The Voice alum Cassadee Pope has spent the last decade making a name for herself in Nashville as one of country music’s most outspoken talents. Now, she’s explaining why she’s ready to leave the genre behind.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the “Take You Home” singer explained that she decided to return to her rock roots (Pope originally fronted the pop-punk band Hey Monday before appearing on The Voice season three) after experiencing significant backlash for speaking out against racism and transphobia in the country scene, specifically from other stars such as Morgan Wallen and Jason Aldean’s wife.
“I realize every genre has problematic people in it,” she said of her decision to leave country. “I’m not saying there’s not a frontman in a band who hasn’t been accused of something in rock music. But I guess rock is in my bones more. You’re not completely ostracized and shamed for speaking out.”
When Wallen was caught on camera using a racial slur in 2021, Pope was one of many artists to speak out about the incident, saying she was “disgusted” and that his behavior “does NOT represent all of country music.” Looking back, though, Pope said she regretted the way she handled her response. “I was just another angry white person who just learned about racism,” she said. “If that were to have happened today, I would have had a different response.”
Pope spoke up again when country star Jason Aldean’s wife, Brittany Aldean, made a series of transphobic comments online, thanking her parents for not “changing her gender” after she experienced a “tomboy phase.” When the beauty influencer continued spreading dangerous misinformation, Pope called her out, saying, “You’d think celebs with beauty brands would see the positives in including LGBTQ+ people in their messaging. But instead here we are, hearing someone compare their ‘tomboy phase’ to someone wanting to transition.”
She would later be joined by fellow country star Maren Morris, who famously referred to Brittany Aldean as “insurrection Barbie” in her response.
The Voice winner told the publication that, unlike her Wallen comments, she never felt embarrassed with how she responded to the beauty influencer’s post. “In that moment, I felt so proud. I had no feeling of regret. I just kept my head down and kept going,” she said. “It’s only been the past few months that I’ve let my guard down in therapy and said, ‘Wait, I actually wasn’t OK.’ But I think that kind of comes with the territory of including activism in your life.”
Pope is not the only former country singer who decided to depart the genre. In September, Morris said that she would be stepping away from the country music industry after witnessing the rise in “misogynistic and racist and homophobic and transphobic” messaging in the industry. “I’m trying to mature here and realize I can just walk away from the parts of this that no longer make me happy.”
