Miranda Lambert Dedicates Song To “All The Girls Not Being Played on Country Radio”
On August 4th and 5th, Miranda Lambert’s Highway Vagabond Tour made a two-night stop in her home state of Texas at the Whitewater Amphitheater in New Braunfels, and Miranda got a little feisty on Friday when introducing her current radio single, “Tin Man.”
Like many current singles from the women of country music, “Tin Man” has been struggling mightily to gain traction on radio. Meandering in the mid 30’s for many weeks now, it’s still too early to call it done, but it certainly won’t be a hit, or crack the Top 20 with the way things are going. Miranda first released the song co-written by Jack Ingram and Jon Randall after performing an acoustic solo version at the ACM’s in April. That’s also how she performed the song on Friday night.
“I’m gonna do one by myself, because I can,” Miranda told the crowd. “I want to do this on behalf of all the girls that are not being played on country radio right now. If you really love us, you will call and request any female that has a song out and something to say. This is one of those called ‘Tin Man.'”
Currently on the Billboard Country Airplay charts, there are only three solo women performers, including Miranda Lambert and “Tin Man” at #36, which is down from the song’s peak at #34. There are also no women in the Top 10. The highest charting female is Carly Pearce’s “Every Little Thing” at #19, which is being helped along by iHeartMedia’s “On The Verge” program. But even with this boost, which usually pushes singles to #1, the song is struggling.
As one of the most award-decorated artists in country music history, Miranda hasn’t shied away from speaking out about the plight of women on country radio’s playlists.
“‘If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out,’ – Keith Hill. This is he biggest bunch of BULLSHIT I have ever heard,” Miranda Lambert tweeted out in late May of 2015 amid the whole Tomatogate scandal. “I am gonna do everything in my power to support and promote female singer/songwriters in country music. Always.”
Miranda Lambert put her money where her mouth is on her latest record The Weight of These Wings, which includes multiple critically-acclaimed songwriters in the track list. Miranda Lambert is also a member of the supergroup The Pistol Annies with Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe, which is rumored to have a new album potentially coming in 2018. Miranda also showed her support for independent songwriters by inviting Wade Bowen on stage with her during the New Braunfels show to cover George Strait’s “The Fire I Can’t Put Out.”
Video of Miranda Lambert’s dedication can be seen below. She also shouts out “Cheetos, Titos, and Texas.”
“Cheers to Cheetos, Titos, & Texas” – Miranda Lambert 🖤 She dedicated this song to all the female country artists that are not being played. pic.twitter.com/2TzBdn8F4H
— ᗰcIᘔᗩ (@McHalesBitch) August 6, 2017
August 7, 2017 @ 8:48 am
One of the biggest problems is that women don’t support female country stars. They want their Sam Hunt and other pretty boys instead.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:11 am
Not the women I know. I keep hearing how women love Luke and Jason Aljeans and the rest of these dudes, but I don’t know any who actually do. Some of us do have good taste in music.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:41 am
Not this 28 year old woman here. I fully support women and want to see Sam Hunt disappear into a vlaxk vortex with all the other bros. 🙂
August 7, 2017 @ 9:41 am
Oops, BLACK votrex. 😛
August 7, 2017 @ 9:42 am
I can’t spell today, apparently. BLACK VORTEX. There we go! 🙂
August 7, 2017 @ 11:22 am
Vlaxk Vortex sounds like it could do the job!
August 8, 2017 @ 12:22 pm
LOL vlaxk vortex sounds scarier, so use that one on Hunt! 😀
August 7, 2017 @ 1:22 pm
Wow. Didn’t realize it was just women’s responsibility to listen to women’s music. I guess guys get a pass.
FWIF, I almost exclusively listen to female country artists, even if it means having to go back and listen to music from the late 90’s/early 00’s. There are some men I like a lot too — Tim McGraw and Jon Pardi are ones I can think of off the top of my head.
August 14, 2017 @ 3:03 pm
It isn’t, but when nearly half the audience is uninterested it’s an uphill battle. On the other hand the bros probably aren’t interested in the women either, unless they’re the girl in the truck. It’s all so sad.
August 7, 2017 @ 4:11 pm
I love female country singers!!! Tell the guys who are still in the 1900’s to catch up to the times!!! No longer do we say WOMEN….OR ANY OTHER MINORITY….THAT THEY CANT/SHOULDN’T BE A PART OF ANYTHING!!! Love hugs and prayers to ALL WOMEN SINGERS!!! Love YOU ALL…and MIRANDA..YOUR AWSOME!!!
August 7, 2017 @ 5:01 pm
Hogwash. I don’t want to hear female country singers, and I don’t want a linebacker on my football team. That’s my preference. Nothing more, nothing less.
August 7, 2017 @ 10:46 pm
So are u for or against more women in country music?
March 15, 2018 @ 9:44 am
I’m on the road in an RV and Hubble on country radio.
Not one female artist has been played in an hour????.what’s up ????
August 7, 2017 @ 8:54 am
“If you really love us, you will call and request any female that has a song out and something to say. This is one of those called ‘Tin Man.”
This shows you how far-removed she is from things – radio stations haven’t taken requests in a lonnnnnnnnng time.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:12 am
Not sure where you are but yes they do.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:24 am
The small-time, independently-owned mom & pop stations may do so but the corporate-owned stations, i.e. the ones that control the Billboard Airplay chart, do not.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:34 am
Most radio programmers have the philosophy that ‘only a small fraction of listeners make requests so why cater to them?’ Ironically, these are the same programmers who let ONE GUY, Keith Hill, decide everything they play with virtually no listener input.
