Song Review – “Rich” by Maren Morris
A strong case can be made that Maren Morris is one of the worst things, if not the worst thing going on in mainstream country at the moment, with just a few select challengers.
As the bros like Luke Bryan, Thomas Rhett, and Chris Janson release consensus picks for the most subsnative songs from their respective albums as radio singles, as artists such as Scotty McCreery and even Cole Swindell surprise us with not just the the decency they capture in new songs, but the success they’re having with them, as Jon Pardi’s most traditional country song “She Ain’t In It” continues to climb the charts, and as some of the historically worst offenders in the mainstream such as Blake Shelton release better records than we’ve heard from them in a decade, and Dierks Bentley looks to reignite his bluegrass roots with his new effort, it’s not the swinging dicks of Music Row making us most hang our heads in shame of what country music has become. The men, with some notable exceptions, seem to be taking a cue from all the commercial success and critical praise for performers like Chris Stapleton, and are trying to offer something better, and more sustainable to the format. Midland, anyone?
Meanwhile it’s Maren Morris, and a host of now purely pop women like Bebe Rexha who are most responsible the worst offenses on the country radio dial at the moment, and not just from the level of non-countryness of the selections, but just a downright immature slavish obsequiousness to materialism, image, and a pop culture trend chasing that makes these songs downright unhealthy for the ears of the masses. The latest Maren Morris single “Rich” is the perfect example.
“Rich” is about how wealthy Maren Morris would be if she got paid every time some beau of hers disappointed her. Sure, that may be one method of accruing wealth. Or, you could ride into mainstream country on a promising lead single that seems to pay homage to all the old greats (“My Church”), only to then pull a pop music Trojan Horse sneak attack, sell out as hard as humanly possible by cutting one pop song after another—including an unequivocal pop single/commercial for Target—and then release easily your worst, most embarrassing and monstrous single that straight up rips off the melody of Steve Miller’s “The Joker” to country radio to double your earnings, all the while attempting to shield yourself from criticism by trying to act like a “leader” to open country music up to pop sounds, and pound people with your political beliefs so Nashville’s clique of beltway journalists won’t just defend you, but scream “sexism!” and “mysogyny!” toward anyone who dares question if this music is simply fit for the country format.
Maren Morris is a leader alright. She’s leading country music right into a hellhole malaise of indolent stupidity with songs like “Rich.” Name-dropping Diddy, Prada, and Mercedes, slathering the whole effort in cultural appropriation, pandering to the least common denominator, how can anyone listen to this and somehow defend the effort as anything but a massive play for a handsome payout at country music’s expense?
Yes, there are women leading a country music revolution. But as they’re recording and releasing songs that actually say something and speak to people in some sort of deliberate way, they’re being crowded out and ignored in lieu of a few select exclusively pop stars. Maren Morris has no respect for country music. It’s a burden to her. She can’t stop talking about how constrictive it is, and how it needs to “open up.” And this is her very first album cycle. She wants to go more pop than “Rich?” Why did she get involved with country music in the first place? The answer is because she would have never survived an introduction via pop.
And meanwhile there are amazing, inspiring women who’ve devoted their entire lives to country music from a very young age—true country music, or even pop country music—that barely anybody is paying attention to. Caitlyn Smith may have just released the best country pop record of the last decade. Kacey Musgraves just released two new songs, both of which sound very promising, and neither of which has been slated for a single. Are the major labels not even trying? And where is the concern for how these other performers are being treated? Defending songs like “Rich” and “The Middle” from Maren Morris is the hill you want to die on? And this says nothing of the women in Texas, east Nashville, and other places doing country music the right way, and are being completely ignored.
The real sexism in country music is occurring behind-the-scenes, by people who don’t have to make a living sharing their long-winded opinions every day that can then be sifted through to find out-of-context pull quotes to portray them however anger-fueled politically-motivated headhunters wish them to be. Meanwhile country’s radio executives and label owners continue to shift money and resources away from country’s women in a systematical downgrading, and point to Maren Morris as a token of how they support females in the format.
And don’t believe that this heavy-handed opinion on “Rich” is somehow payback for Maren’s “basement dweller” shot at Saving Country Music. I was on record 18 months ago saying Maren Morris and her record Hero consisted of the song “My Church,” and a bunch of other fatuous garbage, and specifically singled out “Rich” as one of the worst, if not the worst of the set. And look here, now it’s the latest pop monstrosity making it to country radio.
We all want women to have a fair shake in country music. We all have a vested interest in making sure the best artists, the best songs, and the best performances are sifted to the front of the line, and that gender, race, region of origin, or anything else does not play into the equation. It behooves all of us to make sure that the quality of the material, not the demographics of the artists are what determines who gets our support and attention.
But Maren Morris is addition by subtraction for country music’s women. It doesn’t mean she couldn’t change course in the future. Undoubtedly, many artists who started out releasing the worst songs of their careers have shown they can take a greater responsibility, and push country to be more subsnative and inclusive of its roots. I never thought I would be saying that about artists like Luke Bryan, Cole Swindell, Thomas Rhett, and Chris Janson. But here we are. That possibility is also out there for Maren Morris. But only if she is willing to listen to the fair-minded concerns of her critics, instead of passing it all off as beneath her, and a product of misogyny.
February 26, 2018 @ 9:29 am
Sexist pig! Misogynist! Woman hater!
February 26, 2018 @ 11:38 am
You forgot “Hitler.”
February 27, 2018 @ 10:29 am
This is the earliest invocation of Godwin’s Law I’ve seen in ages. Bravo!
