Morgan Wallen has been removed from over 400 US radio playlists after a video of him using a racial slur surfaced.
Reportedly filmed by a neighbor last weekend, the recently surfaced footage shows the 27-year-old country music star saying goodbye to some friends and using the N-word to address one of them. Wallen has apologized since the video cropped up.
“I’m embarrassed and sorry,” he told TMZ, which published the video. “I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”
The Nashville star, whose career kicked off on the US version of the TV talent show The Voice, is currently is one of America’s biggest country stars. His latest record, Dangerous: The Double Album, is the first country record to retain the number one spot for three weeks on the Billboard chart since 2012’s Red by Taylor Swift.
However, Cumulus Media, which is touted as one of the United States’ biggest radio networks has distanced itself from Wallen. “Effective immediately we request that all of Morgan Wallen’s music be removed from our playlists without exception,” said an order sent to all of the company’s 400-plus radio stations.
On top of that, his songs appear to have been removed from Spotify’s Hot Country Songs playlist, as well as Apple Music’s equivalent, Today’s Country. The move is particularly significant because Dangerous has been a rare streaming smash, with a staggering 88 percent of its consumption coming through streaming services, according to MRC Data, which arranges the US charts.
Mickey Guyton, Kelsea Ballerini, and some of Wallen’s fellow country musicians have called him out on Twitter. Singer Maren Morris slammed the country scene for not taking stronger action against stars who hold racist views writing, “we keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse.”
The hate runs deep. Smfh https://t.co/VIf4b0bKud
— Mickey Guyton (@MickeyGuyton) February 3, 2021
“Enough is enough. If you condone or try to justify @MorganWallen’s latest behavior, there is NO place for you in the Country Music community or ANY community,” Justin Fabus wrote.
The news out of Nashville tonight does not represent country music.
— Kelsea Ballerini (@KelseaBallerini) February 3, 2021
This isn’t the first time Wallen has landed himself in trouble. He was arrested back in May and charged with public intoxication after being kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in Nashville. In Oct., he was removed from an episode of Saturday Night Live after a video surfaced of him breaking COVID-19 regulations by partying with fans without social distancing or wearing a mask at an American football game.
