Morgan Wallen opened up about his growth over the past year and some of the darker times he experienced in a recent interview with Storme Warren on SiriusXM.
Videos by American Songwriter
Though Wallen didn’t directly address the 2021 video, which revealed him using a racial slur, he did admit to experiencing darker times recently.
“It got pretty dark for sure,” said the 29-year-old country singer. “I feel like I’m a pretty resilient person, and I’m a pretty happy person in general, but that was definitely a really difficult time. I feel like if [I] just stay true to who I knew I really was, we would come out all right.” He added, “There was definitely a few of them [lessons] that [have] been learned. I’m still trying to learn everything I can.”
In March, Wallen won Album of the Year for Dangerous: The Double Album at the 57th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards and appeared on the show to accept the honor. “When I started this album I was a kid,” said Wallen in his speech. “By the time I put it out, I was a father and that’s become more important to me than anything else. To my son, this album and this award will signify that his daddy was a fighter and that he chased his dreams and worked hard to make them a reality.”
Wallen also picked up a Billboard Music Award for Top Country Male Artist in May and was presented with the award by rapper Pusha T. A year after being banned from the show after the video of his slur went viral, Wallen also performed a mashup of his songs “Don’t Thank Jesus” and “Wasted on You” during the show.
“We oppose discrimination, harassment, or racism of any kind,” said the show producers MRC Live & Alternative in a statement prior to the Billboard Music Awards. “We believe in treating everyone with dignity and respect. After a thorough review and robust discussions internally and with the artist’s team, in which we found a demonstrated and ongoing commitment to meaningful work and outreach, we extended an invitation to participate in this year’s show.”
Wallen, who recently released a new single “You Proof” on his 29th birthday, said that he feels a greater sense of gratitude now.
“I got a lot of great things going on, you know,” said the 29-year-old artist. “I think I’m happy as I’ve ever been. I can honestly say that. Obviously, I’ve had a lot of success, which doesn’t hurt … but I’m just in a really good place mentally. I got my little boy. I got my family. Everything is really good for me right now. So gratitude is at the top of my vocabulary.”
Photo by John Shearer / EBMedia