February 26, 2018 @ 12:35 pm
LITERALLY HITLER
IM SHAKING
February 26, 2018 @ 4:57 pm
I sincerely apologize for leaving out, like, literally Nazi, Hitler, and overall well-being oppressor. I’m sorry for the pain I’ve caused my family and for the trust that’s been broken between me and my constituents.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:57 pm
No worries. I have reported you to the nearest “training session” organized at great expense in order to comply with mission-critical legal mandates handed down by the Mountain of Myth. Thank you, and have a meaningless day otherwise.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:59 pm
Pure genius
February 27, 2018 @ 4:35 am
NAZZIE!
February 26, 2018 @ 9:36 am
I have never been more disappointed in an artist than I am in Maren Morris. I could write more, but that pretty much gets it. That, and this post.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:04 pm
I don’t know why this is a surprise to you. She was never good to begin with.
February 26, 2018 @ 7:14 pm
Who gives a damn what you haters think? Honestly? Who? Get out of your moms garage, then judge.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:26 am
Are you 15?
December 13, 2018 @ 12:44 pm
Maren, is that you?
February 27, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
The only thing in the garage that’s my mom’s is the vegetable side of the freezer. The rest is all my dad’s shit.
March 2, 2018 @ 5:45 pm
Did you assume my occupation, RM?? I self identify as a jury.
February 26, 2018 @ 9:49 am
I kind of agree with you on “Rich”. I don’t agree on the rest of the album. “I Could Use a Love Song”, “I Wish I Was”, and “Once” are good songs IMO. Yes maybe they are more pop, but have heart.
February 26, 2018 @ 9:50 am
In order to jump the gun on the comments storm….
Trigger! When are you going to write an article regarding Ashley Monroe’s upcoming album? You seem to be really behind compared to other music blogs/magazines.
I’d love to hear your take on ‘Hands on You’. It seems to be a “love it or hate it” song.
February 26, 2018 @ 12:37 pm
It’s a shame that they decided to release the info on new albums and new songs from Kacey Musgraves and Ashley Monroe on the same day. You never see that happen with male artists, because they want the spotlight to be on one artist at a time. Only the women are asked to compete with each other for attention.
I was working on an article about Ashley Monroe when word came down that David Allan Coe had suffered a double stroke. As I dug deeper to confirm this info, I found out that Coe did not have a double stroke as was being reported, but it was an inner ear infection. I spent hours running down information to get the story right. You mention being behind other outlets. In this case, I was ahead of all of them. That said, many of those other outlets have multiple full-time employees, armies of freelancers, and in some cases, entire networks of dozens of staffers to write stories, run down info, edit, copy edit, create illustrations for the articles, etc. I am a one-man operation. So instead of trying to cover every story, I try to focus on the most important ones at a given time, and the stuff everyone else is missing. I do the best I can.
Clearly, you know about that Ashley Monroe release, as does most everyone else because many stories have been written about it. So there is no need for me to write yet another one. The most difficult decision I have to make every day is what to spend my time on. I’m sure I will be focusing on the Ashley Monroe release eventually. But it will be when I have something unique to contribute, as opposed to just telling people something they already know.
February 26, 2018 @ 12:42 pm
Those are all fair points! That is one of the things about SCM, you always have something fresh and unique to say. Thanks for committing to quality. I just like to read your take on the best and brightest.
February 27, 2018 @ 12:32 am
I made the very same point about Kacey Musgraves and Ashley Monroe in the first sentences of my review on “Hands on You.” It’s ridiculous that in an age where women have to struggle enough to get attention and coverage, and so few of them get to release country projects on major labels, Ashley Monroe had to inevitably be overshadowed by Kacey Musgraves on Friday. It was poor marketing.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:22 am
If it’s love it or hate it – I’m in. I love it!!
February 27, 2018 @ 8:39 am
I do too! I know some people don’t love the idea of a more countrypolitan sound from her, but I’m psyched! I can’t wait for more music!
February 27, 2018 @ 9:07 am
Columbia Nashville employee opinions don’t count.
Or matter.
February 26, 2018 @ 10:15 am
Fuck. I don’t want to hear this every day.
February 26, 2018 @ 10:30 am
I absolutely love her album. It is traditional country with a few pop songs included. I don’t see anything wrong with her wanting to mix it up sometimes but she mostly stays country. Check out her whole album before you knock it.
February 26, 2018 @ 10:43 am
LOL
February 26, 2018 @ 11:15 am
“It is traditional country….” I surely hope that you are under the age of 25. Even then, that’s not really an excuse.
February 26, 2018 @ 11:17 am
Wrong, Jennifer. There is nothing traditional about this album and if you think there is, you clearly don’t know anything about country. If you even bothered to read the review, clearly Trig checked out her whole album. He reviewed it when it came out.
February 26, 2018 @ 3:18 pm
Hahaha, that’s funny!! 🙂 Just like the traditional Country music sounds of Jason Aldean and Keith Urban!
February 26, 2018 @ 4:19 pm
Out of curiosity, what other artists would you consider “traditional?” Clearly we have encountered a chasm of interpretation. Even if folks like the Maren Morris album, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone claiming it is traditional country. I doubt Morris even would.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:13 am
There’s nothing traditional about it. She’s very much on the pop end of things.
And I say that as someone who really likes Maren Morris.
February 26, 2018 @ 10:43 am
Yesterday, I was in the car and switched to SIRIUS Highway. They were playing a set of debut songs by new female artists (which is messed up for a whole other set of reasons). Kalie Schorr was one. It was one after another of bass-dropping, auto-tuned pop mess. No Ashley Monroe, Courtney Patton, Ashley McBryde, Sunny Sweeney. I went back to Roadhouse & Outlaw to keep from driving into incoming traffic
February 26, 2018 @ 10:52 am
How about a review on JD Wilkes new album that’s been out for a week and a half now instead of this mess?
