On Thursday, the closing day of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, marked by Vice President Kamala Harris officially accepting the party’s nomination for president.

The final day also included a performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by The Chicks, a band that was previously known as “The Dixie Chicks” until their name change in 2020.

At the time of their name change, the trio—comprised of Natalie Maines along with sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer—stated on their website, “We want to meet this moment.” The term “Dixie,” which is associated with the Confederate states, faced increased criticism in 2020.

In addition to their name change, the group released a song called “March March,” featuring a music video that included protest footage and honored the names of individuals like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

In a July 2020 interview on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the band shared that they nearly rebranded themselves as “M.E.N.” to transition from “chicks to MEN,” as noted by Strayer.

Maines informed Colbert that they had contemplated changing their name for quite a while, experimenting with “DCX” and “The Chicks” alongside “Dixie Chicks” in hopes of it becoming widely accepted. Ultimately, they didn’t gain traction until June 2020 when they updated their social media handles, and their website now redirects to thechicks.com.

Maines humorously suggested she’d prefer to ‘make out’ with George W. Bush rather than Donald Trump

The Chicks have a notable history of political expression.

During a 2022 remote appearance on “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen,” Maines discussed how the Trump administration altered her perspective towards former President George W. Bush.

“You know, I joke that today I might actually make out with George Bush,” she remarked with laughter. “I still believe that the Iraq War was unjustified and weapons of mass destruction were a deception, but yes, if I met George Bush now, it would be a tremendous celebration given the current presidency.”

Despite their massive success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, the group faced significant backlash in 2003 when Maines openly criticized then-President George W. Bush.

The group told Cohen that they have not encountered Bush or his family “since the controversy,” although they had met him previously.

Contributing: Morgan Hines & Sara M Moniuszko, YSL News