LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: In an interview with The New York Times' podcast, on Wednesday, October 4, Maren Morris revealed her decision to leave Country music.
Morris has provided an explanation for her choice to leave Country music, claiming that she was "rightfully cynical" about the direction the genre was headed in.
The 'Bones' hitmaker said she could no longer "participate in the really toxic arms" of Country music in Nashville during an appearance on The New York Times' 'Popcast' podcast.
As per Daily Mail, the 33-year-old singer first announced the decision to quit writing in the genre in September, which elicited emotions from her fans on both the good and negative spectrum.
Maren Morris' exit from country music trolled and applauded
Following the news of Morris' decision to quit the Country music scene, internet users — especially Gen Z — rejoiced and dubbed it as a "Good decision."
However, many were critical of her stand.
One user exclaimed on X (formerly known as Twitter), "Yahoo". A second user blatantly questioned, "Who is she??? Was she famous or what?"
"She will be missed, who is she again?" mocked a third X user.
Another user snarked, "Never heard of this girl untill she started talking about “leaving country music”…yeah and I’m leaving the NBA guys it’s just to stressful for me"
"We have changed too. We don’t want you in country music any longer," remarked another one.
Another shared a funny clip with the exclamation, "Who?".
Maren Morris faced criticism for her songs 'My Church' and '80 Mercedes'
Morris recognized she was in a "toxic" environment after receiving criticism for the songs 'My Church' and '80 Mercedes" off her 2016 first album 'Hero' per New York Post.
She remarked to 'Popcast' co-hosts Joe Coscarelli and Jon Caramanica, "Ironically, it was like, ‘She’s not country. Look at the way she dresses. Get the hell out of here. You don’t belong here. This is not, like, Dolly [Parton].’"
"I don’t want to say goodbye, but I really cannot participate in the really toxic arms of this institution anymore," she added.
The Texas native, who now resides in Nashville with her husband, artist Ryan Hurd, and their 3-year-old son, Hayes, revealed that she was "floored" by the variety of the audience when she first played her major event in New York City.
“It felt so diverse and accepting and loving. And I’ve only wanted to continue that and amplify that through my work each time,” she added.
She has also requested that her work no longer be taken into consideration for future Country music award shows. The musician announced last month that she was leaving the genre because it had returned to its inherently racist and misogynistic origins.
Morris released 'The Tree' and 'Get the Hell Out of Here' on September 15, both of which feature lyrics that speak of her alienation from the genre.
Following transphobic remarks they made in August of last year, Morris got into a dispute with fellow country musician Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany Kerr Aldean.
Morris responded when questioned about the song's progress on the charts, "People are streaming these songs out of spite. It’s not out of true joy or love of the music. It’s to own the libs. And that’s so not what music is intended for."
"Music is supposed to be the voice of the oppressed — the actual oppressed. And now it’s being used as this really toxic weapon in culture wars," per Independent.
Also, Morris publicly denounced country singer Morgan Wallen in 2021 after he appeared on camera using a racial epithet.
