Cassadee Pope revealed she will be quitting country music.
The 34-year-old singer, who won season three of The Voice, explained that she wants to go back to rock and will be leaving the country music as well as the genre’s complex history.
In an interview with Rolling Stone published on Thursday, she explained that she is done with country music and the ‘games’.
She said she initially became frustrated after being ‘shamed’ for calling out Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany for a transphobic post in 2022. She also previously called out Morgan Wallen after he used the N-word in 2021.
The former lead vocalist of pop-punk band Hey Monday also explained that another contributing factor to her decision was ‘the genre’s complex and deeply rooted history of racism and sexism.’
Cassadee Pope revealed she will be quitting country music. The 34-year-old singer, who won season three of The Voice, explained that she wants to go back to rock; Seen in 2024
In an interview with Rolling Stone published on Thursday, she explained that she is done with country music and the ‘games’. She said she initially became frustrated after being ‘shamed’ for calling out Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany for a transphobic post in 2022; seen in June 2023
‘If this is a genre that I absolutely can’t let go of, I’m just kind of being complicit,’ she said.
She explained that she did not mean one genre is better than the other but made a conscious decision to return to a genre which made her more comfortable and feel more at home.
‘I realize every genre has problematic people in it,’ she elaborated.
‘I’m not saying there’s not a frontman in a band who hasn’t been accused of something in rock music,’ she continued. ‘But I guess rock is in my bones more.’
Seemingly in reference to what she experienced in the country music genre, she pointed out the lack of widespread progressive politics and the backlash she received for voicing her opinion.
‘You’re not completely ostracized and shamed for speaking out,’ she said.
She also said she disliked having to ‘get in nice’ with mostly male country-radio programmers so they would play her music.
Pope told the outlet that she hopes to release her alternative rock album sometime in the spring.
The former lead vocalist of pop-punk band Hey Monday also explained that another contributing factor to her decision was ‘the genre’s complex and deeply rooted history of racism and sexism; seen in April 2019
She explained that she did not mean one genre is better than the other but made a conscious decision to return to a genre which made her more comfortable and feel more at home; seen in October 2021
Seemingly in reference to what she experienced in the country music genre, she pointed out the lack of widespread progressive politics and the backlash she received for voicing her opinion; seen in November 2019
In 2022 Cassadee and fellow country singer Maren called out Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany over allegedly transphobic comments she made
She also previously called out country singer Morgan Wallen for using the N-word saying she was ‘disgusted’; He is seen in 2023
She said she feels as if she is now ‘at the right place at the right time’ after returning to the genre.
No matter how much she did, she never reached the top of the charts.
‘I was so dedicated and determined to get in nice with everyone,’ she recalled.
‘Some people I genuinely liked, but others I was tipped off that, “Oh, this person expects a friendship or some sort of communication, so if you don’t give it to them, they’re probably not going to play you on the radio”,’ she added.
She said not only does rock music suit her better but also allows her to write and sing about topics such as empowerment and sexual pleasure.
‘Leaving a genre where you don’t really hear women singing about that kind of thing, or, God forbid, they wear something scandalous, it just felt really fresh and exciting.’