The Chicks, formerly known as the Dixie Chicks, are a country music group consisting of Emily Robison, Natalie Maines, and Martie Maguire. The Chicks became popular for their hits like “Cowboy Take Me Away,” “Wide Open Spaces,” “Travelin’ Soldier,” and “Goodbye Earl.”  Their debut album, Wide Open Spaces (1998), was a huge success, selling over 12 million copies in the United States. It was named best country album at the 1999 Grammy Awards.

If you know The Chicks, you likely also know about their 2003 controversy surrounding a comment the lead singer, Natalie Maines, made about president George W. Bush’s plan to invade Iraq. At a concert in London, she expressed that she was “ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas.” In 2003, many British citizens were very upset with the American war sentiments, so Maines was received with loud cheering. Back home in the U.S., Americans did not have the same response. After this comment, radio stations refused to play their music, former fans destroyed CD’s, streaming numbers and concert attendance both declined. They even received numerous death threats they received as a result of the comment. 

On live television, news sources called The Chicks, “the Dixie Twits.” Another country music star, Toby Keith, joined those criticizing The Chicks by performing in front of a backdrop that featured a gigantic image of Natalie Maines beside Saddam Hussein, and Iraqi politician and the 5th President of Iraq.

Natalie Maine’s response was this: “As a concerned American citizen, I apologize to President Bush because my remark was disrespectful. I feel that whoever holds that office should be treated with the utmost respect. We are currently in Europe and witnessing a huge anti-American sentiment as a result of the perceived rush to war. While war may remain a viable option, as a mother, I just want to see every possible alternative exhausted before children and American soldiers’ lives are lost. I love my country. I am a proud American.”

The hate The Chicks received made it very hard for country music artists to speak on anything political, especially if it was a more “left leaning” opinion. In 2019, when being asked about her recent political stance that she had taken, Taylor Swift told The Guardian newspaper, “I come from country music… The No. 1 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!’”

Three years after Maine’s comment, The Chicks released a song addressing the hate the received. The song was called “Not Ready to Make Nice” It was a defiant response and a refusal to apologize for their beliefs. The lyrics of the song resonate with people who have been criticized for expressing their truth. In response to the death threats received, the lyrics say “And how in the world can the words that I said send somebody so over the edge that they’d write me a letter, sayin’ that I better shut up and sing or my life will be over.” The lyrics, “It’s too late to make it right, I probably wouldn’t if I could. ‘Cause I’m mad as hell, can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should,” are a response to people demanding they apologize or take back what they said.

The impact of this song is undeniable. At the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2007, it secured three of the most prestigious categories: Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

Even after the 2003 controversy, The Chicks have continued to be vocal about their political views. In 2020, the trio sang the National Anthem during the 2020 Democratic National Convention.

It is clear that The Chicks paved the way for more progressive artists to speak their truth. Since then, female country artists such as Kacey Musgraves, Maren Morris, and Kelsea Ballerini have all voiced their opinion on how the country music industry makes it hard for artists to voice any progressive opinions. Maren Morris once said in an interview about having tough conversations with fellow country artists, “I don’t care if it’s awkward [with them] sitting down the row from you at the next awards show. Call them out!”

Watch The Chick’s moving performance of “Not Ready to Make Nice” on YouTube: