Morgan Wallen Makes The Least of His ‘SNL’ Appearance
Huh. So Morgan Wallen appeared on Saturday Night Live and it stirred controversy, and he didn’t even really seem that thrilled to be there, or grateful for the opportunity?
You don’t say.
This is the same guy who was named the CMA Entertainer of the Year in 2024—the highest honor in all of country music—and not only couldn’t be bothered to be there to accept it, he’s yet to even directly or publicly acknowledge the accolade, or show any level of gratefulness for it. And now we’re acting surprised that he seemed generally uninterested to be on SNL?
Morgan Wallen was Saturday Night Live‘s musical guest March 29th, and sang the songs “Just In Case,” and the title track to his upcoming album “I’m The Problem.”
His performances were fine. And in fact, they underscored that even though many lump Morgan in with the worst excesses of Bro-Country, that’s kind of not his bag. There was no rapping. Aside from his drummer hitting a trigger pad, there weren’t any machine beats or backing tracks. As many pointed out, there wasn’t a good reason to have five guitar players on stage with him, but whatever.
If anything, the performances felt a little boring. A Morgan Wallen song just never goes deeper than the surface. Wallen did seem generally engaged while on stage, but this was unlike all his appearances in the promos for the show all week where he seemed completely uninterested.
The biggest gripe many had was that Wallen ducked out during the long-running “Goodnights” segment at the end of the show as the credits run.
After giving host Mikey Madison a limp shoulder hug, Morgan skipped off the stage toward the camera, and was shortly on a plane heading south, saying on Instagram, “Get me to God’s country.”
Many folks are up in arms over the disrespect Wallen showed, and wondered if he got the cold shoulder from the cast since there was such a gulf between him and the cast members on stage during the “Goodnights.”
But the abrupt Morgan Wallen walk off feels like yet another Morgan Wallen nontroversy. That doesn’t mean that there isn’t any concern to be had over it. But ultimately like all of Morgan Wallen’s dumb moves over the years, nobody got hurt, and nothing really happened.
Irrespective of its true significance or symbolism though, the Morgan Wallen walk-off became the biggest topic on social media the day after.
Thank you, Mikey Madison and @MorganWallen! Goodnight! pic.twitter.com/FDlInhhHqb
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) March 30, 2025
Though some of Wallen’s fans are praising him for sticking it to the “libs” for walking off the set in disgust, if this was the case, why did Wallen even agree to perform? If the whole experience was painful for Wallen, why did he do it? Publicity, sure. But it’s undetermined if Morgan ingratiated himself to anyone else but his established fans. Meanwhile, the “Ew!” crowd on social media roasted him, and others thought he looked like a wing nut walking off stage.
The (somewhat) formal explanation for the walk-off is that Morgan Wallen simply thought it was time to go, and had exited that way off stage in rehearsals too. But has Wallen never seen Saturday Night Live? Doesn’t he know that everyone mills about afterwards on stage?
What’s perhaps more concerning is how Wallen “borrowed” the Tyler Childers bit of having a console television on stage with him while he’s performing. For Tyler, it’s his actual Pa-Paws old TV that he’s turned into a guitar amplifier. For Wallen, it was simply a facade that flashed the track names of his new album while he was performing.
Perhaps no publicity is bad publicity, but it’s not like Morgan Wallen is on the margins looking to break out. He’s arguably the biggest artist in all of music. And that’s why Lorne Michaels and SNL booked him. It was entirely transactional for both parties, with Wallen putting about as much passion in the appearance as a day laborer, and SNL simply trying to cash in on the elevated ratings, and street cred they’ll get in the Trump era for letting Wallen back on the show after he duffed it the first time.
Yes, all of this feels dumb. But that was the reason this opportunity should have gone to someone else such as Zach Bryan, Zach Top, Sierra Ferrell, etc. These decisions matter, and if SNL isn’t going to give these performances to artists that can significantly benefit from them, at least give them to people who will care and be grateful.
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March 30, 2025 @ 6:32 pm
Hopefully they book some better country acts in 2025.
March 30, 2025 @ 7:01 pm
IMO, he looked like he was in a big hurry, which, I suppose, could be understandable. Why wait til the closing credits to make an ambiguous show of possible defiance? In fact, if that was some sort of defiant gesture, it was really weak, which leads me to believe he was really just in some sort of hurry. Maybe he ran out of nicotine pouches or something.
March 30, 2025 @ 7:23 pm
Any individual thing this dude does on its own isn’t that big a deal, but when they all add up it seems pretty clear that he’s a world-class asshole. I wonder if he was always like this or if fame just went to his head a bit
March 30, 2025 @ 7:45 pm
Y’all are a gullible lot.
It’s calculated, manufactured PR bullshit, just like the chair throwing “incident.”
It’s no different than Taylor Swift dating a celebrity in-between albums.
Nashville is Hollywood now.
March 31, 2025 @ 7:39 am
Yep, almost killing two police officers and being charged with multiple felonies was definitely “manufactured” for PR, and in no way fits the pattern of Morgan Wallen getting drunk and doing dumb stuff.