February 26, 2018 @ 11:37 am
Don’t worry, I have plenty of album reviews on the way for people to ignore.
February 26, 2018 @ 2:51 pm
Not true! I bought (not pirated) 3 albums this year: mike and the moonpies, yellow feather, and ugly valley boys because of your reviews.
February 26, 2018 @ 3:09 pm
Moonpies, Ugly Valley Boys and Caitlyn Smith for me. Plus I picked up the Leon Bridges album that I wouldn’t have if not for the Houston Rodeo story!
February 26, 2018 @ 3:30 pm
Back in the day, I’d comment day of review, but I don’t get promos anymore and pirating has dried up and I like to listen to something a few days before I comment. I always mean to go back and comment, but not sure if you’d see it.
February 26, 2018 @ 8:43 pm
I know the Luke & Sturgill posts get more comments, but never doubt how many readers you influence. I saw Sunny Sweeney, Turnpike, John Moreland, Cody Jnks, Jason Eady, Whitey, Childers, Parker Millsap and more all because of you. I truly listened to Chestnutt & Singletary (RIP) cos you wrote about them. You keep doing your thing Trig. Thanks.
February 26, 2018 @ 9:31 pm
I’m going to see Moreland in April. By accident though. He’s opening up for Deer Tick in Morgantown. I was very surprised when I checked my tickets!
February 26, 2018 @ 9:59 pm
I’m with you guys. I come here for the reviews of artists who are “SCM”. Not quite sure why there’s a perseption they are “ignored”.
February 27, 2018 @ 6:22 am
Read your reviews faithfully. SCM has introduced me to so many great artists thru the years. Appreciate all your hard work.
February 27, 2018 @ 10:51 am
Cut the crap Trigger. This is no time to get cynical about the stuff that really matters.
March 1, 2018 @ 6:57 am
I wanna give a big thanks to you and your reviews, even if they’re good or bad. I have discovered so many great artists/band because of you and your website, and for that, I am grateful.
Sincerely a norwegian dude.
February 26, 2018 @ 1:11 pm
Obviously you idiots have not been paying attention! You f/%!^€€__£££¥¥people. None of your male singers are country either
February 26, 2018 @ 1:51 pm
Someone didn’t read the entire piece.
Way to look like an exceptional dumbass, Diane.
February 26, 2018 @ 11:02 am
I wish artist would listen to the songs they are recording and “think about” if anyone will be listening and/or playing it 10 or 20 years from now.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:36 pm
THIS is really the litmus test ,Shannon .No one seems to have any grasp of what makes a song great and capable of surviving musical trends or eras.
February 26, 2018 @ 8:49 pm
Keyword here is “wish”
February 26, 2018 @ 11:03 am
I don’t want to be mean, but there is something about her face I don’t like. She looks like a stuck up spoiled brat who belongs on MTV. The song is horrible and only reinforces the image people have of her being a drama queen who looks down on anybody that doesn’t agree with her.
She was bearable in the beginning, but she has become one of the worst things about country music over the last year. She has no respect or understanding of the genre. She thinks she’s all that, which makes her live performances so annoying to watch. She’s pompous and immature.
If she was an amazing artist, I would forgive some of her negative qualities, but she sucks. She just flat out sucks.
February 26, 2018 @ 12:09 pm
She has a weird shaped head like the daughter on HBO Ray Donovan. That character has the same entitled non self-awareness exhibited by Moron Morris. Makes me nuts.
February 26, 2018 @ 12:29 pm
Avril Lavigne comes to mind as comparable. Maren is as country as Avril was authentic punk.
February 26, 2018 @ 3:33 pm
I think her face looks like a frostbite jack-o-lantern.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:04 pm
I wish folks understood that by focusing on Maren’s looks, you’re weakening the argument that it’s her music that’s concerning, not something else. These very comments will be used to undercut myself, and the readers of this website as shallow-minded misogynists, just as they were with my review of “The Middle.” Yes, by arrogantly putting herself out there, she invites criticism. But ultimately we should be focusing on her music. Who cares what she looks like? There’s plenty of ugly artists who make great music.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:16 pm
You’re right.
February 26, 2018 @ 8:32 pm
Just to be clear, how did she arrogantly put herself out there?
February 27, 2018 @ 7:08 am
This works for me:
…not some cowardly basement dweller (no disrespect to basements) with a keyboard. …
February 27, 2018 @ 11:40 pm
GREAT question Isaac . I have no clue what that means either ….
November 10, 2018 @ 8:26 pm
This is a critique of her music so I’m not really sure why y’all feel the need to add your thoughts in regards to her looks. Also, if you don’t like her music, don’t listen to it? And if I had a dollar every time men were trash, I’d be rich.
February 26, 2018 @ 11:10 am
Frickin thing of beauty. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
February 26, 2018 @ 11:19 am
It’s definetly not good but I’ve seen you give even worse songs higher ratings.
February 26, 2018 @ 11:35 am
Country music is too restrictive for this grrl, but I can’t imagine a new groove so I’ll just use this one by the Steve Miller Band.
LOL, kids these days
February 26, 2018 @ 11:37 am
Saw Kelsey Waldon twice this weekend open for Tyler Childers.
I would pay for a ticket and go see her again before I would listen to this song again for free.
February 26, 2018 @ 8:18 pm
Right on! Kelsey Waldon is my favorite female singer right now. In my opinion she is far and away the best there is when it comes to straight up country music. In a just world Kelsey would be the on the radio and Mrs. Morris wouldn’t.
February 26, 2018 @ 11:42 am
Her head seems disproportionately large.
