PHOTOSKacey Musgraves & Kelsea Ballerini Slam Country Radio Station For Sexism — 'Smells Like White Male Bulls**t'
Jan. 17 2020, Updated 8:22 p.m. ET
Kacey Musgraves and Kelsea Ballerini took to social media on January 16 and slammed country radio station 98 KCQ Country for their sexist airplay policy! The station claimed they "cannot play two females back to back. Not even Lady Antebellum or Little Big Town against another female,” which are two country groups comprised of women and men.
98 KCQ Country has since deleted its tweet after outstanding backlash. Kacey, 31, clapped back on Twitter and said, “Smells like white male bulls**t and why LONG ago I decided they cannot stop me.”
In another tweet she wrote, “And yet, they can play 18 dudes who sound exactly the same back to back. Makes total sense.”
Kelsea also voiced her disappointment on Twitter. “To all the ladies that bust their a**es to have half the opportunities that men do, I'm really sorry that in 2020, after YEARS of conversation of equal play, there are still some companies that make their stations play by these rules,” she wrote.
The “Miss Me More” singer reposted her tweet on Instagram and expanded on her thoughts about inequality in country music. While Kelsea admitted she’s seen networks “make real changes in their programming to make it look more balanced,” it hasn’t been enough.
- Kelsea Ballerini Reveals She Needed A Drink After Reading Mean Tweets On ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live’
- Maren Morris Celebrates Tucker Carlson's Fox News Exit After He Called Her 'A Lunatic Country Music Person'
- 'I Am Pro Romance': Kelly Clarkson Declares She Didn't 'Bash' Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's Relationship
“There is still inequality in airplay for women. And tweets like this prove it,” she told her fans. “And it’s my job to say it out loud and post about it, because of the girls moving to Nashville (or wherever) that are ready to outrun and outwork and outplay everyone. They deserve to know that they have the same shot as the guys moving here to do the same.”
She added, “Country music — We have to fix this. For us and for them. How do we do it? Let’s talk. (Also -- don’t lash out at this station, they are playing by rules set for them from their higher-ups.”
Kacey and Kelsea’s statements come months after Jennifer Nettles wore a bold pantsuit and cape to the 2019 Country Music Awards that said, “Play our f**king records. Please & Thank You.”
Similarly, the CMA’s got backlash for naming Garth Brooks Entertainer of the Year over Carrie Underwood. The award show hadn’t named a female winner in the category since 2011.
What do you think about Kacey and Kelsea calling out inequality in country music? Sound off in the comments below!
