Metallica and Rihanna are among the well-known individuals who have performed Sweet Home Alabama, or at least a portion of the Skynyrd song. From the Dead Kennedys to Justin Bieber. and from Red Hot Chili Peppers by Weird Al Yankovicto.
The song, written by Southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd in response to Young songs like Alabama, which denigrated Alabama in their lyrics, was also performed by Neil Young. The Florida-based band Skynyrd had pleasant memories of Alabama from their time there, which included playing in Birmingham and making their first demo tapes in Muscle Shoals.
A-list actress Sydney Sweeney joined Sweet Homecovers in late 2023. Sweeny shared a video on Instagram of herself and a buddy performing the song while doing karaoke (complete with microphones) from the backseat of a moving car while on vacation in Australia. Call it Alabama’s Sweeney Home.
Sweeney, who gained notoriety for her Emmy-nominated performances in the HBO series Euphoria and White Lotus, stated in a 2024 interview with USA Today, “I make playlists for all my different characters.” Therefore, the music for every project I work on will be unique. The resident of Spokane, Washington, listed her personal favorites among female singers, including Tate McRae, Chappell Roan, Billie Eilish, and Lana Del Reyae.
Sweeney wore a green one-piece bathing suit in her Sweet Home Alabama Instagram video. She is a rising producer and movie/TV actress (Anyone But You, Immaculate), and she has embraced the dying art of being a sex symbol. Sydney appeared in the Rolling Stones song “Angry”‘s eyeglass-fogging 2024 music video.
Sweeney has lately made headlines for a denim ad campaign for American Eagle that capitalizes on her stunning appearance. Social media has been used by recreational outrage aficionados who are offended by the advertisements’ wordplay that swaps DNA and jeans. Sweeney’s American advertisements have drawn criticism for being overly sexualized. (They should absolutely avoid searching for “Kate Moss Obsession” on Google.)
The claim that one of AE’s advertisements suggests white supremacist or Nazi sentiment because Sweeney mentions that her eyes are blue is far more outrageous. The 27-year-old, who is 5’3″, has blue eyes. (Of course, jeans are also blue.) Sweeney, though, isn’t naturally blonde. She dyes blonde and is a brunette.
The ad wording that claims Sweeney has wonderful genes has been criticized by others as racist, even though it is obviously a reference to her signature all-natural curves.
Sweeney has not yet made any public remarks on the ridiculousness of the jeans ads. The proceeds from her limited-edition American Eagle denim collection, The Sydney Jean, will go to Crisis Text Line, a nonprofit organization that offers crisis intervention and free text-based mental health care. Sweeney’s AE line features a butterfly theme in its design, signifying awareness of domestic abuse.
Sweeney bulked up for her upcoming film parts in The Housemaid, a psychological thriller directed by Paul Feig and based on the same-titled novel by Freida McFadden, and Christy, a biography about female professional boxer Christy Martin.
Stories by
Matt Wake
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