Photo Credit: Gary Cantrell / CC by 2.0
Morgan Wallen has stepped out of the limelight to work on himself following an infamously viral incident. But many believe the country star is being treated too harshly.
Most recently, the Academy of Country Music Awards went out of their way to make sure that Wallen was excluded from the ACM Awards. That included banning Wallen from awards eligibility, as well as removing any mention of the singer’s name during the ceremony itself. But the unprecedented cancellation drew a predictable backlash: shortly before the event, several billboards went up around Nashville celebrating Wallen. The giant signs proclaimed Wallen as ‘His Fans’ Choice for the Entertainer of the Year’ – even if the ACM Awards snubbed him.
That type of reaction from Wallen’s fanbase is now the norm — the more Wallen gets canceled, the more his followers double down. Indeed, despite getting removed from nearly every radio station in America, every Sirius XM channel, and virtually every marquee country playlist on Spotify and Apple Music, sales of Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album exploded as fans overwhelmingly expressed their support.
Now, other artists in the industry are speaking out in defense of Wallen. “I kind of compare myself to Morgan Wallen, just because he was the guy who took me under his wing,” Hardy said in a recent interview with Holler.
“I got to watch his trajectory, and I feel like I’m kind of following suit with his path,” Hardy continued. “It’s weird that I feel like I’m doing a lot of the same stuff that he did, but I’m very thankful because he’s had a great career.”
Holler also asked Hardy if he saw any way forward for Morgan Wallen in country music.
“I would like to think so,” Hardy says. “I can’t talk a lot about it. But I will say I think Morgan, from that moment, has done everything he possibly can to help regain his traction. And really, his traction never went away. But that’s a whole different thing.”
Hardy is referencing how long Dangerous stayed at the top of the album charts – for ten straight weeks. “I think he will be fine. I just think it’s gonna take a little time. But I know this, I think the world will find this out fairly soon – he is taking every action he can to rekindle his relationship with the people who chose to excommunicate him, or whatever you wanna call that.”
“People make mistakes. I have friends that make mistakes all the time, but they don’t have three million followers on Instagram. If you truly love someone, you gotta be there for that person and support them. That’s what I’m here to do for him.”
But despite the severe outpouring of support from fans and allies like Hardy, Wallen has remained committed to disappearing — at least for now.
He’s pulled out of opening for Luke Bryan and appearing at the Country Thunder music festivals in Florida, Arizona, and other locations. In a heartfelt note to fans, Wallen claimed that he needed more time for reflection and self-improvement and was therefore canceling his summer gigs. But perhaps he didn’t have a choice.
Wallen’s record label, Big Loud/Republic, has suspended his contract ‘indefinitely’ and may have pressured him to stay out of the limelight for now. And the country star’s touring agency, the Beverly Hills-based William Morris Endeavor, dropped the artist entirely. Major radio conglomerates, which often partner with major tours and festivals, may have also opposed his return.
But there’s also chatter that Wallen might be laying low before a massive, 2022 headliner tour. Heading into 2021, Wallen was certainly a big draw — and a great opener for the more established Luke Bryan. Now, Wallen is easily the best-selling country artist of the year, and could potentially fill arenas in cities across the country — on his own. All of which would make a summer break a very smart move, especially if it builds up demand for a far more lucrative tour in the future.
Morgan Wallen is human. He makes mistakes just like everyone else except he is paying a huge price for what he said. There is not a person on this earth that has not used that word at some point in their life. If they say they have never said it then they are liars. Give the credit where credit is due. He made a mistake. We learn from mistakes and go on with life. The boy has an amazing voice that GOD gave him, don’t take that away from him. He deserves another chance just like everyone else.
“There is not a person on this earth that has not used that word at some point in their life.”
Speak for yourself you racist b****.
There are people who don’t even speak English, let alone racial slurs in English. You are truly a pitiful excuse for a human being.
He made more money out of other racists supporting him than he did touring. His slur throwing self will be fine. I should know, I taught him to say these slurs myself.
People do make mistakes, but when those mistakes are made more than once, they are not called mistakes, but personality flaws and traits. Wallen is racist. Period.
Artists (three specific crybaby females) showed more of a flaw in character by speaking out against Morgan as well as the entire country family than Morgan ever did. They basically called the whole genre racist, except for one who called us all misogynists.
Morgan has not made the same mistake twice. He had a bar fight, which is illegal (mistake 1); he once didn’t wear a mask and kissed a girl on a Saturday (hardly a mistake); and then used a word most white people don’t use, but in a non-racial context directed towards a white friend in a caring way (again; hardly a mistake). One mistake in 2019. The rest has been the left’s way to slow down or stop his popularity.
Thanks Ashley and digitalmusicnews for being one of the few news outlets not afraid to tell the fans’ story on this matter.
