Maren Morris ‘Conflicted’ About Success on Country Radio

Maren Morris is the only solo female to have a song in the Top 30 on Billboard, with her single “Rich” currently in the Top 5 and climbing. Although Morris is grateful for her success at radio, she admits she’s also sad that so many of her female peers aren’t having the same results.

“I feel conflicted, because I worked so hard to put this album [Hero] out with songs that I dearly care about, and it’s sad because I want to celebrate the fact that my song is in the Top 5, but I also feel like I can’t fully celebrate because I am the only woman in the Top 30,” Morris shared in the Women Want to Hear Women podcast. “It feels like a catch-22 sometimes because I feel ungrateful when I bring attention to the fact there is such a lack of female representation at radio right now. But I’m also thankful, so I do feel on the fence about it because I’m obviously so grateful that radio is playing this and fans are loving this song.”

“But at the same time I want to be able to celebrate my friends that are putting out incredible music that aren’t even getting a single spin,” she continued. “It’s a weird spot to be in. I want to inspire and help change the landscape and get more female voices heard, but it’s definitely concerning to look at the chart today and literally be the only one that’s a woman on it.”

Morris isn’t the only female artist lamenting the lack of women on the charts. Sara Evans recently admitted the way country radio embraces the male artists while ignoring female artists often leaves her in tears.

“The girls are just as frustrated as I am because they’ve seen how this ridiculous change in country radio has affected my career,” Evans told Billboard, speaking of her two daughters, Olivia and Audrey. “It’s been sad. I grew up on country music and I made my whole, entire career on country radio and contributed what I believe is a lot of great music to the country genre.”

“So for my family to watch me sobbing at home because [radio] refused to play the single I released when I’ve worked my a— off,” she continued, “and gone to visit every country programmer in America and I feel like I deserve a spot … They’ve grown up with it, watching it, and it’s devastated all of us. Now I just want to see it either change or find another genre for females, because it’s just absolutely ridiculous.”

Morris hopes to have similar success with her upcoming sophomore album, which she promises will reflect her happiness with her husband of seven months, Ryan Hurd.

“I’ve been in this amazing relationship and I got married in the time that I’ve written and started recording this album,” Morris told Country Living. “The new record, it has a lot of love in it. I don’t shy away from topics [like love], so I’m really excited for people to hear it.”

A release date has yet to be announced. Download “Rich” on iTunes.

Photo Credit: Getty images/Jeff Kravitz