February 26, 2018 @ 3:45 pm
True! Her face looks caved in too.
February 26, 2018 @ 4:53 pm
Even George Lopez agrees.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:32 am
Come on! Did you guys not just read what Trig wrote, “But ultimately we should be focusing on her music. Who cares what she looks like? There’s plenty of ugly artists who make great music.”
February 27, 2018 @ 8:39 am
Sorry, I just can’t get past the size of her noggin.
I had the same problem with Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi. I don’t remember his head being that big in the original films.
February 26, 2018 @ 11:51 am
Eh….. The teeny boppers over on “Hot Hits 101.9” will love it…
February 26, 2018 @ 12:10 pm
4 thumbs up. Trojan Horse.
February 26, 2018 @ 12:12 pm
It’s beyond shameful what passes for country these days. Hopefully this bombs in order to teach her a lesson, radio sucks!
February 26, 2018 @ 12:13 pm
http://www.cmt.com/shows/music-city
She is perfect for the newest TV show from the producer of ‘The Hills’. Prepare for the teeny bopper takeover, Kardashianization of Country Music.
February 26, 2018 @ 12:31 pm
Maren Morris is not “country”. She is (together with Kelsea Ballerini) the poster-girl for Nash-Pop & Nash-Pop radio.
After 2 or 3 album cycles she will be replaced by the next best thing. In the meantime Courtney Patton, Breelan Angel or australian artists like Kristy Cox, Fanny Lumsden or Gretta Ziller release great albums. Bluegrass, traditional country or alt-country.
Much Better Music:
Tori Forsyth – “In The Morning”
Her debut album (Dawn Of The Dark) will be released in May (05/25)
Ashley Campbell – The Lonely One – Album – 03/09
Ashley McBryde – Girl Going Nowhere – Album – 03/30
Lindi Ortega – Liberty – Album – 03/30
Kim Richey – Edgeland – Album – 03/30
Mary Chapin-Carpenter – Sometimes Just The Sky – Album – 03/30
Imogen Clark – Collide – Album – 04/27 (Current single: “Your Anything At All”)
February 26, 2018 @ 12:48 pm
Smart money says this crap hits 100 comments by this tonight. Courtney Patton review stuck on 14. It must get disheartening at times Trigger.
February 26, 2018 @ 12:52 pm
She looks like Baby Bop from Barny lmao. In all seriousness, her prissy, shallow attitude is repulsive.
February 26, 2018 @ 1:24 pm
Exactly. And it never used to be that way. Women in country music kept their chin up and could dish it out just as well as the men, and they were from *somewhere.* Think Kitty Wells, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton. You can respect that, because they clearly felt they came from somewhere with dignity, and that they were part of a whole social group called “country music.”
But Maren Morris? She exists only on a chart. Look at her wiki page and her “bio” on her website — there is no information about her as a person anywhere. Her bio is interesting (if you can call it that) because it begins ““Can I get a hallelujah, can I get an amen?” sings Texas-born, Nashville-dwelling Maren Morris.” That’s pure ad copy, not a biography. The second paragraph begins: “Morris built buzz at a breakneck speed with her self-titled EP.” Everything in her bio, and on her wiki page, is about what is relevant to her company. She exists entirely for commercial reasons.
Ok, granted, maybe Maren Morris can’t write a sentence to save her life. Maybe she has nothing to say and only has an opinion about something when it’s commercially useful for her to have one. But it sure looks to me like she is entirely a mediasphere confection. Rootless, soulless, even history-less. Sure, she’s a kid. She’s being “handled.” But don’t you think that if you came from somewhere, and had some kind of life experience to share with the world, you’d, I don’t know, refer to that? Somewhere?
I don’t know what that complete lack is, but it ain’t country.
February 26, 2018 @ 1:39 pm
She may not be country, but at least Kelsea Ballerini is trying to put out music with substance with her newest album…
Speaking of women on radio, did anyone notice that a lot of female songs jumped on the radio chart last week? Kelsea is #1 obviously, Lindsay Ell is back in the top 30, Ashley McBryde’s “Little Dive Bar” is doing surprisingly well, Lauren Alaina’s “Doin’ Fine” is gaining in performance after months of sitting in the mid 40s, Carly Pearce is moving up, and even Cam jumped ten spots. Any idea what’s going on?
February 28, 2018 @ 8:59 am
I listened to her album several times . Mostly I heard trend-chasing songs and arrangements that did not challenge her vocally or give her an opportunity to display whatever personal style she may have . I though that she could have been substituted by any number of pop-country wannabes and we wouldn’t have noticed ….they are so interchangeable , for the most part . I wanna hear a singer find a way to stand apart and develop a style that is unique to them and still moves me emotionally . Unfortunately mainstream country isn’t interested in that approach and is committed to molding their artist to fit what RADIO wants ….not what the artist may want . In any case , KB’s record doesn’t seem to be getting a lot of love from radio up here in Canada …..for what that may be worth .
February 26, 2018 @ 1:48 pm
Part of the problem is that you have two different camps advocating for more women in country.
You have pure “country” fans who acknowledge that there are women making truly phenomenal music. Then you have people who have co-opted the “women don’t get played on country radio” point for their broader message about gender inequality in the marketplace.
On the surface, there appears to be a sense of alignment because both are advocating for women AND generally opposed to “bro country.” Because of that superficial alignment, these people often gain respect in online and critical communities.
But you also see some misalignment, because the latter camp isn’t as passionate about country as a specific musical art form.
