.. by the likes of Whitney Duncan, Bomshel, Jessica Harp, Miranda Lambert, Megan Mullins, Sarah Buxton, Katie Armiger, Mallory Hope, Sarah Darling and a dozen more, wondering what a budding female artist is going to do to stand out from the crowd.How did Tammy, Loretta, Dolly and Emmylou ever
make it without posing in their underwear in a national magazine or doing stretching exercises wearing a skimpy maid custume while sitting on a kitchen table?Have times (and the values of country listeners) changed that much?
5 comments:
I still think, in the long run, actual artistry will stand out. The challenge is, of course, what artist these days gets "the long run" to develop their career. Our listeners aren't stupid...they know "real" from "manufactured."
Judy Puente
Jaye, I'm thinking a bit of both....... it's a partnership...
Trish Hennessey
Oh, Jaye...what have you done? LOL. Both?!
There was a point a few years back where the country music consumer said, “You are giving me so many new people I can't tell them apart.”
More recently, other than top-40 styled Taylor Swift and Kelly Pickler, it’s been difficult for Nashville-based labels to successfully launch new acts.
However, this year Universal Records South has had two of its acts break through for the first time at American country radio.
LL: Was the recent CMA study a jolt? That fewer than 50% of country fans have internet in their homes, and many of those don’t want the Internet. That surprised me.
Fletcher Foster, USouth: I was surprised too. It is interesting considering that over the past four years there’s been the shift of a younger demographic into our format that Taylor Swift, Kelly Pickler and a lot of the “American Idol” artists have brought. You would think that (internet use) would have become much higher.
Taylor Swift may be up to 17 million tracks sold on iTunes, but that’s because of her being a top 40 crossover act.
LL: I think that’s where it really comes from. You can’t sell that many (tracks) to a P1 (country) consumer. I don’t care if you are the Dixie Chicks or Taylor Swift or whoever. You are getting through the door of country music but where you live is in the multi-genres of music lovers.
This may lead to country radio programmers turning their backs on acts they think are too pop-oriented.
FF: Yes. It’s a matter of are they crossing over or is the audience slowly finding them. I think musically the Dixie Chicks probably never left (country) even if you put aside the political ramifications. They were still very much making country music.
LL: Country radio lets artists go to a certain point with cross over and pulls them back. But the labels like those big sales numbers.
FF: You are right.
It’s 2009. Female programmers are still too rare, and women are still too often relegated to middays on the air. Stuff like this:
http://925thewolf.com/pages/3895908.php?imageGalleryXRefId=948152#imgXR
…is posted without a second thought on the pages of the FEMALE air talent. It really disappoints me that artists I have always greatly admired (namely Martina) would stoop to the magazine cover above.
It’s the same old conundrum: artists like Garth Brooks can (frankly) get away with being less-than-svelte, but should Taylor Swift pack on a few extra ounces, it would be arguably be a huge problem for her career. The double standard will continue as long as women collectively allow it. Yes, Billy Currington isn’t shy about showing his abs, but…such shots of male artists are the exception in country music, not the rule, as far as I see it, anyway.
Not that I have an opinion on any of this, or anything. ;-)
Penny Mitchell, Program Director
Mainstream Country
Dial Global Denver
"It really disappoints me that artists I have always greatly admired (namely Martina) would stoop to the magazine cover above."
While I agree with you about the absolute lack of female on-air talent & that affecting country playlists I have to admit that I hardly think the magazine cover above is "stooping" to anything. It's a health/fitness magazine! All three women look beautiful and are not in sexy/degrading poses. In the grand scheme of things, that photo is not a big deal and I'm willing to bet more women bought that magazine than men.
Sarah Darling, Martina and Leann Rimes are beautiful women and they shouldn't have to hide that because it might make other women feel inferior. All 3 of them have stayed classy while remaining gorgeous, and I don't think there's anything better than that. Plus- all 3 are super talented so let them do what they want. All 3 are great in my book.
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