The Sugarland star says she wanted her punk rock outfit to call attention on the lack of radio play for music made by female artists and she got help from street artist Alice Mizrachi.
- Nov 17, 2019
AceShowbiz - Jennifer Nettles tapped into the defiance of punk rock to inspire her shocking look at the CMA Awards on Wednesday, November 13.
The Sugarland singer turned up to the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards in Nashville, Tennessee wearing a white Christian Siriano pantsuit with a cape inscribed by artist Alice Mizrachi with the words "Play our f**king records / Please & Thank You" for all to see.
Jennifer carefully prepared her fashion statement to ensure the outfit successfully called attention to the lack of radio play for music made by female artists, explaining to Rolling Stone, "When I heard the CMAs were going to be celebrating women, and I was going to be invited, I thought, 'What a fantastic opportunity to take the conversation beyond applause and beyond the ritual, and actually try and further it and put it out into the public consciousness, and send a message to the industry as well.' And what more womanly way to send a message than with fashion?"
"I immediately reached out to my team and said, 'This is what I want to do. I want to say play our f**king records but also please and thank you because, mannerly!' Christian Siriano is such an advocate of all kinds, and Alice Mizrachi does street art and is amazing, and I wanted the vibe of it being somewhat punk. I knew from the beginning it was going to be a moment. All of these themes are lining up, and it felt right," she added.
Although female empowerment was a big theme of the whole awards show, which kicked off with a tribute to the ladies of country, Jennifer remains dismayed that songs written and performed by women are often cut from radio broadcasts.
"I hate it when people say that they turn the channel when they hear a woman," she fumes. "No they don't, they turn the channel when they don't hear something they recognise. And they don't recognise women because they don't play women."
"The fans don't know: they just want to hear music. But women aren't getting to hear their own stories. It's not that impact isn't being made; it's just there is not enough."
