This document discusses the lack of female representation in modern country music. In the 1990s, country radio was dominated by female artists like Shania Twain, Dixie Chicks, and Faith Hill. However, the percentage of purely female country songs charted has dropped to 10.4% in recent years. While some female artists like Miranda Lambert have achieved success, their songs often don't get much airplay. The document examines reasons given for the lack of female voices and calls for industry-wide changes to promote greater gender equality and inclusion in country music.

1. FROM THE
KITCHEN TO
THE TAILGATECountry Music’s Struggle to Define Women

2. OF WHEN YOU
THINK OF
COUNTRY
MUSIC?

3. Carrie Underwood (L), Loretta Lynn (Upper R), Taylor Swift (Lower R)

4. WHERE ARE THE
WOMEN?➤ In the 90s, country radio was
dominated by female artists
like Shania Twain, the Dixie
Chicks and Faith Hill
➤ Why aren’t empowering
female anthems on the charts
in the 2010s?
➤ Why are these types of songs
important?

5. WOMEN ON THE
RADIOAccording to the Tennessean,
the percentage of purely female
country songs charted by
Country Aircheck dropped to
10.4 percent last year, down
from 13 percent in 2016.
Miranda Lambert’s The Weight
of These Wings has gone
platinum and received
widespread critical acclaim.
Her lead single “Vice” peaked at
No. 11, while “We Should Be
Friends” and “Tin Man” peaked
in the Top 30 of the Country
Airplay chart

6. CHART
PERFORMANCE IN
2018
➤ Cam, “Diane”
➤ Kacey Musgraves, “Space
Cowboy”
➤ Ashley Monroe, “Hands on
You”
➤ Danielle Bradbury, “Worth It”

7. TOMATOGATE
"If you want to make ratings
in country radio, take
females out. I play great
female records ... they're just
not the lettuce in our salad.
The lettuce is Luke Bryan
and Blake Shelton, Keith
Urban and artists like that.
The tomatoes of our salad
are the females.” - Keith Hill

8. HOW MODERN COUNTRY ARTISTS
DESCRIBE WOMEN IN SONG➤ Parmalee, “Hotdamalama”
➤ Keith Urban, “Female”
➤ Mitchell Tenpenny, “Bitches”
➤ Maddie & Tae, “Girl in a Country Song”
➤ Jason Isbell, “If We Were Vampires”

9. WHY DOES IT MATTER?
➤ “They are just lyrics.”
➤ How does this language impact listeners, especially young women?
➤ “Women just aren’t making good enough music.”
➤ Good enough ≠ mainstream success
➤ “Women don’t want to listen to other women.”
➤ Unfounded assumption without statistical or scientific backing

10. WHAT CAN WE DO?
➤ Change is needed from all areas of the industry
➤ Program Directors
➤ Music Journalists & Critics
➤ Labels
➤ PR
➤ Listeners
WHAT STEPS WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE?