Analyzing The Chicks’ New Album as a Feminist Text

The (formerly Dixie) Chicks’ new album Gaslighter is their first in fourteen years.

Let’s start with their name change. Their identity as the Dixie Chicks for nearly twenty years was a distinctive nod to their Texan roots. This name choice made them unmistakably southern, sans the banjo plucking or thick-accented vocals.

Their decision to re-emerge as The Chicks was one made in solidarity with the growing movement to shed association with America’s racist Confederate past.

This action is likely to get an eyeroll from all those same folks who ‘cancelled’ the Chicks a long time ago for their unapologetic comments against the War on Terror, and nods from people who see the need to fully acknowledge the breadth and scope of our country’s ties to anti-Blackness throughout its history. The act of dropping the Dixie from their band’s name, a brand that has lasted over two decades, is one that acts very much in alignment with intersectional feminist values.

The Chicks have always been a girl-power country/country pop crew, but they fortified their position as a feminist icon trio with the release of this album. Each song is its own chapter of a loud and proud feminist text. Let’s look at it track by track…

“Gaslighter”

This song reads almost as if it’s talking about our current political climate; especially because “March March” was released as a single before the rest of the album, it’s easy to contextualize the political anthem that appears later in the album and conflate it’s message with this song. Our country’s current leadership has gaslit us over and over again in the past four years, lying on record over eight thousand separate occasions.

The song is actually a direct message to lead singer Natalie Maines’ ex-husband. The video opens with an audio of a woman saying the courtroom oath, “I swear to tell the truth…” and the lyrics open with a reminder that the couple in question promised each other the truth and to love one another until death did them part, but that promise was broken.

It addresses the abusive behavior of gaslighting, a phenomenon that occurs often with narcissists in a relationship. We get a clear context and definition for gaslighting from the song; repeated lying, storytelling, confabulation, and manipulation of the truth in order to make the victim appear or feel crazy. Gaslighters love to control the narrative or the image of their victim, often to elevate themselves. This is a tactic that makes victims of emotional or other forms of relationship violence less likely to be believed when and if they seek help. The word has been increasingly used and even overused, and to see it positioned in a mainstream country song is refreshing. My personal favorite lyric from this song is “You made your bed and then your bed caught fire.”

What’s even more interesting about this track in particular is that it is the album’s first song and, thus, the first new song that listeners are going to hear sequentially from the Chicks in almost two decades. The last time we heard from these powerhouse women, they were cancelled into silence by the typically conservative and self-proclaimed patriotic country music fanbase, its radio sources, and the industry at large. “The incident” even sparked actual gaslighting by the media and by right-wing country singer Toby Keith, who tried to brush off Natalie Maines as insignificant and irrelevant despite her easily recognizable vocals, her bandmates incredible instrumental talent, and winning dozens of awards and being nominated for a dozen more in the span of ten years. The very same people who seemingly coveted the first amendment were the first to print the words “Dixie Sluts” and other vitriolic and undeniably sexist epithets over the bodies of Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer in the news.

Anyone can easily see that this “cancelling” of the Chicks for using their voice, having an opinion, and daring to speak their mind happened to them not just because of their message, but because of their position as successful women in the country music industry. After all, no one was calling Tim McGraw a “dixie slut” or “Saddam’s angel” in Entertainment Weekly for being an out Democrat. The ad hominem sexism loaded in what became a career-halting moment for the Chicks ultimately made them rise again, stronger and certainly not ready to make nice. Natalie Maines even redacted her apology, which is a bold and feminist move in a world where women are supposed to be apologetic for merely taking up space.

The same industry that touts the bold use of freedom of speech of artists like Toby Keith did not extend the same freedom to the Chicks, and only because they did not fit the narrative of the country genre’s image and fan base, typically rural or suburban republicans. The country music industry and music fans in general made it clear that you are welcome to express your opinion and use your platform in country to send a political message, so long as you say what we like.

“Sleep At Night”

The second song on this album is a total bop, and easily marked as my favorite track. I have some very personal connections to this song, because my own father left my family in a manner similar to the one that Natalie sings about in the hard-hitting verses.

She offers an indictment of her ex-husband and his infidelity, but doesn’t stop there; the lyrics are a softer and more sobering follow-up to “Gaslighter”, acknowledging that it wasn’t just the cheating that broke the relationship, but the willful dishonesty and continued manipulation throughout. What’s even more powerful about this song is its music video; all three of the members of the Chicks are walking arm-in-arm, Emily and Martie supporting Natalie as she tells the story of her divorce in another open letter to her ex.

The visuals in this video tell the soft yet fierce story of what it really is to hold up and support your friends who are going through a hard time. At one point in the video, the sisters run ahead, leaving Natalie alone, singing the words to the song and letting out a silent scream into the void. I didn’t quite get Natalie randomly laying down in the middle of the road, but then Martie and Emily walk back to quite literally pick her up off the ground and keep going. They end the video abruptly in a group hug that just screams solidarity and sisterhood. Powerful stuff.

“Texas Man”

This track in particular offers a little more hope and lightheartedness to the album overall. Natalie sings about being ready to find someone new, on her own terms, and be loved and appreciated for her thoughts and feelings while still getting some. The affirmative nod to sex-positivity and flirtatious fun in this song is refreshing and candid after the first two emotionally heavy songs; something that the Chicks are not strangers to (I mean, they wrote and rocked that raunchy banger “Sin Wagon” the last time we heard from them).

“Texas Man” is also a demonstration in setting healthy relationship boundaries. The speaker knows what she’s been through, and is willing to lay it all out there, but she wants her next boo to be patient with her and get to know her mind. She lets the next guy know that she is “a little bit more traveled” perhaps both in life experience and, maybe even, acknowledging that she’s been around the block romantically and isn’t trying to take herself so seriously this time around. Get it, Natalie. Steal that kiss in the car.

“Everybody Loves You”

This one actually appears to be a cover, originally performed by Charlotte Lawrence. This is an incredibly smart song that, again, explains gaslighting and the really frustrating and crazy-making nature of being with an abuser. Narcissists in particular have this ability to make everyone around them see only the best things about them, but save their abusive and dangerous characteristics for when they are at home with their partner/victim.

This is a strategy used by abusers and manipulators: it makes the victim less easy to believe. If you’re a functional company executive and everyone at work thinks you’re awesome, how could you possibly go home to a family and treat them like garbage?

The repetition of “it’s my body” seems to be about sexual violence or reclaiming oneself after a physical violation. But for the narrative thread of an abusive relationship that runs through the album, it’s fitting. Reclaiming one’s body and mind after a taxing relationship is a radical act that requires so much work, care, love, and support.

“For Her”

The ‘her’ in this song is not necessarily specific or clear, but I interpret this song as a letter to the speaker’s younger self. She is committed to coming out of a damaging relationship that defined her for so long, and emerging stronger, from the ashes. She expresses all the things she wishes she knew were coming, telling ‘her’ to be a little louder, stronger, more open, and dig deep to know and to love herself enough to prepare for the tough road ahead.

“March March”

“March March” is a political anthem that discusses so many issues of our current culture; gun violence, anti-Blackness, the education system, climate change, women’s rights, and so much more. The Chicks do their thing once again, infusing the names of women and a story into their messaging. They take up causes beyond the scope of their heteronormative white woman-ness, and do so with grace.

This song also references mention to the March for our Lives movement, showing images of Emma Gonzalez delivering her famously tearful speech following the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman-Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Flashes of images from several different protests in recent history, including Black Lives Matter protests, Pride, the Women’s March, the women’s suffrage movement, Peoples’ Climate March and other demonstrations for change make the video as well. The ending features a stunning string instrumental that is characteristic of the Chicks. The instrumental nears two minutes long, in which no new words are sang, but the names of people of color who have lost their lives to police brutality or violence go across the screen first slow, then quickly, because they don’t have enough minutes in the world to name every one of these lost lives in a readable fashion. The pacing is equally moving and powerful, because it showcases the sheer amount of lives lost to acts of racist violence and the deep need for change in our country.

“My Best Friend’s Weddings”

The stage is set at Emily Strayer’s first wedding, where Natalie Maines actually met her ex-husband, who was a groomsman for Emily’s first husband. Natalie was a bridesmaid and they were both in the bridal party, and they hit it off. Ironically, the song mentions, Emily is now divorced from the man she married at the wedding where they met (she went from Maguire to Robison to Strayer).

The lyrics of this song honor her friendship with Strayer and celebrate the fact that she found love again. This message acts as a note to self that love without abuse is possible for herself, too.

