Maren Morris Blasts Lack of Female Country Artists on Radio

Cassadee Pope, RaeLynn and Runaway June all chimed in on the action in support of Morris' comments.

Written by Kelly Brickey
Maren Morris Blasts Lack of Female Country Artists on Radio
Maren Morris; Photo by Alex Ferrari

It’s been three long, hard years since the Tomatogate scandal erupted in the country music community. When one radio consultant referred to females in country as the “tomatoes in a salad” that stations should just take out, it caused quite the commotion and led country women to stand strong together to get their music heard.

While the industry continues to stay rather male-dominated, Maren Morris decided to hop on social media to bravely face the criticism she and many of her friends have received on radio throughout their careers. Mentioning how her song went No. 1 after people told her not to put it out as a single, she embraced her courageous fight and let people know her thoughts on Twitter.

“UGH. I had a program director tell me 2 years ago ‘Don’t release I Could Use A Love Song as a single. People don’t want to hear sad women..’ It was my first #1 a year later. If you don’t give us the chance to be heard, potential fans will NEVER hear us. Enough ‘women don’t want to hear other women,’ or ‘women don’t test well with ballads,’ or ‘singles from new women artists aren’t reacting.’ It is BS. Look at @RaeLynn , look at @CassadeePope , look at @lindsayell . Women that kick ass, write & play, & deserve power rotation,” Morris wrote in a couple solid tweets.

She continued on, stating how she can’t stand the idea of ‘luck’ when it comes to her radio airplay and hopes to be on the same playing field as her male cohorts sooner rather than later.

“I hate even saying I’m ‘lucky’ I got airplay on my first single. Yes, there were some amazing PDs and FANS that helped me, but I’m also proud as hell of writing those songs, and know anyone who puts their art on the line to be great deserves the same shot men get,” she concluded.

Some of Morris’ fellow peers chimed in on the message, including country trio Runaway June, who cited Cam as another fearless leader of the genre.

“amen sister!!! We are such huge fans of all these women. And @camcountry is fighting so hard for us too. We band together,” Runaway June responded to the rant.

Lindsay Ell retweeted Morris’ post, and sent her support digitally.

“Amen @MarenMorris. Love you,” Ell concurred.

Even RaeLynn and Cassadee Pope made it known that they seconded Morris’ ideals through their own social media love.

“It is ALL BS. I stand firmly by this message,” RaeLynn quoted in her retweet, and Pope said a similar sentiment when she wrote, “PREACH BOO,” in reply.

Hopefully, progress will be made when radio host Bobby Bones officially starts an all-female radio show to promote the empowered women in a syndicated capacity. The program will run to 100 stations nationwide, and it will give someone like Bones a way to give everyone, as he said, “an equal shot.”

No word yet on when Bones’ female-only show would start production.