The latter camp is not simply advocating for Maren Morris – but for her “confident woman” songs like 80s Mercedes and Rich. The fact that these songs obviously “aren’t country” doesn’t matter to them – they chalk up any resistance to gender imbalance and misogyny. In their eyes, 80s Mercedes stalled at country radio because the female singer didn’t sound delicate and vulnerable rather than because it was a poor woman’s Katy Perry song that didn’t sell especially well even with all the hype and the national TV performances.
I was actually stunned by how many respected online commenters – including some people that are well-regarded on sites like this one – seemed to be rooting for 80s Mercedes. And I have a feeling it’ll be the same deal with Rich.
February 26, 2018 @ 2:28 pm
i think you need to start a negative reviews system this is not worth 0/10 she owes you guns for this flaming turd
February 26, 2018 @ 6:46 pm
He has given negative ratings before.
February 26, 2018 @ 4:23 pm
While I agree with you, it’s just all a weird place in country for females. Let’s be honest here, traditional styled female artists will never get significant air time. Currently it seems only the more pop leaning songs ever make significant impact (with some exceptions). Artists like Runaway June have some more traditional leaning songs but are struggling with radio (although starting to get some recognition).
While I agree that it’s more pop than anything and artists come to country radio because pop will never accept them. But, it is kind of hard to even blame them since that is one of the only ways to even get on radio at this point. Radio is just so screwed up at the moment which is affecting artists’ sounds and such.
February 26, 2018 @ 4:39 pm
Straight up a bad song. Frankly only 2 or 3 decent songs on the album. She could learn a thing or two from Carrie or Miranda. 0/10 sounds right to me.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:38 pm
Trigger: “Why did she get involved with country music in the first place? The answer is because she would have never survived an introduction via pop.”
This! Maren Morris is a shit singer. Many women of pop have got some pipes on ’em and Maren, who is a tuneless, flat mess on her best day, would get chewed up and spit out. So, as a classical singer who has made a fine living off her voice all these years, I’m going to give Maren Morris some advice that she’ll never see: Bitch, get you some voice lessons. Figure out which register to place the note in, learn how to breathe, stop reaching up, gain a little flexibility, and see if you can’t increase your muddy, 2-note range. Then you and your punched in face and rank attitutde can fuck off to pop music where you belong.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:44 pm
Fun Fact:
If you Google ‘Maren Morris sucks’ the first 4 hits are Saving Country Music and the 5th is an excellent article on Fox about how shitty the country music awards are. LOL
February 26, 2018 @ 5:50 pm
I admittedly enjoyed her album, but that was when I thought she at least knew something about the greats (My Church). I knew it was pop, and 80s Mercedes I thought was the worst song, but she lost some respect from me when she looked like a lost puppy during a tribute to I believe it was Don Williams “Tulsa Time” at one of the country awards shows. Now that she’s not even hinting at country music with “the middle” I’ve lost interest. Take your naked ass to the top 40. I’m over it.
February 26, 2018 @ 5:52 pm
At my age , I have to admit that I had some difficulty relating to and understanding the ‘ on-line bullying ‘ issue causing such unnecessary heartache to young people in these times…girls in particular , from what I understand. Having read some of the rude , cowardly and immature comments in the posts above with regards to this artist’s appearance I can say that I’m beginning to understand the pain of people who are , in fact , experiencing bullying this way. The complete disregard and disrespect for a person’s feelings by slamming his or her appearance ALWAYS says more about the commenter than the person being bullied .
I’m the first one to dump on crappy music if I think it fits the bill . I’m ‘ no holds barred ‘ critical of someone making shit music and exploiting the impressionable and inexperienced listener . Making derogatory fun of and taking shots at a person’s looks is something altogether different and becoming , as it should I believe , an unforgivable act of judgemental bullying . Surely we are bigger than that .
February 26, 2018 @ 6:12 pm
fair enough. I’ll own up to making a crack about her strangely punched-in features. That was a bit of artless snark, and it came from her risible air of entitlement. Because in the end, what bothers me is probably what bothered Trig in the first place: Maren Morris doesn’t even remotely deserve the mantle of “rising young country starlet” she is so greedily tearing from those “restrictive” hands that are holding it. At this point, she’s a complete fiction. There isn’t any “there” there, to her story. Is she the heiress of Kitty Wells, Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, or any of the other dozens of women singers Trigger features with such justifiable praise on this website? Even asking the question sounds ridiculous. And it’s that presumptuousness, based on appearance and ignorance, that makes Maren Morris so discardable. She wants us to care about her, when she clearly doesn’t give a damn about anything other than her own commercial place in the global music market. The rest of us can go hang.
Speaking for myself, I’m sure Maren is a sweet kid trying to do her best. Or maybe she’s a misguided, soulless robot of the recording industry, trying to get what she can while the getting’s good. It’s not her that’s the problem, because standing behind her are hundreds more Maren Morrisses, waiting for their shot at Super Bowl Halftime “star-time.” To do this, her handlers want to give us all bulls*t songs about nothing that are delivered with “soul.”
I’m not having it, Albert. That’s not the culture I want for my kids. I hope for their sake that the likes of Maren Morris are forgotten forever, and take their bitter, grasping, entitled pitiableness with them.
February 27, 2018 @ 2:55 am
Really Albert? Feel free to take the high road — you’re welcome to it. And I guess someone has to. I however am not bigger than that. When I dislike someone as much as I dislike Morris and her dumpster fire of a personality I’m petty. Petty as fuck. So as long as she makes money as a public performer, thus making me gaze upon her, I’ll drag her around by her weave til my heart’s content.
February 27, 2018 @ 11:45 pm
Would you want someone referring to your sister or your Mom in the manner Maren is being referred to in these posts? I’m gonna venture a guess and say that you absolutely would not . The worst music on the planet doesn’t justify disrespecting or calling out an artist on their physical appearance . Go ahead and slam her music , that’s what this site SHOULD be about ….not belittling someone’s physical appearance .
