Progressive Voices in Country Music… “Are You Ready For It?”

How Dolly Parton & Taylor Swift are opposing the unwavering conservatism in the country music industry

By Matthew Bueltel

The country music establishment is viewed as one that holds traditional old-school apple-pie American values, unquestioning patriotism, and a prominent conservative base. This creates a tense environment when a country artist criticizes the government or speaks out on social issues. On rare occasions, when an artist speaks out and shares an unpopular opinion, they are exiled from the industry. Most famously, this happened to The Dixie Chicks (now known as The Chicks) in 2003 when the trio faced hysterical backlash among country music fans for speaking out against the Iraq War. The controversy began when the group was performing on tour and lead singer Natalie Mains said to an audience in London: “We do not want this war, this violence, and we're ashamed that the President of the United States is from Texas."

This led to the group getting blacklisted from thousands of country radio stations and receiving death threats. Fans boycotted their albums, with some people burning their merch and breaking their CDs. The outcome of the controversy was the group’s 14-year hiatus. This controversy has influenced many women in country music, forcing them to be apolitical in fear of ruining their careers.

Country legends Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift have both cited this incident in why they have kept quiet about politics before. Taylor has alluded to this after the backlash when she did not oppose Trump during the 2016 elections. And in 2019, Dolly said, “You can ruin a career for speaking out... Of course, I have my own opinions, but that don’t mean I got to throw them out there, because you’re going to piss off half the people.”

Dolly is known for being a great unifier. Her lyrics, which burst with sweet memories, traumas, wit, life, and loss, have resonated with people from every walk of life for decades. Dolly’s concerts are akin to a census: you will find someone wearing a MAGA hat next to a Drag Queen, both singing along to her vivid melodies of growing up in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. Growing up, I have always heard my dad say to me, “Everybody loves Dolly!” This could not be more true. Her all-encompassing fan base has led to her famously saying, “I don’t do politics.” She has said, “I have too many fans on both sides of the fence. Of course, I have my opinion, but I learned years ago to keep my mouth shut about things.” 

She says she doesn’t do politics, but if you take a deep dive into Dolly’s actions during her seven-decade career, it will tell a different story. Her activism is seen in the lyrics she writes and the actions she has taken. 

At the beginning of her career, Dolly was not afraid to sing about topics that were seen as taboo and would not get her radio time. Her debut album “Hello, I’m Dolly,” released in 1967, starts with her single “Dumb Blonde,” which is seen as a feminist anthem, though Dolly has never considered herself a feminist. In that song, she tackles the “dumb blonde” stereotype. The following year she released “The Bridge,” a song that dealt with the taboo topic of an unwed pregnant woman committing suicide. Since her early songs, she has continued to sing about social issues and advocated for marginalized groups. In 1980, she released the album “9 to 5 and Odd Jobs,” with her song “Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos).” Dolly sings about migrant workers who had been deported and described their poor working conditions.

Dolly has also been a champion for children’s literacy. Her charity, Imagination Library, has sent more than 100 million books to children under the age of five. She has been a champion for LGBTQ rights, criticizing Christians who are judgemental towards the LGBTQ community. She donated to AIDS research when it was considered taboo. And in 2020, Dolly donated $1 million towards the COVID-19 Moderna vaccine, which undoubtedly helped speed up the development of the vaccine and its approval by the FDA. 

In the past year, Dolly has become more vocal about her stances. In a Billboard interview, she was asked if she supports Black Lives Matter, to which she responded with, “Of course Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter?” In the past year, we also learned that Donald Trump tried to honor Dolly twice with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor one can get. But she declined both times, saying, " I couldn't accept it because my husband was ill. Then they asked me again about it and I wouldn't travel because of COVID." After the news broke, fans started petitions for the Biden administration to award her with the medal. She said that she had heard from President Biden about the award and explained, in true diplomatic-Dolly fashion, "Now I feel like if I take it, I'll be doing politics, so I'm not sure." She continued to be humble about the situation, saying, "It'd be nice, but I'm not sure that I even deserve it. But it's a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it."

For someone who says she doesn’t do politics, the queen of country, Dolly Parton, does get quite political. Her politics are rooted in compassion, funding educational opportunities, doing the right thing, sharing the wealth, advocating for the poor, and loving everyone with the same unwavering compassion and dignity. If you think about it, her values seem to be far removed from Republicanism and Trumpism. She appears to have far more in common with progressive Democrats. 

Another country singer turned pop star who has recently become unafraid of speaking out is Taylor Swift. At the beginning of her career, she was seen as America’s sweetheart, the girl next door, the girl that could do no wrong. Part of that role was that she wouldn’t get political. At the beginning of her career, she kept quiet about Obama’s reelection in 2012, saying, “I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people,” she told Time Magazine, “and I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for.”

