ABC/Image Group LAEarlier this week, Morgan Wallen’s rising star status in the country music industry plummeted after video footage emerged that showed him yelling racial slurs, including the N-word.
In the span of just 24 hours, Morgan’s music was swiftly removed from country radio station playlists. His contract with Big Loud Records, in conjunction with Republic Records, was suspended “indefinitely.” He was dropped by his booking agency, and CMT committed to “removing his appearances from all of our platforms.”
In the wake of the fallout, Wallen’s music saw a 65-percent drop in radio spins as the result of stations pulling it from their playlists, according to data collected by Rolling Stone.
However, at least for the time being, the singer’s fan base doesn’t seem to be wavering in their support. Rolling Stone‘s data also indicates that Morgan’s sales actually jumped 1,220 percent on Wednesday, and his streaming numbers remained steady, despite his removal from playlists on Spotify and Apple Music.
The video in question initially surfaced on TMZ Tuesday evening. That same night, the singer apologized in a statement made available to ABC News. “There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word,” Morgan said. “I promise to do better.”
Since issuing that statement late on Tuesday, Morgan has remained quiet throughout the ensuing fallout. The Nashville branch of the NAACP has, however, extended an invitation to the singer to join them in conversation and educate himself about why the use of racial slurs is so hurtful.
By Carena Liptak
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