“Tights on My Boat”

This song expresses an acoustic rage, opening with a blunt ill-wish to the subject. Natalie goes on to express her knowledge of an extramarital affair, seeing as the other woman left her tights on the boat that her ex-husband named after her (The Nautalee). The song is an open flame, full sunlight, 0 SPF, third degree burn. And I am totally here for it. She wants revenge, and rightfully so, considering it sounds like she paid for everything (I mean, she was a double platinum award winning country singer and he was…some actor from Heroes?).

Like, what kind of husband doesn’t talk to his wife for weeks even if she’s on tour, and sends his mom on vacation with her and her two kids? Yikes. After this one, Natalie Maines has full rights to the title “breakup song queen.” Out of the way, Taylor Swift.

“Julianna Calm Down”

I love this song especially for its personal touch. The random names (Harper, Julianna, Katie, Eva, Violet, Juno, Yaya, Berta, Hesper, Amelia, Naomi) inserted throughout aren’t random, the way that Marianne and Wanda were in the story of their anthem “Goodbye Earl”. Each name is the name of one of Emily, Martie and Natalie’s daughters or nieces (Natalie has two sons), and it is meant to be an empowering “girl, you can do this” message to the little girls they love the most. It is the “in case of relationship emergency, press play” they wrote for their daughter/nieces’ future heartbreaks.

“Julianna Calm Down” is for all little girls who are having a rough go, whether it’s being rejected, broken up with, or feeling like they’re not good enough. Natalie Maines says you are more than enough, you are magic.

The only thing I wish they did with this song was make it less heteronormative, because it’s prescribing a future of heterosexuality for all the girls they know. If they had shifted the pronouns, that would create a template for sending a message that boys aren’t and don’t have to be a girl’s future.

“Young Man”

The tenth track on Gaslighter addresses Maines’ sons, and the harship of growing up torn between two divorced parents. Especially in the wake of such a public and obviously bitter split, I can’t imagine what Jackson and Beckett are feeling. Maines encourages them to keep growing up, keep finding out who they are, and take the best parts of their dad. She lets them know that her bitterness, hurt and struggle are not theirs, and they need not feel the same way that she does about their father.

Addressing masculinity is inevitable for Maines, considering she is a boy mom. And doing it in this song, with such a grace and gentleness, encourages her son to become a man who doesn’t treat women the way that she was treated for nearly twenty years.

It can be hard to keep your kids out of your feelings when such a toxic relationship comes to an end, and this song does this beautifully. She encourages her oldest son to walk his own path, have his own emotions about what’s happening, and become the man he wants to be.

“Hope it’s Something Good”

Questions guide the lyrics to this song. It reads like a snapshot of the moment immediately after someone has left you for good and you’re finally alone, unsure of what to do. The first verse ends with: “Should I have known? Should I have seen a sign? When did you know? Why’d you pretend to try?

What is: when you stopped loving me.

The rest of the song reads not quite like a well-wish, but a deeply personal decision to choose forgiveness for the speaker’s own sake.

“Set Me Free”

The final track on the album is a perfectly crafted closure. This speaks directly to the actual divorce procedure that Maines underwent while trying to separate from Pasdar. It took nearly two years for it to become final, after reportedly bitter battles over money. Maines was even held up from producing the album due to “privacy concerns” — or, due to the gaslighter not wanting to be exposed for gaslighting.

What’s more, keeping her “tethered” was likely a way to maintain control, something that abusive partners do. Narcissists, after they’ve dumped someone and stopped being able to use them, also engage in similar behavior, known as hoovering. They keep you “tethered” in case they need something else from you at a later time when it’s convenient. That might not be quite the case here, but it fits well with the gaslighter motif of the album. The feminist point of view for this song is a great lasting message to leave off with after finishing all the songs sequentially.

Only we can set ourselves free from patriarchy, toxic masculinity, trauma, abusive partnerships and marginalization. Our oppressors won’t do it for us, and the systems that benefit from that oppression certainly won’t either. Being a survivor is about doing the hard work that it takes to not forget or even forgive your trauma or your abuser, but not letting the trauma, abuse or person who harmed you own pieces of your life or steal your joy. This song asks for just that, and shows us that freedom from oppressive structures, relationships, and dynamics are possible if we want them.

The Chicks have always been overtly feminist in their approach to crafting lyrics, their unapologetic girl-positive power, and their independence and ability to hold their own in a politically conservative and patriarchy-ridden musical genre. They have written songs about relationships, love, sexuality, Americana, abuse, country life, and taking a stand for as long as they’ve been around, and I hope they never stop.