3-26-15
Last month the popular country band Little Big Town played its brand new song called Girl Crush to hundreds of Program Director's at the Ryman in downtown Nashville. The PD's seemed to love the song, giving the group quite a roaring ovation. Apparently they don't love the song enough to play it anymore on their radio stations, despite the fact fans all over the country are buying it, due to the incorrect assumption the song promotes the gay agenda. Now, the fact that country radio isn't playing Girl Crush, or stations are pulling it after receiving complaints, country radio is being criticized in newspaper articles all over the country, including this piece in The Washington Post. The Post does concede Country Radio is still the genre's most powerful platform.
The Post says there?s a deep chasm between what?s popular on country radio and what fans are buying. ?Girl Crush? is 4th on iTunes, but 33rd in radio rankings. "And while country music is seen as more progressive now ? with explicit lyrics about sex and casual marijuana use ? significant portions of the traditional audience will not tolerate a song that they even wrongly assume is about a same-sex relationship."
The paper also cited syndicate host Bobby Bones who interviewed the band and asked them if it was frustrating that their song, which is one of the top 10 sellers, is not being played on radio because PD's are afraid of it, thinking it?s a "lesbian song"? Band member Karen Fairchild said., ?Just the fact that we?re still discussing that, number one, there?s so many problems with that whole issue. Fairchild told the Post ?It?s a genius lyric, such a beautifully written song about jealousy. It was like, ?Why would we not cut this?" Fairchild says the song is about a girl saying, you know, ?Why do you love her and not me???
(3/27/2015 9:21:44 AM)
Heard the song a lot last week, across 4 states of road trip. I can understand the confusion from those who aren't listening to the lyrics carefully, and the intent behind them. I still found the whole song kind of creepy and weird - and my wife agreed when I asked what she thought of it. Beautifully sung, but just ... meh.
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