Keenan 1

AJ Keenan

English 103

Adina Corke

24 October, 2018

Annotated Bibliography

Coroneos, Kyle. “Carrie Underwood's ‘Cry Pretty’ Tanks at Country Radio.” Saving Country

Music, Saving Country Music, 5 Sept. 2018.

The article explains the flopping of Carrie Underwood’s “Cry Pretty” single, her first

song not peaking at or above Number 2 on either the Billboard Hot Country Songs or Billboard

Country Airplay charts. These charts are the industry standard to measure general country music

popularity and radio play, respectively. The article also mentions that the crashing of the single

comes in the wake of Underwood’s comments regarding women in country radio and how this

case is further set apart by the fact that the song was doing well in sales and streaming, according

to its Billboard Hot Country Songs placement. Additionally, its parent album was to be released

only two weeks later, which usually means the song would still be popular on radio until at least

the album dropped.

The article pushes the idea of how the flopping of Carrie Underwood’s single, and the

othering of women in country radio, may be related to a systemic-issue regarding women on

country radio due to the peculiar situation the song was in. It also provides insight into why

Carrie Underwood would make her comments regarding women on country radio, due to the

crashing of the single for no discernable reason.

This source is credible since Kyle Coroneos is a longtime country blogger who knows the

industry inside and out. The source's credibility is not pristine, however, since Coroneos is a

blogger who is not fact-checked before he publishes, due to the blog being run by only himself.
 Keenan 2

Words: 245

Peoples, Glenn. “Are Women Finally Getting a Fair Shake on Country Radio? A Billboard

Analysis.” Billboard, Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group, 5 Feb. 2016.

This article aimed to figure out how women fare on country radio and why they fare that

way. The article determined that there was a very small percentage of females getting played on

the radio. It also found that there is a wide difference between the amount of male-driven and

female-driven music played on country radio, according to Billboard chart data. The article then

notes that most of the women being pushed to country radio were not from major labels, but

indie ones. The industry executives, who work with these major labels, claim that women are not

played because people don’t want to hear them as much as males. Others believe it’s because

women aren’t getting exposed enough. Finally, the article explains how women are more popular

on the charts that measure general popularity, such as the Hot Country Songs chart.

This article helps to support my research by explaining how industry executives believe

that women just don’t want to be heard on the radio by country music fans, even though there is

other evidence that says otherwise. This shows how the industry is othering women and believes

no one wants to hear them, despite evidence saying otherwise.

This source is credible as it uses industry-standard data from Billboard charts and is able

to prove points by only using this data and the words of people who are on both sides of the

argument and are knowledgeable about the issue.

Words: 240
 Keenan 3

Watts, Cindy. “3 Years after 'Tomato-Gate,' There Are Even Fewer Women on Country Radio.”

The Tennessean, USA Today, 10 June 2018.

This article gives an overall summary of the status of women being played on country

radio over the 3 years since Tomato-Gate, which includes fewer women on the radio and a larger

push for women to be signed to labels and pushed to radio. The article explains that the labels are

using the success of Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini, two country artists who broke-through

since Tomato-Gate, to cover up the lack of female success. This, however, contradicts the data

that women are played less on the radio since those two artists broke through. Furthermore, the

article also uses a USC study to show that females as a whole have lost ground in music, not just

in country. Finally, the article shows the efforts of those in country music to fix the issue and

bring more women into the radio limelight and give them success.

The article demonstrates how despite Tomato-Gate and the resulting calls to action,

women are still not played on country radio while the industry tries to say this is not the case,

due to the recent breakthroughs of a few women. This is useful because it helps to demonstrate

how the industry is trying to get away from answering the questions regarding women truthfully,

thus othering them in the process

This source is credible, as the data brought up comes from factual data from a USC study,

Billboard chart data, and how the opinions stated come from those with knowledge of the

country music industry.

Words: 249
 Keenan 4

Yahr, Emily. “#SaladGate Saga Continues: Why Aren't Nashville's Male Superstars Speaking up

about Lack of Women on Country Radio?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 4 June

2015.

The article discusses how most male country artists were reluctant to speak out regarding

the gender imbalance on country radio after Tomato-Gate. It points out that possible reasons for

this could include potential ramifications for the males if they speak out, which some of the

women themselves even point out. Country radio, being as powerful and important as it is, is

something that country males, who currently dominate the radio, are reluctant to lose, thus losing

their source of income and fanbase. If said men were to speak out, not only would the men risk

being blacklisted and lose valuable space on the radio to other artists, but they would also be

inserting themselves into the controversial topic regarding bro-country and its objectification of

women.

This article demonstrates how radio holds enough power to prevent people from calling

out radio regarding the gender issue due to the potential risks involved. Furthermore, radio has

the capability to downplay a problem by removing a voice from the radio whenever they speak

out. Both of these issues cause women to be othered by forcing popular country figures to stay

silent regarding the country radio gender imbalance.

The article comes from a known credible source in the form of The Washington Post but

loses a smidge of credibility by relying more on speculation regarding why men won’t speak out

rather than speaking to a popular male from country radio and getting their actual feedback as to
 Keenan 5

why most others won’t speak out.

Words: 248

Stark, Phyllis. “Slacker Radio Channel Leads New Initiatives to Up Country Airplay for

Women.” Billboard, Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group, 8 Aug. 2018.

This article discusses new initiatives to increase the airplay women in country music

receive. It mostly focuses on Slacker’s #WCE channel that only works with female-driven music

and music selected by female artists. The channel, which launched in August of 2017, aims to

boost female listenership in country music and give a larger spotlight to female artists. Other

initiatives are also being started on broadcast radio, such as Women of iHeart Country that will

also work to spotlight work on female artists. Finally, fan clubs of popular female artists are

beginning organized campaigns to add their favorite artists’ music to radio rotation, but radio

programmers see these efforts as detrimental and not as genuine and these efforts have caused no

change.

This article demonstrates how women are forced to have their own separate radio stations

in order to gain a larger spotlight on country radio, something that men need not worry about due

to their immense popularity on country radio compared to women. As a result, this shows

women as being othered against males when it comes to being able to play music on country

radio easily.

This source is credible as it includes comments from both radio programmers and leaders

of the initiatives. Furthermore, the source is credible as the Billboard magazine is the major

music publication in charge of reporting information regarding music distribution and

consumption.

Words: 228

Guarino, Mark. “Where Have Country Music's Women Gone?” The Guardian, Guardian News

and Media, 4 Aug. 2016.

This article discusses the gender imbalance regarding females on country radio but also

demonstrates that this has not always been the case. The article explains how, after a peak of

female popularity on country radio in the 90’s, female radio space has dropped to its current low,

in conjunction with the rise of the female-objectifying bro-country. The article then moves into

explaining how so few country women are popular that the industry is resorting to getting female

pop stars to sing with male country singers on their songs and that some of the biggest female

country stars have already jumped ship to pop radio. Finally, the article explains how songs from

the female-perspective are rare these days, despite the gender-wall being broken down years ago,

and those that are popular are sung and written by men.

This article demonstrates how the othering of women can be shown by males singing

songs from the female-perspective instead of women and the rise of the female-objectifying bro-

country. Finally, the article notes that country radio others female country stars by promoting

songs with female pop stars instead of those with female country stars.

The source is partially credible because while it does use many facts and includes

opinions from those involved in the industry, it never references the other side of the situation or

the rebuttals from members of the country radio scene, leaving some of its claims open to attack.
 Keenan 7

Words: 237