken it to a new level of objectification. The likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Conway Twitty, and others have done so in a much more classy way in the past. It's not new for male country acts to find women to be good lookin', but this idea that that's all they really are is the problem we're having now. There's just no comparison imo, and "Tight Fittin' Jeans" doesn't belong anywhere near the likes of "Get Me Some of That" or "Ready Set Roll." That's what I was going for.... thanks for being more eloquent than I was!
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 5, 2014 15:44:24 GMT -5
This new wave is not the first time songs have been addressing the attractive qualities of women, but it's definitely taken it to a new level of objectification. The likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Conway Twitty, and others have done so in a much more classy way in the past. It's not new for male country acts to find women to be good lookin', but this idea that that's all they really are is the problem we're having now. There's just no comparison imo, and "Tight Fittin' Jeans" doesn't belong anywhere near the likes of "Get Me Some of That" or "Ready Set Roll." I agree with you, and I also agree that it's why the framing of this song is so important. If you frame it as, "Maddie and Tae take shots at Chris Young, Jason Aldean, etc," then you open the door for fans to complain about how those individuals are not actually sexist. While I personally think even one wrong makes you guilty in this case, fans might take umbrage with dwelling on "Aw Naw" when Chris Young is also responsible for something like "Who I Am With You." The same would apply to Blake Shelton - he has his share of trashy songs, but he also has plenty of great love songs that do not demean in the least. The framing has to be against the style of music itself - and how its popularity is drawing in guys who, deep down, are probably not sexist. If you're a woman who loves Chris Young and believes he has a great deal of respect for women, it should trouble you that he needed to release "Aw Naw" to fit in.
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jul 5, 2014 15:54:38 GMT -5
This new wave is not the first time songs have been addressing the attractive qualities of women, but it's definitely taken it to a new level of objectification. The likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Conway Twitty, and others have done so in a much more classy way in the past. It's not new for male country acts to find women to be good lookin', but this idea that that's all they really are is the problem we're having now. There's just no comparison imo, and "Tight Fittin' Jeans" doesn't belong anywhere near the likes of "Get Me Some of That" or "Ready Set Roll." I agree with you, and I also agree that it's why the framing of this song is so important. If you frame it as, "Maddie and Tae take shots at Chris Young, Jason Aldean, etc," then you open the door for fans to complain about how those individuals are not actually sexist. While I personally think even one wrong makes you guilty in this case, fans might take umbrage with dwelling on "Aw Naw" when Chris Young is also responsible for something like "Who I Am With You." The same would apply to Blake Shelton - he has his share of trashy songs, but he also has plenty of great love songs that do not demean in the least. The framing has to be against the style of music itself - and how its popularity is drawing in guys who, deep down, are probably not sexist. If you're a woman who loves Chris Young and believes he has a great deal of respect for women, it should trouble you that he needed to release "Aw Naw" to fit in. Oh yeah, I'm not disagreeing with that at all. The article title was completely deceptive and looks like a typical shock headline just to stir things up. Really a lot of these artists, like Chris and Blake, have proven in the past that they can release good music, so it should definitely be a mentality about the songs themselves. Though there are a few of the newcomers who don't have that back catalog to fall back on and those few can be criticized more outright since they've been one-trick ponies.
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zaclord 🌈
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Post by zaclord 🌈 on Jul 5, 2014 16:44:25 GMT -5
About Maddie & Tae responding politely to Chase, there's a fine line between standing for what they believe in here and pissing off the entire genre which they are trying to break into. This song alone isn't going to get rid of bro-country and it may not make any impact at all, but when you're in the music industry and trying to make it, it's important to not make a ton of enemies because it's a very relationship-driven business.
Also, many record labels and artist management companies have access to their artists social media accounts and post things on their behalf frequently. It may not have even been M&T that responded to Chase.
