The Dixie Chicks have started up their first press cycle in 14 years, appearing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on Monday to promote their new single “Gaslighter.” (On Instagram, the band clarified that the show was pre-taped last week before recent precautions against the coronavirus pandemic, and encouraged everyone to watch it at home.)
In their interview with DeGeneres, the daytime host noted that the band was one of the first to be the victims of “cancel culture,” after Natalie Maines criticized President George W. Bush on the eve of the Iraq War during a concert in London.
“What we said back then — or what I said back then — would not even be a thing today, because it was really mild compared to what people say today,” Maines told DeGeneres. “So on the one hand, everyone has this platform where they can say whatever they wanna say, but on the other hand, this platform can move really quickly and ruin people’s lives.”
Ellen also alluded to the lyrics in “Gaslighter” that reference Maines’ divorce, asking, “What did he do on the boat?” Maines responded cheekily, “Who?”
The band also performed “Gaslighter” live on the show, and played a round of “Who Would Natalie Rather?”, in which Ellen and bandmates Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire tried to set Maines up with various celebrity men. Maines had a clear top three, although she did note that throughout high school and college, she was completely convinced she would marry Lenny Kravitz.
