As reported by Billboard, The Dixie Chicks have apparently changed their band name to simply The Chicks, with the trio’s social media pages all reflecting the name change and a new single, “March March,” being released under The Chicks branding as well. Billboard says the band hasn’t put out an official statement confirming or explaining the change, but the Chicks’ Twitter page does have a new version of the art for their upcoming Gaslighter album that says “The Chicks” and not “The Dixie Chicks,” so it seems to be pretty much official at this point.
This change comes a few weeks before The Chicks are set to finally release their big comeback album, the aforementioned Gaslighter, which was delayed to mid-July earlier this summer (presumably because of the coronavirus pandemic). This also comes not longer after Lady Antebellum, another country trio, announced that it was changing its name to Lady A in order to avoid any associations with slavery—a decision that, like the original band name, may not have been completely thought through. The “Dixie” part of The Chicks’ old band name, while not as explicitly about slavery as “Antebellum” is, does have similar connotations. The word generally refers to the Southern states in the U.S., specifically the ones that were part of the Confederacy, and holding onto that identity did seem like it was at odds with the way the group has been presenting itself in the lead-up to Gaslighter.
Case in point: “March March” is very clearly a protest song, with the video featuring footage of protest marches both old and recent that hit on women’s rights, gun control, climate change, and Black Lives Matter. It even ends with a call to vote and a long scrolling list of organizations to support. It could be seen as disingenuous to say you stand for those movements while also (intentionally or not) fondly recalling the old days of the South.
Looking for ways to advocate for Black lives? Check out this list of resources by our sister site Lifehacker for ways to get involved.