Maren Morris appeared to take a dig at fellow country artist Jason Aldean ― with whom she previously had a public disagreement ― this week while announcing plans for a new musical project.
On Thursday, Morris shared a short video on Instagram that showed a billboard that read: “Welcome to Our Perfect Small Town, From Sunrise to Sundown.” The post also featured a photo of the artist looking up at the sky with a puzzled expression.
“I’m done filling a cup with a hole in the bottom,” she wrote in the caption.
The clip appears to be an allusion to Aldean’s “Try That in a Small Town,” which has drawn backlash for lyrics that evoke vigilantism and xenophobia.
The accompanying music video for “Try That in a Small Town” was just as politically charged, featuring footage of what appeared to be a Black Lives Matter protest intercut with scenes of Aldean performing on the steps of a Tennessee courthouse that was the site of a historic lynching. Less than a month after the video’s release, it appeared to have been reedited with the protest clips removed.
The controversy has had little impact on the song’s success. In July, “Try That in a Small Town” topped Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, which ranks the 100 most popular songs in the U.S.
Taylor Hill via Getty Images
As of Friday afternoon, Morris’ post had received more than 31,000 likes as well as praise from fans and other musicians, including Brandi Carlile and Shane McAnally.
“[Morris] is a boss and a hero who isn’t afraid to be a bigger human and stand up against senseless bullies!” one person wrote on Instagram.
Added another: “This small town is filled with shade. I love that for us.”
A representative for Morris did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.
The Grammy winner is one of Nashville’s most outspoken advocates for LGBTQ+ rights. She traded barbs with Aldean and his wife, Brittany, on social media last year over the conservative couple’s comments about transgender children.
When asked about her exchange with Brittany Aldean, Morris later told the Los Angeles Times: “I don’t have feelings of kindness when it comes to humans being made fun of for questioning their identity, especially kids.”
“The whole ‘When they go low, we go high’ thing doesn’t work with these people,” she added. “Any resistance movement is not done with kind words.”