She Bang!
Posted on 05/20/2006 11:44:36 AM PDT by West Coast Conservative
Disappointing airplay for the first two singles from the new album by the Dixie Chicks exposes a deep -- and seemingly growing -- rift between the trio and the country radio market that helped turn the group into superstars.
"Taking the Long Way," due out May 23, is the band's first album since singer Natalie Maines sparked a major controversy in 2003 by declaring that she was ashamed to hail from the same state as fellow Texan President George W. Bush. Radio boycotts ensued, and many fans abandoned the band.
The first single, "Not Ready to Make Nice," peaked at No. 36 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, beginning its descent after just seven weeks. The second single, "Everybody Knows," is now at No. 50, down two places in its fourth week.
"Not Ready to Make Nice" performed only slightly better at adult contemporary radio, peaking at No. 32 on the AC chart and falling off after six weeks.
From the beginning of the album rollout, the Dixie Chicks were eager that their songs be worked to radio formats beyond country. The album was produced by rock veteran Rick Rubin, whose credits include the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down and Johnny Cash.
By picking the defiant "Not Ready" as the first single, they've reopened a wound that was particularly deep for country radio fans, and left many country programmers with the burning question: Why on earth would the band choose to do this?
After hearing the album, WKIS Miami program director Bob Barnett says he was "excited about the opportunity to introduce some great Chicks music to the listeners." But the group's decision to come with "Not Ready" as the lead single left him "stunned, especially in light of the fact that, when asked, programmers and consultants that listened to the project were virtually unanimous in saying we should put the politics behind us and concentrate on all this other great music we were hearing."
KUBL/KKAT Salt Lake City PD Ed Hill criticizes the song's "self-indulgent and selfish lyrics."
Barnett played the song for a week, but pulled it after listeners called to say it sounded like the Chicks were "gloating" or "rubbing our noses in it," he reports. "We didn't need to pick at the scab any longer."
He and other country programmers were upset that the group chose to launch its new album with a single that rehashed all the angst of three years ago.
The two singles have had a striking lack of impact at radio, considering the band's history. Between 1997 and 2003, it notched 14 top 10 country singles, including six No. 1 hits. In addition to eight Grammy Awards, the group has won 10 Country Music Assn. Awards and eight Academy of Country Music Awards. The trio has sold 23.4 million albums in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The Dixie Chicks and reps from their label, Columbia Records, declined to participate in this story. But -- at least as far as Maines is concerned -- the drop-off at country radio was part of its plan.
Maines was quoted in late January on entertainmentweekly.com, before the single went to country radio, saying: "For me to be in country music to begin with was not who I was ... I would be cheating myself ... to go back to something that I don't wholeheartedly believe in. So I'm pretty much done. They've shown their true colors. I like lots of country music, but as far as the industry and everything that happened ... I couldn't want to be farther away from that."
Maines also said, "I don't want people to think that me not wanting to be part of country music is any sort of revenge. It is not. It is totally me being who I am, and not wanting to compromise myself and hate my life."
At KNCI Sacramento, Calif., the Chicks' music weathered the 2003 controversy only to be pulled as a result of Maines' new Entertainment Weekly comments, coupled with poor scores in local music tests.
"When an artist says that they don't want to be a part of that industry, it made our decision a no-brainer," program director Mark Evans says. "There are too many talented new artists dying to have a song played on country radio, so I'd rather give one of them a shot."
Well, that ho, Natalie, might not want to do Country anymore, but the Chicks are also having a problem on Pop radio. Their new single, 'Not Ready To Make Nice,' debuts at -- drum roll please -- #427 on the Mediabase Pop Radio Airplay chart with exactly 2 spins, neither of which were at format-leading pop stations. Their audience impressions (meaning how many ears have listened on those two radio stations) are an estimated 56,000.
Just for contrast -- and to gleefully show how far away the Chicks are from the top on the Pop format -- the current #1 single is Shakira's 'Hips Don't Lie' (the song she sang with Wyclef Jean on American Idol). It presently has 9625 spins, is still adding spins, and is reaching an audience of about 74,850,000.
Heck, even Bo Bice, who had everything possible go wrong with his debut album and single, has 'The Real Thing' sitting at #23 on Mediabase's Pop radio airplay chart, with 2525 spins and 15,419,000 audience impressions.
Hehehehehehehehehehe...
Maybe she was faking that, too.
She can't blast it out like Mariah Carrie she doesn't have the pipes. So where is this pop career going.
South?
An idea for the recording industry MBAs. Maybe a merge could be arranged between the Dipsies and another failing group the Dead, in need of a spice of some sort, and be called the Dead Chicks?
I tried to Google, but with safe search on, Google wouldn't search on dixie.chicks. I know Maines husband is Iranian, but I thought one of the others had an islamic husband or boyfriend as well.
"Toby Keith continues supporting America and the troops while raking in the big bucks. How are "the chicks" doing?"
My dream country video would be for Kieth to do "How Do You Like Me Now?" with fat Natalie as the girl being haunted by hearing Keith over the radio. Couldn't do it with the real Natalie, but how about a look-alike? That would be such a cool response to her FYTK shirt on the awards show.
Just go to the IMDb and search on Natalie Maines. Her husband is an American of Iranian descent. The other Chicks are linked from her bio, and their husbands don't seem to be Muslim, but it's not specified.
Their new single, 'Not Ready To Make Nice,' debuts at -- drum roll please -- #427 on the Mediabase Pop Radio Airplay chart with exactly 2 spins
LOL! That's Guarini territory :-D
Hehehehehehehehehehe...
It's even funnier knowing that Natalie is so clueless about this that she still blames the president, the media and Country radio for her problems--everybody but herself. Typical liberal.
I think the Chicks are dead in the water.
but they are choosing their bed and now they must lie down in it..
I've said my goodbyes to them, and a lot of other "country singers" and my life hasn't suffered...infact, I have saved a lot of money not supporting people that are elitest and arrogant and self-serving, and who wouldn't be in the place they are without the likes of my money....
It'd have to be a telephone pole.
ROFL!!!
Some hollywoodie may hold them up for awhile; but when their inflation looses its profitability, they'll quit blowing.
Here's one of them.
Maybe AirHead America will play their songs?
Buddy Holly. Whoever hated Buddy Holly? These people truly live in an alternate universe.
Their 60 Minutes interview couldn't have helped much, either. Just heard bits of it as I was doing something else, but I think they called their fans hicks and/or rednecks.
Okay, saw it on "page 2". Sorry for them then.
That's Corey Clark territory. ROFLMAO!!!
What I love is that, as the Chicks' career continues to sink, Nat will become more and more bitter.
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