March 31, 2025 @ 9:02 am
He a redneck,drunk prick with no taste…@
April 1, 2025 @ 6:40 pm
Hate to be the one to say “I told you so,” but….
https://www.tmz.com/2025/04/01/morgan-wallen-selling-get-me-to-gods-country-merch-after-snl-exit/
April 1, 2025 @ 8:41 pm
I think that proves savvy exploitation of the moment, not premeditation, especially of the chair incident.
March 30, 2025 @ 7:53 pm
I’m not a fan of this guy or his past behavior, but for the life of me I can’t figure out why this is even a thing. I think he just thought it was over and left the stage. Nontroversy is the best word for this.
March 30, 2025 @ 9:15 pm
That’s about what I thought. I’m probably a lot older than Morgan Wallen and don’t know jack about SNL. Sorry I didn’t stick around for the hugs.
March 31, 2025 @ 7:23 am
It’s kind of the norm/respectful to wait until the show is over and thank/say goodbye to the people you were on the show with, which coupled with his little instagram story safe from his private jet, I think is an issue. I think that some people weren’t probably thrilled about him and there was probably a trump joke or two during the show, so the poor little guy probably felt uncomfortable and triggered so he had to get back to where he could say the n word.
I defended this guy after the ring cam incident and going on IG live, telling people not to defend him, talking about all the work he had been doing with communities to understand… obviously it was PR BS. I believed him. But it’s clear he’s just a whiny baby.
We are all missing the point though. Even though he’s getting rich off it, I wonder if he’s ever embarrassed about releasing medicore Macbook Pro beat music that needs 12 songwriters and is only consumed by guys who can’t read and 18 year old whoo! girls.
March 31, 2025 @ 10:57 am
Your last paragraph raises a good point. I doubt that it applies to Morgan Wallen because his behavior suggests a lack of emotional intelligence, so I don’t know that he’s capable of recognizing the songs he records as the vapid dreck that they are. But I do have to wonder if there are artists who sign up for recording “those” songs just to get a foot in the door and end up getting caught up in it and unable to escape?
March 31, 2025 @ 12:48 pm
Yeah…Luke Bryan.
March 30, 2025 @ 8:05 pm
He didn’t think it was simply time to go. He has previously been on SNL and stayed to mingle with the cast during closing credits then. He’s maybe a bit self-absorbed to miss the camera in front of him…
March 30, 2025 @ 9:05 pm
Christ almight is he releasing another album
why didn’t they invite isbell instead
March 30, 2025 @ 9:13 pm
Because he’s an awful human being.
March 31, 2025 @ 8:08 pm
Then he would’ve fit in perfectly at SNL.
March 30, 2025 @ 9:11 pm
I thought it was already understood that Wallen accidentally walked off the stage early because he thought that he was supposed to exit…
I didn’t watch any of the special but I’ve seen the opening credits of SNL while I have been in the gym and why does everyone look androgynous? All the actors look like the boring cast members a show brings in somewhere around the 7th season when ratings are falling and the star cast is all slowly exiting. (I’d rather rewatch Norm Macdonald telling OJ jokes and J Geil’s jamming with EVH on youtube…back when SNL had balls. Figurately and literally.)
March 31, 2025 @ 7:19 am
Lmao ok, there’s like maybe one cast member that looks “androgynous.” Even so, if you aren’t watching the show, how do you know it doesn’t have “balls”
March 31, 2025 @ 7:46 am
Yeah, saying ” everyone looks androgynous” on the SNL cast is just a stock criticism of something on the other side of culture that you don’t like. All this appearance was going to do was stir culture war. While some are like, “What’s the big deal?” Wallen fans are applauding him for “sticking it” to SNL … that he agreed to perform on and be a part of.
March 31, 2025 @ 12:56 pm
I’m young enough to understand a lot of current internet humor (aside from Gen Z brain-rot content) and old enough to remember Conan O Brien in the early 00’s and most of the great comedy of the 90’s and early 00’s. From what little bit I’ve seen, the current lineup of SNL is awful. The content is no longer edgy. I’m not sure who their main demographic is besides socially-conscious 20 somethings, elderly people who lost their remote, and people who willingly watch Stephen Colbert. They look like the crop of characters The Office brought in in season 8 when it was in the shitter, and the side characters in Shameless when Ian Gallagher was at the college and they were discussing their pronouns and self-identities. “Androgenous” makes sense here when you consider SNL alum Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Norm Macdonald, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Kristin Wigg, and Jane Curtain, (to name a few) The men look like human-soft serve ice cream. SNL today means literally nothing. What means something is the stories that make it onto social media feeds. The source of that news is irrelevant.
April 2, 2025 @ 5:29 pm
Marcelo Hernandez is pretty funny. And Michael Che has been hilarious (and certainly not androgynous looking) on WU for a while now.
