Mickey Guyton Demands Repercussions After Morgan Wallen N-Word Video: ‘Crickets Won’t Work This Time’

The backlash against country singer Morgan Wallen‘s use of the N-word is continuing. After TMZ published a video Tuesday night of the singer using the racial slur outside his home in Nashville, fellow country star Mickey Guyton was among the first to condemn Wallen’s speech, demanding repercussions for his actions and stating that the video is representative of a larger issue within the world of country music.

In the first of what became several tweets, the “Black Like Me” songstress took aim at Wallen’s apology, which was issued shortly after the video surfaced. In the apology, Wallen expressed remorse, calling his use of the racial slur “unacceptable and inappropriate” and stated, “there are no excuses to use this type of language.” While Wallen promised “to do better,” Guyton said “this is not” Wallen’s “first time using that ‘unacceptable’ racial slur.” Although Guyton did not expand on the past usage, Variety reports Wallen previously used the N-word in a 2012 tweet in which he posted rap lyrics.

Guyton went on to challenge others, demanding more than just “crickets” this time, asking “exactly are y’all going to do about it.” Writing that “promises to do better don’t mean s—,” Guyton questioned, “how many passes will you continue to give?” Although she said she doesn’t believe anyone “deserves to be canceled,” she called Wallen’s behavior “unacceptable.”

Guyton later went on to address some of the responses to the controversy. Retweeting a screenshot of one tweet from a fan stating they were “heartbroken” feel as though Wallen “meant no disrespect,” Guyton said, “this is country music.” In the tweet she retweeted, the person admitted to having used the racial slur themselves, adding, “it’s bred into some.”

Guyton said she questions “on a daily basis as to why I continue to fight to be in an industry that seems to hate me so much,” adding that she continues to do so because for other artists of color “all bright-eyed and excited to be in this industry” who “might not have the strength to fight for themselves. But I do. And I will be that artists warrior as they pursue their dream of singing country music because their dreams are valid too.”

Despite the controversy and Guyton’s own experiences in the industry, she said she loves “country music so much” and noted that “there are amazing people in this genre” that has kept her “sane all these years.” She said, “those are the people we must keep reminding ourselves are out there and worth supporting and listening to.” She went on to list some of those artists before ending her message with another note on cancel culture, which she against said she doesn’t support. Guyton said “watching anyone fall from grace is a terrible thing to see” and “people must all be given a chance to change. Morgan must feel the weight of his words but completely throwing someone away is detrimental to anyone’s mental health.”