Morgan Wallen has posted a letter thanking his fans for their support since the release of his album Dangerous and also announcing his intention not to tour during summer 2021. Despite Wallen being removed from country radio after he was caught using a racial slur on camera, Dangerous spent 10 weeks at Number One — a record for a country album.
In a handwritten note tweeted on Tuesday, Wallen acknowledged the support of his fan base through the troubled time that followed his incident, which took place in February. “I know my corner hasn’t been the most popular one to stand in recently, but many of you did anyway,” he wrote. Previously, he’d apologized in a video posted to Instagram in February.
— morgan wallen (@MorganWallen) April 13, 2021
Wallen also noted that he would have been proud of the music on Dangerous regardless of its commercial performance because he felt that he’d poured his energy into something that authentically represented him. “If you feel that way, you can live with the reaction, I guess.” He was effusive with his gratitude but didn’t make a specific mention of the fan group that purchased Nashville-area billboards supporting the singer this week.
Without directly mentioning the on-camera slur and its aftermath, Wallen did touch on trying to make some personal changes for the better. “I’ve taken a couple months away & I feel like I’ve really worked on myself,” he wrote. “I’m proud of the work I’ve put in & many ways thankful to have had the time to do it.”
The biggest news in the letter was Wallen’s announcement that he wouldn’t be touring or playing live this summer. His name had recently popped up as a headliner on the Kicker Country Stampede set for June 24th in Topeka, Kansas, which had been announced well before his 2021 troubles. He had also been scheduled to open dates on Luke Bryan’s Proud to Be Right Here tour, which launches in late May. “I’ve found this time away to be very valuable to me in many ways, but I feel like I need a little more of it, and therefore will not be performing tour dates this summer,” he wrote. “But it’s important to me personally, if you can, still go to these shows and support country music.”
Wallen signed off with a promise that he’d be back on the road and seeing his fans eventually. “Rest assured I am looking forward to giving you guys what you deserve, especially after all you’ve done for me. My story is far from over, & getting back out to see y’all is all I can think about. So just know you’ll be seeing me sooner than later.”