This attitude lasted through the 2016 elections, during which Taylor did not endorse a candidate, only posting a photo of herself in line at the polling station. In January 2017, Taylor received backlash for not attending the Women’s March, as many other female pop stars did. However, she tweeted her support, saying, "So much love, pride, and respect for those who marched, I’m proud to be a woman today and every day. #WomensMarch.”

Little did Taylor know that by August of that year, she would be one of the faces of the Me Too movement. Before the rise of the Me Too movement, Taylor won a public battle against a former radio host, David Mueller, for sexual assault. Taylor said that he groped her, which led to him being fired by the radio station. He sued Taylor, and she countersued for sexual assault, only asking that he pay her a symbolic $1. Her responses while being questioned by Mueller’s attorney went viral. Taylor said, “I am not going to allow your client to make me feel like it is any way my fault, because it isn’t,” she said when asked about Mueller losing his job. “I am being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions and not mine."

Shortly after the trial, headlines were filled with other women sharing their stories of sexual assault. This led to Taylor being a Time Magazine “Person of the Year” in 2017, as one of the “Silence Breakers."

The following year, after the tragic events at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Taylor called for gun control. She made a donation to March For Our Lives and posted to Instagram, saying, “No one should have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a concert. Or to a movie theater. Or to their place of worship. I’ve made a donation to show my support for the students, for the March For Our Lives campaign, for everyone affected by these tragedies, and to support gun reform, I’m so moved by the Parkland High School students, faculty, by all families and friends of victims who have spoken out, trying to prevent this from happening again.”

Later that year, Taylor broke her apolitical role of America’s sweetheart and endorsed Democratic candidates, former Democratic Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen in Tennessee’s Senate race and Democrat Jim Cooper in the House race. Swift wrote that then-Representative Marsha Blackburn’s voting record “appall[ed] and terrifie[d]” her. 

With this endorsement, Taylor made her political views known by posting on Instagram, saying, “I always have and always will cast my vote based on which candidate will protect and fight for the human rights I believe we all deserve in this country, I believe in the fight for LGBTQ rights, and that any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender is WRONG. I believe that the systemic racism we still see in this country towards people of color is terrifying, sickening and prevalent. I cannot vote for someone who will not be willing to fight for dignity for ALL Americans, no matter their skin color, gender, or who they love.”

This caused President Donald Trump to tell reporters, “I like Taylor’s music about 25 percent less now.” When country artists become political, they fear the backlash from conservatives. With these endorsements, Taylor received backlash, but she also saw a rise in her album sales.

In 2019, Taylor said she wanted to do more and help out during 2020, an election year. In June 2019, she released a music video for “You Need to Calm Down,” a single from her seventh studio album “Lover” and what I would call a gay anthem. The video was star-studded, with prominent LGBTQ advocates and trailblazers, and filled with queer imagery. The end of the music video urged fans to sign a petition to support the Equality Act, a bill that would ensure protections for LGBTQ Americans under federal law. The video won a VMA for Video of the Year and in her acceptance speech, she put pressure on Trump, saying that the half a million signatures on the petition should be more than enough for the White House to respond.

After “You Need to Calm Down,” Taylor continued to be political in her music. Another single,“The Man,” also from “Lover,” is a feminist anthem in which Taylor criticizes the music industry, the misogyny that she has faced in her career, and how it would have been easier if she were a man. She also wrote a single called “Only The Young,” which showcases the power that younger generations have and their ability to cause change by voting. The song references mass shootings and voting Trump out of office. It ended up being used in an ad for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the first time Taylor has allowed her music to be used to support a candidate.

Towards the end of Trump’s presidency, Taylor took to Twitter, criticizing him for his response to the murder of George Floyd and saying that after stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism, he would be voted out in November. Later that summer, Taylor also took to Twitter to criticize Trump for deliberately dismantling the USPS, saying, “He is WELL AWARE that we do not want him as our president.” She added, "Donald Trump’s ineffective leadership gravely worsened the crisis that we are in and he is now taking advantage of it to subvert and destroy our right to vote and vote safely.” Taylor urged fans to request a ballot and vote early.

In October 2020, Taylor endorsed Joe Biden. She said, "The change we need most is to elect a president who recognizes that people of color deserve to feel safe and represented, that women deserve the right to choose what happens to their bodies, and that the LGBTQIA+ community deserves to be acknowledged and included.” Joe Biden thanked Taylor Swift for her endorsement on Twitter tweeting, "Election Day is right around the corner—are you ready for it?" This was a reference to her single “...Ready For It?” from her sixth studio album, “reputation.” 

Together Dolly and Taylor have broken down political barriers and shined a light on social issues, something that is normally discouraged within the country music industry. While subtle at times, the messages these women convey through their music, donations, and advocacy could set a precedent for their peers to voice their progressive opinions. Ultimately, this could make the country music industry a more inclusive space for all.