Ringside Report Music Review: The Chicks Are Back with a Tragically Beautiful New Album
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By Ashley Joanisse
From new music to a new name “The Chicks,” the famous country band previously known as “The Dixie Chicks,” have proved they are a force to be reckoned with. Their new album, “Gaslighter,” is their eighth studio album and is fierce with bold empowering tracks discussing female empowerment, the Black Lives Matter Movement, toxic relationships, and infidelity. The album also includes a beautiful cover of Charlotte Lawrence’s Song, “Everybody Loves You,” which is a tragically breathtaking song that discusses how sexual assault victims often have to cope with their abusers still being loved and appreciated by people despite the fact they have caused so much pain to their victims, the song is the fourth track on the new album.
The first song on the album is called, “Gaslighter,” and was released on March 4th, 2020. The song discusses toxic relationships and also seems to touch on the 2003 scandal in which Natalie Maines, frontwoman of “The Chicks,” spoke out against former President George W.Bush at a concert in London. In the music video, the women are seen marching in military uniforms which seems to be a nod at the scandal, as the women were publicly critical of the former President’s choice to send troops to Iraq in 2003. This song debut set the stage for a powerful album that takes a stand against all different forms of injustice.
The second track on the album is called, “Sleep at Night,” and although the track is co-written by five different writers including Justin Tranter, Teddy Geiger, Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire, it is evident that the song is outlining the story of Natalie Maine’s very public divorce with ex-husband actor Adrian Pasdar. This is notable in the opening lines of the pre-chorus as Natalie sings, “My husband’s girlfriend’s husband just called me up, how messed up is that?” The lyrics also reference her two sons trying to become men and seem to question the example Adrian has set for them. The song is a cry for answers, with the song repeating the following lines of questioning, “How do you sleep at night?” and “How do you tell those lies?”. The final track on the album, “Set Me Free,” carries a similar message, with lyrics that beg for freedom from a toxic relationship. The third track, “Texas Man,” takes a different tone suggesting that Natalie is ready to move on from her past and meet someone new.
The fifth track on the album, “For Her,” is an anthem for female empowerment. Its message encourages women to be strong, as “The Chicks” sing, “So Dig a little deeper, and be a whole lot louder.” It also encourages women to support one another, as they sing “Stand up, show love for her, for her”.
The sixth song on the album is called, “March March,” and is an empowering tribute to the Black Lives Matter Movement and other movements around the world throughout history and today. The music video released on Jun 24, 2020, is powerful in that is presents beautiful visuals of protesters from all over the world trying to make change both historically and today. The video also shows Greta Thunberg, the young Swedish environmental activist who has become famous around the world. The most powerful part of the music video comes in at 2 minutes and 31 seconds, there is a visual of a protester holding a sign that has the message, “Say their Names,” with names of some of the Black American Victims who have been killed by police. The music video then starts listing off the names of Black American Victims who have been killed as a result of police brutality in America. The video then ends with a powerful message encouraging people to vote. The YouTube music video bio includes links to charities and activist groups looking to make real change in America.
These are but a few of the many powerful songs on the album. I strongly encourage you, if you have not yet, to sit down one night and take a listen to this album all the way through. The album is a cry for an awakening and deserves all the attention in the world. As a singer-songwriter myself, I am in complete awe of this new album.
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