Not Ready to Make Nice
"Not Ready to Make Nice" is a song co-written and performed by American country music trio Dixie Chicks. It was released in March 20, 2006 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album, Taking the Long Way. The Dixie Chicks wrote the song in response to the backlash they experienced in 2003 after criticizing President George W. Bush.
"Not Ready to Make Nice"
March 20, 2006
Early 2006
3:58
"Not Ready to Make Nice" remains the Dixie Chicks' biggest hit in Canada. Though they have had bigger hits on the country charts, it is their only song to be certified 2× Platinum, reaching number four on the on the Hot 100. The song was written by Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire, Emily Robison, and Dan Wilson.
On February 11, 2007, it won three Grammy Awards in the categories of Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.[1] In 2009, Rolling Stone named "Not Ready to Make Nice" the 77th best song of the decade.[2]
Critical reception[edit]
"Not Ready to Make Nice" received universal acclaim from contemporary music critics of publications like Allmusic, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and USA Today. The song has been praised by these critics for being a statement in which the band does not regret Maines' anti-Bush statement. Allmusic reviewer Stephen Thomas Erlewine said the following about "Not Ready to Make Nice" that "Given the controversy of 2003, the conscious distancing from country makes sense — and given songs like the defiant 'Not Ready to Make Nice', the Dixie Chicks don't sound like they're in retreat on Taking the Long Way; they merely sound like they're being themselves."[7] Entertainment Weekly music reviewer David Browne said that "If you wonder whether they have regrets about the incident, 'Not Ready to Make Nice' makes it clear they don't. When Maines gets to the part about all the death threats, her voice rises and the strings well up; it's a true pop-money-shot moment."[8] Rolling Stone music reviewer Barry Walters commented the following about the song, "Rather than try to forget about singer Natalie Maines' anti-Bush remarks of 2003 -- which landed them in hot water with a lot of station program directors -- the threesome declares it's still 'Not Ready to Make Nice'."[9] USA Today music reviewer Brian Mansfield commented the following about the song, "They're 'Not Ready to Make Nice' with the yahoos who threatened their lives over an offhanded comment. So give the Chicks credit for sticking to their guns, and give them more for getting on with life."[10] The Village Voice's Pazz & Jop annual critics' poll voted "Not Ready to Make Nice" as the eighth best single of 2006.
Live performances history[edit]
To promote both the single and the album, the Dixie Chicks performed the song live on some television programs such as on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Good Morning America, Late Show with David Letterman, among others. It was also performed to internet radios such as Sessions@AOL and LAUNCHcast. It was performed in every single concert of the band's Accidents & Accusations Tour (June 15–December 5, 2006). It was also performed at the 49th Grammy Awards, just minutes before the band won the awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year. (In a nod to the controversial origins of the song, Grammy producers had longtime singer-activist Joan Baez introduce the performance.)
Chart and sales performance[edit]
"Not Ready to Make Nice" initially peaked at number 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart,[11] becoming the first song by the band to chart in the U.S. after the 2003 controversy and their last top ten hit. It was able to chart in the Billboard Hot 100 because of a high number of download sales (it debuted at number 11[12] and peaked at number eight[13] on the Hot Digital Songs chart), despite low country radio airplay.
For the issue dated February 24, 2007, in the wake of its Grammy success, the song re-entered the Hot 100 at number four, after a 20-week absence,[14] becoming the band's highest charting single to date on the general music charts. That same week, the song would also receive a Gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America for digital downloads of over 500,000. However, its drop to number 28 in the next week broke the record for the biggest drop out of the top five in a single week, beating Clay Aiken's "Solitaire", which fell from number four to number 27 four years earlier.[15] The song was certified Platinum in the United States on July 20, 2013, and as of March 2020, the song has sold 2,000,000 digital copies in the US.[16]
The song was also very popular in Canada, where it peaked at number three on the BDS chart. It also became a top 20 hit in Australia, becoming the second single of the band to chart on the ARIA chart, at number 18.[17] In the United Kingdom, the song charted poorly on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 70;[18] however, it became the fourth single by the band to chart in that country.