Another country singer is facing the song about his previous racist actions. On Wednesday, country music star Luke Combs apologized for using the Confederate flag and images in Ryan Upchurch’s “Can I Get a Outlaw” video in 2015. Images from the video began to circulate online, depicting the performance de Combs in front of a Confederate flag accompanying himself on a guitar that had a sticker with the image of the flag, but now the singer of “Cold As You” says that “there is no excuse” for using such imagery. “As I grew up in my time as an artist and the world has changed dramatically in the past five to seven years, I am now aware of how painful this image can be,” said Combs, in conversation with Maren Morris and moderator Ann Powers on “ responsibility and the future of country music ”for the annual Country Radio Seminar. “I would never want to be associated with something that brings so much suffering to someone else.”
The conversation between Combs, Morris and Powers came in response to the video of rising country music star Morgan Wallen using the word N. The video sent shock waves through the country music community, prompting musicians like Morris to talk about racism in the industry. . Morris, who dedicated his CMA 2020 Award for Female Artist of the Year to the often-publicized contributions of black women to country music, was one of the few stars in the field to directly condemn Wallen’s actions, tweeting, “We all know that it was not the first time that he used that word.” Combs said he chose to participate in the conversation in an attempt to “learn” and “improve”. “I know that I am a highly visible member of the country music community now,” said Combs. “And I want to use that position for good, and to say that people can change and want to change, and I’m one of those people who are trying.”