Maren Morris’ just-announced Wednesday evening appearance at 2024’s Democratic National Convention highlights how the ties between music and American politics are deepening ten weeks out from the finish of the race between Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris.
In an exclusive statement to The Tennessean, Democratic National Convention officials offered the following:
“We are excited to welcome Grammy Award-winning artist Maren Morris to our historic convention stage, where she will help us share the story of the Harris-Walz ticket and engage Americans from every corner of the country. As we highlight a future full of possibilities under Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, Maren’s unique talent and authenticity will play a critical role in our mission to make this the most successful and inclusive convention in history.”
Morris’ inclusion in shaping the Democratic platform in Chicago arrives following the work she’s publicly done recently as both an advocate for ethnic and gender-based American minorities and in distancing herself from conservative stereotypes attributed to country music’s mainstream industry.
“I am honored to be performing at the Democratic National Convention for the first time ever. It’s a moment where we, as a country, can come together and hear rational plans for the future of women’s and LGBTQ rights. We can be inspired by people’s stories and navigate a safe path forward for our children,” offered Morris in an exclusive statement for The Tennessean.
Maren Morris takes a stance against country’s conservatism
Notably, Morris is not just a Grammy winner. She’s a five-time victor at the Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Awards, with 10 top-10 singles (four chart-toppers) in the genre.
In a Sept. 2023 Los Angeles Times interview, Morris highlighted that because, in her opinion, the country music industry was not willing to more aggressively distance itself from a history associated with racism and misogyny and be more accepting of women, queer people and people of color, she offered that “(burning the genre to) the ground and (starting) over” was ideal.
For many, this move was directly linked to public spats in recent years with Brittany Aldean, the wife of nearly 30-time country chart-topper Jason Aldean.
Notably, Aldean and his wife attended the final night of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee on July 18. The pair sat in the friends and family box next to Trump.
Trump called Aldean the “biggest star in country music” during his acceptance speech. “He’s good,” Trump continued. “I like his wife even better, by the way,” the former president said, referencing Aldean’s wife.
Alongside her Los Angeles Times interview, Morris released a music video for her track “The Tree.”