March 30, 2025 @ 9:14 pm
I will defend him on the retro TV in the background though. It’s a common aesthetic for artists to put old TV’s in their videos and have them on stage. Maddie and Tae recently used one of my TV’s for that.
March 30, 2025 @ 10:41 pm
I hope he is invited back so we can get another article on the topic.
If the cast gave him the cold shoulder (hilariously hypocritical knowing what is regularly said in Hollywood), why stick around? There is a country song about that.
The pearl clutching over Wallen amuses me. I will be outraged he beats his wife (Willie), threatens to kill his producer (Vern), or kills his wife (Spade). Outside of the chair incident, he is the definition of first world problem.
March 30, 2025 @ 11:13 pm
I certainly don’t need or want entertainers to be ostentatiously grateful to the people they perform for and/or who pay to see or hear their work, but it annoys me when they seem to go out of there way to diss members of the general public. Why is it necessary for Wallens to post on IG “Get me to God’s country”? It’s not unreasonable for New Yorkers, and people who live in cities and/or blue states to think he is dumping on them. The comment is definitely ambiguous but isn’t it better to just remain silent rather than risk alienating people?
March 31, 2025 @ 6:10 am
They earned every bit of scorn.
March 31, 2025 @ 7:48 am
It wasn’t the walk off, which was pretty ambiguous. It was the walk-off and the comment. Morgan Wallen has now played SNL twice. He can’t plead ignorance. And it’s pretty funny watching folks stick up for him and “God’s country” in the flyover states that the elites on the coast regularly ignore in their private jets … as he boards a private jet.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:43 pm
Do you share the same outrage for the libs and wokes who stream isbell, Karen Morris, Mickey guyton and others to own the cons? Who wouldn’t be caught dead giving money to a country musician who voted trump? It’s the same energy for that too. You literally talked about A black opry member the other day who tried to not only get the opry to stop Morgan from appearing there, they also took it much further by trying to get him blackballed from radio, from the industry and from Nashville itself. If Morgan storming off SNL makes you embarrassed, I’d hope you have some left over for the others just derailed too! Spotify literally has playlists called “I love country, but don’t worry, this is only liberal queer country”.
Fair is fair, Trigger. Trying to run someone out of the industry because they said a no no word and then being shocked when that person turns around and is suspicious of SNL? Why would that be shocking. He promoted the album and got the fuck out of dei land. Makes total sense.
March 31, 2025 @ 3:08 pm
You post at Country Universe as well. Kevin will ban you quicker than a locomotive. The man is a teacher. I pity his students.
April 3, 2025 @ 5:30 am
Country Universe barely has readers let alone a comments section. Kevin is talking into the void.
April 3, 2025 @ 7:37 am
White Cleats,
Because Kevin banned most of the mainstay posters. The site used to be remarkable. Now, it is an echo chamber.
March 31, 2025 @ 3:37 pm
I never tried to run Morgan Wallen out of the industry. I said what he said was wrong, but everyone should have a path to forgiveness. I called this incident a “nontroversy.”
March 31, 2025 @ 8:48 pm
And profits very well from blue state operated record companies and certainly doesn’t live a well behaved, modest and G-dly life….L
March 31, 2025 @ 12:23 am
Not a thing wrong with how Wallen walked off during the closing credits.
March 31, 2025 @ 11:00 am
….except that the show would have been better if he had done it during the opening credits.
March 31, 2025 @ 11:37 am
Oh, you so clever.
Almost as clever as Trigger.
Bless your hearts.
March 31, 2025 @ 5:40 am
I’m a geezer who remembers the days when the musical guests on SNL were chosen because they meant something to people on the show. I seriously doubt that’s the case with guests like this.
March 31, 2025 @ 6:24 am
Better to have foregone some clicks for a day than stoop to this tabloid bull mess.
March 31, 2025 @ 7:53 am
Well, you could have forgone clicking on it, and been one of the extreme few who clicked on the feature I wrote about Willie Nelson’s mural in Austin.
I guess I’m just supposed to ignore what became the biggest story in the United States yesterday, despite running a country music website, and despite being on record before saying, “Why exactly is Morgan Wallen playing SNL a second time?”
March 31, 2025 @ 6:29 am
This non story seems to be all over the internet for some reason. People arguing and major news outlets reporting on it. The political discourse over every ridiculous and seemingly non essential act is so damn annoying. Maybe dude just needed to get going in order to catch his flight. Maybe he ate Taco Bell and the rumble flared up.
Morgan Wallen walked off stage a few seconds before the show ended. Even if he was trying to make a statement, is he really so important that it’s a reason for everyone in the country to be arguing about it? Who fucking cares?
Sorry for the rant, but manufactured outrage these days is out of control.
March 31, 2025 @ 8:01 am
Though I agree this is generally a nontroversy, this was the whole reason I asked, “Why are we booking Morgan Wallen on SNL?” He’s on such thin ice with folks, and subtle thing is going to be amplified, and it is unusual that he left the stage like he did. Also, he wasn’t trying to make a statement. He did make a statement. He said on Instagram, “Get me to God’s country,” which stirred culture war sentiments. Again, is it a major thing? Probably not. But it’s Morgan Wallen, and so it’s amplified.