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jenglisbe
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Post by jenglisbe on Jul 5, 2014 17:21:09 GMT -5
Speaking of bro-country, anyone notice that there's only 1 bro-country song in the top 10 and pretty soon it'll be ZERO in the top 10 (once "Beachin" goes recurrent)? The majority of the A-list male artists have decided to release non-bro songs for the rest of the year (Luke Bryan with "Roller Coaster", FGL with "Dirt", Kenny's current, Tim's current, Blake's current, etc). Even Jake Owen is releasing a non-bro song called "Ghost Town" next (great song BTW). Overall, I think the state of Country radio is in pretty good shape right now. I had a 2-hour drive the other day and I really did not have the urge to change the dial on any of the songs. It's a bit ironic that an anti-bro country song is released when 85-90% of the Country Airplay chart are already non-bro country. For one, part of the reason is that those artists released their bro country songs first and are now getting to the point where more interesting tracks can get released. Are any of the songs you mention lead singles? I'd also argue that while something like Blake Shelton's current single isn't "bro country," it's still a song about a male objectifying a woman so I wouldn't say that's progress. Secondly, it's still male artists dominating country radio. Even if the songs get better, that's only part of the issue. Why is it that female artists still have a hard time getting consistent radio play at country radio?
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jenglisbe
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Post by jenglisbe on Jul 5, 2014 17:31:13 GMT -5
This new wave is not the first time songs have been addressing the attractive qualities of women, but it's definitely taken it to a new level of objectification. The likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Conway Twitty, and others have done so in a much more classy way in the past. It's not new for male country acts to find women to be good lookin', but this idea that that's all they really are is the problem we're having now. There's just no comparison imo, and "Tight Fittin' Jeans" doesn't belong anywhere near the likes of "Get Me Some of That" or "Ready Set Roll." That's what I was going for.... thanks for being more eloquent than I was! Well, and right or not, things were different back when Conway Twitty was releasing music. Feminism has taken hold, and women are more "equal" now than ever. What was accetable then shouldn't be acceptable now. There was a lot of racist stuff 30 years ago, too, but that doesn't mean it should happen now. And should rappers now get to use homophobic and sexist language because rappers in the 90s did? Of course not. But, really, until the country audience demands better, it won't change. A lot of these 'bro country' songs sell huge, and it includes plenty of women buying them.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 5, 2014 18:54:27 GMT -5
About Maddie & Tae responding politely to Chase, there's a fine line between standing for what they believe in here and pissing off the entire genre which they are trying to break into. This song alone isn't going to get rid of bro-country and it may not make any impact at all, but when you're in the music industry and trying to make it, it's important to not make a ton of enemies because it's a very relationship-driven business. Also, many record labels and artist management companies have access to their artists social media accounts and post things on their behalf frequently. It may not have even been M&T that responded to Chase. There's a difference between responding professionally and responding in a way that devalues your entire effort. Look, all of us know this is at least partially (if not primarily) an act to put them on the map and sell records. I mean, come on, they decided to sign with the guy responsible for making Florida Georgia Line a thing. Their lyrics might be rebellious, but they're not quintessential rebels. They, above all, want to be country music stars. But you have to be careful not to beat America over the head with the fact that the song is a fun way to get attention. ESPECIALLY since there is a really important message here. The idea that women deserve to be treated with respect--and are not getting that in the present--is hardly something that is just "good fun." Responding with something sarcastic like, "Yep, Chase, that was the point of our song - for you to think we're sexy. Glad you got it" or something is FUN, professional but also keeps the aura going. They won't be dismissed as eye candy or sex objects. They are real women with real thoughts, and they need to keep that top of mind. Not sure how many here follow UFC, but one of the most maddening things in the sport is when, after months of trash-talking, the guys reveal in interviews after the fight that "they actually respect each other - they were just pretending to hate each other to hype the fight." Deep down, we all know it's just business, but there's a part of us that wants to cling to the fantasy that we're paying $55 to see a fight between two guys who legitimately hate each other. Or, for a country example, how much would it suck if Taylor Swift said, "Actually - John Mayer was a great guy and a great boyfriend. I'm just trying to sell records and have fun."