C’mon man ….you know what’s right .
February 26, 2018 @ 6:08 pm
For those who frequent SCM regularly my thoughts and opinions re: Maren Morris are likely well-known .
I believe whole-heartedly that this young woman is a force to be reckoned with vocally and artistically . She emotes and evokes emotion like very very few vocalists can in these times. Her voice seems to have no limits when it comes to ‘ the gift’ of pitch , inflection , dynamics , phrasing and , perhaps most importantly , TONE .Her album is riddled with GREAT freshness of lyric ,groove and arrangement and stands apart because of those things .
Country music ….especially TODAY’S country music , is just too restrictive a forum for this woman’s enormous artistic capacity , in my less than humble opinion . She’s better than what country wants and fights below her weight class trying to cow-tow to that . Maren IS NOT a country aritst by any definition in ANY era. She can out-sing the katy perrys , the pinks , the taylor swifts ( as can my neighbour’s retriever ) , the jana kramers, the cams and yes even the underwoods ( tone,tone TONE ) and she does a HUGE disservice to herself trying to market what she’s doing as ‘ country ‘ music . she’s in a league with the Clarksons and the Raitts when it comes to delivering a song fro the heart with conviction and SMARTS .If anyone should be shooting much much higher than the ‘country’ mainstream right now its Maren Morris . Lord only knows where that gift could take her were she to explore more artistic , open and creative avenues and collaborations .
And that’s my take .
February 26, 2018 @ 8:17 pm
“Her voice seems to have no limits when it comes to ‘ the gift’ of pitch , inflection , dynamics , phrasing and , perhaps most importantly , TONE”
I totally don’t hear what you’re hearing, but I respect your opinion. My Church was pretty good, IMO. I honestly can’t say I’ve heard another song of hers that I didn’t find completely unremarkable. Her audio engineer really seems to love that reverb knob!
February 26, 2018 @ 9:39 pm
Wait, Maren Morris can outsing Pink and Carrie Underwood, and in a league with Kelly Clarkson and Bonnie Raitt? What in the world…
February 27, 2018 @ 3:01 am
I’m going to start a Go Fund Me for Albert so he can get himself some of them thar Cochlear implants.
Better than Pink my aunt fanny…
February 27, 2018 @ 8:47 am
I stand by my comments and thoughts above . I feel certain that if and when Maren Morris decides to leave pseudo-country behind we’ll see what she is truly capable of vocally . She’s already showing a desire to explore more interesting music options than mainstream country offers, to push the envelope . I believe she has the fire , the vocal character and abilities to go where so many can not .
I am mystified and kinda shocked at the animosity and small-mindedness shown towards her appearance here. I don’t know her personally , of course , but I’m also wondering what I’m missing with all the comments re: her ‘ attitude ‘ . I buy her music , I like her music , I watch her live performances , her videos and I voice my opinion on that basis . Maybe my head’s in the sand with regards to something she’s said or done ….but I don’t understand why that should justify the cyber-bullying going on here …..and why its even condoned .
February 27, 2018 @ 10:29 am
Albert, I have a genuine question. You keep insinuating that country music is not good enough for Maren Morris or her talent. Since when does being in country music limit what a female singer can do vocally or artistically? There are an incredible number of unbelievable female vocalists in the history of country music who were able to use the entirety of their gift in their music. I understand you love her voice and tone, and that’s totally fine. But there is an incredibly rich history of remarkable female country singers. What is it about country that supposedly hinders Maren’s vocal talent so much, but didn’t hinder the legends?
February 28, 2018 @ 12:02 am
Rachel …..its the ‘country music ‘ of TODAY that , in my opinion , limits Maren Morris . I think she could have done justice to songs like the legends you are referring to.
For example , take Martina McBride who is universally considered an amazingly gifted vocalist . She is BETTER than the country genre wants /needs or expects a vocalist to be when you listen to the kind of material contemporary mainstream country is pumping out . There would be nothing in this stuff to challenge Martina …melodically and particularly lyrically .
Trisha Yearwood , Lee Ann Rimes , Lee Ann Womack , even Carrie Underwood is singing pop and getting away with it on country radio because her vocal talents would be wasted singing a Kelsea Ballerini or Bebe what’s her name song .
Maren Morris is , I believe a GREAT vocalist oozing soul , conviction , confidence and STYLE . She could sing trad country as well or better than anyone …IF RADIO WANTED TRAD COUNTRY . But as much as I love Maren’s record , I think she has more to show us in terms of her vocal talent and her unique style .
I’m not convinced she’ll be challenged the way she needs to be or get the exposure she deserves singing the stuff mainstream country radio might expect from her .
Kacey Musgraves had the same issue . She has a uniqueness that country radio doesn’t seem interested in . She stayed true to herself in spite of that roadblock and is doing incredibly well , it seems . Hopefully Maren will do the same .
February 26, 2018 @ 7:19 pm
since she’s “rich” she should use that money for plastic surgery. maybe face reconstruction
February 26, 2018 @ 7:28 pm
and another bully heard from
February 26, 2018 @ 7:28 pm
Honestly I feel like there’s still worse evils out there. Sure this song is bad. But you know what’s worse? Singles You Up by Jordan Davis, Meant to Be by Bebe Rexha, Heaven by Kane Brown, Kiss Somebody by Morgan Evans (rips off the guitar of Written in The Sand by Old Dominion and the lyrics of I Know Somebody by Locash, two other awful songs), Hooked by Dylan Scott, I’d Be Jealous Too by Dustin Lynch, whatever Kid Rock is smoking, and Mitchell Tenpenny’s whole career.
