Lady Antebellum Meaning & Why The Band Decided To Change Their Name
And what the band formerly known as Lady Antebellum changed their name to.
In the midst of all these racial protests throughout the United States, popular country music group Lady Antebellum has changed their band name, citing that they did not want to align themselves with the true 'antebellum' meaning.
On Thursday, June 11, 2020, the group made a statement apologizing for any unintended feelings their group's name may have caused. Because of the racial connection that is associated with the word antebellum, they are permanently changing their name to Lady A.
What 'Antebellum' means
Antebellum is defined as "before or existing before a war, especially the American Civil War; prewar."
Lady Antebellum explained that because their name means prewar, specifically the Antebellum South which was a period of slavery and horrible treatment of African Americans pre-Civil War, they understand the connotations it has.
"We are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before The Civil War, which includes slavery," the band wrote in a statement published on Instagram.
In this time of protest with all eyes on the Black Lives Matter movement, the band admitted to becoming aware of how their former name furthered the racial injustices that African Americans have faced.
"We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued. Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that. So today, we speak up and make a change.”
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Where the name 'Lade Antebellum' came from
The Lady Antebellum band started about 14 years ago. The members revealed that they decided to name their bands after the Southern Antebellum-style homes where they were first photographed as a band.
"As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the south that influenced us," the band wrote. "Southern rock, blues, R&B, Gospel and of course country."
What they've changed their name to
In this time of racial protests and Black Lives Matter discussions, Lady Antebellum decided to make sure that their name did not offend anyone because that was not their intention in using the name in the first place.
However, telling fans that they now feel "awakened," they've decided to change their name to Lady A, which is the nickname the band was given by their fans from the beginning.
Above all else, they stressed in their post that they are truly sorry for any hurt their name may have caused. They never wanted anyone to feel "unseen, unsafe, or unvalued."
Therefore, they are making this change to their name to signify the change of the times and that things are changing in American society.
They are also taking the initiative by donating to the Equal Justice Initiative through LadyAID, a fund the band started in 2012.
Their hope is that if they lead by example, they can be a better advocate for "spoken and unspoken injustices" through love, empathy, action, and humility and to make a better world for the next generations.
Emily Francos is a writer who covers astrology, pop culture, and relationship topics.