Awkward.
Guess what happens when you overreact to the mob and make a decision based completely on proving how much you CARE … you pick a new name for your band that appropriates the name of a black, blues singer who you didn’t bother to reach out to beforehand.
Awkward and oopsie.
Lady Antebellum is now “Lady A” — but so is a black blues singer who’s performed music under the name for 20 years. “For them to not even reach out is pure privilege,” says the woman with the original moniker https://t.co/yl0FCVVE0B pic.twitter.com/67tEmlQMqO
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) June 12, 2020
From Rolling Stone:
Seattle blues singer Lady A had just gotten off of work on Thursday when a bombardment of phone messages from friends, fans and producers came in all shouting the same thing: Her name had been stolen.
Earlier that day, Grammy-winning country trio Lady Antebellum — whose name had been criticized for its associations with romanticized ideas of the pre-war, slavery-ridden American South — announced they were changing their name to Lady A in light of a heightened national conversation about racism. Lady Antebellum made the changes swiftly on social media and distribution platforms including Spotify and Apple Music, and the group’s website also announced their rechristening as Lady A. But according to Seattle’s Lady A, neither the band nor any members of their team reached out to her before making the change.
Smooth, people.
Really smooth.
