Maren Morris on Feeling 'Cynical' and Choosing to Leave Country: 'I Couldn't Do This Circus Anymore'

Maren Morris is opening up about everything that led up to her decision to walk away from country music.

In a Wednesday episode of The New York Times' Popcast podcast, the singer-songwriter said that she simply could not "participate in the really toxic arms" of country music in Nashville.

"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," Morris, 33, said.

But, she added, "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 further explained that "leaving country music" sounds like a bit of an exaggeration — but she "certainly can’t participate in a lot of it" and she's "OK just doing my own thing."

"Come with me if you please. Everyone’s welcomed," she said, adding that she drew the line by asking for her work to not be considered at country music award shows.

During the interview, they also reflected on her response to Morgan Wallen getting caught on video using a racial slur in 2021. She wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) at the time, “It actually IS representative of our town because this isn't his first 'scuffle,' and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless."

At the time, Morris — who recently released a two-song project titled The Bridge — didn't realize the flame she had set off.

"I underestimated the power of the town and also every broken thing about it — how it protects itself no matter what the cost. That sucked — not because I regret what I said," she explained, adding that she never expected to receive death threats over her comments. "I was cynical. I think rightfully so."

Morris revealed her choice to leave the country genre in an interview with The Los Angeles Times last month. She opened up to the outlet about the challenges of advocating for progress in the country industry and being outspoken about her progressive beliefs — which have included supporting the LGBTQ+ community, taking a stand for the Black Lives Matter movement, and critiquing people like Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany Kerr Aldean for making transphobic comments.

“I’ve always been an asker of questions and a status quo challenger just by being a woman. So it wasn’t really even a choice,” the Grammy winner said. “The further you get into the country music business, that’s when you start to see the cracks. And once you see it, you can’t un-see it.”

Morris further explained feeling "very, very distanced" from the country industry and its politics. "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."

The pop artist said she tried to advocate for change but only found that made her unpopular. “I’m trying to mature here and realize I can just walk away from the parts of this that no longer make me happy," Morris said.

The star continued, “Being one of the few women that had any success on country radio, everything you do is looked at under a microscope. You’re scrutinized more than your male peers, even when you’re doing well. So I’ve had to clear all of that out of my head this year and just write songs. A lot of the drama within the community, I’ve chosen to step outside of it.”