Female Country Star Comments on Gender Inequality in the Genre, Says Men “Can Do No Wrong”

Dasha is speaking about how the country music world treats men and women differently. During an appearance on Rolling Stone‘s Nashville Now podcast, the singer discussed gender norms in country music.

Videos by American Songwriter

“Especially in the country world, men, for the most part, can do no wrong,” she said. “The more they’re outspoken and the more they express their opinions and go outside the lines, the more someone’s like, ‘Oh, he’s so cool.’”

Women, on the other hand, “are so cutthroat,” the “Austin (Boots Stop Workin’)” singer said.

“If I saw a woman breaking the rules online a bit, in the country world, wearing some shorts that her cheeks are out, I’d be like, ‘Go queen!’” she said.

Commenters, however, aren’t so kind. They’d instead say something along the lines of, “You stupid b**ch.”

Dasha Addresses Online Hate

The comments Dasha recieves online aren’t shy about weighing in, writing things like “you’re trashy, you have no class, you’re slutty, you’re a whore, your outfits suck, you’re ugly and you try so hard. And you suck at singing… You should go to hell.”

Those social media users have a way of pinpointing things that already make Dasha insecure, she said.

“It digs in on things I have said about myself in my moments of weakness and I think that’s why it cuts so deep,” she said. “‘Cause I would look in the mirror and think… ‘Get your s**t together.’ I know that’s not true, but everyone talks about themselves like that sometimes…. It cuts deep.”

Dasha said she strives to view the negative social media comments differently, though.

“Now, when I see those comments. I’m like, ‘Thanks, Karen from Minnesota, you’re feeding my algorithm. Appreciate you, girl,’” she said. “People call me ‘Trailer Swift’ online, and guess what I’m doing? Making merch out of it.”

The interview came ahead of the Oct. 10 release of her latest EP, Anna. The project got its title from Dasha’s given name, Anna Dasha Novotny. The latest track from the EP, “Train,” is out now.

Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images