Lady Antebellum changes band name over seemingly obvious slavery-era implications of the old one

Country music trio Lady Antebellum has decided to change its name to Lady A, having apparently just gotten around to looking up what the word “antebellum” means. For those who don’t know, it’s usually used to refer to the pre-war American South, as in pre-Civil War, as in when slavery was still legal. That means the band name always seemed worthy of some reconsideration, and now that reconsideration has finally happened. Really, when NASCAR is already banning Confederate flags, other questionable monuments don’t stand much of a chance.

The members of what is now officially Lady A announced the change on Instagram (via The Wrap), explaining that the “antebellum” thing was just a reference to an “antebellum-style” house that the band posed in front of when they took their first photos together and the “music born in the South” that influenced them. Recently, though, the band members say they’ve had their eyes “opened wide to the injustices, inequality, and biases Black women and men have always faced and continue to face everyday,” adding, “blindspots we didn’t even know existed have been revealed.” They also apologize to anyone who has felt “unsafe, unseen, or unvalued” by the old name, saying that they are “committed to examining our individual and collective impact and making the necessary changes to practice antiracism.” The band is also making a donation to the Equal Justice Initiative through its LadyAID foundation (details were not given in the Instagram post).

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