Maren Morris might be a problem, but she’s only chasing a trend that many others are on. At least, unlike most of the artists listed above (save Dustin Lynch), she is at least capable of recording a good song with meaning.
Isn’t it funny how all the old mainstream stalwarts (except Dustin Lynch and Kenny Chesney) are realizing they have to release singles that have depth and roots to stay relevant? Yet radio keeps on playing all this pop trash made by younger artists and granting them success. However, if a young/new artist makes traditional sounding music, it gets completely ignored. I wish the world worked differently..
February 26, 2018 @ 8:46 pm
When was the last time Dustin Lynch released a single with depth?
February 26, 2018 @ 9:13 pm
Cowboys and Angels. I know it was 6 years ago, but if he tried, he could record decent music. (Ex: Love me or Leave me Alone from his latest album and Your Daddy’s Boots from his previous album.) He just doesn’t try and it’s frustrating since his voice has a lot of potential to make good music.
All he is concerned with now is making money and selling records to teenage girls and anyone who is hanging onto the washed-up Bro-country wave.
February 26, 2018 @ 7:53 pm
Call me a misogynist if you want, but Maren Morris at this point in time is a very, very typical snotty young white girl. It is always very frustrating when talent is forsaken by an artist’s preference for stardom and looking good. I’m not convinced that Maren Morris is more concerned about how she sounds than how she looks when on stage. Maren Morris will become the artist she is capable of becoming when she finds herself wanting more than the lyrics of “Rich” or “80s Mercedes,” and even more so when she’s older and realizes she’s jaw-droppingly beautiful and will look great on stage regardless of her level of effort.
February 27, 2018 @ 7:37 am
White girl?
February 28, 2018 @ 8:55 pm
I believe the correct term is Saltine-American.
February 26, 2018 @ 8:23 pm
One time I thought being drunk and stoned simultaneously might make this new-age country hip-hop slightly more bearable. Turns out I was wrong. A Maren Morris song came on and it was absolutely horrifying.
On the plus side, I found out that Waylon Jennings sounds even more fucking badass when you are simultaneously drunk and stoned, so there’s that at least.
February 26, 2018 @ 8:47 pm
The only thing about this entire article and comments section that made the time spent doing so worth it was in finding the usual sarcastic “Oh no, Trigger, they’ll call us all misogynists now!” comments starting it off…followed by truly horrific misogynistic comments.
You can complain about folks “misquoting” you and whatnot all you like, Trigger, but you may want to take a sec and think about the company you keep and realize maybe its not so outlandish that you (and the site) have found yourselves on a whisper network.
February 26, 2018 @ 9:43 pm
Gotcha. So because a few people posting under aliases in an online comments section say that Maren Morris’s face is ugly, that means that I very likely sexually assault women in the workplace. Seems plausible.
And may I remind you, it was one of these very comment sections where Tamara Saviano made her slanderous comments towards me. I supplied the forum for her dissent, just as I did for yours.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:11 am
I would point out that you most likely knew which way the wind would blow in the comment section when you decided to post another Maren Morris piece so soon after the last one, but still can’t understand why you may not have the best of reputations with many women within the country music community. But, I mean, I’m *sure* it’s because you speak truth to power when it comes to pop in country, etc et etc.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:50 am
I’d have to add here that we were doing a pretty good job making fun of Walker Hayes and his square head.
February 27, 2018 @ 2:16 am
Isaac, no need to get your panties all up in a bunch hoss.
February 27, 2018 @ 7:57 am
A dictionary is pretty helpful
mi·sog·y·nist
məˈsäjənəst/
noun
noun: misogynist; plural noun: misogynists
1.
a person who dislikes, despises, or is strongly prejudiced against women.
……………
Notice the ‘plural’ of women. That isn’t spelled woman, as in one person. When “a” person puts themselves in the arena of the public, individually, they are no longer ‘entitled’ to the protection of the plural. When that person ridicules a group that person will be ridiculed in return. The one(s) retaliating are not the guilty.
People like this little girl have to learn the hard way that they still put their pants on one leg at a time- regardless of their station in life. The sooner the better, for ALL concerned. Kids are resilient, she’ll grow up and get over it, or die. That is called life. Somebody in her entourage (if any adults are part of her clique) need to be the adult who brings ‘pragmatic’ to her attention- concerned with the consequences of thoughts and actions- which includes publicly spoken/sung words. In fact, I’d say that about many artists. They seem to be of the opinion they can say/do what they want and should be forgiven because they are ‘special’- they ain’t. They are talented(?)- that is a gift only, it doesn’t come with an entitlement. Entitlement, by definition is ‘earned’- a kid (in this case) hasn’t earned anything but money. They will earn respect when respect is given- that is life. Money is just money. It entitles you to purchase material- snot nosed attitudes are a dime a dozen.
February 27, 2018 @ 1:59 pm
Yea, this entire article and most of the comments just made really uncomfortable. There seems to be something deeper going on here, because this song is no where near as bad as 95% of the stuff out there right now. Something’s off.
February 27, 2018 @ 7:38 pm
Something deeper going on? Something’s off?
Quit beating around the bush. Just call everyone here misogynistic privileged white oppressive males like I know you want to.
And nowhere near as bad as 95% of other stuff right now? Well who cares. It’s still terrible. Slightly less terrible, but terrible nonetheless.
Trigger wouldn’t be writing about her if she wasn’t somehow being passed off as country without any sound reasoning whatsoever.
February 28, 2018 @ 9:01 pm
I dunno, Ulysses. I think it’s the most terrible of the terrible trash out right now. And when you factor in her terrible personality… that’s just doubling down on the terrible.