It’s better to have someone on there that can befit from the exposure, feel grateful to be there, and not stir political animosity with even the most subtle decisions.
March 31, 2025 @ 6:45 am
That’s where we appear to be in 2025,more worried about owning the “libs” than true substance.
Seems young Mr. Wallen is socially awkward (he behaves like a tech bro than a Country music star) and hopefully he can get needed help before he wrecks what should be a great career.
March 31, 2025 @ 6:47 am
If Nashville is Hollywood,as a handsome black cowboy,may I release an album and get signed to a label,not to mention star in a Western?(I AM 71,so….)
March 31, 2025 @ 8:53 am
There seems to be a thing in media the last several years where SNL is treated as legitimate news. Stories are written that basically just describe random sketches as if the show is somehow an important arbiter of national discourse, when in reality its jokes are generally sophomoric and surface level at best and the actual number of live viewers is dwindling every year. That we now have a story about a guy not sticking to the script during the end credits self congratulatory milling about (a part of the show back when I use dto watch it that would more often than not get cut by the local broadcast feed for going over allotted time) just feels to me like the media scraping the absolute bottom of the barrel. I’m not a fan of Wallen or SNL, but this story is more an indictment of the sorry state of our media than anything else.
March 31, 2025 @ 9:37 am
Generally speaking I agree with you. Rolling Stone and a dozen other outlets take the clips SNL posts on YouTube and make dedicated stories out of them each week for not much reason. It’s easy content. They just vomit 3-4 paragraphs of filler and embed a YouTube player and it generates clicks.
But I will say after spending some time sifting through social media yesterday, this truly was the biggest story in the United States. And I knew if I posted about Morgan Wallen again, some would come swinging at me. But I think it speaks to the silliness of having this guy on SNL.
March 31, 2025 @ 11:04 am
Remember when enough people actually watched SNL that the media didn’t feel like it had to report on what was on it?
March 31, 2025 @ 2:19 pm
It’s the most press SNL has gotten in a decade. When was the last time you heard someone say you gotta check out what happened on SNL last night! YouTube it! It’s woke mind virus slop that plays down to its audience while bemoaning republicans and red staters and anyone who voted for the president. It hasn’t been funny in decades. It’s political polemics writ large for an hour, lecturing the half of the country that elected the president, the majority mind you, that they are ignorant backwards morons who need to get with the times. The fact that half the country not only approves of what Morgan did, but actively and enthusiastically cheer it on speaks to the anger snl has generated towards it by speaking down to republicans.
March 31, 2025 @ 9:21 am
And that is what I’m saying. Is there a statement by Wallen? Possibly. Is it a statement worthy of top news organizations making it a headline story, or worthy of dominating my X feed? Absolutely not.
And just clarify, this isn’t a dig at SCM, a country music blog covering an arguably country artist. It’s a dig at retarded ideologues and the media who feeds them the fire of irreverent garbage to be angry about.
Morgan Wallen giving a half hearted attempt at a media appearance to promote his new album isn’t worth all the consternation. People act like SNL is some holy institution or something, like he pissed on the wall of the Vatican.
March 31, 2025 @ 9:45 am
The seculars have their dogma and idols, too.
March 31, 2025 @ 10:49 am
most shocking thing is that this guy is flying in his own private jet whilw guys like Jesse Daniel or Arlo Mckinley are still grinding!
March 31, 2025 @ 11:11 am
Who would be happy to appear on SNL?
It hasn’t been funny in decades
March 31, 2025 @ 2:08 pm
It had a funny skit about beer and Moderate to Severe Italian Wives a few weeks back with Shane Gillis. Hysterical in fact. But otherwise, I haven’t seen much humor on SNL in years.
March 31, 2025 @ 12:09 pm
“He’s arguably the biggest artist in all of music”
Yeah ..no… that’s some big hyperbole Trig. Biggest in country at the moment, probably. But in all of music? I don’t know if he makes top 10
March 31, 2025 @ 1:30 pm
Who is bigger? Taylor Swift and that’s it. The other biggest names in country are Luke Combs and Zach Bryan. Morgan is clearly bigger than those guys.
March 31, 2025 @ 1:36 pm
Yeah, he’s definitely in the Top 10, most certainly in the Top #3, and a strong case could be made that he’s #1. Taylor Swift is probably bigger, but right now Wallen’s got albums at #10 and #15 on the Billboard 200, and Swift’s highest is #18. Kendrick Lamar is probably beating both of them out at the moment in overall consumption, but probably doesn’t have the touring purse Swift and Wallen do. Beyonce can’t even sell out her tour and is in a free fall due to “Cowboy Carter.”
March 31, 2025 @ 1:47 pm
I’d put Taylor, Chappell Roan, Bad Bunny, Drake, Billie Eillish, The Weeknd and probably a few more if I thought about it ahead of him. Before people laugh at Bad Bunny people don’t understand how big he is world wide.
