Maren Morris stepped back from weighing in on every online debate after reaching a point of burnout.
The My Church singer, renowned for speaking out on political and social issues, pulled away because she realized the nonstop online discourse was draining her energy.
“Being required to join every conversation, win every argument, and clap back at every jerk… I burned out and I needed to rest,” she told Rolling Stone.
Among her most public online clashes, the 36-year-old dubbed Brittany Aldean, wife of country star Jason Aldean, an “Insurrection Barbie” following her transphobic comments in 2022.
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson referred to Morris as a “lunatic country music person” on television, and the singer produced T-shirts bearing that phrase, raising funds for charities that support transgender youth.
Looking back at her “Insurrection Barbie moment,” Maren laughed and said, “I’ll own it, because I don’t find it offensive—it’s funny. I think that’s what irritates people who believe it’s offensive, because, deep down, they’re thinking, ‘Damn, that’s good.'”
The Middle singer also generated controversy within the country music community when she announced in 2023 that she would shift away from the genre, pointing to the industry’s reluctance to address issues like misogyny and racism.
Although she now performs for smaller crowds in more intimate settings, Morris has no regrets about speaking her mind.
“I never have a moment where I think, ‘Gosh, I’d be in a much different place, a better place career-wise, if I had just played the game and kept my mouth shut and kissed the proverbial ring,'” she insisted. “I feel a little more at peace and vindicated because I haven’t changed my stance.”
