Review: Mickey Guyton soars on her powerful, personal record
Mickey Guyton's path in country music has been fraught with obstacles, but her perseverance turned into a powerful and personal debut full-length album
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.“Remember Her Name," Mickey Guyton (Capitol Records Nashville)
It's hard enough to be Black woman in America but Mickey Guyton's path in country music has been especially fraught with obstacles she had to overcome. On her debut full-length album released a decade after she was initially signed to her label (a fact that itself raises questions), Guyton has proven what hasn't killed her has only made her stronger.
The Texas singer-songwriter's extremely personal record confronts realities that mainstream country music often refuses to acknowledge, whether calling out systemic racism on the Grammy-nominated “Black Like Me" or ingrained sexism on “What Are You Gonna Tell Her.” Guyton's blazing vocals express pain, power and perseverance on the title track “Remember Her Name," an anthem about emerging through the fire.
She's also flaunting and strutting on the catwalk-ready doo-wop bop “Different,” and her vocal runs on “Lay It On Me” are a spiritual experience. On a cover of Beyonce s hit “If I Were a Boy," Guyton's powerful voice hits all the emotional high notes of the tender ballad.
Guyton is honest about hitting rock bottom while still trying to make others comfortable, a relatable experience for anyone. “If I tell you the truth, will your heart be big enough to hold it,” she asks in “Do You Really Wanna Know.”
What makes Guyton stand out in country music is her empathic songwriting and an underlying optimism in humanity that doesn't just rely white-washed nostalgia.