Wait…you’re justifying the use of a word that is clearly racist, because it was “used in a non-racial context”? You’ve lost your mind. The word is clearly a racial word. Period. Don’t try to validate this action. You embarrass yourself.
Wait. I didn’t justify anything. I’m arguing to get my music back from my fav artist; back on the radio and stage. It is what it is. His act doesn’t even need justification or defense. The level of that incident being harmful or not harmful to anyone save his friend that he was trash talking is self evident. It was neither harmful nor meant to be harmful in any way. It was right there on tape for us all to see, so the media narrative does not float, because we all can see exactly what he did. It is your right to be offended, but it wasn’t meant to offend anyone, didn’t hurt you, so that’s your character flaw; not his or mine. What you’re doing is redifining the word “racist”, which incriminates almost all white people who can breathe, speak, or act. What I’m defending is my right to listen to music from someone who has been corporately canceled for doing little to nothing wrong on his own property in a private moment. There has been so much done in hate since this incident by so many celebs that were meant to harm and were done in a purposeful public way that it makes Morgan’s behavior look even more innocuous today than the day it happened. This cancellation occured not by music fans as legitimate cancellations should occur, but by a minority group of elites, those that follow this minority group of elites who live in a false reality world, the conspiring media who create narratives based on lies and the false reality, and the corporate executives who are either living in this false reality with the elites and media or who are scared of them.
The 1.1 billion streams in seven weeks shouldn’t be overriden by a few thousand crazy people who didn’t even listen to his music before the incident and have no skin in the game anyway except but to hate on others who don’t follow some kind of strict code of speech that is part of some false reality world y’all are trying to create. It’s like the 1950s. People trying to convince the elites that they’re not communists.
Good on ya Gregory!!! You could not have said that better. ?
words matter. you continue to attempt justification yet either deny it or don’t realize it…which is scary in itself.
“(again; hardly a mistake). ” – You, in response to him using a racial slur. You’re racist.
“-to hate on others who don’t follow some kind of strict code of speech that is part of some false reality world y’all are trying to create”
All this to justify the use of a racial slur. Holy moly are you showing just how racist country music fans are. This is insane. Start using slurs in public and tell me exactly how communist it all is. You nutcase.
Most white people I know don’t go around saying racial slurs all the time. You should find better white friends if they do. Of course, you won’t see their repugnance. Since you yourself are white and think similarly.
Well tell why ‘they’ use it so much?? If this word is soooo bad, maybe we need to ban it’s use in songs by ANYBODY, and also cancel EVERYBODY who uses it regardless of their background….
YOU, are a racist, a misogynist, and embarrassing. Happy now?
Please, Burt, give us all the examples.
Do your own research. There is more than once instance of him heading down the racist path out there.
Burt,
Do my own research?
C’mon, man. If Wallen is sooooooo racist then you should be able to easily cite all the examples where Wallen has said that black people are inferior, or that white people are better.
Did Wallen burn any crosses in anybody’s yard?
Was Wallen a former member of the Klan like Democrat Robert Byrd, whom Democrat Resident Joe Biden eulogized in 2010?
Has Wallen come out as a segregationist like George Wallace did? George Wallace, who once gave an award to Democrat Resident Joe Biden and Biden bragged about it for decades.
If Wallace was soooo actually racist, then that information would be plastered all over the internet with top search rankings on all services.
Burt, I bet you can’t even define what a “racist” is. I bet you think it’s a white guy who says the n-word in any context. You dumb soyboy Democrats are so dumb.
I don’t even like Wallen’s music, and I would hate to have him as a neighbor because he’s definitely an idiot loud drunken moron. That said, I don’t consider him “racist”.
You want to know what a racist sounds like? Go read some past quotes of your cheating Democrat boy Joe Biden. That low IQ pervert has trashed blacks, Asian Indians, and Hispanics for decades. That dementia patient has only ever thought with his pecker. No wonder his son is a crackhead loser.
Ray don’t pull all democrats into this. I love Morgan and have supported him from the beginning. Burt you’re a dummy with a weak argument. I’m sure your just another blind follower who thinks he’s woke and just wants to prove have non-racist you are. If you even knew who Morgan is and listened his music then maybe I’d take you serious.
Amen, Ray Ciss,
That is very true information. God bless you. This world is going down in flames because of people.
Yes, do your own research as opposed to jumping to your desired conclusion. I did mine.
And you’re a saint I presume Burt
I never claimed to be a saint, did I? No. Nice try to divert. Wallen is a racist.
Burt, one use of a ‘slur’, does not make one a racist.
I still want to know when the ‘race’ uses the term, how is THAT acceptable.
Preventing a person an opportunity offered in a free society, based solely on their skin color is racist. Some white guy calling another white guy, the nword, in the same fashion nonwhites do everyday AND in million selling songs is not.
