Keith Urban Debuts ‘Female’ at 2017 CMA Awards
Keith Urban debuted his brand-new single "Female" during the 2017 CMA Awards. Urban took the stage in the final hour of the annual awards ceremony, which aired live from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena.
"When you hear somebody say somebody hits like a girl / How does that hit you? / Is that such a bad thing?" Urban sings in the first verse of "Female." "When you hear a song that they play saying you run the world / Do you believe it? / Will you live to see it?"
The second verse of "Female" also questions how our culture treats women, addressing rape culture ("When somebody laughs and implies that she asked for it just 'cause she was wearin' a skirt / Aw, is that how that works?") and those who believe women are inferior to men ("When somebody talks about 'It was Adam first', does that make you second best / Or did He save the best for last?"). The lines are striking, especially surrounded by the song's chorus.
"Sister, shoulder, daughter, lover / Healer, broken halo, mother / Nature, fire, suit of armor / Soul survivor, holy water," Urban sings in the chorus of "Female." "Secret keeper, fortune teller / Virgin Mary, scarlet letter / Technicoclor, river wild / Baby girl, woman child / Female."
Urban still earned a number of CMAs nominations this year: At the 2017 ceremony, he's up for Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year and Music Video of the Year (the last three all for "Blue Ain't Your Color"). Pink, too, received a CMA Awards nomination this year: Her collaboration with Kenny Chesney, "Setting the World on Fire," was nominated for Musical Event of the Year.
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