Morgan Wallen’s rising star power took a beating on Wednesday when radio stations pulled his songs from their stations after he was spotted using the word N.
The 27-year-old hitmaker country quickly issued an apology, but a brand expert told Fox News that this “seismic” moment likely spawned a one to two year setback in his career.
Eric Schiffer of Reputation Management Consultants told Fox News that Wallen’s racial slur was “lethally stupid to him, given his growing stature as a country star”.
“Morgan’s case will cause him short-term financial problems,” said Schiffer. “If he reaches out to members of the African American community through actions and the media, he should be able to return to pre-incident levels in a year or two.”
SINGER MORGAN WALLEN APPLIES FOR SAYING N-WORD IN THE ESCAPED VIDEO: ‘I’M EMBARRADO E SORRY’
Wallen’s fall in the music industry proved to be immediate on Wednesday afternoon, when the iHeartRadio radio network pulled all of the artist’s songs from their stations and Cumulus Media, the second largest radio network with more than 400 stations, followed example. His record label Big Loud Records also suspended it.
Morgan Wallen was caught using the word N in the video and has since been suspended “indefinitely” by his record company and removed from the radio iHeartRadio.
(Jason Kempin / ACMA2020 / Getty Images for ACM)
Schiffer said the controversy was particularly damaging in early 2021, due to the death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests against racial inequality.
“This is a case where a sincere apology does not take you out of the septic farce of this anonymous culture in which the United States lives. Brands take these types of incidents very seriously and many feel they need to stand up and protect themselves from them. type of shares, “said Schiffer.
Although the expert reiterated his assumption that the artist’s musical career is not over forever.
SINGER MORGAN WALLEN APPLIES FOR SAYING N-WORD IN ESCAPED VIDEO
“It is a setback, but it is not a devastating catastrophe for the future of his career. It is, however, a seismic moment and probably a great warning sign,” Schiffer shared.
Morgan’s 2020 year did not happen without other media errors. The artist was barred from attending a scheduled performance on “Saturday Night Live” after a video of Wallen appeared at a crowded, unmasked party amid the coronavirus pandemic. He appeared on the skit show months later.
The “Whiskey Glasses” singer also filed an apology after being arrested after being kicked out of Kid Rock’s bar in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.
Schiffer said Wallen’s apology on Wednesday was a good first step, but said the musician’s future success depends on a more mature approach to his actions and words.
MORGAN WALLEN NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ACM AWARDS AFTER USE OF RACIAL SLUR
Morgan Wallen’s eligibility for the Academy of Country Music Awards was revoked after the publication of a video in which he used racial libel.
(AP)
“He has to let the dust settle and allow the apology to permeate. Over time, he will find that this moment, if he uses it with maturity, can be a period when he can show a higher level of sensitivity to all racial communities as an icon of country music “, analyzed Schiffer. “His career is not over. He has taken responsibility. But he will need to ensure that he does not put himself in vulnerable situations in the future, as alcohol, frankly, can do.”
Wallen’s remorse comes after TMZ posted a video of the artist returning home on Sunday night with a group of friends. The clip shows Wallen walking up his garage while referring to one of his friends as the N word and using other bad words. A source said the group had gone out drinking hours earlier.
Wallen told Fox News in a statement on Wednesday that he was “embarrassed and sorry” for using the racial epithet.
“I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slander that I would like to be able to remove. There is no excuse for using this type of language, ever. I sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better,” he said.
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In order to regain public respect, Schiffer said that if Wallen were his client, he would tell him to “keep control of the drink, reach out to black communities and labels, and perhaps spend time with those who have suffered from these types of experiences. “
Maren Morris (middle) and Mickey Guyton (right) were two of several country artists who spoke against Morgan Wallen (left) on Wednesday.
(Getty)
“He needs to be honest with them to understand what they went through so that he can show that he has developed greater sensitivity,” added Schiffer.
Award-winning country artists Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini were among several musicians who denounced Wallen on Wednesday.
“The hate is deep. Smfh, ”tweeted Mickey Guyton, who later added:“ How many passes will you continue to give? Asking for a friend. Nobody deserves to be canceled [but] This is unacceptable.”
“In fact, it is representative of our city because this is not his first ‘fight’ and he just broke a huge streaming record last month. We all know that it was not the first time he used that word,” Morriis, 30 , tweeted. “We keep them rich and protected at all costs, without resources.”
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Viacom-owned country music television channel CMT has also suspended Wallen’s music. The company wrote in social media, “After hearing about Morgan Wallen’s racial injury last night, we are in the process of removing his appearances from all of our platforms. We do not tolerate or tolerate words and actions that are in direct opposition to our fundamental values that celebrate diversity, equity and inclusion. “
Wallen is no longer qualified for this year’s Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards.