Have you heard Little Big Town’s single, “Girl Crush”? If not (I hadn’t), let me break it down for you. A tale as old as time: Girl dates boy. Boy and girl break up. Girl channels boy’s new girlfriend as to satiate the sensations lost post-breakup. It’s co-written by Stoughton-based Lori McKenna. It’s a fun little ditty. And despite what its name implies, the song’s tone appreciates envy, rather than desire.
But apparently, for some country music stations, this is a problem.
A music director for a local Texas country station penned a piece for ForTheCountryRecord.com claiming listeners accused them of pushing a “gay agenda” by playing the song. As recounted by the DJ in his piece:
To my surprise, after explaining the song to more than a handful of people, every one of them responded with basically the same thing (paraphrased): “You are just promoting the gay agenda on your station and I am changing the channel and never listening to you ever again!!”
A host in Idaho told the Washington Post that listeners threatened to boycott for the same reason. As a result, in some cases, the song has been yanked from rotation.
Locally, Country 102.5 music director Ginny Rogers told us via email that they’re pro-song, deeming it “cleverly written and melodically pleasing.” Rogers said the sales for the song are strong, and Boston remains a “top sales market” in the states. Request for comment from 101.7 The Bull was not returned, but the song still appears within the top 40 of the stations’s most-played list.