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ant
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Post by ant on Jul 5, 2014 21:20:45 GMT -5
Listening now, and I love love LOVE this! I need it to be on iTunes now. :(
I hope they make it big with this song, but I wonder what kind of reaction they would get from the likes of some of the male singers referenced in the song who may be in the audience if they were to perform this on the CMA Awards or something. #awkward
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mylifeback
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Post by mylifeback on Jul 5, 2014 22:26:58 GMT -5
I really don't think it would be awkward to have this song performed in front of any of the artists whose material they're mocking. From my observations, people in country music all get along very well and there don't seem to be the jealous feuds & rivalries that go on in the pop world, for instance. It seems to me there is more animosity among country fans over this type of music than there is among the artists and I just don't see there being hard feelings over this. All new acts trying to break into the industry are looking for their own sound and following and I see this as being their way of getting attention. If it helps them, great; they will be marketing geniuses, because I do think this is a little about country radio and a whole lot about marketing.
To me, the song's a parody and a bit of a novelty song. I expect it will have good sales to start and then will sink or swim on its own merits. In my opinion the song is OK but not great and don't really expect it do much. But we'll see.
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renee75
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Post by renee75 on Jul 6, 2014 12:41:24 GMT -5
This new wave is not the first time songs have been addressing the attractive qualities of women, but it's definitely taken it to a new level of objectification. The likes of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Conway Twitty, and others have done so in a much more classy way in the past. It's not new for male country acts to find women to be good lookin', but this idea that that's all they really are is the problem we're having now. There's just no comparison imo, and "Tight Fittin' Jeans" doesn't belong anywhere near the likes of "Get Me Some of That" or "Ready Set Roll." I agree with you, and I also agree that it's why the framing of this song is so important. If you frame it as, "Maddie and Tae take shots at Chris Young, Jason Aldean, etc," then you open the door for fans to complain about how those individuals are not actually sexist. While I personally think even one wrong makes you guilty in this case, fans might take umbrage with dwelling on "Aw Naw" when Chris Young is also responsible for something like "Who I Am With You." The same would apply to Blake Shelton - he has his share of trashy songs, but he also has plenty of great love songs that do not demean in the least. The framing has to be against the style of music itself - and how its popularity is drawing in guys who, deep down, are probably not sexist. If you're a woman who loves Chris Young and believes he has a great deal of respect for women, it should trouble you that he needed to release "Aw Naw" to fit in.I understand what you're saying, but it doesn't trouble me THAT much, because "Aw Naw" is such a very mild example. Honestly. Of course it's hard not to be sick of drinking songs in general, and there's that one cringeworthy line about "jeans you painted on," but that's it. He just dances with the woman -- there's no tanned legs, no feet on the dashboard, no dirt road in the moonlight, no "climb up and slide on over" or "hand me a beer" or "shake the sugarshaker" or whatever other sickmaking stuff is in so many genuine "bro country" songs. It still feels like he's addressing the woman as a person, not an object. If this "bro country lite" stuff is as far as Chris ever goes with it -- and if we really are starting to see a backlash, it might be -- then we fans will have a lot to be thankful for!
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jul 6, 2014 15:45:28 GMT -5
I agree that "Aw Naw" isn't particularly offensive compared to some of the other songs in a similar vein. The problem with "Aw Naw" in mine opinion is that it's just a goofy song that sounds, at least to me, to be way outside his comfort zone and well beneath his talents. It just doesn't sound like something that suits his voice at all and his style the way "Gettin' You Home" or "I Cant Take It from There" do, for instance.
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jenglisbe
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Post by jenglisbe on Jul 6, 2014 16:13:12 GMT -5
Listening now, and I love love LOVE this! I need it to be on iTunes now. :( I hope they make it big with this song, but I wonder what kind of reaction they would get from the likes of some of the male singers referenced in the song who may be in the audience if they were to perform this on the CMA Awards or something. #awkward Considering Chase Rice has a single out that's one of the worst offenders and he tweeted support for the song, I doubt it would be all that awkward. I mean, some of the male artists in question - like Luke Bryan - have expressed concern about the lack of females represented in country. So, I think the men acknowledge there is an issue, but they bend to the trend in order to have success (it reminds me of Gary Allan backtracking on his comments a year or two ago).
