Rissi Palmer Honors Those That Came Before Her, Talks New Album and Disparities for Black Women in Country Music: ‘Y’all Don’t See a Problem?’

Breaking Barriers in Country music as a Black woman while highlighting others on her journey, Rissi Palmer continues to soar and blaze a path for Country artists of color to follow through.

Starting her path in 2007 with her self-titled album, Palmer says her goals and perspectives have changed.

“I think 2007 Rissi was very concerned with being famous and wanting that really badly,” Palmer said. 2024 Rissi is very concerned with what I’m leaving behind for my daughters. I just want to make sure that all the work that I do, all the things that I involve myself with, any project that I put my attention toward, that takes time away from my girls — I want to make sure that it’s worth it.”

With her debut album, Palmer became one of the few Black women to chart on the Billboard Country Charts, which started in 1944 under the Most Played Juke Box Folk Records title.

Palmer’s singles “Country Girl” peaked at 54 on the Country charts, and “Hold on to Me” peaked at 59.

Since then, Palmer has been recognized by notable publications, performed at the Grand Ole Opry, the Apollo and the White House, highlighted in the Grammy Museum and is Grammy-nominated. Many of those accomplishments happened as an independent artist.

Although amazing successes in her career came, she was faced with challenges.

“I was signed to an independent, so an independent that had never had a country artist before and didn’t exist three years prior to me even releasing music,” Palmer said. “So, we were unproven. Partnered with the fact that I’m a woman and I’m a Black woman, and this was my first project. And just — all those things partnered together to make a really, an adventure, I’ll call it that.”

Being one of the only, if not THEE only Black person in a space can be draining. It is, however, a reality for many Black people in certain environments. All of which can harm one’s health.

Palmer shared that her mental health was impacted during her debut era, on top of being a new artist at the time.

“You don’t really get an opportunity to say no a lot,” Palmer said. “I was burnt out from just working and then I was burnt out from the little things that pick at you every day, like conversations about my hair, conversations about music choice, things that people are saying about you on the internet, and then not feeling 100% connected to my peers and that sort of thing. And so, it was hard.”

Although she had those experiences, they helped lead to the creation of the “Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer” radio show on Apple Music.

The show debuted in 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic to bring “to the forefront the Black, Indigenous, and Latinx histories of country music that for too long have lived outside the spotlight and off mainstream airwaves.”

Named after fellow Black Country Artist Linda Martell’s 1970 album, which included the 1969 cover of “Color Him Father,” making Martell the first Black woman to chart on the Billboard Country chart. Martell also became the first Black woman to perform at the Grand Ole Opry.

Spreading knowledge, breaking down barriers and creating safe spaces for Country artists of color will be intertwined in Palmer’s legacy, as well as her love for honoring those who came before her and their own trailblazing path.

Alice Randall became the first Black woman songwriter to score a number one Country song, which occurred in 1994 with Trisha Yearwood’s “XXX’s And OOO’s (An American Girl).” Randall is one of the few Black women to achieve such a feat.

Palmer is set to be featured on Randall’s tribute album, which Palmer said is a way to honor someone who honors her.

“The distinction between Alice and the other artists is that Alice is a Country music songwriter,” Palmer said. “She came to Nashville specifically to write Country music. She didn’t come to write Pop; she didn’t come to visit from R&B or anything.  She made a decision with her life as an adult to come and do Country music and to write Country music. And so she is on that list, the only person that is a decidedly Country songwriter, and I think that’s a really important distinction.:

Palmer said Randall is the type of woman, mentor and teacher she aspires to be, and she appreciates Randall’s support throughout the years.

“Being on this record meant the world to me,” Palmer said. “It was a way to honor someone who always honors me. And so, it was a really small thing that I could do. And really, even the record is kind of a selfless thing because we all get to say that we’re on this record and put out new material and all kinds of stuff. So even in the moment where she’s supposed to be thinking of herself, she’s thinking of others. I’m among some really amazing women artists, black women that are not only artists but activists that are change-makers in their own way.”

Thirty years after Randall became the first Black woman songwriter to have a number one Country record, Beyoncé became the first Black woman artist to score a number one Country record on both the Country chart and the Billboard Hot 100.

Being one of the few Black artists to chart a Country song, Palmer said that Beyoncé’s number one Country song shows the “bullsh*t” in the industry and that this conversation is larger than Beyoncé herself.

“I think it’s awesome and I’m glad for her, but I think anybody that’s keeping score can see that that’s really kind of complete and total bullshit that it’s taken; How long has the Billboard charts been around? And no Black woman ever has not had a number one until 2024,” Palmer stated. “The first Black woman charted in 1968, and that was Linda Martel, and we’ve had eight other women chart including Beyonce, and it took that long. And y’all don’t see a problem? It’s problematic as hell. I think that to me, in the celebration of Beyonce, I think there’s also a deeper conversation that needs to be had. And it’s like why?”

Palmer also called to task Country music programmers and executives. She believes that with the success and attention to Black Country artists since Beyonce’s releases, change will only occur if the right questions are asked to those in charge, given the fact that, “if radio can make such a drastic decision about Beyonce, then it calls into question everything that they have always told artists to do.”

On Feb. 15, Variety released an article by Chris Willman on radio executives regarding Beyoncé’s “Texas Hold ‘Em.” In the article, these executives are seen praising Beyonce, while in the same sense, downplaying or not acknowledging the other Black women currently, or who have been creating Country music.

Palmer expressed some sentiments on social media, but clarified where her issues were directed at, the executives.

“I wasn’t mad at Chris, I was mad at the people that he got on record,” Palmer said. “They were saying a bunch of radio programmers said that they’re eager to have a Black woman in the format. It’s just that they have never met one that had the right song or the right charisma or the right voice. And that’s a crock of sh*t. If you just look at all of the women that have come, shoot, if you just look at the eight that have charted, not one of those were deserving of a number one? Not one.? And if you look at all the women that have attempted and have tried and have sent music to radio and have been signed, none of them? None of them?”

Despite consistent challenges in the field, which resulted in various breaks, Palmer’s love of music has remained. Her last full-length album, ‘Revival,’ was released in 2019. She released an EP, ‘The Back Porch Sessions,’ in 2015 and a children’s music album inspired by her children, ‘Best Day Ever,’ in 2013.

Palmer’s new album, ‘Survivor’s Joy,’ will be released later this year, which includes the 2023 single “Still Here” with Miko Marks.

“I wrote ‘Still Here’ with Miko Marks because Miko is a peer, Miko has been at this longer than me, and she’s someone I love,” Palmer said. “She’s also someone that I am inspired by as an artist. I love Miko can sing pretty much anything. And I know her story and her story is very similar to mine, and different in other ways too.”

Palmer said that “Still Here,” sonically, is a “good indication” of the sound of ‘Survivor’s Joy.’

She also shared the title comes from a conversation on her radio show with fellow artist Allison Russell, which ties into the lyrical content of the “Still Here” single.

“Alison Russell was on my show a couple of years ago, and she said that a lot of people talk about survivor’s guilt,” Palmer said. “No one talks about the survivor’s joy and the feeling that comes after overcoming that sort of thing.”

The above statement reigns true for the careers of Palmer, Marks, Randall, Russell, Beyoncé and countless other Black women in the field, and other fields, that still have to fight.