Is Maren Morris… actually defending country music? While it absolutely seems unintentional, it sure sounds like it.
It’s no secret that country music is insanely popular right now, and naturally, whenever there is money to be made, you can count on all leeches to come running in an effort to capitalize on the moment and make a buck. The approach has been all over the map, with some artists like Post Malone fully embracing the genre and the country music community. Others, like Lana Del Rey, have straight up confessed that their reasoning is simply because it’s popular. And then you have Beyoncé who explicitly said her album was NOT a country album, but the media couldn’t wait to run with that narrative. After a couple good weeks, the album fell off a cliff…
And there’s been everywhere in between… Ed Sheeran said he would go country eventually, but added that he really respects the genre and would do it “properly.” He also said that he would eventually move to Nashville, and once he made the crossover to country, he wouldn’t go back. I’m actually intrigued to hear what that sounds like.
Chappell Roan’s Shania Twain-esque effort, “The Giver,” was more or less a one-and-done nod to her rural Missouri roots, and there’s been plenty of other examples, but overall, most it winds up being extremely corny. Slap on a cowboy hat and some boots, pluck some banjo on top of some over-produced pop beats, sing about horses and call it a “country song.” That’s been the recipe, and by in large, it’s really failed to produce any kind of lasting impact. I think Post Malone will stick around, but he’s also shown the most appreciation for the art form… but for the rest of them, it just feels like Halloween.
And the kicker is that nobody in country music really has much to say about it other than “it’s great for the exposure!” or “we welcome everybody,” even though it usually just ends up being a mockery of the genre. And look, anyone is free to make whatever kind of music they want, dip your toes in the water, bend genres, explore whatever creative lanes you like… it just seems like country music is the only place where it’s accepted, and almost encouraged as “fun” to play the part. And the industry, so afraid of being labeled racist or sexist, is like “YES!” COME MAKE US POPULAR and COOL!” even though country music already is cool, and fans just want… country music.
Like, imagine if Luke Combs died his hair black and started making punk rock? And the Warped Tour was bending over backwards to get him on stage? It wouldn’t happen… even though Luke probably grew up listening to bands like Blink 182 (he was on stage with Good Charlotte at Stagecoach). Or imagine Zach Bryan started wearing chains and got himself a grill because he wanted to rap? He starts doing interviews about how he grew up listening to Dr. Dre and how he’s always wanted to rap. Do you think the BET Awards would give him a performance slot, or would he be laughed off the stage? And look, obviously there is a TON of hip hop and pop influence in a lot of mainstream country music these days (whole other conversation), but you just don’t see the cosplaying like you do in country music. Hell, Morgan Wallen can even duet with Lil Durk and Moneybag Yo, and there isn’t this weird, dress up, play pretend approach to it.
And Maren Morris, of all people, is finally calling it out for what it is… it’s cosplay.
In a conversation with TZR, Maren got to talking about her new album, moving to Nashville to be a country songwriter, and her roots in the country genre. But in doing so, she finally called out the country music cosplay:
“I think people like cosplaying at it or doing it because it’s trendy. That’s never been me. You can Google my history very easily and find articles from the Star-Telegram when I was 10, and you’ll see the same little girl playing the guitar, singing country music. I think I always have to remind myself that that’s the same girl.”
Of course, Maren famously “left country music” back in 2023, citing its alleged toxic, sexist and racist culture that she couldn’t participate in anymore (my God, she’s insufferable), but then quickly walked it back saying that was just a headline that got misconstrued. Then she said her success in country music came at a “moral cost” as if a genre of music could be inherently evil. Then she kinda walked that back too and said she was talking about the Nashville country music industry. I think deep down Maren truly loves country music but her hyper wokeness has her believing its evil so she’ll continue to wrestle with this identity crisis.
She more or less confirmed that country music is in her DNA as she went on to say that she can’t just “leave” it, but that she can leave the industry.
“I’m taking the stuff that is a part of my identity, which is being from the South and growing up on country music. Country music is not a classroom that you just leave. It’s a family. It’s a sound. It’s a feeling. It’s an emotion. That’s not what I meant when I was going through that transition. It was about: ‘Do I want to put my life’s work in the hands of some of these gatekeepers of mainstream country music?’”
Seems like real deal country music is the only thing outside the gate, but sure, Maren… whatever…
Truth is, mainstream country music, AKA the songs on the radio and the ones winning awards, has been getting a lot better in the past handful of years, and the future looks even brighter. Zach Top is becoming a super star, bands like Red Clay Strays and Muscadine Bloodline are getting awards nominations… hard to complain when you compare it to 10 years ago. And while this cosplay fad will probably fade in the coming years, it is nice to hear someone finally come out and say it… even if that someone is Maren Morris. Although, it almost comes off like a jealous ex… she dumps country music for pop and then sees all the pop stars run to country. Now, she’s like “hey, I was real country in the beginning, these people are all chasing trends.”
Kacey Musgraves recently recorded the Leon Payne song “Lost Highway,” (which later became a Hank Williams hit), and in a conversation with Hollywood Reporter, noted that traditional country music has a “misconception” that it is really simple and easy to make. Which is why every pop star thinks they can throw on a cowboy hat and do it…
“There may be a misconception that country music is easy to replicate. When you look at the bones of traditional country – the structure, the sounds, the subject matter – it’s not easy to replicate. It comes across as very simple, and the best country music is.
But it’s full of so many layers of heart and real life, real stories. And there’s a lot of restraint. Really good traditional country music, there’s a lot of space for the lyrics, the story, for the heartbreak and the texture. I really appreciate that about that era of country music. It paints a picture, but it’s subtle and it’s simple.”
And of course, much like Maren, Kacey has enjoyed a lot of crossover success in the pop world (even more than Maren), but it’s actually somewhat refreshing to hear from these two women… even though I sorta suspect they weren’t actively looking to defend the integrity of country music.
I’d be willing to be that if you asked them directly, they’d welcome anyone into country music and say that all this crossover stuff is great for the genre. So don’t get me wrong, I couldn’t care less about Maren Morris’ opinion on country music or anything for that matter, but even if this is all just a passive observation, it’s not a wrong one. And it’s good to hear it out loud.
Enough with the cosplay… put some damn respect on country music.
