The Current State of Country Music's Major Rivalries
Discover the fiery clashes in country music! Eric Church, Maren Morris, and The Chicks take center stage as the genre's boldest voices Explore the explosive rivalries between top artists like Church vs Brooks, Rice vs Ballerini, and more Uncover the current state of these epic feuds today (348 characters)
Country music's top performers have fearlessly clashed with each other throughout the years, engaging in social media battles, reconciling at prestigious award ceremonies, and more. One notable event occurred in 2015 when a group of talented female artists united to retaliate against radio personality Keith Hill's controversial remarks regarding his preference of playing male artists on air. This contentious incident was famously referred to as "Tomato-gate."
"If you want to boost ratings in country radio, remove female artists. This is because mainstream country radio attracts the majority of its listenership from women, who prefer male artists," Hill explained. "The perception is that our format is primarily male-centered, with a smaller contribution from female artists. However, I assure you that we do play exceptional female records, and we currently have some in rotation; they just don't dominate our playlist. The main focus is on popular male artists like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and others. Female artists, on the other hand, play a supporting role in our programming."
Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Sara Evans, Jennifer Nettles, and Kacey Musgraves were among the artists who voiced their opinions. In 2016, McBride told Billboard, "If you have talent and write quality songs, it shouldn't matter what gender you are or if you identify as transgender. If it's a great song, it deserves to be played."
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Not all disputes lead to a united front among women, but it is quite common for fellow musicians to align themselves with one side. Explore the list below for a comprehensive overview of the most significant conflicts in the realm of country music:
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Country Music’s Biggest Feuds: Where They Stand Today
Country music's top artists have fearlessly engaged in confrontations over the years, clashing on social media, reconciling at award ceremonies, and more. In 2015, a group of talented female artists united to respond to radio host Keith Hill's remarks regarding the disproportionate airplay given to male artists. This ensuing controversy became known as "Tomato-gate."
"If you want to achieve higher ratings in country radio, remove female artists. This is because mainstream country radio attracts a larger percentage of female listeners, around 70 to 75 percent, and these women prefer male artists," Hill stated, emphasizing that the format is primarily male-focused with a smaller female presence. "Rest assured, we do play excellent female records, and we currently have some in rotation, but they don't dominate our programming. Our main focus is on artists like Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, and others - they are the centerpieces of our lineup, while female artists are like the tomatoes in our salad."
Prominent female artists such as Martina McBride, Miranda Lambert, Sara Evans, Jennifer Nettles, and Kacey Musgraves voiced their opinions on the matter. In 2016, McBride expressed to Billboard, "If you're a talented singer and songwriter, it shouldn't matter what gender you are or if you're transgender - if your song is exceptional, it deserves to be heard and played on the radio."
Scroll through the following breakdown of the biggest feuds in country music, where it is not unusual for fellow musicians to align themselves, although this doesn't always lead to a group of women supporting each other.
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Eric Church vs. Garth Brooks
In 2018, Church criticized Brooks for lip-syncing at the 2017 CMA Awards, particularly after losing the Entertainer of the Year award to him.
"The fact that the winner of the most prestigious category of the night lip-synced during the critical moment of the show? That's unacceptable," Church expressed to Rolling Stone. "I strongly disagreed with his excuse. It felt like he was speaking on behalf of the other nominees. As for myself, I can confidently say that I don't engage in lip-syncing. If I am unable to sing, I will either choose not to perform or give a subpar performance. But at least it will be genuine."
In 2019, the controversy carried over as Brooks emerged victorious once again. During Church's show, fans of Church displayed signs referring to him as the true "Entertainer of the Year," in an apparent response to the previous year's outcome. Addressing the crowd, Church acknowledged the situation, stating, "I told them, 'I'm okay with it. However, you angered the wrong fans.'" In a playful manner, Church added, "I know Garth didn't handle it like this," while performing a cover of "Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way."
Brooks reflected on the incident during a radio interview, sharing, "The interesting thing was we had just hugged each other right before. From what I've heard from him—although he may have a different perspective—I understand that it doesn't bother him. However, the line, 'They pissed the wrong fans off,' is spot-on. If our team hadn't been selected, there would have been signs everywhere in Knoxville (the concert venue). It truly strengthens your bond with your team. Those guys will persevere, and the year when he eventually wins will undoubtedly be the most satisfying. So, to be honest, I fail to comprehend what everyone else is perceiving."
