Morgan Wallen says he’s been working on himself, and he’ll need to keep working on himself. He’s not going to play any live shows this summer, he says.
Specifically referring to tour dates with Luke Bryan and scheduled festival dates, Wallen says he’s bowing out. “But it’s important to me personally, if you can, still go to these shows — support country music,” he writes in a letter posted to social media on Tuesday (April 13). “Country music is back and that’s a beautiful thing.”
Wallen was to open Bryan’s Proud to Be Right Here Tour starting in May and had select festival dates on his calendar.
The bulk of the 27-year-old’s four-slide, handwritten note focuses on the response to his Dangerous: The Double Album release from January. He talks about how proud he is of the album and how much he has appreciated his fans’ support during this time.
“I have felt a lot of love lately from so many people I haven’t gotten to know yet,” he says. “I know my corner hasn’t been the most popular one to stand in recently, but many of you did anyway.”
Wallen’s album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and spent an unprecedented 10 weeks there. The bulk of the second slide is about gratitude; he then turns to the events that led to his social media silence and, ultimately, are why he’s taking time away from the road.
“I’ve made some mistakes, I’m figuring those out, + I apologized because I was truly sorry + have been making amends,” he says.
No specifics about how Wallen is making amends are detailed. He’s referring to being caught using the N-word on camera, which led to his music being pulled from radio and streaming playlists, and his booking agent dropping him, among other repercussions.
“I wanted to let you guys know that I’ve taken a couple months away + feel like I’ve really worked on myself,” Wallen adds. “I’m proud of the work I’ve put in + in many ways thankful to have had the time to do it. I needed this time off.”
Page 3 of Wallen’s handwritten note reveals his plans to not tour this summer. He also notes that he’s proud of the man he is and is becoming, while pointing out that he hopes at age 32, he’ll be different. The note concludes with him sharing that he’s back in Nashville, “getting back in the swing of things.”
“My story is far from over and getting back out to see y’all is all I can think about,” the letter ends. “So just know you’ll be seeing me sooner than later.”
Wallen’s note doesn’t directly mention several billboards that were recently placed in Nashville’s Midtown area, paid for by fans who call him their Entertainer of the Year. The Boot’s partner site, Taste of Country, has learned that the signs will stay up for one week, and that his fans are expected to continue their protest during the 2021 ACM Awards on Sunday (April 18).
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