And then they wonder why more people are getting satellite radio, or streaming things online.
August 10, 2017 @ 10:27 am
Well I guess folks I am lucky to have my voice heard & get my songs played.
August 7, 2017 @ 2:15 pm
As a PD once told me they only play songs when requested if they already have them in rotation. They will never go out of their way to play a song that isn’t in rotation besides most of their requests are never done live
August 7, 2017 @ 2:28 pm
You are correct! I did some catering a long time ago for a country station in Charleston SC. If you don’t request it… it doesn’t go anywhere. It’s kinda like a “thumbs up” on Facebook. You need to listen and like it to get it played!
August 8, 2017 @ 7:05 pm
Almost zero% of radio is done live anymore. I think trigger reported on this. Why pay for actual DJs who cater to you taste and area when you can just force people to get on the mono genre train so you as music producers have to do less work catering to a variety of tastes. It is isnult to me the way radio and professional DJs are treated t hese days much in the same cinema is treated with a total lack of respect with people on phones or watching Goodfellas on a dinky screen… UGH.
Out of my control but doesn’t mean I can’t be miffed if I want to.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:25 pm
One of the top country stations in Pittsburgh PA. caters to the guys. Same ones over and over. I rarely hear Miranda or even Carrie. Always thought that it seemed more of the guys. They need to change this . I am considering changing stations.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:28 pm
One of the top Pittsburgh PA. Country stations rarely plays all the great ladies. Same guys over and over. You can call in, but their format caters to the guy singers. I changes stations.
August 8, 2017 @ 12:58 am
If you look anywhere in my house and car I have a ton of Miranda cd’s. Carrie Underwood too. They are my favs and I believe in backing my sisters no matter who or what they are doing.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:19 am
You can still call or e-mail into WSM and make requests. especially during the overnight show, They play this song and a few other female artists also. Hear Margo Price quite often and Kacey Musgraves and even some Gillian Welch and Lucinda Williams plus others. But even they, the home station of the Grand Ole Opry is getting lamer during the day with more talk and less music being played.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:32 am
A million likes to this! I used to stream WSM all the time but they keep fixing what wasn’t broken. That afternoon show with Devan O’Day (I know I spelled it wrong) is just dreadful. She never stops talking and never has anything interesting to say.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:06 pm
Agreed! I changed my listening genre from the local country stations. The tape & play in the jig boys & Bobby Bones morning show is a drag. They don’t play music– which Is all I want during drive time. It’s ok to hear the weather, the traffic & them telling the listening audience what the next 3 songs.
August 7, 2017 @ 10:35 am
Virtually every major radio station takes requests. Every Mediabase station, in fact, has a dedicated web page for issuing said requests.
There’s a debate over whether requests make a huge difference, but they’re definitely still a thing that happens.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:36 am
I will believe every radio station takes requests when I see them play the songs and stars,male and female,that not only I request,but 100 percent of real country fans request too.Actions speak louder than words.Thank God for WSM and the very few Country stations that do play real country and what the listeners want to hear in the US & Canada.
August 7, 2017 @ 12:38 pm
Wrong. Focus groups and metadata replaced living, breathing request line callers.
August 8, 2017 @ 2:46 am
Don’t know where you are from but they do in Oklahoma!!
August 7, 2017 @ 8:58 am
Do you think Miranda’s charting issues are also a result of radio/label politics due to the divorce from Blake? You have written previously about the divorce potentially breaking their awards streak (https://savingcountrymusic.com/will-the-blake-shelton-miranda-lambert-divorce-end-their-monopoly-on-mainstream-awards/), but it almost seems like it’s hurt her album sales and radio play, too. Of course, the overwhelming reason appears to be country radio’s apathy towards female artists, but Miranda tended to buck the trend prior to the end of the marriage.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:35 am
That’s hard to say. It could have simply been that the divorce coincided with radio walking away from Miranda, or women in general. I don’t know specifically why radio would ignore her simply because she divorced Blake.
I think in late 2015 and into 2016, there was a serious effort to see more representation of women on corporate radio, and more substance too in the wake of Tomatogate and Chirs Stapleton’s popularity. But that has all really taken a dump in 2017. I feel like two years of very solid progress is getting thrown out the radio as iHeartMedia and Cumulus do whatever they can to cling on for dear life.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:42 am
Miranda’s radio struggles predate the divorce. See the end of her platinum era singles. That being said vice got huge initial radio promo, but it had poor testing numbers post release. Then was just a bad choice. She seems to be making an effort at radio with tin man, and it’s actually done better the last month than it was in June.
August 8, 2017 @ 3:51 pm
Miranda was never that successful on radio before or after Blake. She has I believe 4 number 1’s compared to Carrie’s 27. Kelsea if she gets another number one will tie Miranda and that’s just with one album.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:00 am
I know it might sound petty, but I wish she’d said “women” rather than “girls”. The sentiment is great but why use such infantilising language?
August 7, 2017 @ 9:57 am
Yes, you do sound petty.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:08 am
This woman supports female country stars and the outlaws. Please don’t go blaming us for this too. Speaking of women who don’t get played, we saw Margo Price Saturday night when she opened for Chris Stapleton. She killed it, as did he. Plenty of guys like bro country and plenty of women love Chris and Sturgill, so let’s be clear about that.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:10 am
“If you really love US, buy MY song Tin Man cause I really really care about women not being played on the radio” is what she’s really saying.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:16 am
RWP, in old times, female artists were referred to as “girl singers” as part of the country tradition.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:17 am
Oh, of course we’ve gotta have the one cynical idiot in the comments.
