If you weren't already a fan of country singer Martina McBride, you probably will be now. After country radio consultant Keith Hill did an interview with Country Air Check about how radio stations can improve their overall performance, country singers and country fans alike are slamming Hill for his remarks about women performers. And one of those country singers is Martina McBride. On Wednesday, McBride took to Facebook to express herself, and, yes, she did so like the classy and amazing woman that she is.
Before I get into McBride's response, here's what Hill said that got the singer riled up. He told Country Air Check that radio stations shouldn't play "too many females." Unfortunately, it gets so much worse than that. He said, “If you want to make ratings in country radio, take females out. The reason is mainstream country radio generates more quarter hours from female listeners at the rate of 70 to 75 percent, and women like male artists." He added, "Trust me, I play great female records and we’ve got some right now; they’re just not the lettuce in our salad. The lettuce is Luke Bryan and Blake Shelton, Keith Urban and artists like that. The tomatoes of our salad are the females.”
And here's how McBride responded.
Wow.....just wow. Just read this from a major country radio publication. How do you feel about this statement? I especially want to hear from the females. Do you not like to hear other women singing about what you are going through as women? I'm really curious. Because to me, country music is about relating. Someone relating to what you are really going through on a day to day basis in your life. Did you girls (core female listeners) know you were being "assessed" in this way? Is this how you really feel? Hmmm....
I always knew McBride was truly here for her fellow women. Like McBride, country star Jennifer Nettles also responded via Twitter. For Nettles, she's using Hill's comments as motivation. She tweeted,
Like the two singers, Hill has also taken to social media, where he is replying to many positive and negative comments he's received thus far about his remarks, and it looks like he stands by what he said and is unapologetic. Hill says that he doesn't have an "agenda," but rather he wast just being honest about radio programming and how to receive the best ratings possible. Here are a few of his tweets:
Bustle has reached out to Hill for comment, but has not yet heard back.
(Update: On Thursday, country singer Miranda Lambert responded to Hill's remarks on Twitter. She posted, "This is he biggest bunch of BULLSHIT I have ever heard. (sic)" She added, "I am gonna do everything in my power to support and promote female singer/songwriters in country music. Always.")
