Mickey Guyton reintroduces herself into the country music community, but this time she makes every effort to tell her story as a Black woman after years of internal doubt and does not feel herself to be in the otherwise white-man-dominated genre.
“I tried to write everyone’s song and everyone’s story when I had my own unique story,” Guyton, 37, told the Associated Press.
The six-track EP, titled ‘Bridges’, released on Sept. 11, includes’ What Are You Gonna Tell Her’, a pointed critique of the barriers women face, and ‘Black Like Me’, which ‘ t reveal their own early experiences with racism. Other songs such as “Heaven Down Here” and “Bridges” let them try to bridge the cultural and ideological divide.
Although she wrote ‘Black Like Me’ prior to the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor who were protesting worldwide against racism, the song obviously has a new meaning. However, she is excited to see what the future holds, even as the recording industry is forced to change amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Her musical career plans this year were thrown off course because of the coronavirus, but she continued to march forward. Parts of the album were recorded or written from her home in Los Angeles, where she is isolated with her husband, with remote help from her producer Karen Kosowski in Nashville. Guyton set up a DIY vocal studio and began learning audio recording software.
“We’ve worked out a stream where she can just sit back and sing and I can produce her over Zoom, just like she was in the fox stable next to me,” said Kosowski, who also recorded three of the songs on it. EP co-wrote Guyton.
In this August 3, 2020 photo, Mickey Guyton is photographed during a distance portrait session with the photographer in New York and subject in Los Angeles. Guy’s EP, “Bridges,” is set to be released on September 11th.
(Victoria Will / Invision / AP)
Guyton’s impressive breed does not need much decoration, but Guyton printed himself on the title track, ‘Bridges,’ a gospel-influenced song about finding common ground instead of division.
As she sang the vocals on ‘Bridges,’ her husband, Grant, ran into the other room and went, ‘What’s going on here? That sounds great! ” Said Kosowski.
While standing on the shoulders of other Black female country artists such as Linda Martell, The Pointer Sisters and Rissi Palmer, Guyton has had to chart her own path. The Texas-born singer fell in love with country music from an early age and learned about Dolly Parton from her grandmother. But after being signed to Capitol Record Nashville in 2011, she had to constantly stand up to questions about her authenticity.
“That was such a frustrating thing for me to get, because if I was white with blond hair and green like blue or brown eyes, it wouldn’t even be a question,” Guyton said.
Guyton was praised in 2015 for her debut single, “Better Than You Left Me,” which country radio initially considered serious, but only reached no. 34. Like many women in country music, their songs sat at the low end of the country radio charts, even as look pants for bro country zoomed to the top.
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After a few years of fighting, Guyton wanted to leave. But supporters like Cindy Mabe, president of Universal Music Group Nashville, would not let her go.
“Her truth came over time because she found out who she was,” Mabe said. “I do not know of a more fearful artist than Mickey Guyton.”
Mabe asked her to sing “What are you going to tell her?” at the label’s annual showcase for country radio programmers in February. Her pointed questions about the inequality with which women were opposed were not lost in the room full of radio gatekeepers whose stations are often accused of keeping women’s votes to a minimum.
‘When I got up and they said my name was running on stage, I said,’ Oh, curse word. This could be the end of my career, ” Guyton said with a laugh.
Mickey Guyton makes a big return for country music.
(John Shearer / WireImage)
Instead, the entire audience gave her a standing ovation as Guyton fought back tears.
When “Black Like Me” came out on Black Out Tuesday, she was stunned by the impact.
‘In the country music industry it’s about peace, love and harmony, and we do not want to fulfill it. We want everyone to feel comfortable, ”said Guyton. “I’ve been to many rooms where everyone is comfortable and I’m very uncomfortable.”
She recalls the post-party Grammy Awards label and meeting a tall male executive from a streaming service. She had hoped for streaming support for “Black Like Me”, and instinctively tried to put her best foot forward.
“I stepped up, slapped my lashes and did the thing to get my chance and I ran away completely disgusted with myself,” Guyton recalled. And I was, ‘What am I doing? Why do I have to apply my eyelashes and bathe to become a song called ‘Black Like Me’? ”
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These days, Guyton does not hold back from shouting racism and inequality when she sees it, whether she indicates the hateful messages she receives from online trolls or responds back to other artists in the country on Twitter. She said the shut-up-and-sing mentality does the genre.
“I have to pick my field battles,” said Guyton, who is a fan of a well-placed Megan Thee Stallion poison. “But when I see damaged tweets that can harm people, I’ll say something.”
Guyton has already seen the effect that “Black Like Me” has had on social media, by seeing people all over the world sing and identify with the lyrics, “If you think we live in the land of the free / You have to try to be black like me. ”
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“Country music is three chords and the truth. This is my truth, ”said Guyton.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