Context matters. I know you are going to lump me in, but you will still be wrong. Words can matter, but context matters just as much.
I am sure other readers of your nonsense are curious about how pure you are, free from sin etc etc…..Put away the victim card
You’re a fool. Wallen has been caught several times in a racist situation. Look it up. Now what? Because it wasn’t just once, it’s still ok? Keep justifying this stuff, you fool.
I haven’t seen anybody with wings yet
Your life in so insignificant to everyone else’s life that your anecdote literally does not matter. Especially since it’s biblical in nature. Grow a brain.
Morgan Wallen gone? Never…. his fans will support his return and support his decisions…. personally, I stream only him and will continue to do only that until country music apologizes to him! He is the one who deserves the apology as his treatment has been disputable and despicable, he said a word to a friend in a joking matter that all other genres actually USE IN THEIR MUSIC! Get real…. until Morgan is fully reinstated, I won’t support country music without him.
Yup, there are a lot of racists out there. He’s got a solid career because of it.
Racists will continue to support racists, you are very right, Kim. I should know, as one myself.
Amen, Kim
Actually Johnnie there are a lot of people who love good music and understand people make mistakes out there and THAT’S why he’s got a solid career.
Hardy talked about all his friends using racial slurs all the time and that just had me so excited! Yeah, show those lib bastards we aren’t going to stop being who we really are! We should start using slurs loudly in public just to really drive it in how insane their agenda is. You know who they is of course. Those damned communists.
How many times does one make a “mistake” over and over before it becomes part of that person’s inherent character, because Wallen hasn’t done this just once?
All Hardy confirmed is he has a lot of friends that use racial slurs and is not bothered by white people using racial slurs. That should speak plenty on it’s own.
You fucking miss the point of it all. Completely.
Idiot
Jay,
Don’t pull all Democrats into this? You Democrats have no problem slurring any non-Democrat, any Southerner, any White Person, or any Country Music fan as some sort of redneck hater of blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc.
What is the history of the Democratic Party?
It was explicitly PRO SLAVERY. Why do you think the Civil War was fought?
After the Civil War, Democrats established the KKK as their terrorism unit to threaten free blacks and Republicans and to prevent free blacks from owning guns to defend themselves, or to let them vote.
Democrats established Jim Crow and “separate but equal” and segregated sports and the armed forces. Democrat Woodrow Wilson hated black people – Wilson was far worse than Nixon with the Jews. FDR hated blacks and asians. This is all well-documented.
You’ve got Joe Biden bragging for decades about getting an award from segregationist George Wallace, and eulogizing former KKK kleagle Robert Byrd at his funeral a decade ago. Biden, who said if Republicans got elected “they’re gonna put you all back in chains”. And Biden, who made fun of Indian and Pakistani immigrants who made small businesses survive in corporate Delaware.
Big cities are a cesspool of despair for minorities, all run by Democrats. When were the Democrats for the “little guy”? That’s a myth.
The few blacks who get into college take on huge student loans and major in garbage like “African American studies”. Who runs the schools? It ain’t the Independents or Republicans.
Enough with y’all’s brain-dead cheerleading for Democrats and trashing of “white people” and “southerners” and “country music” fans. I’m not into Wallen’s music, but I will defend him from this endless BS nonsense about him being a “racist”.
Some of you can’t even be bothered to define what is “racist”, or indicate what Wallen’s “crimes” are. Maybe this country needs another war to permanently outlaw the “Nazi” party in the USA: The Democrats.
Truth.
Ray you’re just another hillbilly dirt ball trying to blame your problems on people you don’t know. Everyone knows if your a racist than your more likely to be a Republican. Not saying others aren’t, but we all know it’s true. Just all the white supremacist who support your orange leader. Most people are not like you or Burt. We are somewhere in the middle and have common sense. We aren’t over the top crazy about parties, we support decent good people. Like Morgan..
You’re a fucking goof that your mom regrets, no doubt.
Morgan Wallen is the best thing in Country music in a long time. His voice, music, lyrics and sound is amazing. Once these corporate idiots get their heads out of their a$$es, they will realize their error. Every person alive is guilty of making a mistake. Give Morgan a break, he is human just like the rest of us. Media twists the whole racist thing out of context…he isn’t a racist, he used a word that we hear all over the place in other genres of music and its perfectly accepted (?).
But because he is a successful white man that comes from the south, he is made out to be this awful person. Come on…be real.
You can’t squash that kind of raw talent. Morgan Wallen, in time, will be acknowledged as the great country music star that he is. He will be heading tours and selling out!
You’ve lost your mind. Ever hear of Chris Stapleton? That guy runs circles around whatever talent you think Wallen has.