Maren Morris is one of the most outspoken and progressive country music artists today. Her progressiveness and activism, however, have gotten in the way of her reputation in the country music genre, which has since been dominated by conservatives.
Earlier this year, Maren Morris publicly announced that she would be leaving the genre. In a new interview, she explains more about her controversial decision.
Why Is Maren Morris Leaving Country Music?
Sharing her thoughts with Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show," Maren Morris was especially candid in her explanation.
"I don't think it's something you can really leave, because it's a music that's in me and that I grew up doing," she confessed. "That's the music that I write, even if I've been sort of genre fluid my whole career. You can't, like, scrub the country music out."
But Maren Morris isn't completely shutting everything out.
"I'm taking the good parts with me and all are welcome. But, yeah, there were some, you know, facets of it that I didn't really jive with anymore. I'm a lot happier now," she continued to say.
Morris recently released her two-track EP titled, "The Bridge."
She also gushed about her love of the genre despite wanting to distance herself from it to The New York Times podcast.
"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," she said before describing the genre to be a "circus."
"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 confessed.
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Maren Morris Leaves Country Music
Morris has made significant changes to her music. In a huge move, she has asked for her songs to be not considered for potential nominations on the country music awards circuit.
She had asked for her music to not be considered for potential nominations on the Country Music Awards circuit. Morris has since won five ACM Awards, 5 CMA Awards, and a Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance, among many others.
Morris has also signed a deal with Columbia Records, departing the label's Nashville division.