Again, you can say he’s the biggest country draw and it would probably be valid, but there’s bigger acts than him.
March 31, 2025 @ 1:55 pm
If you’re going off tours from 2024 alone
Taylor Swift: Her “Eras Tour” grossed over $1 billion, making it the highest-grossing tour of 2024 and a global phenomenon.
Coldplay: The “Music of the Spheres Tour” was the second highest-grossing tour, with over $421 million.
P!nk: Her “Summer Carnival Tour” generated over $367 million.
Luis Miguel: His tour grossed over $261 million.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band: Their tour grossed over $251 million.
The Rolling Stones: Their “Hackney Diamonds Tour” grossed over $235 million.
Bad Bunny: His “Most Wanted Tour” grossed over $210 million.
Zach Bryan: His “Quittin’ Time Tour” grossed over $199 million.
Metallica: Their “M72 Tour” grossed over $179 million.
Madonna: Her “The Celebration Tour” grossed over $178 million.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:03 pm
Man, the problem with these arguments is trying to hit a moving target. Morgan Wallen didn’t tour much in 2024 because he was working on the new album that he was on SNL promoting ahead of a big tour later this year. In 2023 he had the 6th biggest tour. He’ll probably have one of the biggest 2025 tours, and when the new album comes out, it will be at #1 for 20+ weeks or more until Swift or some else knocks him off.
Right now he’s got 3 of the Top 4 albums on iTunes due to the SNL controversy, and he’ll probably surge on the charts ahead of next week. Any of us might use different measuring sticks to say who the biggest stars are. But to say he’s not in the Top 10 is ludicrous. He’s a massive, massive star.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:33 pm
I just disagree. As trigger said, he’s undeniably the biggest in country. Where he fits in the larger music world is sort of irrelevant, but he’s top 10 at least. To suggest he’s not some mega superstar both in country and music in general is absolutely mental. Engaging with someone who in 2025 times says P!nk is one of the top 10 artists, and bigger than Morgan Wallen is mentally ill. Look at how Dangerous and One Thing At A Time
did. How many artists that you named had that sort of success with their last 2 albums? The dude was like number one for half of the year for each album. P!nks last 2 albums did this? Chappell? Dude you are way out of your depth here. You are arguing Chappell fucking roan and p!nk are bigger than Morgan Wallen? Get the fuck out of here.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:40 pm
Don’t get mad at me Crazy that I just posted numbers that didn’t fit the narrative. My favorite part is because the numbers didn’t fit your narrative you’re going with MeNtAlLy IlL.. it’s laughable.
I’ll agree with Trigs point that Morgan didn’t tour much so it’s not an accurate reflection and at no point did I say he wasn’t a top star in country. But when the argument is “top artist currently in music’ when that’s not the case it’s fair game. Like my original comment said I may be persuaded for top 10 but that’s it.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:57 pm
Fine by me. You have no argument and posted concert data and tried to suggest The Rolling Stones and P!nk are the bigger artists than Morgan. Then when I asked you to provide evidence of any of these artists like chappell or Billie or p!nks last two albums doing what Morgan’s last two did, you acted Completely flabbergasted. To understand why Morgan is in the top 3 at least all you have to do is provide me with evidence of Billie, weeknd, chappell, pink, bad bunny’s last 2 albums and how they stacked up with Morgan’s last two. Taylor isn’t part of ten conversation. She’s bigger. But provide me with those stats, sixty three. Show me evidence from the charts that Chappell and p!nk are outperforming and outselling Morgan. I’ll wait, but the fact you didn’t include them initially and didn’t proof read your post, I assume you aren’t saying the Stones and p!nk in 2025 are bigger than Morgan. The Beatles themselves don’t outstream Morgan, Billie and Beyoncé, I’d assure you my friend, the Beatles are bigger than Chappell, p!nk, the stones and yes even big bunny and Morgan!
March 31, 2025 @ 3:02 pm
My going rate is $200 an hour if you want to pay that I’ll waste my time going down those rabbit holes and seeing where the cards lie on stats and streams.
March 31, 2025 @ 3:48 pm
Yeah, funny how the turn tables isn’t it!
March 31, 2025 @ 4:03 pm
Not really, it’s just i don’t work for free on data analysis. You don’t agree with what i put forth because of your bubble, it’s fine. I’ll still sleep great tonight
March 31, 2025 @ 9:30 pm
Whatever. Your scared to debate the facts and then move your own goalposts. Anyone arguing pink and bad bunny are bigger than the fucking Beatles is, Ill just go on and say it, certifiable. Especially one spineless enough to not admit they fucked Up by suggesting streaming numbers equate to how big an artist is. Have fun bilking people out of 200 dollars though.
April 1, 2025 @ 12:36 am
You can’t even keep replying to the right conversation there. No one brought the Beatles into this but you, they’re not even relevant to the current conversation. Might as well bring in Elvis or Michael Jackson. Like I said, you’re providing us entertaininment with your meltdown so keep dancing puppet.
