Maren Morris in New York City in May 2023.Photo:Taylor Hill/WireImage
Taylor Hill/WireImage
Maren Morrisis opening up about everything that led up to her decision to walk away from country music.
In a Wednesday episode ofThe New York Times’Popcastpodcast, the singer-songwriter said that she simply could not “participate in the really toxic arms” of country music in Nashville.
“I love living in Nashville, I have my family. There’s a reason why people come there from L.A. and New York to write with us. It’s because we have amazing songwriters there. That’s not gonna change,” Morris, 33, said.
But, she added, “I couldn’t do this circus anymore — feeling like l have to absorb and explain people’s bad behaviors and laugh it off. I just couldn’t do that after 2020 particularly. I’ve changed. A lot of things changed about me that year.”
She further explained that “leaving country music” sounds like a bit of an exaggeration — but she “certainly can’t participate in a lot of it” and she’s “OK just doing my own thing.”
During the interview, they also reflected on her response toMorgan Wallengetting caught on video using a racial slurin 2021. She wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) at the time, “It actually IS representative of our town because this isn’t his first ‘scuffle,’ and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless."
Maren Morris in New York Cityin September 2023.Gotham/GC Images
Gotham/GC Images
At the time, Morris — who recentlyreleased a two-song projecttitledThe Bridge— didn’t realize the flame she had set off.
Morris further explained feeling “very, very distanced” from the country industry and its politics. “I thought I’d like to burn it to the ground and start over,” she said of the genre. “But it’s burning itself down without my help.”
The pop artist said she tried to advocate for change but only found that made her unpopular. “I’m trying to mature here and realize I can just walk away from the parts of this that no longer make me happy," Morris said.
The star continued, “Being one of the few women that had any success on country radio, everything you do is looked at under a microscope. You’re scrutinized more than your male peers, even when you’re doing well. So I’ve had to clear all of that out of my head this year and just write songs. A lot of the drama within the community, I’ve chosen to step outside of it.”
source: people.com
