In fact, Wallen’s jovial use of the N-Word is the mere tip of the iceberg. For the decision-making staff at Billboard, Wallen has obviously done his time, but the speed with which he has come back, his unwavering popularity and mainstream promotion on shows like American Idol all add up to suggest that the genre maybe hasn’t taken the issue as seriously as it should have, given everything that it represents. I think he had moments that were not bright spots, but everybody goes through that.”ĭid Mike Parker really just have a segment about “addressing racism in country music” right before he sang a Morgan Wallen song? Dafuq #americanidol- Jordan Zamora April 26, 2022Īs with many recent celebrity transgressions, fans often decide for themselves where the ‘mistake’ lies on the spectrum of forgivability. “I don’t think he has a racist bone in his body.

Just last week, Black American Idol contestant Mike Parker performed one of Wallen’s songs, citing him as an inspiration. In interviews, he’s stepped up his praise for hip-hop, and has been co-signed via American rappers like Lil Durk, who introduced their collaboration ‘Broadway Girls’ onstage in January with the acknowledgement that he is “kind at heart”.

He’s back on award eligibility lists and has been allowed to appear at The Grand Ole Opry, a legendary country venue that had posted a zero-tolerance statement against racism just six months prior. At the time of the video breaking, he was No.1 in the country chart, and within the following days, sales grew by an estimated 1,220 per cent according to Rolling Stone, making it the most commercial release of last year.Ĭurrently, he is in the midst of a 46-date arena tour of the US, the album rarely dipping out of the all-genre Billboard Top Ten. And why would he? Far from the silencing that so many speak of with regards to cancel culture, Wallen’s scandal appeared to have actually helped his career. In light of this interview, questions of exactly how sorry he truly was remained, given that he didn’t appear to have fully grasped why his behaviour was so egregious in the first place. wkvrW25uTQ- Joe Andrews January 26, 2022 I’m willing to forgive Morgan Wallen but going through all of this and then still admitting you “haven’t really sat and thought about” country’s problem with race doesn’t sound like a man who has learned much from this experience.

Disgraced country music singer