August 7, 2017 @ 10:08 am
Oh,of course we’ve gotta have a Christian with a cross for an avatar calling people names who don’t share the same opinion..
August 7, 2017 @ 12:30 pm
Oh please, “cynical idiot” is about as tame as it gets. I doubt Jesus, who called the scribes a “brood of vipers” (Matt. 23:33), cares about my mild criticism of your stupid comment.
August 7, 2017 @ 12:50 pm
Matthew 5:22
August 7, 2017 @ 12:58 pm
That’s a fair response, Bertox. But I am far more lighthearted than angry. I have nothing against RWP except his unfair attack on the motivations of Miranda Lambert. He accused her of being selfishly motivated, and that deserves a response. Maybe my response was lacking in charity.
August 8, 2017 @ 11:56 am
I love Miranda and i love tin man in my city it seems like we only have 2 singers Blake Shelton & Luke Brian that makes more than half of the day i usually just put in a cd to me country isn’t country anymore
August 7, 2017 @ 9:26 am
I’m sure she is annoyed about lack of radio support for herself but the lack of other ladies is ridiculous. That was one of the reasons they started Pistol Annies, to spotlight Ashley Monroe & Angaleena Presley. She regularly has female openers unlike other country artists. Brandi Clark is opening up all her Canada dates, Aubrie Sellers opened for her earlier this year. Miranda has shown over & over again year after year that she champions female artists.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:25 am
Agreed. No matter what you think of Miranda’s music, she’s fought the good fight in helping her fellow female country artists, whether it be through touring, making comments in the media or writing songs with top songwriters who often happen to be women.
August 7, 2017 @ 12:01 pm
This is something being overlooked by a lot of folks screaming, “Miranda’s pop country anyway, who cares?!?! Support women like Margo Price etc.!”
That is exactly what Miranda Lambert was trying to do here, and using her place of prominence in the genre to do it. “The Weight of These Wings” has already gone Platinum with little help from radio. She was taking a stand for all the women in country music.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:58 am
and that takes away from what she said how?
August 7, 2017 @ 9:19 am
Also in 2015 during that tomatogate time- she had an all female tour Roadside bars and pink guitars w/ up and coming female singer songwriters. The show I attended was packed & we had a great time.
Anyway, Miranda had NEVER been a radio darling but now they won’t even let her get in the top 20. That Keith Hill said she would get push back for speaking out & I guess he was right. Country radio sucks! ????
August 7, 2017 @ 1:31 pm
Boy! Am I an old, out of the loop, fart or what? I just had to google “Tomato Gate”!
August 7, 2017 @ 9:37 am
Miranda has only six radio #1 singles! Even w/ multi platinum, platinum or gold singles they didn’t get to #1, so I agree that radio hasn’t really supported her to the top but they used to at least play her and other female artists.
I think some people miss the point, while almost every new male artist off the assembly line is guaranteed a #1, females have to pray for just getting in the top 40.
Also we have tried calling and all they say is they don’t control the playlist. I mean, I’m in Houston and corporate decides everything. I guess if you aren’t Carrie or Kelsea (Taylor 2.0) they don’t want ya. It is just so disheartening.
August 7, 2017 @ 10:04 am
Also,50 something industry awards,including 8 Female of the year awards in a row, (the most by any woman.Hell,even when she didn’t have an album out or on tour she won) not to mention endorsments,Cosmo and a slew of other magazine covers. Yeah, life has been rough and unfair to her fer sure. She should start a kickstarter for her next album..
August 7, 2017 @ 10:29 am
Dude, Miranda does have the clout to talk about these things b/c of the things you just said. She is and has been saying that the ladies need a fair shot. If they can’t get heard in radio less people will know about them or their songs.
Miranda will be just fine with or without radio but the new generation of talented female country singer songwriters will not, RWP
August 7, 2017 @ 1:29 pm
Dudette Leah, as others have pointed out,why didn’t she say anything good about Maddie and Tae song,or blast Blakes comments? Who cares if she was married to him? If she’s this rootin, tootin, gunslinging country loving badass ya’ll think she is,she would of. She waited until “tomato gate” when, gee, EVERYONE was making comments about it.She isn’t leading the way for ANY female artist,just showing them all how to be followers.
August 7, 2017 @ 2:33 pm
I disagree. Actions speak louder than words, and before TomatoGate, she formed a supergroup with Angaleena Presley and Ashley Monroe, who at the time were two unheralded performers and songwriters. Miranda took less money to tour around with them because she wanted to, and to help further their careers. She has included many under-the-radar performers and songwriters as contributors on her albums, both male and female. There are also numerous instances where she has done out of her way to support women. Here’s one example:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/miranda-lambert-shows-support-for-fellow-texas-songwriters-on-hard-candy-christmas-tour/
August 7, 2017 @ 12:03 pm
I didn’t hear any self-pity in Miranda’s comments. Miranda has taken a stance on this issue before. People want to keep making it about her, when she was trying to make it about ALL the country women getting ignored by radio.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:39 am
This badass bitch. I love her so much. <3
Her not getting as much radio play or bigger hits now may really be the best thing to happen to her, ironically, in terms of independence and creative freedom. I want her to continue being successful, of course, but that latter path is a viable one for her now, and one that may be more to her benefit at this point in time.
