In a ceremony dedicated to celebrating legendary female artists within the genre, Jennifer Nettles wore her beliefs on her sleeve -- er, her cape -- at the 2019 CMA Awards. The singer and Sugarland bandmate wore a white suit with a pink cape, the inside of which read, "PLAY OUR F--KING RECORDS ... PLEASE AND THANK YOU." The outside of the cape depicted an image of a woman's face, along with the phrase "EQUAL PLAY."

Backstage in the media room during the ceremony, Nettles elaborated on the ensemble. She told reporters that while she was excited to celebrate iconic women during the Wednesday evening (Nov. 13) event, she also wanted to seize the opportunity to enact change that will last after the event is over.

"When I learned that the CMAs tonight were going to be celebrating women, and the hostesses were three women, I thought, 'What a fantastic opportunity to continue the conversation,'" she explained. "Obviously, you all know the numbers and know the statistics ..."

Nettles noted the gender bias that women face at country radio and on tour, citing the stark difference between male and female artists' presence on radio charts. While it's easy for anyone to get frustrated by the longstanding imbalance in country music, Nettles said she intentionally kept her approach whimsical.

"For a woman, it feels like -- what more womanly a way to make a statement than through fashion?!" she added with a laugh. "And just to push a subversive [message] in a more cheeky way."

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