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.indulgecountry
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"You left a mark on my face // And brought a dozen red flags in a vase"
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Post by .indulgecountry on Jul 6, 2014 16:20:08 GMT -5
Listening now, and I love love LOVE this! I need it to be on iTunes now. :( I hope they make it big with this song, but I wonder what kind of reaction they would get from the likes of some of the male singers referenced in the song who may be in the audience if they were to perform this on the CMA Awards or something. #awkward Considering Chase Rice has a single out that's one of the worst offenders and he tweeted support for the song, I doubt it would be all that awkward. I mean, some of the male artists in question - like Luke Bryan - have expressed concern about the lack of females represented in country. So, I think the men acknowledge there is an issue, but they bend to the trend in order to have success (it reminds me of Gary Allan backtracking on his comments a year or two ago). I remember Luke Bryan was quoted saying something about why women aren't represented as well in country having to do with how difficult it was for them to get up early in the morning and travel to different radio stations on the daily, something to that effect. His commentary on the subject was just cringeworthy from what I recall of it.
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matty005
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Post by matty005 on Jul 6, 2014 16:23:13 GMT -5
Considering Chase Rice has a single out that's one of the worst offenders and he tweeted support for the song, I doubt it would be all that awkward. I mean, some of the male artists in question - like Luke Bryan - have expressed concern about the lack of females represented in country. So, I think the men acknowledge there is an issue, but they bend to the trend in order to have success (it reminds me of Gary Allan backtracking on his comments a year or two ago). I remember Luke Bryan was quoted saying something about why women aren't represented as well in country having to do with how difficult it was for them to get up early in the morning and travel to different radio stations on the daily, something to that effect. His commentary on the subject was just cringeworthy from what I recall of it. I didn't take it that way at all. He was saying the industry expects women to look glammed up all the time where as men can throw on a hat and they're good. Here's the source, btw. music-mix.ew.com/2013/08/21/luke-bryan-country-music-women-sales/
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carriekins
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Post by carriekins on Jul 6, 2014 16:26:05 GMT -5
Maddie & Tae just posted on their facebook (and I'm sure Twitter) that they are releasing Girl in a Country Song to iTunes on July 15th, one week ahead of its original scheduled release.
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rsmatto
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Post by rsmatto on Jul 6, 2014 17:55:10 GMT -5
That whole Chase Rice tweet stuff was taken WAY too seriously. I say things like "Shit sturring" and "Shit-talking" all the time. The girls aren't 12 year olds. They're in the music business where cuss words are used all the f-n time. Maddie & Tae aren't little puppies. They're 18 year old women. They can handle him saying that and he was actually PRAISING the song.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 6, 2014 18:05:34 GMT -5
That whole Chase Rice tweet stuff was taken WAY too seriously. I say things like "s**t sturring" and "s**t-talking" all the time. The girls aren't 12 year olds. They're in the music business where cuss words are used all the f-n time. Maddie & Tae aren't little puppies. They're 18 year old women. They can handle him saying that and he was actually PRAISING the song. Yeah, the Chase Rice part was pretty easily put to bed. The concern is 100% over their response.
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kanimal
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Post by kanimal on Jul 6, 2014 19:17:42 GMT -5
This is absolutely phenomenal. I agree that this will either be HUGE or not do very well at all. All the shade thats thrown in this song makes me so happy as I hate every single song that was mentioned. I will definitely be rooting for this one to become the hit it deserves to be to hopefully wake radio and listeners up that the way women are treated in country music is despicable in many cases today. Can't wait for this to be on iTunes. Any notice on when that will be? On their Facebook they said it will be on iTunes July 21st! Updated to the week earlier. I think the label is realizing it's insane not to capitalize on this press. I get the 21st as an impact date since there are a lot of heavy-hitters on the 14th, but no reason it shouldn't be available on iTunes and Spotify right now.
