The hugely popular US country group The Dixie Chicks revealed their name change to Chicks as they released the video for their new song March March.
Natalie Maines, Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Strayer updated their social media handles to reflect their name change and revealed new artwork for the cover of their forthcoming album, Gaslighter.
The trio has been under pressure to change their name as the word Dixie often refers to the southern states of the US that seceded around 1860 to form the new Confederate States of America.
The often outspoken group also declared their support for the Black Lives Matter movement by debuting a new music video for their latest track, March March, which features footage from Black Lives Matter and LGBT protests, as well as images of climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg and education campaigner Malala Yousafzai.
"If your voice held no power, they wouldn't try to silence you." - unknown#MARCHMARCH pic.twitter.com/n4hJTaYSri
— The Chicks (@thechicks) June 25, 2020
A statement from the band said: "A sincere and heartfelt thank you goes out to The Chicks of NZ for their gracious gesture in allowing us to share their name. We are honored to co-exist together in the world with these exceptionally talented sisters. Chicks Rock!"
Chicks was also the name of an all-girl Irish band who enjoyed success in the UK in the late nineties.
The Chicks' career was almost derailed when they publicly denounced former US president George W Bush before the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Maines said they were "ashamed" of Mr Bush, leading to a boycott of their music.
Earlier this month, Grammy-winning country group Lady Antebellum changed their name to Lady A, saying they had reassessed the word's associations with slavery.
Antebellum means before a war and the term has been widely associated with the pre-Civil War period in the United States when slavery was practised.
