Maren Morris Gets Real About Exclusivity In Country Music

Maren Morris understands the perimeters of country music but the hitmaker is urging for some change.

During her recent appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Morris spoke about why she thinks country music is getting more socially conscious. "I'm a white woman in country music. I already sort of have this leg up," she admitted during the in-studio interview. "Even though there is a huge disparity between men and women in our genre, there is even more of a disparity between white women and black women trying to be in country music."

Elsewhere in the chat, Morris acknowledged that the genre has been slow in progression, but it is making baby steps to get there. "There are so many black women and men who adore country music and don’t feel the door is open for them, even a crack," she continued. "Country music as a genre is definitely stepping up to the plate, slowly but surely."

This past weekend saw Mickey Guyton stand tall with a performance of "Black Like Me" at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, an evening that saw her lose the title for Best Country Solo Performance to Vince Gill. She was the first Black female solo artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country category. After losing the honor, the singer took to Twitter to reflect on the nomination, writing, "Although I didn’t win this Grammy, it truly is an honor and I will forever be a Grammy nominated artist. I love you guys."

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