Martina McBride Expresses Outrage at Spotify Over Lack of Females Represented in Country Music

Martina McBride is mad, and she isn’t about to keep quiet about it, at least not anymore. The country music icon spoke out about the lack of female artists represented in country music, after her desire to create a Spotify list of country artists resulted in not one female artist recommended by the streaming service.

“I decided to make a playlist called Country Music after I heard [Sara Evans] ‘I Learned That From You’ and was literally crying. And THIS is what came up on recommended songs,” McBride wrote on her Instagram Story, sharing a screen shot of songs by all male artists, including Luke Bryan, Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett, Eric Church and more. “ALL MALE. Come on [Spotify], you can and should do better.”

McBride went on to reveal she had to refresh Spotify’s list of recommended country music artists an astonishing 14 times, which was even more perplexing to her since five female acts – Trisha Yearwood, Tanya Tucker, The Highwomen, Kelsea Ballerini and Sheryl Crow – all just had new music out.

“I just have no words,” she continued. “My heart is pounding. I can’t remember when I’ve been this mad. Can someone [at Spotify] please explain this to me?”

“I mean. Is it lazy? Is it discriminatory? Is it tone deaf? Is it out of touch? [Spotify] what is it???” she continued on the next screen. “Please help me understand. And I’m not doing this for me obviously. I’m sure I won’t show up on any recommendations anytime soon after today. I’m frustrated for my sisters. For all the sisters. For all the great female artists who are making fabulous music. For all the female writers. And MOST OF ALL for every little girl out there who doesn’t hear this music and doesn’t know that SHE CAN GROW UP AND DO IT!!”

McBride isn’t alone in her frustration. In fact, it was that issue that inspired The Highwomen, made up of Maren Morris, Natalie Hemby, Amanda Shires and Brandi Carlile, to join forces.

“We all have our own solo things going on, but I think that coming together on a project like this in a timely fashion, it just felt like the right move,” Morris told Apple Music’s Beats 1’s Zane Lowe. “I’m sure you’ve heard about this very severe lack of women representation on country radio, which we’re trying to combat with this album and this movement. I really felt like I had no choice but to join, because we needed to band together now more than ever.”

Photo Credit: Getty images / John Shearer