Country Artist Martina McBride Calls Out Spotify

Women in country music are continuing to speak out about lack of representation and gender disparity in the genre, reports ABC News.

Country singer Martina McBride, 53, also criticized the lack of female representation in country music after using the streaming music service Spotify.

The "Concrete Angel" singer posted on her Instagram story on Wednesday that she was listening to a song by fellow country artist Sara Evans when she decided to create a "Country Music" playlist on the platform.

The recommendations Spotify suggested she add to the playlist were all by male artists in the genre.

"I just have no words. My heart is pounding. I can't remember when I've been this mad," she posted on her story about the lack of female artists recommended.

"Is it lazy? Is it discriminatory? Is it tone deaf? Is it out of touch? @spotify what.is.it??? Please help me understand," she wrote.

"I'm frustrated for my sisters," she wrote in her Instagram story. "For all the great female artists who are making fabulous music. For all the female writers. And MOST OF ALL for every little girl out there who doesn't hear this music And doesn't know that SHE CAN GROW UP AND DO IT!!!"

“”We have an entire generation of teenage girls that have a limited example of female perspective on their radio station.

@martinamcbride is speaking the truth about country radio and music platforms. Something needs to change because I want to hear about falling in love and how it is okay to love yourself.

I don't want to hear about degrading women's bodies and booze.

— Faithful_Hill94 (@Faithful_Hill94) September 11, 2019

On Thursday, the country singer shared an update that she had met with Spotify and the two were working to find a solution to the problem. She believes the issue is "industrywide" and not particular to just the streaming platform.

A study was released earlier this year by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which showed that only 16% of the 500 songs on the Year-End Billboard Hot Country charts from 2014 to 2018 were from women.

The findings backed up long-standing patterns of female country artists being historically underrepresented not only on the charts but also in award shows and on the radio.