Maren Morris Reveals Her ‘Biggest Fear’ About Streaming Platforms

Maren Morris is all for technology and having multiple ways to get music into the hands of fans, of any genre. But she admits she is a bit wary of various streaming platforms, for one main reason.

“My biggest fear is that streaming platforms become like country radio and only playlist men,” Morris maintained to Billboard. “They’re falling into that same corporate bullsh–– trap that country radio is so desperately trying to get out of. On some of the most popular country playlists, the first 15 songs – which is all people are ultimately in the car long enough to listen to – are all dudes.”

Morris’ latest GIRL album broke a record by having the largest debut-week streaming sum for a country album by a woman. The success prompted Morris, and her team, to think about ways to capitalize on that market, while staying true to who she is. One of the solutions resulted in Morris returning to the studio to re-record a few of the tracks on GIRL.

“It’s not just about a sponsored post or tweet,” Morris said. “It’s about working with these teams and thinking, ‘How can we diversify this album and give fans something else?’ I was just doing this project with Apple Music where I went into the studio with [producer] Dave Cobb to reimagine three of my songs. When they came to us with that idea, I thought, ‘Wow, I never would have done it on my own.’”

The 29-year-old concedes to using streaming platforms, but that isn’t the only way she consumes music.

“I use it a lot when I work out or when I’m in the car,” Morris revealed. “I’m always trying to up my own bar, and that only happens when you’re a sponge to the giant world of music. But I still believe in purchasing music. I buy albums on iTunes and don’t just stream them. That’s the healthiest way to tell an artist that you’re a fan.”

The title track of GIRL is rapidly climbing the charts, and seems poised to be her next No. 1 single – an ironic twist since she didn’t realize at first that she was even writing anything.

“It wasn’t supposed to be a song,” Morris revealed on the Howard Stern Show. “I was really just [complaining] to my co-writers that day about what was going on in my life. I was like, ‘I want to be friends with this person. We’re both in this industry. Why can’t we just root for each other and not be competitive?

“And then I realized a little bit into when it was becoming a song and shaping up to be one, I felt like no, this is about me,” she added. “I’m talking to myself, and I am really cracking.”

Photo Credit: Getty Images/Matt Winkelmeyer