Don't Call Me Names

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Release Date
DescriptionExcerpt

"The framework in the song is a love affair, but it can happen in any kind of connection," Rhiannon Giddens says of her song "Don't Call Me Names." "The real story was accepting my inner strength and refusing to continue being gas-lit and held back; and refusing to keep sacrificing my mental health for the sake of anything or anyone ... When I listen to it, the anger that I felt then now is the anger I feel at my entire country being gas-lit, held back, and sacrificed. We have to keep saying NO to toxic behavior, no matter how small or large the stage, and keep saying it nice and loud.”

Description

Rhiannon Giddens released a new original song, "Don’t Call Me Names," about rejecting toxic behavior, on August 23, 2020. The track debuted Sunday afternoon on the inaugural episode of Southern Craft Radio, Kelly McCartney’s new show on Apple Music Country.

"The framework in the song is a love affair, but it can happen in any kind of connection," Giddens says. "The real story was accepting my inner strength and refusing to continue being gas-lit and held back; and refusing to keep sacrificing my mental health for the sake of anything or anyone. I don't often write personal songs, but this one has stayed with me—it poured out then and has just sat there waiting for the right time. I got a chance to do it with some incredible musicians and a fabulous producer, and I'm thrilled it's going to be out in the world; when I listen to it, the anger that I felt then now is the anger I feel at my entire country being gas-lit, held back, and sacrificed. We have to keep saying NO to toxic behavior, no matter how small or large the stage, and keep saying it nice and loud.”

ns_album_releasedate
Album Status
Artist Name
Rhiannon Giddens
reissues?
new-release
Cover Art
UPC/Price
Label
FLAC
Price
1.39
UPC
075597918670
Label
MP3
Price
1.29
UPC
075597918687

Track Listing

News & Reviews

  • Rhiannon Giddens reunites with her former Carolina Chocolate Drops bandmate Justin Robinson on What Did the Blackbird Say to the Crow, out now. Produced by Giddens and Joseph "joebass" DeJarnette, the album features Giddens on banjo and Robinson on fiddle, playing 18 of their favorite North Carolina tunes. Many were learned from their late mentor, legendary North Carolina Piedmont musician Joe Thompson; one is from another musical hero, the late Etta Baker. Giddens and Robinson recorded outdoors at Thompson’s and Baker’s North Carolina homes, as well as the former plantation Mill Prong House, accompanied by the sounds of nature. You can watch eight performance videos from the album here. Giddens leads her first-ever festival, Biscuits & Banjos, in Durham, NC, next weekend, then goes on tour with Robinson.

  • Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley, has announced its 2025–26 concert season, including Zellerbach Hall performances by Kronos Quartet, Jeremy Denk, Cécile McLorin Salvant, Chris Thile, and Rhiannon Giddens and Silkroad Ensemble.

  • About This Album

    Rhiannon Giddens released a new original song, "Don’t Call Me Names," about rejecting toxic behavior, on August 23, 2020. The track debuted Sunday afternoon on the inaugural episode of Southern Craft Radio, Kelly McCartney’s new show on Apple Music Country.

    "The framework in the song is a love affair, but it can happen in any kind of connection," Giddens says. "The real story was accepting my inner strength and refusing to continue being gas-lit and held back; and refusing to keep sacrificing my mental health for the sake of anything or anyone. I don't often write personal songs, but this one has stayed with me—it poured out then and has just sat there waiting for the right time. I got a chance to do it with some incredible musicians and a fabulous producer, and I'm thrilled it's going to be out in the world; when I listen to it, the anger that I felt then now is the anger I feel at my entire country being gas-lit, held back, and sacrificed. We have to keep saying NO to toxic behavior, no matter how small or large the stage, and keep saying it nice and loud.”