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bluedog6
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Post by bluedog6 on Jul 6, 2014 20:23:57 GMT -5
That whole Chase Rice tweet stuff was taken WAY too seriously. I say things like "s**t sturring" and "s**t-talking" all the time. The girls aren't 12 year olds. They're in the music business where cuss words are used all the f-n time. Maddie & Tae aren't little puppies. They're 18 year old women. They can handle him saying that and he was actually PRAISING the song. Yeah, the Chase Rice part was pretty easily put to bed. The concern is 100% over their response. I thought the response was perfect. It's what I would have done. There is no need for a witty or snappy comeback. That's how "wars" get started if one is not careful. Let the song speak for itself. No need to get into a back and forth on twitter. Time to keep moving forward and keep things positive.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 6, 2014 20:43:16 GMT -5
Yeah, the Chase Rice part was pretty easily put to bed. The concern is 100% over their response. I thought the response was perfect. It's what I would have done. There is no need for a witty or snappy comeback. That's how "wars" get started if one is not careful. Let the song speak for itself. No need to get into a back and forth on twitter. Time to keep moving forward and keep things positive. 100% agree with this. These ladies are a new act trying to make it; saying something witty/rude would have made them look bad, which turns off potential fans. New acts trying to make it can't risk burning bridges (especially so early), and negative things spread so quickly on social media these days; I don't blame them a bit for handling this the way they did.
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Post by 43dudleyvillas on Jul 6, 2014 21:19:47 GMT -5
There's a difference between responding professionally and responding in a way that devalues your entire effort. Look, all of us know this is at least partially (if not primarily) an act to put them on the map and sell records. I mean, come on, they decided to sign with the guy responsible for making Florida Georgia Line a thing. Their lyrics might be rebellious, but they're not quintessential rebels. They, above all, want to be country music stars. But you have to be careful not to beat America over the head with the fact that the song is a fun way to get attention. ESPECIALLY since there is a really important message here. The idea that women deserve to be treated with respect--and are not getting that in the present--is hardly something that is just "good fun." I think the "aw, we're just having some fun!" strategy of disarming charm was previewed by the EPK, in which, as jhomes87 pointed out, Tae talks about how "Girl in a Country Song" was born of a discussion about songs on the radio "which [they] love." Their exchange with Chase Rice (whose tweet I couldn't help but interpret as creepy, pervy and point-missing) made me think of a Louis C.K. quote that I had read in this recent Slate article. It's a quote about a man and woman he had seen on a date:In the current climate, females in particular can draw negative pile-ons (and worse) if perceived as speaking out of turn or in any way uncharitable to "friendly" advances. I think the reality is that Maddie & Tae are more likely to "get away" with the message of "Girl in a Country Song" if they otherwise present themselves as conciliatory and engaging. In any event, I don't see why this song can't just be about Maddie & Tae poking fun at the one-dimensionality of most of the radio hits of the past eighteen months, particularly their single dimensional treatment of women. The song itself is clearly pretty tongue-in-cheek, starting with the intro ("no country music was harmed in the making of this song," or something to that effect) through the giggles at the end. To suggest that Maddie & Tae must own the message of the song in a 100% serious way is to pigeonhole them. Fans of Thomas Rhett, Chris Young, Blake Shelton, etc. will spring (and have already sprung) to character defenses of the guys who perform the songs mocked by "Girl in a Country Song" by insisting the real life artists are respectful of women. If called out, the artists themselves will echo that message. By saying that they are teasing in the spirit of fun, Maddie & Tae get to make their point without seeming mean-spirited. It's not only a more effective way not to anger established fanbases and artists, it's also a more effective way of gaining acceptance of the point that their song makes. "Oh, we know you're not really misogynist louts but golly, we were just venting because listening to radio, it was like we only had permission to be/wear one thing!" The "bros" don't seriously think "girls" are only good for being scantily-clad silent objects made for riding shotgun, sex and bringing beer? Fine, then Maddie & Tae don't "seriously" think the bros are sexist. The undertones will be enough to make an impression and generate conversation. "And even someone like Kacey Musgraves, who made her name as a strong, outspoken woman, is now covering