Her new Billboard interview was also very good, too:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/cover-story/7880933/miranda-lambert-interview-billboard-cover-story-2017
BTW, Trigger, I was STUNNED you didn't do an article on Sara Evans' recent Rolling Stone interview. Not only did she say that every song on her new album has at least one writing credit by a woman, she single-handedly blamed Luke Bryan's "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" for the downfall of modern mainstream country music! Go Sara! LOL. 🙂
http://www.rollingstone.com/country/features/sara-evans-on-new-album-bro-country-dominance-jason-isbell-w493567
August 7, 2017 @ 12:04 pm
I saw the comments by Sara Evans and still may expound on them if and when I get a chance. Lots of things to write about, so little time.
August 7, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
That’s perfectly fair. I love your site, BTW. Just so I get the chance to tell directly. 🙂
August 8, 2017 @ 5:19 am
Sara Evans has released a lot of her own terrible music. Just sayin’.
August 8, 2017 @ 9:12 pm
@Goddess: THANK YOU for helping me recall one of the songs I hate the most “Country Girl Shake it for Me”. An audio abomination on so many levels.
@Razor: Sara has bellowed like a cow on occasion. And the one about the clothes on the line, the lyric just pissed me off, though right this second I can’t remember why.
Now if someone could just jog my memory about a lazy,sit around (pretty, young, blond, skinny bitch, doesn’t have to work for a living), house-frau swinging? sitting?, waiting?… on a swing? on a porch?, on a laddre?, by a tree, IN a tree?? (I can’t recall) waiting for her money makin’ man to come home and do everything and make her world perfect. Maybe she was smelling flowers. Life should not be that easy for anyone. GRRR. he he. Bet you can guess the song is NOT about me.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:51 am
Someday Sturgill and Miranda are going to start their own label and take all the good people with them.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:56 am
Looks like Kelsea Ballerini may be toast at radio now too
August 7, 2017 @ 11:22 am
Well, at least there’s some good news out there on this front…
August 7, 2017 @ 12:08 pm
Kelsea Ballerini is struggling, and so is Carly Pearce despite the “On The Verge” program. I think we’re witnessing an all out whitewashing of women on country radio at the moment.
I know a lot of folks think I make too much of this topic, but I actually rarely covered it in the last two years as women started to see moderate gains on radio. It’s just this recent run in 2017 where it’s gotten so clearly ridiculous for women that I’ve began to talk about it again. There is statistical certitude behind the idea that certain artists are being excluded from radio simply because of their sex, and I’m not going to shut the fuck up about it until the trend is reversed.
August 7, 2017 @ 10:20 am
may be she shud shut that mouth up n get back n the kichen n fix me up sum supper they aint on the radio cuz they probly aint no good yall ever here of jenifar nettalls shes a woman the last time I checked n shes on the radio plenty
August 7, 2017 @ 11:14 am
I’ll probably piss off some folks by adding that the “problem” is not limited to just the “evil, corporate radio” or the “Nashville machine,” either. Take the Tumbleweed deal as an example. That thing was a sausagefest, except for a couple of female artists on a side stage, starting after midnight. I don’t blame the guys who did play. Many of them have included women on their own tours.
August 7, 2017 @ 12:09 pm
Fair criticism. We see the exclusion of women in Texas Music all the time too.
August 7, 2017 @ 1:35 pm
Yep. It’s tough to figure out how to improve matters, either,when the “demand” side seems to be an issue, in addition to the “supply.”
August 7, 2017 @ 12:09 pm
Really good point.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:32 am
I should have known there’d be some more “women in country” arguing to be done today.
Miranda’s awards don’t mean beans. One of the “most award decorated performers in Country Music?”
you line up five or six pieces of crap and one of them’s going to attract more flies than the rest.
Wake me up when Miranda Lambert can do an eighth of what Roy Clark can do.
Wake me up when she can hold a note as long as Slim Whitman
Wake me up when she can sing like Loretta Lynn
or hit a high note like Patsy Cline can
or yodel like Jean Shepard.
In fact, wake me up when anybody on Country Radio, male, female, or neither of the above who can do anything that’s even half decent.
If there’s even one who can pick like Marty, write like Willie, and hit the emotions like Vernon Oxford then we’ll talk.
until that time
why should I care who gets played on radio? it’s not like any of them are any good anyway.
Today I listened to Willie’s “Healing Hands of Time” and greatest hits of Eddy Arnold.
have any of Country Music’s current females got produced anything of that quality that I would be missing out on?
because if they have I would have heard about it on SCM. and I would know about it.
Tin Man is a great song and one that I really relate to, but I agree with RWP above. Miranda Lambert is just looking out for herself.
She’s not a social justice warrior, she’s not speaking out.
She should have spoken out about Old Farts and Jackasses. she should have spoken out about Girl in a Country Song.
Tomatogate notwithstanding this is her first entry into the field of debate, and why?
to make sure her song sells.
I smell deceit and trickery. and us sabre-tooth cat furries have an excellent sense of smell.
August 7, 2017 @ 12:31 pm
Yeah, she was rather quiet during Blake’s faux pas and “Girl in a Country Song.” But now she talks. Her single is struggling heavily, she is no longer beholden to be nice to Blake’s schlock and she has nothing to lose.
Very convenient. I don’t buy it.
