Sipping Whiskey and Seeking Redemption: Moral Counter-Publics in Morgan Wallen's Country Music

In a genre long defined by faith, tradition, and redemption, Morgan Wallen’s public missteps, including using a racial slur and performing while intoxicated, have sparked controversy, raising broader questions about how country music, a genre traditionally tied to conservative values, responds to scandal in the global spotlight. It is important to acknowledge that these are just a few of Wallen’s missteps and  do not define him or his career. He has made numerous positive contributions which are not covered in this article, but have had a significant impact on the music world. As country music faces increasing international popularity, Wallen’s career offers a lens through which the genre's ongoing tension between traditional values and evolving global sensibilities can be understood. 

Country Music’s Counter-Publics

Country music has long been a space where American values like faith, family, and patriotism are reinforced, but it has also created a platform for challenging dominant cultural narratives. Country artists have historically used their music to negotiate complex moral issues, such as scandal, accountability, and redemption, often reflecting societal tensions and divisions (Meier, 2018). This negotiation has become even more complicated as country music increasingly interacts with global audiences. As country music expands beyond its American origins, it finds itself caught between upholding its traditional values and responding to global expectations for more progressive approaches to issues like race, gender, and morality.

Morgan Wallen’s career exemplifies this tension. His controversies raise questions about the genre’s relationship with traditional American values, especially as the country music audience becomes more diverse and global. His actions are deeply tied to American cultural dynamics and have garnered international attention, demonstrating how country music navigates the challenges of balancing local identity with global appeal. Wallen’s struggles highlight how country music fosters moral counter-publics, where faith, judgment, and redemption are debated and redefined (Fraser, 1990). His music allows listeners to reflect on their own moral struggles and encourages empathy, even in the face of scandal.

Meet Morgan Wallen

Morgan Wallen is a figure who has come to embody both the success and divisiveness of contemporary country music. His blend of traditional country sound with modern pop elements has earned him a broad and dedicated fanbase with 8.2 million followers on Instagram and 36.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify as of February 2025, making him one of the genre's most commercially successful artists. His career has been marred by high-profile controversies, including using a racial slur, performing while intoxicated, and hurling a chair off a rooftop, which have drawn industry and fan criticism while complicating his public image at the intersection of celebrity, morality, and redemption. In February 2021, a video surfaced showing Wallen using a racial slur, sparking widespread backlash from both the public and other artists in the country music industry (Azadi, 2021). This incident led to several major country music organizations, such as the Country Music Association and radio stations, distancing themselves from him. Yet, it also garnered support from some of his fans (Ellis, 2021). Additionally, Wallen’s behavior during a concert in 2022, where he appeared intoxicated and struggled to perform, raised further concerns about his professionalism (McGuire, 2022). In another notorious incident, Wallen was filmed hurling a chair off a rooftop, which generated negative attention for his reckless behavior (Breen, 2022). 

Wallen's personal arc of downfall and redemption mirrors the country music's ongoing negotiations of morality, identity, and personal growth.

Despite the backlash, his career has sparked broader discussions about how country music reconciles its values with public scandal, raising questions about morality and redemption in the genre. Far from eclipsing his career, these controversies have ignited debates within the genre about faith, accountability, and redemption. Wallen’s public persona, marked by moments of personal struggle and self-reflection, has catalyzed a larger conversation on what it means to embody traditional country values while facing public scrutiny. 

Tuning into Morality

Wallen’s lyrics serve as an important entry point into the ongoing debate about redemption and personal growth within country music. His music, especially his hit "Don’t Think Jesus" (Wallen, 2022), encourages listeners to confront complex moral dilemmas. The song’s lyrics, particularly the line “World likes to rear back and throw a few stones,” evoke the biblical story of John 8:7, where Jesus calls for compassion and forgiveness instead of judgment. Listeners are invited to rethink societal condemnation. This theme resonates with fans who may grapple with their own moral struggles and seek comfort in the song's message of redemption.

As Habermas (2006) suggests, the public sphere is a space where individuals engage in critical discourse, challenging societal norms and values. Wallen’s music invites fans into a conversation about moral judgment and redemption, offering an alternative to the more conventional societal views on accountability. By positioning his personal journey within the context of broader theological themes, Wallen invites listeners to engage in moral discourse that transcends the specific cultural and political context of the United States. Research suggests that music, especially lyrics that invoke moral and emotional themes, can significantly influence listeners' moral judgments, encouraging them to reflect on personal accountability and forgiveness (Ansani et al., 2019). This global resonance highlights how country music can evolve to address contemporary issues while still honoring its traditional roots.

Navigating Public and Personal Struggles

In country music, iconic figures like “Mama” and “Jesus” play central roles in shaping narratives of redemption and moral guidance. Wallen frequently taps into these archetypes to navigate his own personal struggles. In "Thought You Should Know" (Wallen, 2023), he draws on the maternal archetype, singing, "What’s goin’ on, Mama [...] turns out she’s a lot like you," invoking the figure of the mother as a symbol of unconditional love and moral support. 

As Maxine L. Grossman (2002) notes, the maternal figure in country music represents salvific love. This love transcends human imperfection and offers the possibility of redemption. Through his music, Wallen invites listeners to embrace a more compassionate, forgiving view of morality that aligns with the broader themes in country music. His personal arc of downfall and redemption mirrors the genre's ongoing negotiations of morality, identity, and personal growth.