herself in makeup, getting spray tans and wearing the short shorts and barely-there dresses that this song seems to mock" I don't think most people think there is anything wrong with make up, short skirts if you are comfortable in that sort of thing, trying to make yourself attractive (within reason) to the opposite sex-whether it is on the part of males or females. The human race must propagate after all ;) You can be a strong woman and enjoy makeup and clothes-it just shouldn't be what you are solely valued for. It is the objectification and cliches in these songs as well as the language ('slide your ass over here', 'gotta get me some of THAT') that I personally (and I think many others) take issue with. I completely see your point, but the song actually does take overt shots at that style of dress. Early, they mock cut-off jeans by saying their legs are too cold, and then they talk about wearing "real clothes" at the end. I think this, too, is too limited and limiting an interpretation. Maddie & Tae's point is that girls in a country song don't seem to be allowed to wear anything else. Adopting, at least partially, the costume of "oppression" while undermining it is a reasonably subversive way to go about promoting this song. Besides, in the EPK, there are plenty of shots of Maddie & Tae wearing something other than bro country's prescribed uniform for girls, no shots of them in bikinis, and for that matter, not a single shot of them looking anything but weather- and age-appropriate. Sure, charges of hypocrisy may come, but I don't plan on holding Maddie & Tae responsible for winning over people who deliberately miss the point. I do think there is going to be an attempt to make this song the one that the many dissenters against the one-dimensionality of today's country radio rally around. Given the widespread consensus even within the country industry that the dominant fare at country radio over the past eighteen months has been severely lacking in quality, it seems clear that radio and the labels are eager to move on from "bro country." But if "Girl in a Country Song" succeeds, I think it will because the bro country point of view is already on its way out, not because this song itself turns the tide. As I mentioned before, there are a few signs of female listeners asserting themselves in support of songs with female protagonists, so the environment may already be shifting. If "Girl in a Country Song" succeeds, it will be more as a final blow to an already wounded combatant, though there's no doubt Maddie & Tae will be trumpeted as the gladiators who slew the enemy. And hey, it is true that they are the first major label artist to come out with this message in song form. In the meantime, I will be in no way surprised to see Thomas Rhett & others make a good-natured, label-prescribed cameo in the video for the song. I think that Big Machine wants conversation about this song. I think it wants people to rally around the song, I think it wants bro country apologists to feel defensive and go on the attack, I think it will welcome the angst of people transferring feminist hopes on Maddie & Tae only to find that they refuse to be hateful of bro country purveyors, and so on. The marketing point here is the attention and discussion. I welcome that, and hope that certain songwriters think seriously about the way they depict women in their songs as a result. But at the same time, I see no reason that humor and a sense of fun from Maddie & Tae can't help move the conversation forward -- I don't see it as diminishing their message so much as tactfully and tactically depersonalizing their target.
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matty005
3x Platinum Member
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,410
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Post by matty005 on Jul 6, 2014 21:38:02 GMT -5
There's a difference between responding professionally and responding in a way that devalues your entire effort. Look, all of us know this is at least partially (if not primarily) an act to put them on the map and sell records. I mean, come on, they decided to sign with the guy responsible for making Florida Georgia Line a thing. Their lyrics might be rebellious, but they're not quintessential rebels. They, above all, want to be country music stars. But you have to be careful not to beat America over the head with the fact that the song is a fun way to get attention. ESPECIALLY since there is a really important message here. The idea that women deserve to be treated with respect--and are not getting that in the present--is hardly something that is just "good fun." I think the "aw, we're just having some fun!" strategy of disarming charm was previewed by the EPK, in which, as jhomes87 pointed out, Tae talks about how "Girl in a Country Song" was borne from a discussion about songs on the radio "which [they] love." Their exchange with Chase Rice ( whose tweet I couldn't help but interpret as creepy, pervy and point-missing) made me think of a Louis C.K. quote that I had read in this recent Slate article. It's a quote about a man and woman he had seen on a date:In the current