Grammy-winning singer Maren Morris showcased her voice at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, solidifying her role as an advocate for social change.
Performing on the national stage Wednesday night, Morris joined other notable Democratic figures and former Trump supporters. Although country music is often linked to conservative views, Morris is among the artists challenging that norm by supporting American minorities and confronting transphobic remarks within the industry.
“I am honored to be performing at the Democratic National Convention for the first time ever. It’s a moment where we, as a country, can come together and hear rational plans for the future of women’s and LGBTQ rights. We can be inspired by people’s stories and navigate a safe path forward for our children,” Morris expressed to The Tennessean.
Maren Morris is an acclaimed country and pop artist who, after years in the industry, decided to step away from country music in 2023. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, she criticized the country music industry’s reluctance to acknowledge its history of racism and misogyny, as well as its failure to fully embrace women, queer individuals, and people of color.
“I thought I’d like to burn it to the ground and start over,” she noted. “But it’s burning itself down without my help.”
Morris has been outspoken about her progressive values, frequently advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and gender-affirming healthcare.
At the convention, she performed her song “Better Than We Found It” around 7 p.m. CT. The 2020 release reflects her support for the Black Lives Matter movement and other social justice issues, with Morris describing it as a “protest song.”
“…It’s a protest song—it’s the most American thing to protest and protest songs have been so embedded in American culture: Bob Dylan, Nina Simone. I think the world right now is sort of in a perpetual mourning period, and I wanted to have a song that had weight, but also had hope,” she said.
Amid her performance and activism, Morris has not shied away from confronting those in the industry over controversial statements. She publicly addressed Brittany Aldean after the latter made remarks about gender-affirming care that sparked backlash from several artists, including Morris.
In 2022, Aldean made a comment on social media about her own childhood and gender identity, which led to a strong response from Morris and fellow musicians.
“Real nice,” tweeted Pope in response to Aldean’s comments, while Morris responded to the situation by tweeting, “It’s so easy to, like, not be a scumbag human? Sell your clip-ins and zip it, Insurrection Barbie.”
During a subsequent interview with Cosmopolitan, Morris acknowledged her “Insurrection Barbie” tweet’s widespread attention but affirmed her stance on the issue, saying, “I stand by it.”
This report was also contributed to by Tennessean reporter Marcus Dowling.