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Chase Rice vs. Kelsea Ballerini
The singer known for his song “Overshare" sharply criticized Rice after he held a concert in June 2020 without any masks or social distancing measures, even though it was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ballerini, in a tweet at that time, expressed her disbelief and frustration, saying, “It's unfathomable to think that someone could be so self-centered as to jeopardize the health of thousands of people, not to mention the potential domino effect, by hosting a regular country concert right now. @ChaseRiceMusic, we all share the desire (and need) to go on tour. However, we value our fans and their families enough to exercise patience.”
A spokesperson for the venue stated to Variety that numerous precautions were implemented for the show. Meanwhile, Rice documented the concert on Instagram Stories, sharing, "I captured a video of the amazing concert where everyone had a great time. However, after I posted the video, many individuals who viewed it online expressed significant concerns about the appearance and execution of the show. I understand that there are diverse opinions regarding COVID-19 and its implications for live music events, including how they are conducted."
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Zac Brown vs. Luke Bryan
In a 2013 radio interview, the frontman of the Zac Brown Band expressed his disdain for his "friend" Bryan's song "My Kind of Night," referring to it as the "most terrible song" he had ever heard and stating that it made him feel nauseated.
Following this, Jason Aldean came to Bryan's defense, taking to social media to write, "@lukebryan’s new song is being criticized by other artists who claim it is the worst song they have ever heard. To those individuals who are badmouthing him, let me assure you that nobody cares about your opinion. The fact that it is a huge hit implies that the fans adore it, and that is what truly matters. Keep doing your thing, Luke Bryan!"
At the 2013 CMAs, the hosts, Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley, playfully teased the drama by singing, "Luke Bryan and Zac Brown, nobody really cares. Both of you are incredible artists and immensely successful." Following their lighthearted remark, Bryan and Brown shared a friendly embrace amidst the enthusiastic crowd.
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Tyler Hubbard vs. Brian Kelley
The Hubbards, Tyler and his wife Hayley, who showed support for Joe Biden, decided to unfollow Brian on Instagram after he and his wife Brittney expressed their support for Donald Trump during the 2020 election. Tyler explained that he temporarily unfollowed Brian during the election period because he didn't want to constantly see his political content on Instagram. Despite unfollowing him, Tyler assured Brian that their personal relationship remained strong and that he still loved him as his brother.
He further mentioned that the duo had previously attended therapy sessions together. Despite downplaying the magnitude of the situation back then, Brian and Tyler embarked on individual ventures and revealed in May 2022 that they are uncertain about the band's future.
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Eric Church vs. Rascal Flatts
Gary LeVox, Joe Don Rooney, and Jay DeMarcus, also known as the "Life Is a Highway" singers, made the decision to remove Church from their 2006 tour and replaced him with the up-and-coming Taylor Swift.
Church recalls the incident, stating that they played their music a bit too loudly and for a longer duration than anticipated. As a newcomer to the industry, Church was committed to giving their fans a memorable show, but unfortunately, it resulted in their dismissal at Madison Square Garden. Despite this setback, Church received a call from Taylor Swift herself, expressing her admiration for his talent. In a lighthearted exchange, Church jokingly mentioned that her crowd would love her and she would owe him her first gold record. To Church's surprise, Swift fulfilled this joke by presenting him with a gold record, accompanied by a note expressing her gratitude for his energetic performance on the Flatts tour.
Rascal Flatts’ DeMarcus explained their perspective in a 2014 interview. He revealed, “We requested him on four occasions to adhere to the scheduled time for his performance. We even offered to have him go on earlier so he could have more time on stage. However, we stressed the importance of leaving the stage promptly since we still had our own show to perform. You see, every minute that an act goes over time, especially in New York City, incurs significant labor fees amounting to thousands of dollars per minute. It felt slightly disrespectful because, as an opening act, we made every effort to follow the guidelines set forth by the headliner. Yet, we did not receive the same consideration in return. Ultimately, it wasn't worth all the trouble, so we decided to part ways."
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Eric Church vs. Miranda Lambert / Blake Shelton
Church criticized The Voice and American Idol in a 2012 Rolling Stone interview, expressing his disbelief at the idea of a deal being made simply if judges turned around in a red chair. He believed that once an artist's career becomes about something other than the music, it loses its artistic value. Church insisted that he would never make that mistake, even if it meant experiencing financial hardship.
In response, Lambert, who was married to Shelton at the time and had gained recognition on Nashville Star, took to Twitter to defend herself and other successful artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban. Lambert sarcastically thanked Church for suggesting that they were not real artists, reminding him of their successful tour together in 2010.
