Maren Morris is definitely on top of the country music scene right now, but that wasn’t always the case. The “GIRL” singer has been part of the ongoing dialogue about women not having the same opportunities as men in country music, but admits she might have unintentionally been part of the problem, at least at one time.
“It’s more than just talking about it,” Morris said on the TODAY Show. “You have to do something about it. I’ve been in so many studios where there aren’t a ton of women behind the board. I’ve had to kind of wake myself up to the things that I’ve overlooked. Like, I’ve never worked with a female producer before, because you just get into rooms with men that you write songs with, and men are awesome.
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“But it takes people to wake up and realize, ‘Why are there no women in this room?’ she added. “I need to start making more of those opportunities happen.”
Morris was on TODAY to talk to aspiring singer, Kiara Brown, as part of the Women Who Rock Music and Mentorship program, where she has learned, albeit the hard way, how to make her voice heard.
“I didn’t know how to voice an opinion, because I felt like I was going to sound uneducated or like I was being too aggressive,” Morris recalled. “Unfortunately, as a woman, that’s the thought that’s always in your head when you want to state an opinion.”
“When it’s your music, it’s your song, it’s your voice, you have complete creative umbrage to voice any opinion,” she continued. “It too me a few years to realize, ‘This is my music. I have to ultimately have the final say, and that’s okay.’”
Morris vows to work hard to make all roles in country music more open to women, not just for herself, but for the children she hopes to someday have with her husband, Ryan Hurd.
“I don’t have any kids yet, but I want my kids to look at this industry in a very different way than I’ve had to look at it,” Morris acknowledged. “I want them to see — in hopefully less than 10 years — everything is so much more balanced.”
As part of the Women Who Rock Music and Mentorship Program, Morris generously donated $5,000 to Brown to help Brown start her own music career.
Morris is currently on her Girl: The World Tour. Find dates at MarenMorris.com.
Photo Credit: Getty images/Christopher Polk