climate, females in particular can draw negative pile-ons (and worse) if perceived as speaking out of turn or in any way uncharitable to "friendly" advances. I think the reality is that Maddie & Tae are more likely to "get away" with the message of "Girl in a Country Song" if they otherwise present themselves as conciliatory and engaging. In any event, I don't see why this song can't just be about Maddie & Tae poking fun at the one-dimensionality of most of the radio hits of the past eighteen months, particularly their single dimensional treatment of women. The song itself is clearly pretty tongue-in-cheek, starting with the intro ("no country music was harmed in the making of this song," or something to that effect) through the giggles at the end. To suggest that Maddie & Tae must own the message of the song in a 100% serious way is to pigeonhole them. Fans of Thomas Rhett, Chris Young, Blake Shelton, etc. will spring (and have already sprung) to character defenses of the guys who perform the songs mocked by "Girl in a Country Song" by insisting the real life artists are respectful of women. If called out, the artists themselves will echo that message. By saying that they are teasing in the spirit of fun, Maddie & Tae get to make their point without seeming mean-spirited. It's not only a more effective way not to anger established fanbases and artists, it's also a more effective way of gaining acceptance of the point that their song makes. "Oh, we know you're not really misogynist louts but golly, we were just venting because listening to radio, it was like we only had permission to be/wear one thing!" The "bros" don't seriously think "girls" are only good for being scantily-clad silent objects made for riding shotgun, sex and bringing beer? Fine, then Maddie & Tae don't "seriously" think the bros are sexist. The undertones will be enough to make an impression and generate conversation. I completely see your point, but the song actually does take overt shots at that style of dress. Early, they mock cut-off jeans by saying their legs are too cold, and then they talk about wearing "real clothes" at the end. I think this, too, is too limited and limiting an interpretation. Maddie & Tae's point is that girls in a country song don't seem to be allowed to wear anything else. Adopting, at least partially, the costume of "oppression" while undermining it is a reasonably subversive way to go about promoting this song. Besides, in the EPK, there are plenty of shots of Maddie & Tae wearing something other than bro country's prescribed uniform for girls, no shots of them in bikinis, and for that matter, not a single shot of them looking anything but weather- and age-appropriate. Sure, charges of hypocrisy may come, but I don't plan on holding Maddie & Tae responsible for winning over people who deliberately miss the point. I do think there is going to be an attempt to make this song the one that the many dissenters against the one-dimensionality of today's country radio rally around. Given the widespread consensus even within the country industry that the dominant fare at country radio over the past eighteen months has been severely lacking in quality, it seems clear that radio and the labels are eager to move on from "bro country." But if "Girl in a Country Song" succeeds, I think it will because the bro country point of view is already on its way out, not because this song itself turns the tide. As I mentioned before, there are a few signs of female listeners asserting themselves in support of songs with female protagonists, so the environment may already be shifting. If "Girl in a Country Song" succeeds, it will be more as a final blow to an already wounded combatant, though there's no doubt Maddie & Tae will be trumpeted as the gladiators who slew the enemy. And hey, it is true that they are the first major label artist to come out with this message in song form. In the meantime, I will be in no way surprised to see Thomas Rhett & others make a good-natured, label-prescribed cameo in the video for the song. I think that Big Machine wants conversation about this song. I think it wants people to rally around the song, I think it wants bro country apologists to feel defensive and go on the attack, I think it will welcome the angst of people transferring feminist hopes on Maddie & Tae only to find that they refuse to be hateful of bro country purveyors, and so on. The marketing point here is the attention and discussion. I welcome that, and hope that certain songwriters think seriously about the way they depict women in their songs as a result. But at the same time, I see no reason that humor and a sense of fun from Maddie & Tae can't help move the conversation forward -- I don't see it as diminishing their message so much as tactfully and tactically depersonalizing their target. Can you please explain how the tweet is "pervy?" Again here is the tweet: I love this new @maddieandtae song. Somethin sexy bout a little shit talkin. Keep it up girls. #GirlInACountrySong These girls are adults. He's not tweeting to 13 year old LeAnn Rimes. I understand maybe missing the point, but to say "pervy" that is really strong.
