On This Day in 2020, The Chicks Released the First Album Under Their New Name

The Chicks‘ career in country music is outlined by awards, hit songs, and mass notoriety. It is also outlined by politics. One can certainly separate the art from the artist, and regarding The Chicks, folks have. However, for the half that hasn’t, The Chicks will always be associated with their political views and expressive nature. In their career, two major political moments shine brighter than the rest. The first one is Natalie Maines’ comments about George W. Bush in 2003, the second is when they changed their names from The Dixie Chicks to The Chicks in 2020. Matter of fact, on this day, July 17, 2020, The Chicks released the first album under their new name.

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In June of 2020, The Chicks dropped the term “Dixie” out of their name, given its association with the Confederate South and its ties to slavery. The name change followed the death of George Floyd in May of 2025 and the protests that ensued. In light of this movement, The Chicks changed their name and then released the politically charged single, “March March”. Following that single, The Chicks released the full-length album, Gaslighter. It was the first album under their new name and the first album they had released in 14 years.

Given the facts just stated, Gaslighter was a monumental album in their career. Following its July 17 release, the album peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart. Since the release of that album, The Chicks have yet to release another.

A Brief Recap of The Chicks’ 2003 Controversy

In 2003, Natalie Maines made a comment that ignited an awfully polarizing controversy across country music. Specifically, while performing in London, Maines used her platform to publicly scrutinize then-President George W. Bush and the impending invasion of Iraq. The comments came just days before the United States landed on Iraqi soil to ignite the war on terror.

Following these comments, fans boycotted The Chicks’ music, and consequently, the three members took a step back from the limelight. However, in 2006, they returned with the release of their album Taking the Long Way. 14 years after that album and 17 years after Maines’ comments, The Chicks changed their names and released Gaslighter on July 17, 2020.

Needless to say, the country group has had some page-turning chapters in their career, and as of now, time will tell what their next one will be.

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