August 7, 2017 @ 12:48 pm
do you have an email address? I’d rather not pollute the comments with non music chat
August 8, 2017 @ 12:28 pm
I do but I don’t feel comfortable posting it out in the open.
August 8, 2017 @ 7:24 pm
well mine is ceneheart@gmail.com so feel free to reach out.
August 8, 2017 @ 7:56 pm
Will do!
August 7, 2017 @ 1:07 pm
OR at least when they asked her to perform a 40 yr old rock song about ass on a COUNTRY award show with ZZ Top,maybe she could of told them to offer that spot to one of these female country singers she’s pretending to give a shit about.
August 8, 2017 @ 2:54 am
Yeal….you smell alright!
August 9, 2017 @ 7:57 am
blah blah blah eat a snickers. you turn into a troll when you’re hungry.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:45 am
Two side notes: Miranda always does tin man solo at her concerts, not sure why the special introduction this time, but performance was same.
Two the on the verge promotion actually doesn’t last that long. It generally only boosts a song top 20. It’s just that by doing that it gets the song into national conscious causing other radio to pick it up, getting more testing etc. and then it can ride that to the top. Also since the on the verge selection is made by radio programmers, it’s generally a song they like and are happy to play.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:51 am
Fresh out of college in the early 80s I worked at three different country radio stations. At each of them I was instructed to play at least three male artists for every female artist. The rotation back then was a simple stack of current singles with a few “classic” singles sprinkled in. Play it and move it to the back of the stack.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:57 am
I think it could be that the timing of the song was wrong. Radio does not seem to like ballads in the summer. Isn’t Little Big Town’s new single, “When Someone Stops Loving You” off to a slow start?
August 7, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
While radio play may be limited, whoever decided on which songs should be released as singles from Miranda’s “Weight of These Wings” should take a lot of the blame. “Highway Vagabond”, “Tomboy” and a few others would have been much wiser choices.
August 7, 2017 @ 5:54 pm
I agree. Choosing “We Should Be Friends” as the second single was a mistake that nearly killed the album era.
August 8, 2017 @ 7:25 pm
I feel like if you listen to “We should be friends” then we should not be friends.
August 7, 2017 @ 1:07 pm
So here’s one thing that I’m wondering, and maybe those of you who are more familiar with how the music industry works can answer this for me. Clearly, “The Tin Man” is not going to be a big hit. As this article states, the song has been sitting in the mid-30’s on the country charts for weeks. So, why hasn’t she ditched it yet? If she has a full album out, why not just pull “The Tin Man” and try out another single? What’s the deal with Miranda trying to ride on a single that clearly isn’t working? It seems counter-productive to me.
August 7, 2017 @ 1:14 pm
Because nothing else she has on the album is going to make a dent. Tin Man is the best song on the album & they were hoping it would get a tenn whiskey like commercial response. It has sold well, but not the great they were hoping for. And they were hoping that great sales would push it at radio. Now she has no radio momentum & it’s hard to get a 4th single airplay without either great sales or great momentum. The other truth is that despite the platinum designation this is also in real numbers Miranda’s worst selling album.
August 7, 2017 @ 2:09 pm
A lot has been written about the lack of women on mainstream country radio — and it’s definitely a problem, but while mainstream radio might be one of the reasons for the problem, it’s also a symptom. The country industry as a whole has a problem with including women. Mainstream country yes, but also Texas radio, festivals, and country award shows, have decided that they only need a couple token women representatives.
To be blunt, Miranda (and Carrie) have massively benefited from this over the last two decades. As the chosen token representatives, they’ve racked up award show wins (mostly Miranda) and #1 songs (Carrie), even in yrs and with songs that shouldn’t have gone there. Until the industry as a whole makes a commitment to having many women voices represented, you’re not going to see it on mainstream radio either.
(and yes it is a little convenient that Miranda started talking about the radio problem now that she’s struggling more….and that she’s never talked about the awards show issue, where she continues to benefit….but it doesn’t mean she’s wrong).
August 7, 2017 @ 5:05 pm
This is an industry-wide problem, not really exclusive to country. Look at what happened to the last few singles by Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, in particular “The Cure” and “Chained to the Rhythm” and “Bon Appetit”. All pretty much flopped. Even now, the Hot 100 hasn’t really had a solo female artist in it all year. It’s more a symptom; it’s just harder for women in the entertainment biz right now. It will come to pass though…
August 8, 2017 @ 5:04 pm
I wrote something similar before I saw your comment but agreed on all points. It also worth pointing out that Miranda thought herself above doing radio promo and interviews for her new album until the struggle kicked in. Now she’s doing anything thrown at her even podcasts.
It feels very manipulative to suddenly jump on this train now thqt its a popular talking point combined with her resurgence in talking about her divorce when she’s been divorced for more than 2 years and next month will have been with her current boyfriend for equally as long.
August 7, 2017 @ 2:11 pm
Miranda has always been supportive of women in country music. Yet when she does so, she is described as “self-serving” – on a thread discussing sexism in the music industry! Why is it wrong for her to promote her music while also promoting women? Nobody cares when male artists promote their own music. At least she’s speaking out about it. I don’t hear Thomas Rhett or Sam Hunt telling people to request female artists on the radio.
August 7, 2017 @ 4:34 pm
You make a dang good point! Double standards everywhere, your comment made me think of that.