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Post by 43dudleyvillas on Jul 6, 2014 22:36:20 GMT -5
Can you please explain how the tweet is "pervy?" Again here is the tweet: I love this new @maddieandtae song. Somethin sexy bout a little s**t talkin. Keep it up girls. #GirlInACountrySong These girls are adults. He's not tweeting to 13 year old LeAnn Rimes. I understand maybe missing the point, but to say "pervy" that is really strong. There was no declarative on my part. I said that I couldn't help but read his comment as pervy, among other things. The comment itself struck me as sleazy and a come-on -- by calling Maddie & Tae's sass "sexy," he effectively told Maddie & Tae that they turned him on, an overly familiar comment for public discussion and really just no way for a colleague to address another. He then referred to Maddie & Tae as "girls," an implicit acknowledgement of what is around a ten year age difference between them and the fact that they are, in fact, still young. Technically legal, and old enough to be considered adults, sure. But in the context of a relative veteran in the business addressing a young new artist, inappropriate. There is, of course, also the context of this tweet coming from a guy who thinks that "get your fine little ass on the step" is an appropriate song lyric, so one can hardly be blamed for thinking that Chase Rice doesn't know or adhere to the bounds of respectful discourse. To me, Chase Rice's tweet is an example of what women in country (and really, in life) have to contend with on a daily basis...even a (probably well-intended) compliment about a song about the objectification of women is delivered in sexual terms that demean the wit and intelligence of the songwriters and performers. He may not have even realized what he was doing, but his attitude is very much representative of why "bro country" is so problematic, and why there is value in "Girl in a Country Song." As I mentioned, that Maddie & Tae responded to him genially and disarmingly is no surprise to me...as the article that I had linked, among many others, notes, "placating these men is a rational choice, a form of self-defense..."
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kanimal
3x Platinum Member
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 3,043
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Post by kanimal on Jul 6, 2014 22:36:55 GMT -5
I thought the response was perfect. It's what I would have done. There is no need for a witty or snappy comeback. That's how "wars" get started if one is not careful. Let the song speak for itself. No need to get into a back and forth on twitter. Time to keep moving forward and keep things positive. 100% agree with this. These ladies are a new act trying to make it; saying something witty/rude would have made them look bad, which turns off potential fans. New acts trying to make it can't risk burning bridges (especially so early), and negative things spread so quickly on social media these days; I don't blame them a bit for handling this the way they did. A song that no one, outside of people in a few radio markets that jumped the gun, is technically supposed to be able to hear released by two people no one has heard OF would not be the most talked about song in country music if everyone thought it was just in "good fun." If the song is just a joke--and they're actually totally fine with how women are portrayed in country and just humorously pointing out some lame modern lyrics--then all those comments about how this act is refreshing, and how they're exactly what country needs right now, and how they're forever changing the landscape all become completely ridiculous. Even people who say "they love the message" come off like buffoons if this is all just a joke. Again, no one's saying to give Chase Rice a brutal dressing down (especially since, based on past twitter interactions, they seem friendly with each other). That's not only bad for business but bad for their image. But I am saying that maybe you poke a little bit of fun at the guy responsible for the definitive bro country song reducing your song to something "sexy." If we want to give them credit for being big girls and all that, how do they not see the extent to which his Tweet was reductive (even if all in good fun)? It's literally like that scene in the movies and TV when, after a guy says something sleazy to a girl, she slaps him, and then he replies, "Are you as turned on as I am?" And I'm certainly saying you don't say your song was "all in good fun." Like I said elsewhere, we're not stupid. We *know* it's all in good fun. We know it's a marketing ploy. We know that if Luke Bryan, Chris Young, Blake Shelton or even Thomas Rhett asks them to do a song together, they're probably doing it. But there's the idea of keeping the aura intact. Again, see my Taylor Swift example - her songs are so much pettier and more trivial than a cry for women to get the respect they deserve in country music, yet she virtually NEVER backs down and says her songs are just to get attention. It rubs some people the wrong way, but it's an approach that has also helped her songwriting style become so iconic - and so successful. One of the best things I ever read about Taylor Swift was an old interview, I think with Billboard, in which she said that Drew from Teardrops on My Guitar apologized and tried to win her over after the song got big, and she wasn't having it. THAT is the kind of thing that makes this songwriting more than just a marketing ploy. America needs to believe it's real. This is a song designed to get attention. To make sure they get attention, they have to play nice to an extent. But it's also a song that is blatantly attacking the state of country music *AND* passing along a very important message. So they can't play TOO nice--or laugh their song off as a joke--or it completely makes them seem disingenuous. As for the part in bold, they wrote a song that directly bashes lyrics from some of the biggest names in country music (Thomas Rhett, FGL and Jason Aldean to a very clear extent). So you can't say they're not "burning bridges" - their entire gimmick is that they're burning bridges. We *know* as people who follow the music business that it's an act, but you don't have to broadcast that.
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