Getty Images | Harry Langdon

The Chicks Reveal They Wanted To Drop 'Dixie' From Their Name 'Years And Years Ago'

Updated August 16, 2021

With the rise in awareness of systematic racism in the United States brought on by the recent resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, many artists, companies, and television/film creators are taking a long look at their own actions over the course of their careers and attempting to make up for ignorant or poorly-made choices, including the iconic country act formerly known as The Dixie Chicks.

The Dixie Chicks are one of the world's most famous country groups.

Known for their smash hits like "Goodbye Earl," "Cowboy Take Me Away," "Without You," and "Travellin' Soldier," the band has had one of the longest lasting and incredibly powerful careers in modern country music.

As they gear up for the release of their comeback album, they announced they were making a pretty big change.

In a one-sentence statement on their website, The Dixie Chicks announced they were dropping the word 'dixie' from their names.

YouTube | The Chicks

Writing, "We want to meet this moment," the band has declared they are officially now known as The Chicks.

The word Dixie often refers to the South, but specifically the states that belonged to the Confederation. The name came from a song by Daniel Decatur Emmett and this song was considered the Confederate anthem.

In a new interview, The Chicks revealed that they had wanted to make this change for a long time.

Instagram | @1nataliemaines

"We were literally teenagers when we picked that stupid name," Martie Maguire told The New York Times about the name change.

"We wanted to change it years and years and years ago," Natalie Maines added.

The Chicks also emphasized that they did not feel much of a connection to the Dixie flag.

Instagram | @1nataliemaines

Natalie said that she "wanted to separate myself from people that wave that Dixie flag" and the band noted they had recently seen an Instagram post calling the confederate flag a "Dixie Swastika" and thought, "I don't want to have anything to do with that."

What do you think of the name change? Let us know!