April 1, 2025 @ 12:59 am
Holy crap I’ve just seen how many times you’ve mentioned me in other parts of this thread. I really broke you didn’t I? Hahahahahaha, maybe just step away from the computer and get a life slugger.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:01 pm
You might have a case with the others but saying Chappell and Billie are bigger than him is absolutely ridiculous. Also I think it’s important to separate legends from biggest right now. No one is arguing Morgan is the biggest country star of all time. The Stones, Bruce, Madonna, are big deals. But to say in 2025 they are bigger than Morgan is kind of silly. You think in 2025 P!nk is bigger than Morgan? Really?
March 31, 2025 @ 2:16 pm
It’s not ridiculous to put them above Morgan. Chappell rose so fast last year they had to move her set at Lollapalooza to the main stage. Look how fast The Giver has rose. Streaming followers she has 46 million to Wallens 34, and Billie massacres both of them with 101 million.
I only brought touring in because Trig mentioned something regarding that and I wanted to see who top 10 were for 2024.
I’ll freely admit it was a hyperbole comment in an otherwise good article I focused on, but I just found it eye rolling in making Morgan bigger than he really is. Yes he’s a huge artist, but compared to his peers in pop there’s others way bigger
March 31, 2025 @ 5:13 pm
Same here. A woke sjw doesn’t agree with me, boo hoo. I’m so frantic! Good luck with your arguments, though. In fact, I’m coming around to them. I had a look see, and you are right. Billie has more monthly listeners than a lot of artists. Including this nobody band called the Beetles. Have you heard of them? I haven’t. Must be some unknown group. Well anyways, at least we know Billie is bigger than this upstart beetles band whoever they are! Jack, Phillip, Greg and randy I think are the band members but I may have that wrong. At least I know Billie is bigger than them though!
March 31, 2025 @ 5:25 pm
You lost me at any part of having a reasonable discussion when you immediately went with the “mental illnessl” route, and now you’re being a snowflake and crying “woke sjw”? I’m sure one day you’ll get an original thought, or insult, but it won’t be today and tomorrow isn’t looking too good either sunshine.
And just FYI some people are bright enough to 1)not make politics their entire personality and 2) realize political parties in the U.S. are two wings of the same shitty bird
March 31, 2025 @ 6:24 pm
I left the politics at the door from your first post. I used evidence and facts about Morgan and his sales and how popular he is. You didn’t like that so you got lazy and said I needed to pay you like Im a patient at your therapy practice. I then pointed out your entire argument was based on faulty logic, namely that monthly listener stats on streaming don’t mean anything, you refused to even engage in a discussion about how ridiculous your argument was, you then acted like a hurt pc baby. I asked you for evidence. You said you couldn’t be bothered and needed 200 dollars to google the facts. I then pointed out the Beatles aren’t doing Billie numbers, and yes anyone who comes on here and says Billie eilish is as popular as the Beatles, I’m sorry dude but name calling is the least of your worries if that’s your delusion. You came with with a shitty argument and refuse to admit you lost and are acting like a baby about it. If your argument can’t account for the Beatles you just aren’t dealing in facts and logic.
March 31, 2025 @ 6:35 pm
Sure thing chief. Keep telling yourself that while you move goal posts. At least you’re providing us all with a laugh
March 31, 2025 @ 2:06 pm
Morgan isn’t top 10? Where do you get off. What about streaming stats? Morgan is the biggest artist in country. Anyone arguing this point shows themselves as a fool who isn’t aware of country music
March 31, 2025 @ 1:45 pm
Trigger just comes off bitter and asinine here as do the lot of you. His original article slammed Morgan appearing on the show are dumb, yet any tv exec would have done the same thing. He’s the biggest name in country, has been not just this year but every year since 2021. That’s complete dominance. If you have a chance of booking the biggest star in a genre, one whose 36 song albums are loaded with hits that stay on the charts years after albums come out, I think it’s a no brainer to book them.
As for the controversy, what I heard was Lorne refused to shake his hand, turned his back on him, didn’t say thank you to Morgan for performing his songs, and the cast moved further away from Morgan at the end to signal their distaste for him. None of this was included in triggers article. Wonder why? Maybe because it gives an explanation for why Morgan would do what he did. It’s not out of the question too given the politics of the show. As you yourself said, SNL is openly anti trump and not republican friendly. Back when Elon hosted the cast had a meltdown and actually started crying because they felt Elon was not playing by the sjw dei woke mind virus playbook and actually wanted to make fun of both sides and not just pile on trump.
The first article was talking about him appearing . This 2nd one just gives off a feeling of sour grapes and whininess. Morgan isn’t a cartoon character, he is human and I think, instead of writing some sjw woke apologia, this space would have been better spent delving into what is alleged, that he was reacting to how he was being treated and that’s why he left abruptly. Not including that aspect of the story is malfeasance and misfeasance.
