Mickey Guyton has been dominating the country music scene for years now. As much as she’s been a figure in this industry, she’s also been, rightly, critical of it when it comes to how Black artists are treated. During a recent interview with PopCulture.com to promote her Pentatonix collaboration on Cracker Barrel’s Sounds of the Season: Together Again, Guyton not only addressed some of the backlash she’s received for speaking out in support of fellow Black country music artists, but she also spoke about the “pressure” that’s associated with being so vocal about this issue
Guyton has spoken about this topic in various interviews and, of course, has addressed the matter in her music such as with her 2020 hit “Black Like Me.” The song was released in June 2020 amid widespread Black Lives Matter protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer. During that time, Guyton even issued a statement in which she called for other country artists to speak out in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, writing, “To every country artist not speaking up, now is your chance. We see you and need you to use your platform to be a part of the change.”
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Guyton told PopCulture.com that she was aware that she would have to deal with a bit of “backlash” for her outspokenness. However, she knows that it’s past time that the industry had this conversation. “It has been hard to be outspoken as there is backlash that is expected and boy did I get it,” she explained. “It was hard but these were conversations that needed to be had. It’s going to take time, but I do see the industry shifting and looking within to see how we might have misstepped and how we can do better.” Since Guyton is one of the most prominent country music stars speaking up about race and how it affects the genre, you can understand why she might feel some “pressure” with the weight of the issue on her shoulders. However, she’ll deal with the pressure every time if it means speaking up for fellow Black artists.
“There is absolutely pressure. However, I am up for the challenge,” Guyton said. “We must all walk the walk. And when I say we must give Black women opportunities, I must do the same. This isn’t just lip service for me. I talk to a lot of these up-and-coming country singers. I check in on them. I connect them to industry leaders that I know can help them. It’s a lot of work and pressure because I don’t want to ever forsake them. And I won’t.”
