In his recent song “Livin’ the Dream,” a tellingly somber number that stands out amid his otherwise upbeat smash “Dangerous: The Double Album,”sings about how success is not all it’s cracked up to be, concluding that it’s at least a little bit lonely at the top even in the midst of being “a rock star, in and out of cop cars, livin’ out a suitcase, trashin’ hotel bars… Between alcohol and women and Adderall and adrenaline, I don’t ever get no rest.
What about the fans that are inundating radio stations’ phone lines and Facebook pages demanding Wallen be put back on the air immediately? “That’ll be a short-lived phenomenon. It’s a cause célèbre for a week or two. Morgan Wallen is too new. If we’re talking about somebody whose career had been building on the road for five years and had a true card-carrying fan base had made a grievous error while intoxicated, that would be a different kind of vote.
This exec was surprised the industry acted so unilaterally so quickly. “Tuesday night, everyone started buzzing that ‘Cumulus is going to pull him. had texted me already saying, ‘I want to pull him.’ I said, ‘That’s a strong stance — and I agree.’ I knew we were going to do it. I thought that other people would, but I didn’t know it would go as far as it did. Big Loud, I was really surprised by that one. WME was an interesting one.
What can be lost in looking at those seemingly staggering figures, though, was how tiny a slice of the pie sales are in today’s music market, versus streams, where it’s harder for the most dedicated part of an energized fan base to affect a change.
At the same time, anything penitent he might do now that reeks of insincerity could be yet another strike against him. He’s had plenty to apologize for just in the last year, including an arrest for being drunk and disorderly after an altercation at Kid Rock’s Nashville bar, and, most famously, disregarding COVID protocols to pose and make out with fans after an Alabama football game, days before he was to appear on “Saturday Night Live.
“We’ve been dumbing country down, and a bunch of people are superficially looking at the Morgan Wallen thing and going, ‘Those are Trumpers.’ And maybe it’s hard to blame them. You look at the people who attacked the Capitol or attended that rally, and it looks like a ‘90s revival country concert. It’s like, ‘Where’s Wade Hayes? Let’s bring him out!’” he laughs.
Choosing to take Wallen’s songs off the air may have been an easier choice than whether to actually address the controversy on the air. An informal survey of programmers and DJs indicates that most did not, preferring to focus on positive vibes. Some think that was a lost opportunity, although saying something is almost always more fraught with danger than saying nothing.
Can Wallen pull off the kind of turnaround that Nick Cannon did, when, after a brief moment of defending his right to his antisemitic statements — with many fans supporting him in that defiance — he won back the support of the entertainment industry by agreeing to meet with and learn from Jewish leaders… and even, to the extent that we can look into anyone’s heart, seemed sincere about it?
How the country music industry addresses the scandal going forward is a separate question. But it will be addressed at the upcoming, the biggest annual gathering of industry pros, which is happening virtually instead of at its usual Nashville Renaissance Hotel location Feb. 16-19.
Who?
I never even heard of him before all this.
I ain't never heard of this cat until this week Merica! Where rapist child molesting criminals can be President be free and President meanwhile an ignorant man ignorants and he's crucified.
Everyone loves a good redemption story, he can open for Marilyn Manson in 2022.
wbk
This guy is a dime a dozen. He offers ZERO creative nor says anything new at all. He just perpetuates the boring old country bumpkin tropes.
He’s over
Wow y’all really did an entire piece on redeeming this man in advance. Like the scandal isn’t even cool yet and you’re already contributing to his image rehab. Despicable.
House band at Mar-A-Lago
He needs to lose his record contract. There needs to be responsibility for your right to free speech. Especially people who are in the public eye, politics, & news media.
They should!! I can see punishment like not awarding him an award . But to ERASE him at 27 ? I hate that word and always argued for the banishment of that word to never be used and for RAPPERS to use it is outrageous
Wasn’t it supposed to reexamine itself last summer? I mean Lady Antebellum became Lady A and fixed everything.
So, they’re a bunch of redneck honkies?
Not surprised look at him 🤢
I'm sure we are going to have a conversation about rap?
get over it people. come out in life and see how people talk!!
That's too many talents 😉
America is about equality, right ? So why is it ok for a certain group to say the N word over and over and over again and they sell millions of records and influence social media? If Morgan Wallen can’t say it, nobody should. Equality ? MorganWallen
He was caught using a word that is deeply rooted into his psyche. He obviously doesn’t have a problem with that type of racist thinking. The fact that his record sales are skyrocketing isn’t a shock. Country music has a problem.
A haircut
Who cares?
The Senate maybe....
Maybe country music radio stations should start playing more female artists, esp black country artists. I call BS when programmers say 'our research says women listeners wanna hear male artists'. I've never, ever, heard a woman agree with that statement in 25 yrs.