Maren Morris Gives Her Honest Opinion on Females in Country Music
The country star recently traded her songwriting style for that of the journalistic kind while penning a brutally honest opinion piece about the female struggle in country music for Lenny Letter.
From her music to her speeches, Maren Morris doesn’t hold back when it comes to sharing her thoughts.
The country star recently traded her songwriting style for that of the journalistic kind while penning a brutally honest opinion piece about the female struggle in country music for Lenny Letter, an online website created by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner to promote all things feminism, politics and life. Diving into the vicious cycle that involves ‘Tomato-Gate’ and the toxic tolls that female country artists face throughout their career, Morris let out her true feelings on how she handles the pressure as a fresh new artist hitting the gates.
Admitting that her surface-level successes have brought her to greater heights than she could have ever imagined in the past year of her career, Morris also faced great scrutiny for not following the stereotypical downplay of what a female in country music “should” do. Acknowledging that she doesn’t match the mold of what country music used to be, she still grasps the original idea that country music is raw and gritty, and continues to tell the truth behind every song’s story.
“Life is what I write about at the end of it all. The frustration I’ve had with the perspective of women in country music (who, until recently, were severely lacking in numbers) is that you either have to sing about being scorned by a lover or sing about thinking a boy is cute and wanting him to notice you. That’s about as edgy as you can get. On top having to make songs that are down the middle and noncontroversial, there are the aesthetic pressures for a woman to be pretty and sexy but not sexual or have desires beyond winning a guy’s affections,” Morris said in the letter.
Morris questioned, though, the difference between male and female interactions with media when it comes to the kind of interviews or conversations she has because of her place in the genre. Although hit with the emotional punches of dealing with that structured female portrait of country music, Morris found respect thanks to her multiple GRAMMY nominations for her debut record.
“Things were starting to change for the better, not just for female artists, but for all artists who care about being themselves even if it means sounding different from the commercial status quo,” she explained. “I felt the embrace and support from my fellow country artists, colleagues, and even the upper echelon of label heads and radio program directors. I was validated in that moment, and I will never forget it.”
In the end, Morris still proves her love for country music as a working relationship and hints at working on her sophomore effort at the moment. Morris will take a break on it though to join Sam Hunt on his 15 in a 30 Tour throughout the summer.
