Maren Morris recently told Billboard what her fans could expect from her in the year ahead: more touring, writing and recording.
But first, feminism.
When the magazine asked Morris for her thoughts on all the women’s issues on everyone’s minds right now, she said that getting things out in the open is the right thing to do.
“Obviously, I am a huge backer of the Time’s Up movement. I feel fortunate that in my own life I have not had huge problems,” Morris told Billboard. “But don’t get me wrong, I have certainly had my own share of struggles over the years. You see stuff in the music industry, too, and I think what is coming out of all these conversations is that it’s making people double-check themselves.
“That’s a good thing. I was emotional watching the Golden Globes and cried when Oprah spoke so eloquently.”
And if there’s some kind of Twitter fight over Morris’ point of view, so be it. Her approach when her followers disagree with her is to avoid confrontation, but speak her mind. “I am hoping that by stating a clear, strong message on social media that we’re not taking this kind of stuff anymore, it will be seen by women and that it would encourage them to take charge when it happens to them. Basically, I try to live by the Golden Rule and treat people respectfully,” she said. “I’m just really over the way some people have no problem acting disrespectful and shaming women.”
Morris’ video for “I Could Use a Love Song” — her first No. 1 song — is another way she is setting a powerful example for women of all ages.
“Essentially, that’s my story: that you have these big dreams, but there’s a person in your life that just doesn’t comprehend the importance of them. So, when the video was conceptualized, we took that idea, made the lead character a dancer, and I feel it came out as great as we had hoped. My hope is that girls and women will see that story and it will inspire them in their own particular journey,” she said.
This story originally appeared on CMT in January 2018.