August 7, 2017 @ 2:20 pm
With the quality of female singer/songwriters being better than its ever been, the issue certainly ain’t about talent but market audience and who buys more records, men or women? If its the women then its certainly the marketing aspect, women are more likely to buy songs from Handsome country singers, even if they have no substance. Personally myself I play almost as many women as men on my show, singers such as Jamie Lin Wilson, Courtney Patton, Brandy Clark, Margo Price, Dori Freeman, Carter Sampson, Irene Kelly, Amanda Platt, Nikki Lane, Whitney Rose, Karen Jonas, Holly Williams, Robyn Ludwick. To name a few, ask YOUR stations to play them.
August 7, 2017 @ 2:29 pm
I had a twitter rant about this the other day after the Rolling Stone article came out about her album doing well in sales without radio support. That day I had listened to one of the country radio stations in Kansas City from 8am to 5pm and decided to do a survey. During that time, the only solo females that were played were Lauren Alana (Road Less Traveled), Carried Underwood (Church Bells), Kelsea Ballerini (Yeah Boy), Gretchen Wilson (Redneck Woman and Summertime Town), and Miranda Lambert (White Liar). They only played Gretchen twice because she was playing a show they were sponsoring that night. That’s six total songs in 9 hours of programming. They played Luke Bryan 5 different times. They didn’t even play Miranda or Carrie’s current single. Which is exactly what she’s talking about. It’s not just “Tin Man”, none of her singles from The Weight of These Wings have done well so far on the radio. How can her single do well if it isn’t getting played? I don’t think Miranda is looking for pity or only looking out for herself like some of you are suggesting. There is an obvious and legitimate problem with lack of support for female artists from mainstream radio. She may not speak out on bro country artists (making enemies isn’t the way to come out of this situation on top) or give up her spot on national TV when she’s asked to play with a rock band (if you’ve ever been to Miranda’s show, she always covers a classic rock song) but she has supported females in country by going to their shows, talking about them during interviews, and taking them on tour with her. She still has to promote herself, that’s how business works, so I don’t know what else you all want her to do that she isn’t already doing to show you how authentically she feels about this issue.
August 7, 2017 @ 8:03 pm
I know what station you were listening to. The guy I work with listens to it all day. I found it funny they played Gretchen Wilson a few times that day. And that sorority girl sounding DJ in the afternoon just about sums up a “mainstream” or “pop” country fan to me. At least we have a lot of good live acts coming through the Kansas City area. Just this year I have seen Jason Isbell, Cody Jinks, Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, Jamey Johnson, Jason Boland and the Stragglers, (twice, and they will be back in a few months again too) Shooter Jennings, Sam Outlaw, ………..the list just continues. Clint Black in September! Country Music lives in Kansas City!
August 8, 2017 @ 11:25 am
That station has been on my shit list for a few years anyway just because of the Hot Country Night series. Gretchen, the only female headliner this year, is the only female headliner they’ve had play in the last three years. 12-13 shows a season and not one woman. Yet, they’ll bring up acts out of the Texas scene, which they don’t play on their station either. Or the same artists a few years in a row. They wouldn’t respond to any of my attempts to reach out to them about that either. One DJ my sister knows personally told her that Miller Lite picks the talent, not them. Their name is on it though so I don’t believe they don’t have any influence over who is chosen. But yes, THANKFULLY we have few venues that support lots of talent, men and women alike. I really credit Knuckleheads, Riot Room, and the Granada for supporting and exposing those acts that our “country” stations in KC don’t play during the day.
August 7, 2017 @ 3:06 pm
Rachel is correct. Nobody expects Jason Aldean to give up his performace spot for a female artist.
August 7, 2017 @ 4:38 pm
As someone who lives in the UK, this whole radio situation baffles me. Granted we don’t have country radio (or radio as a whole for that matter) on the same scale/in the same format but it just confuses me massively that your radios won’t play women. In fact, Angaleena Presley commented on this during an interview at one of our stations, praising how we play classic and contemporary country as well as men and women in roughly equal numbers – why won’t your stations just do that? As far as Miranda goes, she’s probably the only woman with enough influence to actually stand up for women and have people pay attention.
August 7, 2017 @ 4:53 pm
I personally think the issue isn’t exactly whether or not women are played enough in country radio (of course they aren’t played that much), but when you actually try to hear the songs that are from women that are released onto the main strain formats, what is to be expected? I just didn’t think Miranda’s latest work was all that radio friendly like say “Little Red Wagon” or the rest of the singles from her previous album. I know Brandy Clark struggles for mainstream success, I get it, and I get that Ashley Monroe does too. But when people suggest Margo Price or Kacey Musgraves, a lot of the people I know don’t solely think of them as “women” but rather as real country artists. Kind of like what they think of Cody Jinks, Ward Davis, Jamey Johnson, and some of our local artists. On the flip, I know it’s probably just where I live, but I often hear Every Little Thing on the radio a lot, and I’ll probably hear Mickey Guyton’s new one on there lots too, but yeah the people pretty much nail the point when they say that girls like that pop music on their country stations more than hearing most else. Sad realities according to what I see.
August 7, 2017 @ 4:56 pm
Quick question, name female openers currently on big tours in the last year? I think Sam, Lady A & Paisley but none of the big guys. Carrie had a massive tour last year- did she have female openers? Nope (Easton Corbin/Swan Bros). People need to show a little respect to a woman who has been talking about females & actually having them open on tour for her for years!
August 7, 2017 @ 5:18 pm
Blake had Raelynn, Chris Young had Cassadee, Tim & Faith have had several, Thomas has Kelsea, Keith had Maren
August 8, 2017 @ 7:06 am
Luke Bryan had Lauren Alaina
August 7, 2017 @ 5:18 pm
You assholes are going to whine about women on the radio until we get another Shania, or Tay Tay. or Sugarland. No thanks.
