Maren Morris Recalls Encounter With Sexist Radio Programmer Who Got Fired [Watch]

Maren Morris told a powerful story during her set at Bonnaroo Music Festival set on June 15, sharing how she stood her ground after a radio programmer made a sexist comment.

Before performing her heartbreak anthem "I Could Use a Love Song," Morris told the crowd, "So early last year — it feels like longer than that ago — I got my first ever songwriter-as-an-artist No. 1 at country radio. And I remember when I was picking this single, this program director at a radio station, I told him I wanted this song to be the next single and he was like, 'Oh god no, people don't want to hear women being sad on the radio.'"

"And I was like, 'Psh, ah f--k you, because I love being sad,'" Morris added as the crowd erupted into cheers and applause.

"Being sad makes me feel... when I hear sad songs on the radio I feel like I'm not alone in my sadness, and that's why they're there," she stated.

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"So I respectfully disagreed," Morris said with a shrug. "And I chose this song anyways, and I watched it climb, and it took forty-two weeks, it hit No. 1 and that guy got fired."

She went on to lead an audience singalong with "I Could Use a Love Song" at the multi-genre festival, with the audience singing every word back to her.

"I Could Use a Love Song" reached No. 1 on Billboard's Country Airplay chart after Morris released it as the third single from her debut album, Hero. She released her highly anticipated sophomore album, Girl, in March of 2019, and the project has become one of the most critically acclaimed of the year across all genres for its progressive mix of country and pop and its bold lyrical themes.

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