The rescheduled release date of Gaslighter, the Dixie Chicks' first new album in 14 years, was announced today (June 11) in an unorthodox way. The group shared a photo on social media with its members' faces as children Photoshopped onto beauty pageant contestants. Their sashes combine to read July 17, 2020.
#GASLIGHTER pic.twitter.com/Cieo4vBNZC
— The Chicks (@thechicks) June 11, 2020
The country trio announced in April that the album's initial May 1 release date had been changed due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.
A statement announcing the postponement said "additional details are forthcoming" regarding a new release date. It also encouraged fans to keep an eye on members Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer's social media accounts for future announcements.
Buzz about a new Dixie Chicks studio album skyrocketed with the March release of Gaslighter's righteously vindictive title track and its music video. The new song netted the group its highest charting debut on the Billboard Country Airplay chart since 2002.
So far, promotion of the Jack Antonoff produced album has included an appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show.
Gaslighter will be the Texas trio's first album of new music since their 2006 release Taking the Long Way, which won five Grammy awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year (for "Not Ready to Make Nice").
The Dixie Chicks made their major label debut in 1998 with Wide Open Spaces, which spawned the hits "You Were Mine," "There's Your Trouble" and the title track. The trio followed the success of Wide Open Spaces with Fly, which featured "Cowboy Take Me Away," "Goodbye Earl" and "Ready to Run."
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In 2002, the trio released Home, which marked a switch to a more acoustic, rootsy sound for the band. The following year, while onstage in London, Maines made her now infamous statement about President George W. Bush, "We do not want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas." Following the comment, the trio was removed from several country radio stations around the nation. Their single "Not Ready To Make Nice" from Taking the Long Way addresses the response to Maines' statement.
In 2016, the group kicked off their highly-successful DCX MMXVI World Tour.
