Maren Morris Is Leaving Country Music
“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.”
Maren Morris; Photo by Morgan Foitle
Maren Morris released a new two-song project, titled The Bridge, featuring “The Tree,” and “Get The Hell Out Of Here,” and announced her departure from country music on Friday (Sept. 15).
“The Tree” and “Get The Hell Out Of Here” speak on Morris’ decision to leave the country music genre.
The Bridge Out Now
“These two songs are incredibly key to my next step because they express a very righteously angry and liberating phase of my life these last couple of years, but also how my navigation is finally pointing towards the future, whatever that may be or sound like,” Morris shared in a press release. “Honoring where I’ve been and what I’ve achieved in country music, but also freely moving forward.”
The accompanying music video for “The Tree” finds Morris wandering through a small town as she prepares to cross “The Bridge” out of country music. The clip seemingly alludes to Jason Aldean’s controversial “Try That In A Small Town” with a sign that reads “Welcome to our perfect small town, from sunrise to sundown.” As she continues to make her way toward the bridge, Morris passes by homes and vacant establishments with signs out front that read “Go Woke Go Broke,” “Don’t Tread On Me” and “Lunatic Country Music Person.”
“The Tree”
“Get The Hell Out Of Here”
Meanwhile, the video for “Get The Hell Out Of Here,” shows the Texas native watching the fictional town from “The Tree” music video burn town from afar.
Felt “Distanced” From Country Music
Maren Morris further elaborated on her decision to leave country music during an interview with Los Angeles Times, where Morris, 33, admitted she feels “very distanced” from the genre.
“I had to take a step back. The way I grew up was so wrapped in country music, and the way I write songs is very lyrically structured in the Nashville way of doing things. But I think I needed to purposely focus on just making good music and not so much on how we’ll market it,” she told the publication. “The last few records, that’s always been in the back of my mind: Will this work in the country music universe?”
Now signed to Columbia Records, making the move from Columbia Nashville, Morris is going mainstream.
“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.”
Morris admitted the “drama” within the country music community is what led her to “step outside out of it.”
Never Thought Of Herself As A “Political Artist”
While she admits he never thought of herself as a “political artist,” Morris has been outspoken with her beliefs in recent years and made headlines after calling out country stars such as Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean as well as Aldean’s wife Brittany.
“After the Trump years, people’s biases were on full display,” Morris said. “It just revealed who people really were and that they were proud to be misogynistic and racist and homophobic and transphobic. All these things were being celebrated, and it was weirdly dovetailing with this hyper-masculine branch of country music. I call it butt rock.”
After getting tired of “filling a cup with a hole in the bottom,” Morris came to the conclusion that it’s time to move on.
“I’ve kind of said everything I can say. I always thought I’d have to do middle fingers in the air jumping out of an airplane, but I’m trying to mature here and realize I can just walk away from the parts of this that no longer make me happy.”
More New Music On The Way
The Bridge is just a taste of what Morris has been working on with producer Jack Antonoff. She previously opened up about her “next chapter” of music with Katie & Company’s Katie Neal at Audacy’s Leading Ladies.
“I mean, it’s thus far pretty confessional and I mean, I feel like it’s a rock realm it’s going into,” Morris said. “I don’t quite know what it is yet. They’re just demos, so I kind of find out when I get in the studio. But yeah, it’s super confessional.”
“I think my last record was super internal and organic, feeling tons of guitars, steel guitar. It felt like very organic country. And this one is going in a more rock direction,” Morris explained. “I don’t know. It’s really fun. I’m excited because it’s just all my influences are getting barfed out on this one.”
CMT Crossroads
Maren Morris will soon team up with Hozier for “CMT Crossroads: Hozier & Maren Morris.”
“Hozier is such a necessary artist to these times. He meets every moment with tenderness, clever wit and a strong moral stance for what is right. I’ve loved becoming friends with him over the years and I truly consider him to be one of the best of our generation,” she shared in a statement. It was so much fun to collaborate again.”
The one-hour special will air on Friday, September 22 at 10p / 9c, with an encore immediate encore at 11p / 10c, and on Saturday, September 23rd at 12p / 11c.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
You may also like
Country Next
Playlist
On Repeat
Get the latest country music news delivered straight to your inbox.
