The Dixie Chicks are going by a new name. On Thursday, the country trio announced that they’re dropping the word “Dixie” from their name and will thus be known as The Chicks.
The move seems to be in response to the Black Lives Matter movement, as “Dixie” was a nickname for the Confederate States of America amid the Civil War.
The change is reflected on The Chicks’ social media profiles and website, with a quote on the latter that reads, “We want to meet this moment.”
Along with the name change, The Chicks also released a timely new song and music video. Aptly titled “March March,” the music video begins with the quote, “If your voice held no power, they wouldn’t try to silence you.”
The video goes on to show images from recent countrywide protests, while the women — Martie Maguire, Emily Strayer and Natalie Maines — sing lyrics about underpaid teachers, the prevalence of guns, and the youth social justice movement.
The trio is set to release their comeback album, Gaslighter, on July 17.
The Chicks’ name change came after fellow country group Lady Antebellum amended its name to Lady A. The group said they made the change because they were “regretful and embarrassed” that they did not take into account sooner the connotations of the word “antebellum,” which refers to the period before the Civil War.
Following their announcement, though, the group was criticized by blues singer Anita White, who had been going by the name Lady A for decades.
Both Lady As have since had a Zoom meeting, during which they reached “common ground” with each other.
