Maddie & Tae is the new country duo that has popped onto the scene with nothing short of a bang. Brought together when they were 15 years old, they have been singing together ever since. Both are gifted with star quality, musical talent and entertaining expression. Their debut single was released in July and it’s called “Girl in a Country Song”. Apart from being fun and exciting, it takes a humorous look at bro-country music while empowering the role of women.
If you’ve heard the song on the radio and thought it was fun, then you’ll love the video. It starts out very ditsy and typical, with guys whistling at two pretty girls in short jeans and bikini tops. In slow motion they walk down a dirt road while Maddie & Tie sing with a very “matter of fact” kind of attitude. After flipping a “role-reversal” switch the fun really starts. Instead of seeing two pretty girls coming down the dirt road, there are three guys. But instead of looking strong and sexy they take on the roles that pretty girls would normally play.
One would think that a cute couple of country singers like Maddie & Tae would debut with a video filled with glamour and great visuals. But director TK McKamy made the better choice and kept it simple, placing more focus on the new country stars rather than overshadow them with unnecessary special effects. Cutting between three main scenes where the duo is enjoying an outdoor party, writing songs in their room and playing guitar on the back of two pick-up trucks gave room to emphasize the message. In between there are shots where the guys try to look sexy and the only natural reaction to this is laughing.
The birth of the song itself has an interesting story behind it. Apparently Maddie & Tae were on their way to a songwriting session when the idea came to mind. In the car they were listening to country radio, which is somewhat of a daily tradition. They also discovered that a lot of the guys that were singing had similar lyrics in terms of women. Then and there they decided to make a list of all the lyrics they heard which objectify women in some way or another. Make no mistake; it was all in good spirit and for the girls it was a fun experience. All they wanted to do is give a voice to the girls that appear in the songs while poking some fun at bro-country stars.
As expected, the video went viral very quickly. This doesn’t come as a surprise because it brings something original to the country music scene. Instead of making a typical debut they settled on something a little more controversial. Just to be clear, Maddie &Tae have nothing against bro-country singers. In fact, they stated in an interview that they love listening to them on a daily basis. However, they did think it would be a good idea to show the world how silly some of their videos and lyrics can be. Well, they have definitely made their point and everyone is enjoying it, even the bro-country stars.
