Home / Arts and Entertainment / Queer Country Star Reclaims Southern Roots
Queer Country Star Reclaims Southern Roots
21 Sep
Summary
- Debut album "Lionheart" explores queer identity within country music.
- McEntire returns to country and religion after two decades away.
- The album was shaped with encouragement from Kathleen Hanna.
Heather McEntire's debut album, "Lionheart," released on Merge Records, offers a profound reinterpretation of country music through a queer lens. The album is a devotional to the American South, blending McEntire's soulful voice with a sweeping Nashville sound, all imbued with a strong sense of conviction.
McEntire, who grew up in North Carolina's Bible Belt, spent nearly two decades rejecting country music and religion due to its restrictive environment for gay individuals. Her return to these roots, as seen in "Lionheart," signifies a newfound confidence and self-acceptance.
Inspired by figures like Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, and Kathleen Hanna, who helped shape the album's gentle country sound, "Lionheart" delves into themes of identity, belonging, and faith. Songs like "A Lamb, A Dove" and "When You Come for Me" offer poignant reflections on self-discovery and the struggle for acceptance.
Positioning herself as an outsider reclaiming country music's weathered language, McEntire's "Lionheart" marks a significant contribution to shaping a new tradition within the genre, resonating with the ongoing fight for LGBT rights.
