Five Things We Learned From Maren Morris’ ‘Playboy’ Interview
Country music trailblazer Maren Morris is turning heads once again, this time with a new photoshoot and interview featured in…

Maren Morris; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Country music trailblazer Maren Morris is turning heads once again, this time with a new photoshoot and interview featured in Playboy.
Morris proves she is comfortable in her own skin, posing topless, but covered, in the steamy, yet tasteful, photo spread.
In the interview, the 29-year-old opened up about a variety of topics, revealing what she’s most afraid of, how her music has changed over the years, what makes her feel sexy and more.
Here are five important takeaways from the superstar’s Playboy feature.
1. Maren is sick of being asked about being a woman in country music.
The topic of women on country radio has been a hot-button issue for several years and Morris admits she’s completely OVER talking about it.
“My husband is an artist as well, and no one ever asks him what it’s like to be a man in the industry today. What would he say? ‘Same as it ever was.,’” she told the publication. “I never know how to re-answer that question. I don’t know how to answer it in the first place, actually, because I don’t want to be remembered for being a great female artist. I would like to be known as a great artist.”
2. She believes country crossovers help the genre.
In 2018, Morris was featured on Zedd’s “The Middle,” which ultimately became one of the biggest pop songs of the year. She admits recording the song was a “risk” because she was afraid country radio would think she’d abandoned them, but it ended up being a massive win for her career.
“When I did ‘The Middle’ with Zedd, most of the world had never heard of me,” she explained. “A lot of people have checked out my country music as a result. It has brought a lot of awareness, fans and listeners to country music, especially recently. It’s good for our genre to cross-pollinate, because it makes for better music. It’s keeping everyone on their toes and not regurgitating the same kind of art on the conveyor belt.”
3. She is coming into her own as a woman and finally came to the realization that it’s okay if she doesn’t have the “sassy, armored exterior” many of her fans think she has.
It’s no secret that Morris is a confident and opinionated woman, but she also wants fans to know that she can be sensitive at times.
“I’ve learned it’s okay to not be a badass all the time,” the Texas native confessed. “Over the past few years, as I wrote GIRL, I learned that it’s not a weakness to be vulnerable with somebody else, to share all your light and your darkness with them, to trust that they won’t trample your heart or judge you.”
4. Maren will continue to voice her opinions and she doesn’t care what anyone thinks about it.
Morris has never been one to sugar coat anything and she has no plans to change that.
“I get only one life here, and if I’m going to be a musician and do this thing I’ve been given a gift for, I would like people to know what I believe in,” she said. “This is where I stand, this is what I want, this is the world I want my kids to live in. That’s why I speak up when I do. It definitely ruffles feathers. Not many country artists speak up.”
5. For Morris, strong is sexy.
The “Girl” singer has been working out with celebrity trainer Oprea and her hard work is paying off.
“I’ve been trying to be better at exercising the past year or two,” she confessed. “I don’t want to be skinny. I want to be strong and feel like Lara Croft. I remember when choosing Girl’s cover, I was like, Yeah, I have this body; I’m going to put it on the cover!”
Fans can read more from Morris’ interview with Playboy HERE.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.