New Duo Maddie & Tae Take 'Bro Country' Backlash to the Limit
Who says there is a shortage of female power in country music these days? Despite the sheer volume of male singers on the charts lately — a phenomenon that has been garnering a lot of buzz in Nashville — there are plenty of girls with lots to say in Music City these days.
Proof positive is new duo Maddie Marlow and Tae Dye, a pair of 18-year-old women who perform under the name Maddie & Tae and are attracting a lot of attention with their debut single, "Girl in a Country Song." The composition is a direct response to the "bro-country" trend — which, if you're not familiar, is the frequency of such musical themes involving drinking liquor, driving cars, and partying, with women mentioned (if at all) only as mindless props to such activities.
The tune directly quotes lyrics from male artists who’ve become well-known for songs about girls in cut-off jeans and bikini tops, sitting pretty at tailgates and fetching beers for their boyfriends. (We won't name any names, but we're sure you can you think of a few award-winning offenders off the tops of your heads.)
Some sample lyrics?
Bein’ the girl in a country song
How in the world did it go so wrong?
Like all we’re good for is looking good for
You and your friends on the weekend, nothin’ more
We used to get a little respect
Now we’re lucky if we even get
To climb up in the truck,
Keep our mouth shut
Ride along
And be the girl in a country song.
The track, which hits iTunes next Tuesday, is accompanied by an EPK in which Marlowe and Dye explain how they came up with the idea. It happened one day when they were discussing the current crop of radio hits and one of them noted, "I'd hate to be that girl in a country song."
The track has music fans talking, not only due to its saucy content, but also its unusually biting material in a genre where everyone tends to play pretty nice. Additionally, it's a brave move for a up-until-now unknown act.
It has also proven to apparently be a smart one. The duo, who hail from Texas and Oklahoma, respectively, have just signed to an imprint of Big Machine Label Group — the musical home of fellow power female Taylor Swift.
"Females are going to love this record," Big Machine CEO Scott Borchetta, who is credited with launching Swift's career, wisely notes before adding, "Every guy that we play it for laughs at it."
Given the amount of money power female artists are commanding these days in Nashville, we'll see who ends up with the last laugh here.