So score another one for the misogynistic privileged white oppressors — both the male and female variety.
February 28, 2018 @ 11:34 pm
I guess I’m not really qualified to decide how terrible it is because I just haven’t listened to any other mainstream country in so long that I’ve become completely unaware and uncaring of it. Between pocasts, satellite radio, and downloaded music I really have no need to dive any further than the occasional peek on here when Trigger reviews one. And the occasional peeks usually reaffirm that I’m correct in avoiding it at all costs.
March 1, 2018 @ 6:16 am
You said it, not me. 🙂
Part of what threw me was that this song isn’t new or anything, and it’s never struck me as being as awful as the article says it is. I thought maybe I was missing something and went to back to listen to it… and I still don’t get it. I guess the level of intensity here doesn’t seem to match up to the music (for me), so I question if there is something else going on that I’m missing.
February 27, 2018 @ 5:24 pm
“a whisper network”
like the Stasi? seriously, wtf is with you people?
February 26, 2018 @ 9:27 pm
Maren Morris’ guitar player went to my church back in the day haha. But that point aside, I believe she does have some measure of talent. She’s just misusing it.
February 27, 2018 @ 6:24 am
You spend entirely to much time focusing on the mainstream crap. It’s almost as if you prefer that over the actual country music.
February 27, 2018 @ 6:49 am
I don’t really agree with Maren Morris being the worst Nashville has to offer. Her music is most definitely pop but I just don’t understand this hate. To say it was a trojan horse is simply untrue becuase she released my church on a four track ep containing more pop songs. As far as I’m concerned she never tried to fool anyone. Something that was completely ignored on this website was her song Dear Hate which was written and performed with Vince Gill. Not only was it a good song but also fairly country and well written. Light years above some of the other dross released by music row.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:50 am
what Dom posted above
February 27, 2018 @ 9:20 am
You mean that song she sat on until the opportunity arose where she could piggyback it onto an issue saturating the mainstream media outlets?
That one?
February 27, 2018 @ 11:58 am
I mean the song she released where all the proceeds went to the victims. It can’t be ignored that that song and a few others on her debut are well written and show promise.
I do not get this attitude that she’s a diva/bitchy. I saw her live at a festival and she was a humble, down to earth person. She played this song last as tribute.
February 27, 2018 @ 7:12 am
On a more positive note, it really is great to see some former bro-country artists starting to release some of their best and most substantial singles to date. Thomas Rhett’s Marry Me, Cole Swindell’s Break Up In The End, and Luke Bryan’s Most People Are Good are all huge steps in the right direction. Along with Scotty McCreery’s Five More Minutes hitting #1 on airplay (Marry Me will probably hit #1 next week as well) and She Ain’t In It moving up the charts, I think there’s real progress happening right now.
February 27, 2018 @ 11:10 am
I agree.
February 27, 2018 @ 7:49 am
this is why I don’t care about the whole women in Country Music debacle.
because everyone is releasing shitty music.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:29 am
I am all for more women in country music. But the fact that this is going to country radio is asinine. I really wish mainstream country music would get behind female artists like Lauren Alaina, Runaway June, Ashley McBryde, Ashley Monroe, Cam, Mickey Guyton and Maddie & Tae. All very talented women who should see more success than Maren Morris, who seems like a nice girl, but doesn’t impress me much at all.
Am I the only one who thinks Maren sounds like a diva/bitchy on this song? She just sounds like a diva here.
February 27, 2018 @ 8:53 am
Agree , Raymond …..MM is in the wrong genre and you’ve referred to some great country folks above. BUT the fact that MM can sing ” I Could Use A Love Song ” with such conviction and emotion ….then sing ” Rich ” and deliver the sentiments of a ‘diva/bitch ” as you say , only supports the case for her ability to do it all .
February 27, 2018 @ 11:54 am
Eh “I Could Use A Love Song” was pretty bland to me, and I hate songs that sound like a diva singing it like this one. Maren doesn’t impress me at all. Sorry
February 27, 2018 @ 3:02 pm
David Allen Coe’s recent inner ear infection, detailed in a SCM post a couple of days ago, is more country than this Maren Morris song.’
February 27, 2018 @ 6:06 pm
I’m waiting for Maren to sing songs about her mom’s Aveda hair salon in Arlington, Texas. You know, real life, what she knows, etc. Or does Maren, and everyone like her, of which there are many, consider those roots too “restrictive”?
February 27, 2018 @ 7:39 pm
I’m not a Maren Morris hater. Not at all. I think she has a decent voice. Her songs don’t make me cringe but I don’t see myself going out of my way to listen to this. If it’s on Music Choice or the radio, sure, I’ll give it a listen. Based on the theme of the lyrics, this song sounds like something Taylor Swift would write, given her penchant for writing about her ex’s.
February 28, 2018 @ 2:39 pm
This is why I laughed when everyone lauded her over “My Church.” It was pretty blatant what her agenda was. Name-drop some legends and get in the gates.
March 2, 2018 @ 1:36 pm
These frauds all operate the same. One sort of decent “sounding” country song usually written by someone else to get their foot in the door, then every song afterward is their own original composition of bubble gum pop garbage that’s released on the country music charts..
April 15, 2018 @ 5:19 pm
I cannot bear to hear her attempts at singing. I have to change the station. Right now, the ACM Awards are on TV, she’s singing – it’s tortuous, I had to leave the room.
August 27, 2018 @ 4:44 pm
I absolute love that song and biggest question is why isn’t their an author to that lame review?
December 31, 2018 @ 1:40 pm
This song is the best in the world. She has a really good voice and she makes really good songs. Shit she is soo good!!!