Country music’s Lady Antebellum will now be known as Lady A

Dave Haywood (from left), Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum arrive at the 2019 CMT Artists of the Year ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee. | AP

Country trio Lady Antebellum dropped “Antebellum” from its name Thursday, per a social media post from the Grammy Award-winning group.

The trio behind hits “Need You Now” and ”Bartender” now identifies as “Lady A,” renouncing the term used particularly to describe existing before the American Civil War.

In a statement posted to social media, the band — featuring members Charles Kelley, Hillary Scott and Dave Haywood — said that when Lady A formed 14 years ago, the group didn’t consider the pre-Civil War “associations that weigh down this word,” including ties to slavery.

“We are deeply sorry for the hurt this has caused and for anyone who has felt unsafe, unseen or unvalued,” the statement said. “Causing pain was never our hearts’ intention, but it doesn’t change the fact that indeed, it did just that. So today, we speak up and make a change.”

There’s “no excuse” for the making this decision after nearly a decade-and-a-half career, the post continued. The band acknowledged its “lateness” to change, writing that “this is just one step” in addressing systemic racism.

The group said it would be donating to Equal Justice Initiative via LADYAID, a nonprofit organization launced by Lady A in 2012.

“We are committed to examining our individual and collective impact and making the necessary changes to practice antiracism,” the statement said. “We will continue to educate ourselves, have hard conversations and search the parts of our hearts that need pruning — to grow into better humans, better neighbors.”

The decision to drop “Antebellum” comes as protesters nationwide continue to call for systemic changes toward racial equality. Demonstrations against racial inequality reignited in late May, following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, in Minneapolis. Floyd died after Derek Chauvin, a white police officer, pressed a knee into his neck for more than eight minutes.

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