Maren Morris Says She Doesn't 'Have to Protect Anyone Anymore' with Vulnerable 'New Chapter' of Music

Maren Morris is turning over a new leaf.

In a video shared to Instagram on July 29, the Grammy winner opened up about the meaning behind her vulnerable upcoming EP, Intermission, which arrives after several major shifts in her life and career.

"Calling this project Intermission was intentional. It's obviously a lyric at the end of the song 'Cut!,' but it's also meaning that there's more to come," said Morris, referring to the project's lead single featuring Julia Michaels.

"It's a break in the act, and for me, it's definitely an act break and new chapter of my life, and I'm so ready to see what's on the other page," she continued of the EP. "I just am so proud of this music. It wasn't easy to write because I'm going through a lot, and this is the diary of that."

Morris added, "But it's also, like, the most fun music as well as the most heartbreaking because i'm allowing myself to go there — 'cause I don't have to protect anyone anymore. It's just about my feelings. So, I hope you love it."

Set for an Aug. 2 release, Intermission marks the "My Church" singer's first project following the finalization of her divorce from ex-husband Ryan Hurd in January. The pair shares son Hayes Andrew, 4.

She previewed the EP earlier this month with its latest single, "I Hope I Never Fall in Love," which finds her expressing the desire to remain single following the rough end of a relationship. The song followed the June release of "Cut!," a track about appearing picture-perfect on the outside but feeling like an emotional mess in private.

Last month, Morris also revealed she identifies as bisexual in a celebratory social media post. "happy to be the B in LGBTQ+," she wrote alongside photos of herself holding Pride flags during her RSVP Redux Tour stop in Phoenix. "happy pride."

Prior to publicly sharing the changes in her personal life, the "'80s Mercedes" performer told the Los Angeles Times in September 2023 that she was planning to "take a step back" from the country music industry because she felt "very, very distanced" from others in the business and their politics.

Two months later, however, Morris told Variety she has no plans to go pop anytime soon. “I’m not getting out of Dodge. I love living in Nashville, and I don’t consider myself an expat of country music,” she said. “There’s so many amazing people here making music that matters. I’m a piece of this town, and I want to make it better in the same ways I want the music industry to be better.”