Wallen’s openness about his struggles fosters strong emotional connections with fans, forming what Horton and Wohl (2016) call para-social relationships; one-sided bonds that create a sense of personal intimacy. He curates a vulnerable persona through his music and social media, inviting fans to engage in his redemptive journey and view his missteps with greater empathy.

Wallen’s career exemplifies the evolving role of country music in a globalized world, highlighting the genre’s potential to foster moral counter-publics where issues of faith, redemption, and societal judgment are debated.

Social media plays a pivotal role in intensifying these bonds by blurring the lines between Wallen’s private and public lives. His online presence allows fans to witness his growth and aligns with Fraser’s (1990) concept of counter-publics, spaces where marginalized voices engage in moral discourse. By selectively sharing personal content, Wallen invites fans to join him on his path of redemption, fostering a community invested in themes of forgiveness and transformation. This para-social relationship ultimately forms a moral counter-public within the genre, challenging mainstream judgment and cultivating a space for critical reflection and supportive dialogue. 

Global Country

As country music’s global audience grows, Wallen’s controversies have taken on new dimensions in international markets. In the UK, Germany, and the Netherlands, country music has increased in popularity with events like the Country to Country (C2C) festival, which attracts tens of thousands of attendees each year. Wallen’s moral transgressions have made their way into, for example, the British media, where his use of a racial slur and subsequent attempts at redemption were widely discussed. British critics and fans have expressed divided opinions, with some questioning whether Wallen’s actions are compatible with the genre’s supposed moral framework. In contrast, others have defended him, emphasizing his musical talent over personal mistakes.

As country music’s international footprint grows, Wallen’s controversies are interpreted through varying cultural lenses. In Australia, where country music thrives, his themes of redemption resonate, though debates on cancel culture persist. In emerging markets like Europe and Latin America, his actions are often viewed less as national scandals and more as reflections on American celebrity culture and morality. Wallen’s unapologetic approach to his mistakes and his consistent fan support have raised questions about whether international fans are more willing to separate the artist from the individual, a phenomenon that may be influenced by different cultural attitudes toward public accountability. This international perspective reflects how the global audience navigates the tension between a country artist's personal failures and their musical output (Abramson, 2002).

Thus, Wallen’s controversies not only affect his standing in the US but show us how country music is perceived differently across the globe. As country music continues to reach new audiences, the discussions around Wallen’s redemption arc reveal the complexity of cultural values, fan loyalty, and the genre’s ability to adapt to a rapidly changing, increasingly interconnected world.

Morgan Wallen’s career exemplifies the evolving role of country music in a globalized world, highlighting the genre’s potential to foster moral counter-publics where issues of faith, redemption, and societal judgment are debated. His music, particularly in songs like "Don’t Think Jesus," provides a space for fans to reflect on their own moral struggles while engaging in broader discussions about the complexities of forgiveness and personal growth. Wallen’s controversies and successes illustrate how country music navigates the tensions between its traditional roots and global appeal, offering a platform for ongoing reflection on values that transcend national boundaries.

As country music’s global audience continues to grow, it will need to balance its American identity with the evolving expectations of an international fanbase. Wallen’s career serves as a testament to how the genre can adapt to these challenges while fostering critical conversations about morality, redemption, and the values that shape contemporary life.

References

Abramson, B. D. (2002). Country music and cultural industry: mediating structures in transnational media flow. Media, Culture & Society, 24(2), 255–274.

Ansani, A., D’Errico, F., & Poggi, I. (2019). ‘You will be judged by the music I hear’: A study on the influence of music on moral judgement. Web Intelligence, 17(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.3233/web-190400

Azadi, L. (2021, February 3). Morgan Wallen’s racial slur controversy: What we know. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/morgan-wallen-racial-slur-controversy-1134666/

Breen, B. (2022, March 15). Morgan Wallen’s chair-throwing incident sparks concerns about his behavior. Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/music/country/morgan-wallen-chair-throwing-incident-concerns-1235049324/

Ellis, M. (2021, February 4). Fans react to Morgan Wallen’s racial slur controversy. Variety. https://variety.com/2021/02/04/fans-reaction-morgan-wallen-racial-slur/

Fraser, N. (1990). Rethinking the public sphere: a contribution to the critique of actually existing democracy. Social Text, 25/26, 56–80. https://doi.org/10.2307/466240

Grossman, M. L. (2002b). Jesus, Mama, and the constraints on salvific love in contemporary country music. In Journal of the American Academy of Religion (Vol. 70, Issue 1, pp. 83–115). Oxford University Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1466370

Habermas, J. (2006). The Public Sphere: An Encyclopedia article. In Media and Cultural Studies (pp. 73–78). Blackwell Publishing.

Horton, D., & Wohl, R. R. (2016). Mass Communication and Para-Social Interaction [Observations on Intimacy at a Distance]. Psychiatry, 19(3), 215–229.

McGuire, K. (2022, February 25). Morgan Wallen's intoxicated performance under scrutiny. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/02/25/morgan-wallen-intoxicated-performance/

Meier, K. J. (2018). Looking for meaning in all the wrong places: country music and the politics of identity*. Social Science Quarterly, 100(1), 89–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/ssqu.12556

Wallen, M. (2022). Don’t Think Jesus [Song]. Big Loud; Republic; Mercury.

Wallen, M. (2023). Thought You Should Know [Song]. On One Thing At A Time. Big Loud; Republic; Mercury.