Seven US female country singers who have broken taboos

Country music legend Dolly Parton built her career in Nashville back in the 1960s and 70s. Despite the conservative business, she managed to land hits with songs like "Dumb Blonde" or "Just Because I'm A Woman," which criticized negative stereotypes of women and sexism. After more than 50 years in the music business, it's hard to imagine country music without Dolly Parton.

Country-pop queen Shania Twain proves that great female country artists don't have to hail from Nashville — or even the USA for that matter! Born in Canada, Twain had her breakthrough in the 1990s with song lyrics that give women the upper hand, such as "Any Man Of Mine," "Man! I Feel Like A Woman," and "That Don't Impress Me Much." Her song "If You Wanna Touch Her, Ask!'" is about sexual consent.

Mickey Guyton's path into the country music scene began with a record deal in Nashville. Her first EP was released in 2015, but her breakthrough came in 2020 with the song "Black Like Me." In it, she sings about the realities of life for Black people in the USA. The song made her the first Black artist to be nominated for a Grammy in the "Best Country Solo Performance" category.

Kelsea Ballerini's 2015 debut immediately broke records — her first three singles in a row reached Number 1 on country charts. Ballerini crosses all the boundaries of the traditionally conservative country music scene by singing about sensitive topics like divorce and the treatment of women in public. Her tunes "A Country Song" or "Interlude" are prime examples of this.

Even though she tends to see her biggest successes in the pop genre, Taylor Swift's musical career began back in 2006 in the country music scene. She repeatedly embeds references to sexism and misogyny in her songs such as "The Man" and "Mad Woman." She also sings about her political views for instance in "Only The Young."

The six-time Grammy winner is one of America's most important young country artists. She had her breakthrough in 2013 with the song "Merry Go 'Round," in which she sings about outdated traditions. She's also topped the country charts singing about same-sex love and overcoming social expectations. She has revealed her songs "Follow Your Arrow" and "Slow Burn" were inspired by an LSD trip.

Country music legend Loretta Lynn got her first recording contract in 1960, when she was already a mother of four. Her hits that dealt with taboo subjects such as alcohol abuse, domestic violence and contraception, such as "Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)" or "The Pill," remain particularly impressive. She died in 2022 and inspired many of today's young country music artists.