Martina McBride posted about this on her Facebook last night and I had to talk about it here:
This country radio consultant named Keith Hill was interviewed by Country Air Check and let me tell y'all what he said about Female Country Artists really made me mad:
" If you want to make ratings in Country radio, take females out. The reason is mainstream Country radio generates more quarter hours from female listeners at the rate of 70 to 75%, and women like male artists. I’m basing that not only on music tests from over the years, but more than 300 client radio stations. The expectation is we’re principally a male format with a smaller female component. I’ve got about 40 music databases in front of me and the percentage of females in the one with the most is 19%. Trust me, I play great female records and we’ve got some right now; 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."
Are you serious? This douche bag believes that Female Country Artists shouldn't be played on the radio at all!! This is the 21st century and this sexism still exists and it's horrible! I grew up listening to country music it's a huge part of me. My Nana and I watched CMT music videos all the time and being a female I identify with the female artists way more than the male, why? because female artists sing about real life issues and struggles that we go through. That type of music helps me and others get through so many tough times. I love and listen to way more female country artists like Lucy Hale, Carly Pearce, Martina McBride, Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves, Leann Rimes, Dolly Parton, Reba, Maddie and Tae, Taylor Swift, Jennifer Nettles, Alison Krauss, Gretchen Wilson, Sara Evans, Jo Dee Messina, Leann Womack, and I could go on and on and I would like to add in the groups with female artists like my favorite Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, and The Band Perry. I won't go on and on anymore but you get the point.
As y'all know, Lucy Hale is a huge idol of mine and her music has gotten me through so much! The last song I listen to every night before going to sleep is "Nervous Girls" it's like my life anthem. Hearing makes me feel like everything is going to be ok and that I'm not alone. Apparently songs like that shouldn't be played on the radio according to that douche bag because it's sung by an amazing female country artist and that is pure BS!! Songs like that need to be played because they help me and so many others get through tough situations in life. When nobody else is there music is there!
Here is what Martina said on her Facebook about it:
" Wow…..just wow. Just read this from a major country radio publication. How do you feel about this statement? I especially want to hear from the females. Do you not like to hear other women singing about what you are going through as women? I’m really curious. Because to me, country music is about relating. Someone relating to what you are really going through on a day to day basis in your life. Did you girls (core female listeners) know you were being “assessed” in this way? Is this how you really feel? Hmmm…. "
I couldn't agree more with what Martina said, Country music is about relating! We as females can't relate to what the males sing about because they mostly sing about hooking up with girls, girls wearing tight clothes, getting drunk, pick up trucks and stuff like that. Ok so some females can relate but most not so much. I mean yes, there are great male artists don't get me wrong and plenty of amazing inspirational songs sung by the male artists but we as females at least I do identify and relate to the female artists.
So to you, Mr. Keith Hill, douche bag of the year I say this: You need to find yourself a better salad. This female country music fan and many more like me love our favorite female country artists and relate to them in a way you could never understand and we love to hear them on our radio stations and elsewhere as well and they need more air time!! They deserve more air time!!! I will also say at least the tomatoes add flavor to the salad the lettuce may be the base to your so called salad but it's also the blandest part of the salad!!
I think that about does it for this rant! I love you Lucy Hale!!!
~Peace and Love~
Oh and I got some of this info from a BuzzFeed article as well! Most from Martina's Facebook though!
