Music lyrics degrading to both women and men have long been present in the music industry at large. I’m happy to see a few inside-the-industry professionals call their fellow songwriters out on the subject… and using humor to get their point across. Maddie and Tae’s breakout country music hit and video “Girl in a Country Song” captures-by-parody a few of country’s hottest tune lyrics that dehumanize and objectify women. Meanwhile “Girl in a Country Song” points to the essence of the feminine genius — how woman is unique and of inestimable value.

What I like most about the song is that the singers are calling on men to shape up and pay attention to the whole person of a woman. As I wrote recently concerning gentlemen, respecting the dignity of women — and men — is the real glue between the sexes.

From  Maddie and Tae’s  website:

“Girl in a Country Song” is the pair’s take on the reality of what men say they’re expecting from the fairer sex. “Boys we love you, we want to look good, but it’s not all we’re good for,” MADDIE says.

The tune pokes fun at a few songs you may know, but the girls – who Rolling Stone named one of the 10 New Artists You Need to Know – assure you, it’s all in good fun. “We love every single one of these guys,” TAE adds. “We don’t want to bring them down, we just want to lift the ladies up as well.”

“We are girls with something to say,” MADDIE says. “We were brought up to know how we should be treated. We’ve got a new perspective that we think is relatable. We also have a vulnerable side that you hear in the music. We’re not saying, ‘we’re girls and we’re taking over the world!’ We’re just saying a little something different that hasn’t really been said.”

These women make a good point in denouncing song lyrics that thing-a-fies them and reduces them to sex objects. Yet, in a blatant comedic role-reversal on the single’s video, these gals do the same “thing” to men to make their point. I’m not pleased they stooped to committing a similar faux pas in their video’s content, since the lyrics alone — what caught my ear in the first place on country radio — generally state the case against derogatory lyrics.

“Girl In A Country Song”