August 7, 2017 @ 7:27 pm
Yes, that’s what’s being lobbied for here you wet blanket.
August 8, 2017 @ 12:24 pm
But that is what to going to happen, though. If Country Music radio followed what we lobbied for here, this article wouldn’t have been written because Miranda would have had zero reason to say it.
With the way Country Music radio is run now, if they do add females, we are getting rehashes of those evils.
August 8, 2017 @ 7:39 pm
but that’s what’s going to happen.
“be careful what you wish for.”
it’s not just “oh look all of a sudden here are a bunch of female artists. “le gasp” all of them are talented people making real Country Music gasp Country is saved.”
the talented female artists won’t get airplay, the untalented ones are barely getting airplay right now.
so what is more likely?
talented female artists suddenly embraced by radio?
or mediocre luke bryans in drag type artists who the labels use to deflect criticisms of female representation while still peddling the same type of music?
I know that you personally, the writer of these articles, are not jumping up and down to get Kelsea Ballerini on the radio,
I know that you personally do not want females on radio just for its own sake.
but I don’t understand why anybody thinks that the current industry model, once it embraces women, will see an increase in quality.
I see the representation/equality thing as tangential to the quality thing.
I’d rather have quality than equality.
So of course the industry is going to “give us what we ask for.” and we’ll get more Sugarland.
because the industry isn’t ever going to play quality music.
they rejected Stapleton, Isbell and Simpson.
“truly, truly, I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times”
why would anyone with enough brains to tell a bottle of shampoo from a crow in a blanket think that they’d play quality music by women, or by anybody?
they already denied it three times.
I’m well aware that women are underrepresented on the radio.
I just really don’t care because most of their songs are as bad as Luke Bryan’s so what’s the point of playing them?
August 7, 2017 @ 5:45 pm
At the start of her career Miranda’s singles stalled in the charts, but then she started getting top 10s. Her singles from Revolution all did so well on radio (except Dead Flowers), same with the Four The Record singles. Then it started to go downhill again starting with the Platinum era. I wonder what happened during that time? Why did radio check out on Miranda?
August 7, 2017 @ 7:01 pm
I think I’d rather read another dadblamed article about Sam Hunt or Sturgill Simpson, than I would this topic.
August 7, 2017 @ 7:21 pm
Sort of pertaining to this discussion since it has a woman (Carrie Underwood on it), what do you think of the manipulation used to get Keith Urban’s “The Fighter” to number one last Sunday, only to have it fall harder than a ton of bricks by monday night?
I remember when Swift and others were routinely derided for their record companies “helping” their songs up the charts much less blatantly, and this song is even less country than theirs.
Is integrity in country radio and country music on country radio finally and truly dead? Killed by keith urban (appropriate name) and Carrie Underwood?
August 7, 2017 @ 8:11 pm
Hey the new Margo Price EP “Weakness” is out now and it’s great!
August 7, 2017 @ 8:42 pm
Man, some of ya’ll can take a flying leap. Been a fan of Miranda since “Kerosene”. Haven’t loved it all, but would take her any day and twice on Sunday over her ex, the reality tv guy. Because of her, I found Monroe and Presley. They led me to Sunny Sweeney, Elizabeth Cook, Margo Price and not too long ago, Nikki Lane. To say Miranda isn’t an influence or has no clout in the industry is just wrong. Currently, she is the one female artist in the industry able to shine some light on this issue.
August 7, 2017 @ 9:07 pm
Personally I’ve never been a Miranda Lambert fan, everything she sings sounds the same to me. Her whiney fake sounding accent just totally turns me off. The menu for female performers in country seems to follow her formula.
August 7, 2017 @ 11:16 pm
I was at the concert Friday night and I thought tin man is what made the show. I absolutely loved it. But after that she sang a song and a man sang with her. (I think it might have been the piano player. ). It was beautiful. Could someone please tell me the name of that song Please please. Ivve looked everywhere for it
August 8, 2017 @ 5:06 am
I work a morning show and I don’t follow the mainstream music model. I still play Miranda and a lot of the ladies out there putting out music. I don’t care if they are male or female, if they have a great song I am going to play it. During my show you will hear music that you won’t hear on top 40 stations or other local stations. We do it different!
August 8, 2017 @ 5:58 am
The three functions of country music today: 1) morning commute, 2) evening commute, 3) get wasted on Friday.
I don’t wonder why sensitive and artistic songs by women have a hard time on commercial radio. Do women want to cry on their way to work? Do they have time at work, or while chasing kids, to pay serious attention? Do they want to get all weepy driving back to face the chaos at home? And when it’s party time, do they want to hear some downer about divorce?
“Little rebellions,” not too impolite, is the mainstream. It’s why middle-class women get discreet little tattoos, and feel that ordering a mojito is skirting the wild side. Letting carefully coiffured men fake street cred sexy, but safely contained in a television, is a way to indulge without indulging.
That’s the game that’s being played.
Not “here’s the truth the human condition, sung to you by a real woman.” That game is fine, and certainly available for women who appreciate art and care, but it’s a niche market. Not commercial, not “volume.”
.02
PS — Long live Joni Mitchell.
August 8, 2017 @ 7:13 am
All mainstream music, not just country music, but mainstream music of all genres is bland, crappy music. The question is why do they feed us this crap and why don’t more people demand better?