You owe it to all of us to write a full portrait of events. Not just those that align with cnn and msnbc and npr.
Given the full context, Morgan’s behavior makes total sense and I don’t think any other republican would have acted differently. If SNL treats republican musical guests in this manner they need to understand the guest will justifiably act in this manner. Sounds like Morgan is an affable guy, wants to be nice, and kind. But the producer not engaging with you and turning their back and the cast making their views crystal clear by distancing themselves away, is absolutely evil. It needs to be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:02 pm
Again. I recommend Paxel. And what you “heard” are rumors put out by his fan base. Just like the one who said he went into the audience to see a child with cancer. Yeah. No. Didn’t happen. And SNL makes fun of everyone. Everyone. But I like Kenan’s explanation. Maybe he had to go potty.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:09 pm
Thanks for the recommendation of Paxel. I’ll ask my doctor. I would recommend something for you to treat the woken virus and TDS you seem to have, but there is no known cure. So all out of luck I guess!
March 31, 2025 @ 2:31 pm
Sources or it didn’t happen.
March 31, 2025 @ 3:06 pm
Wallen made the mistake of thinking that the SNL crowd plays fair.
He and country music must realize that “tolerant” crew will never accept differences, and it isn’t worth changing for them.
March 31, 2025 @ 3:55 pm
Bullshit. He didn’t make a mistake. He wanted to get paid.
You really like to push the narrative of Us vs Them. The poor oppressed people of country music always getting the short end of the stick. Poor Morgan being bested by those carpetbaggars every time he goes above the Mason Dixon.
He could have said no…
April 1, 2025 @ 10:04 am
It is not a narrative. It is reality.
April 1, 2025 @ 4:10 pm
Maybe the reality of it has nothing to do with country music and those who listen to it.
They just don’t seem to like you? Your weird aversion to all things Cash probably puts people off.
April 3, 2025 @ 7:36 am
Another lie from you.
My playlist has hundreds of Cash songs. I merely don’t subscribe to the man’s cult of personality.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:09 pm
Saturday night live is not funny at all and the whole cast are mindless neo liberal douchbags. Wallen is a talentless douchebag too but he probably voted for trump . So these groups of talentless unfunny doucjenags didmt get along good. Who cares .
March 31, 2025 @ 2:19 pm
Maybe he walked out because libshit theater kids are the most obnoxious, pretentious people to be around.
March 31, 2025 @ 3:04 pm
I mean he could have just not gone on the show.
April 2, 2025 @ 11:58 am
Or he could go on the show, perform his music on a national stage to help promote a new album/tour, and then duck out without being rude nor feeling required to mingle with people who probably made it clear in rehearsals that they don’t like him.
March 31, 2025 @ 2:58 pm
Sixty three thinks Chappell roan and bad bunny are bigger than the Beatles!
March 31, 2025 @ 3:00 pm
Sixty three thinks p!nk is bigger than the Beatles
March 31, 2025 @ 3:16 pm
Wallen is the Applebees of music. You never hear anybody talk good things about it. You would never admit you like it in front of people. Always seem popular but can never explain why. And definitely over processed and completely mediocre .And there is a good chance you would hear him in an Applebees.
March 31, 2025 @ 6:10 pm
He knew nobody would be watching. Especially country fans.
March 31, 2025 @ 9:33 pm
Maybe they were like Sixty three wanted to watch but couldn’t figure out how to turn on his computer or tv. Can be hard stuff that turning on the computer.
March 31, 2025 @ 6:29 pm
I don’t know, Trig; have you tried doing a really mucus-heavy cry sesh? It might help you move on from Wallen.
April 1, 2025 @ 5:50 am
” I’ve always heard a lot about the big apple, so I’d thought I’d come up here and see, but all I’ve seen so far is one big hassle, wish I was camped out on the Okochobee.”
” if this is the promised land I’ve had all I can stand and I’m headed back below that Dixon line, no I just don’t fit in and im never coming back again, but I’m busted here got Dixie on My mind…” Hank Jr
If Heaven ain’t a lot like Dixie I don’t wanna go…just send me to hell or New York City, it would be about the same to me.”
Hank Jr
Long history of Country singers talking about NYC, so much so it became almost cliche. Morgan’s little Instagram message got me thinking about it. Waylon had one as well. It was called Oklahoma Sunshine. The narrator described the hell of being trapped in NYC and longing for his native Oklahoma land.
On the flip side, Paycheck loved playing New York, even writing a song called New York Town and doing a live album there at the Lone Star Cafe. He also played Carnegie Hall, and his former drummer Arnie Adams said it was a career highlight.
Buck Owen’s played Carnegie as well and even released a live album or two from those shows.
The Highwaymen did a show in Central Park once.
Cash played Madison Square Garden
It goes on…Country folks love to talk smack about New York, but they usually end up playing there. It’s a lucrative market. Money talks. Wallen got paid well I’m sure.
April 1, 2025 @ 11:51 am
Yeah it’s the flip-side to New York and LA artists using the phrase “flyover” states.
