Sara Evans Airs Frustrations About Lack of Women in Country Music

"It’s so frustrating and I don’t know what genre my music belongs to now,” she wrote in part.

Written by Lauren Laffer
Sara Evans Airs Frustrations About Lack of Women in Country Music
Sara Evans performs during 'CMT Next Women of Country presents Sara Evans All the Love Tour featuring RaeLynn and Kalie Shorr' at B.B. King Blues Club & Grill on February 12, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

The lack of women in country music getting radio airplay is an issue that has been a largely discussed. While some may argue that things have slightly improved, the evidence of women getting overlooked is still a major issue.

Sara Evans faced this head-on, telling Sounds Like Nashville of her disappointment in the way the genre currently stands.

“I never would’ve dreamed when I was a little girl onstage that at some point, I would be completely blackballed from the genre that I love so much and that I’ve also contributed music to and helped grow,” she said on the CMT Artists of the Year red carpet.

She also spoke with Billboard about the issue, stirring up a mixed response to her comments. Just days later she took to Twitter with a lengthy note, adding to her comments from that interview.

https://twitter.com/saraevansmusic/status/1055580366763945990

“There has been a lot of reaction to my recent comments about country radio. I am, and have been for several years, devastated to see how the genre I grew up on and made my career on has changed. The obvious and most maddening change to me has been the blatant stonewalling of female artists. One day I’m a country artist with hits on country radio and the next, I can’t even get one spin on ANY of my new music. It’s so frustrating and I don’t know what genre my music belongs to now,” she wrote in part.

She added that the genre used to be full of songs with “creativity and sophistication” and that the genre was once known for its “amazingly true to life, heartfelt lyrics.”

“When I signed my record deal with RCA, country airwaves were full of amazing females like Reba McEntire, Patty Loveless, Trisha Yearwood and so many more. It’s time for a change,” she concluded.

While the war for women wages on, Evans and her fellow female acts continue to push down the barriers placed on them by the country radio gatekeepers. CMT was one of the first major networks to step up for the imbalance and host a women-only Artists of the Year, which was the most-watched AOTY special to date.