Church responded to the outlet, stating, "My comment to Rolling Stone was part of a larger discussion about reality television shows and the misleading perception they create. I was not specifically targeting the artists involved in these shows. These shows often give the impression that artists can easily achieve success through shortcuts. While there are artists who have achieved success after appearing on these shows, they still face challenges once the cameras stop rolling. Every artist must continue to work hard and dedicate themselves to their craft, but these shows tend to gloss over that aspect and portray success as something that can be easily attained."
In response, Lambert forgave Church and expressed her understanding of being caught in a negative interview situation. She mentioned that she has also experienced situations where things were misinterpreted and presented in a worse light. Lambert stated that Church's comment had eventually faded away like any other incident and that she had moved on from it.
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Natalie Maines vs. Toby Keith
The Chicks singer sparked a feud with Keith after he released “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” in 2002.
"I strongly dislike it," Maines expressed to the Los Angeles Times. "It displays ignorance and casts country music in a negative light. It unjustly targets an entire culture, not just those individuals who have committed wrongdoings. It is important to approach such matters with sensitivity. Anyone can write lyrics like 'We'll put a boot in your a--,' but there are many who agree with it. Personally, I prefer songs like Bruce Springsteen's recent releases when it comes to this topic."
The situation became more heated when Maines made her now-infamous statement that the Chicks were "ashamed" that then-President George W. Bush hailed from Texas during the Iraq invasion.
Keith later confessed to CMT in 2003 that he was ashamed of his actions, admitting, "I allowed myself to be caught up in it all. I let myself down. Although others enjoyed it and encouraged me to attack, I disappointed myself the most. It became cruel when I began displaying images of Maines alongside Saddam Hussein. It initially seemed humorous, but it crossed the line for me. I am not that callous. I came to the realization that Maines was already receiving enough criticism, and I didn't need to add to it. Even if I hadn't said a word, she would have faced the same treatment. I have learned from this experience and will make better decisions in the future...hopefully."
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Maren Morris / Kelsea Ballerini vs. Morgan Wallen
Morris and Ballerini both called out Wallen when a video of him drunkenly saying the N-word surfaced in 2021 — but had different takes.
"The news coming out of Nashville tonight does not reflect the essence of country music," tweeted the singer of "Little Things" in response. The singer of "Middle" replied, stating, "Actually, it does represent our community because this is not the first time he has been involved in a controversy, and just last month, he surpassed a significant streaming record. We all know that he has used that word before. We consistently protect and support them, irrespective of consequences."
Morris further expressed that if women were to make the same mistake as Wallen, they would face severe consequences such as being dropped by labels, losing endorsements, and becoming societal outcasts in the music industry."
While the "Sand In My Boots" crooner apologized and faced temporary bans from certain events and awards shows, Ballerini reflected on the situation in November 2021, sharing with CBS News, "Speaking up about anything feels incredibly uncomfortable for me, but it's a cause that holds great importance to me. It's an area in which I'm actively seeking knowledge, receiving therapy, and striving to grow and communicate more effectively as I mature."
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Bobby Bones vs. Kacey Musgraves
In 2014, the radio host introduced a segment titled "Is Kacey Musgraves Annoyed?" following his interview with her on The Bobby Bones Show, labeling her as "rude". He further escalated the conflict by tweeting at her, asking if she would ever respond to his tweets, with options A: yes, or B: no.
Promptly, the "Breadwinner" songstress retaliated, stating, "If you were to play our unedited interview in its entirety and inform people about how you unfairly edited it, I might consider having a conversation with you."
After Bones explained that he had unpleasant experiences with Musgraves, describing them both as "known s—t heads," he suggested that they should be friends. In response to his statement, Musgraves stated the following: "Typically, I would not involve myself in this kind of situation. However, since it has escalated beyond control: The original interview, where the audio was unfairly edited and played on air, can be accessed through the link provided on this page. … I am a songwriter and a musician, and that has been my lifelong passion. It is disheartening that the focus has been diverted from that. Above everything else, I am human, not a robot, particularly at 8 AM. I do not indulge in ego stroking, and that does not make me a ’s—t head.’ The only thing that should matter is the music I create, which holds immense significance to me."
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Maren Morris vs. Brittany Aldean
Supporting friend Cassadee Pope's criticism of Jason's wife for making a transphobic remark, Morris expressed gratitude to her parents for not altering her gender during her tomboy phase. She then referred to Brittany as "Insurrection Barbie."
The "Background Music" artist further tweeted a reminder that it is effortless to not be a terrible person, suggesting that Brittany should sell her clip-ins and remain silent.
Brittany doubled down with Barbie-themed merch as Jason declared she was “MY Barbie” via Instagram.
