Well, this was an unexpected surprise. Dixie Chicks have officially shed “Dixie” from their name (as the word itself carries confederacy connotations) and are now just The Chicks. The name change comes with the release of their new song “March March,” the third taste test to their comeback album, Gaslighter.
The first verse packs the kind of punch we need these days. “Brenda’s packing heat ’cause she don’t like Mondays / Underpaid teacher policing the hallways / Print yourself a weapon and take it to the gun range,” Natalie Maines summarizes today’s culture. “(Ah, cut the shit, you ain’t going to the gun range) / Standing with Emma and our sons and daughters / Watchin’ our youth have to solve our problems / I’ll follow them so who’s comin’ with me? / (Half of you love me, half already hate me).”
“March March” curdles with a dark, unnerving edge, as strings tear and cry in the underground. The trio stand their ground, as they always have, and today, it feels even more important. The name change might be silly to sum, but it speaks profoundly.
Listen to “March March” below.