April 1, 2025 @ 3:15 am
I’m so glad I haven’t listened to his music… It’s Texas country for me. Tommy Alverson, Gary P Nunn… I’m from Spain and here the knowledge of American country music is limited to Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. I have to admit my first contact with country music was by searching through the major Spotify playlists with all the poppy artists. It made me say: Is this country music? I don’t like it then. After that I don’t know how but came across the Texas scene. That was what I was looking for without even noticing. So these Nashville pop singers aren’t my thing. I don’t care about what they do, I focus on the music, and to be fair, all their music sounds like bad pop. The gap between the old and new generations in regards to musical taste is happening everywhere. Here in Spain the trend is reggaeton (which is arguibly worse than country-rap, because in this case the rhythm and patterns of the songs are all the same, and don’t get me started on the lyrics) . The kids love it because it’s on the radio 24/7. To me it’s just a facade for sexist messages to be normalised by the public. All these “songs” are sung by men who think women are their prizes. I’m 27 but this new anti-genres ideology that is being pushed by the industry is too much for me. I grew up listening to hard rock, heavy metal and traditional Galician folk music. I think genres are important. This Morgan Wallen guy is just a product of the pop culture. The good news is that in Spain no one knows who this guy is, yet everyone knows Johnny Cash (well, at least older people, teenagers are buying the industry’s ideology and that’s why reggaeton and tasteless trap-rap tunes are so popular). Younger generations don’t really like music anymore, what I see everywhere I go is that teens only want to have some piece of trash in the background so they can dance to that. They’re not even listening to it because it’s not the purpose. I guess this is happening in country music as well, when you get to see what mainstream country websites are about right now, it’s just TikTok dances and post-modern culture. I’m not a conservative, this is not a rant about hating everything that is modern or tries to appeal to young audiences. In fact, I like different influences in Country music, particularly Tejano, folk and gospel; but my view is that music has to respect its roots, where it comes from. That’s why I think this is not country music, because it doesn’t respect its own past. Not everything has to sound like The Carter Family, of course not, but respecting those roots is essential to the evolution (true evolution) of the genre. Many of these new “country” singers are pop-rock, rap or R&B singers who are getting into country music to have a bit of popularity, since if they were classified as another pop act they would be unknown. Of course this is my opinion, you can agree or disagree. It’s just frustrating the amount of publicity these people are getting when there’s so much talent coming from young traditional country musicians.
April 5, 2025 @ 3:40 pm
Lorena, Have you heard Sierra Ferrell? and Do you like the conjuntos from north Mexico? Imo the accordion players excel very often.
April 11, 2025 @ 5:11 am
No, I haven’t. I like Tejano music, yes, although prefer Texas Country.
April 1, 2025 @ 6:16 pm
Morgan Wallen is currently selling hats and t-shirts on his official website with the viral quote “Get Me to God’s Country” on them.
April 2, 2025 @ 12:01 pm
Marketing genius! That boy has quite the team working behind the scenes for him
April 2, 2025 @ 4:17 am
Let’s talk about how awful Morgan Wallen’s music is instead. Or how his singing is so bad and put on. He is the reason I hesitate to tell people I like country music, instead I have to say “Americana, alternative country, real country, the good stuff, not the Nashville radio garbage.”
April 2, 2025 @ 8:05 am
this is being filed under things I don’t think I could possibly care less about.
April 2, 2025 @ 10:17 am
Wallen showed disrespect to SNL? The horror!!
April 2, 2025 @ 8:23 pm
Any chance Morgan was avoiding the after party because he is trying to or has been told to get sober? I don’t think the chair case has been resolved yet. Any good attorney would press his client to make that move for the sake of the case, and in this case Morgan’s general well being.
April 4, 2025 @ 5:59 pm
This has nothing to do with this article but I think it could be a good article idea. Morgan Wallen was recently on Theo Von’s podcast and when Theo brought up Zach Top, Wallen said: “He doesn’t listen to country music a whole lot, I’ve always been that way.” He wasn’t a good guest. Theo is a hilarious podcaster and has had entertaining podcasts with Brooks and Dunn and Lainey Wilson – Morgan Wallen was a bore. Modern artists in Country music who do not listen to Country music at all – not even the stuff of the past – are straight up cancer for the genre. It’s also embarrasing since he is soon to release some rap knockoff inspired by Miami My Amy – the trap rap classic from Keith Whitley.
April 4, 2025 @ 8:36 pm
Whiskey Riff has probably posted somewhere around 30 articles about Morgan Wallen since the SNL incident. Rolling Stone has probably posted 6 or 7. If I had posted a 3rd, I would have hemorrhaged followers with folks saying I’m obsessed with Morgan Wallen, all I’m writing about is Morgan Wallen, and “What has happened to Saving Country Music?” because for whatever reason, my readership cannot handle two, let alone three articles about the same person in a three week period, let alone a one week period, without an outright insurrection.
I may have more to say about Morgan Wallen soon. But there’s plenty of other stuff to report on.