The country music genre has been traditionally dominated by men. Of course, there were standout females like Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Reba McEntire, and Tammy Wynette. However, women often had to fight for equal air time on the radio and parity with their male counterparts. Now, thanks to feisty females like Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, the glass ceiling is no more. Artists like Lainey Wilson and Ella Langley, and Kelsea Ballerini are basking in the bright spotlight they richly deserve and earned. In fact, Miranda Lambert recently talked about how tough the going was for female country singers years ago. That is, until she, Underwood, and others stormed through the door rather than be shut out.
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"I Was a Pistol"
The "Kerosene" singer looked back at what like was like for a female country singer in the 2000s. Lambert was a guest on Popcast from The New York Times with hosts Joe Coscarelli and Jon Caramanica. She saw that era through a clear-eyed lens and without illusions.
"I think the early 2000s, when I started, I was a pistol. I wanted to be known for my songs, not for being the pretty girl or wearing crop tops. In the early 2000s, that was kind of the thing. It's like dress sexy, be sexy, be a pretty girl."
Lambert added, "Then in the 2010 era, it was like there were no females at all. There were so many females that came out in 2004 when I started. So many. So who's going to break through and how long is that going to take? And then the ones that did, did."
Underwood's Career Was Ascending Then
Carrie Underwood won American Idol in 2005. Her career really took off with her debut LP, Some Hearts. But the road to the pinnacle was not smooth. Miranda Lambert recalled, "Carrie Underwood and I made it through pretty much a solid, at least, seven years of only guy artists coming out of country music. It's like, 'Wow, this is really off-kilter a little bit.'"
Lambert mentioned, "I feel like we should get a ribbon for surviving that. Like, that was a hard time, honestly."
Social Media and Streaming Changed the Landscape
Today, things are much better for women in country music. Lambert knows it. She said on the podcast, "I'm so thankful that there's room for a crowd now. Like, everybody has something different. I feel like all the voices can be heard, all the messages can be heard. You don't have to love them all, but at least there's a way to hear them. And then you decide."