August 8, 2017 @ 7:28 am
a) it makes money
b) most people don’t consider music “high art”
I’m all for Trigger banging whatever drum and making a fuss, but when people can download the audio of youtube videos straight to mp3 and put it on their player with minimal hassle, the money makers (including artists) have a problem
one way you could look at it is that radio is a marketing tool, and that’s all it is. to make any money from music sales, companies first pony up big money for radio spins. it sounds like super bowl ads: you have this big audience, and you pay a lot of dough to get access to their eyeballs. or in radio’s case, their ears.
I’d be curious to see indie artist sales correlated somehow with exposure at SCM. can this be quantified? Trig has some mind-share here. if he can show its link to market-share, good music is that much more back in business. spread the word about SCM, buy the music at SCM, and get that relationship known and quantified. then you get a consumer-driven, rather than an industry-driven, model. might work better for everyone. everyone who cares, at least.
August 8, 2017 @ 9:19 am
I guess the majority people who just don’t enjoy music at the same level as those who post on this site. I am always reminded of this when I attend a concert. When I go to a show, I am completely engrossed in the music. I always see people around me who are talking and laughing throughout. To them, it is a night out for fun with music involved. For me, it is a musical, spiritual experience.
But what bothers me, is that there is good music out there. Good music can make money too! Why not just sign and promote good music instead of bland crappy stuff?
August 8, 2017 @ 11:27 am
I’ve often wondered about the people who blab on through a show. Several venues I’ve been lately to hear a group play have had this little groups who talk endlessly. Why buy a ticket when you can talk outside and not bother the ones who paid to hear the performances on stage. One exception was Duling Hall in Jackson, Ms. I saw Whitey Morgan there a several weeks ago and although there were talkers they were not interfering with hearing the band.
August 8, 2017 @ 2:25 pm
This drives me nuts and they always seem to be right in front of me!
I had Pit tickets for a show recently and a girl forced her way to the front right at the stage. There was a fight as she shoved people out of the way and she was almost removed. After all that she did not even watch the show. She spent the entire time flirting with the security guard who was at least 30 years older than her. SMH.
There is a venue in Atlanta called Chastain Park. It’s an outdoor amphitheater with a unique setup. The first 1/3 of the venue consists of tables for 6. Groups of people buy these tables and bring in entire meals, candles included. For years I’d heard how great this place was. I absolutely hated it. People are eating and talking “pass the corn” the entire time. Half of the folks are sitting with their backs to the stage. It totally ruined the show for me.
I’ve realized that people just don’t have the same appreciation for music as I do.
August 8, 2017 @ 7:40 am
Ugh! I was at Whitewater on the 3rd and had no idea you were going to be there. Just so you know We floated the Guadalupe and I have a floating radio I played your songs for 5 hours all the way down the river. I sure wish that I knew you were going to be there I Love you and quite a few people on the river chose to float by me because of your music. You are very much loved here in Texas! I propose that any and all female artist come to Texas and put on a show at small ampitheaters. Because you win over a big state like Texas you’ve got it made. Keep on keepin on. Miranda stay true to who you are babe Now hold my Beer and watch this shit! Soar my friend! You got this babe!
August 8, 2017 @ 8:56 am
How about playing some quality female singer/songwriters on country radio? Most of the problem is the crap that’s bubbling to the surface of Top 40 country (just like in the male category). Other than Miranda, there’s Maren Morris, Kelsea Ballerini, Maddie and Tae, and (thanks to Bobby Bones) I sometimes hear Lindsey Ell.
How about Brandy Clark, more Kacey Musgraves, Sunny Sweeney, Margo Price, Ashley McBryde, Ashley Monroe, etc….
August 9, 2017 @ 5:15 am
I saw that Brandy Clark was (is going to be?) on Bobby Bones’s show with her new song.
August 8, 2017 @ 3:51 pm
Money talks, so when your local station plays crap, keep track of their advertisers and e mail those companies that you will no longer buy their products….Worked in advertising for years, trust me on this.
Obviously, you should enlist as many people to your cause as possible.
August 8, 2017 @ 4:14 pm
What would help women more than playing a song on the radio is if country actually treated women equally. Instead of piling Miranda with awards when she doesn’t deserve them, reward the other amazing singer songwriters out there who produce music just as well as her, often times a lot better.
Look how Miranda’s album benefited from the boost after the ACMs. Imagine if other female artists were given the opportunity and recognition. If Miranda spoke out about the country music award sham then I would actually be impressed but she won’t because sits too happily on that bloc voted throne.
August 8, 2017 @ 9:31 pm
As a woman myself, I tend to gravitate toward the ‘male music’. I am no fan of Diva females, or perky little things. Give me Heidi of Trick Pony. That girl could kick the bits off a stone angel with her voice. Reba, Wynonna, Pistol Annie’s. I ride a motorcycle, drive transport truck, travel alone, say Hell no, and YeHAWW fix most stuff that breaks around my place, and wear only dresses or skirts, with HIGH heels to church every Sunday. No….I’m straight. ( he he). Diva music. meh. Faith Hill and I do NOT share the same groove. One song I DO like that seemed to remain an album cut – The Bride by Trick Pony. Worth a listen.
August 9, 2017 @ 5:13 am
FWIW Brandy Clark is opening several shows for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as well as Miranda Lambert this fall.
I got to see her 4 times in small venues, twice from about 10 feet away. I sense that those days may be behind us.