RuPauls Drag Race / YouTube Maren Morris appeared on "RuPauls Drag Race"
So many people audition for “The Voice” and “American Idol” every year that the producers have to pass on a lot of very talented singers, some of whom have gone on to very successful careers.
In the latest episode of “RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked”, the “Drag Race” aftershow where the queens react to judges’ critiques from the week, that week’s guest judge Maren Morris came backstage to meet the contestants in person. All of the contestants were thrilled to meet Morris, who is an outspoken ally for the LGBTQ+ members of the country music community. One of the drag queens, Sugar, asked Morris, “As a performer, how do you deal with feedback and critique?”
With one Grammy Award and three pending nominations, country superstar Morris has no complaints about the state of her music career. This didn’t stop the country singer, however, from opening up about her past rejections.
Maren Morris Recalls ‘The Voice’, ‘American Idol’ Rejections: ‘I Was Devastated’
When asked how she deals with feedback and critique, Maren Morris told the “RuPaul’s Drag Race” contestants, “It’s tough. I’m 32, but I’ve been performing since I was 10. ‘American Idol’ I tried out for, ‘America’s Got Talent’, ‘The Voice’. They all said no, and I was devastated, obviously.”
Morris doesn’t hold on to that devastation, however, going on to say, “And now I’m so glad I took the long way because people audition with my songs on those shows.”
Morris’s advice to the queens was simple. She told them to “just absorb as much as you can”, while also learning as much as possible from their fellow contestants because even though it is a competition, they all come from different walks of life, and can learn from one another’s experiences.
Before she went back to the main stage, Morris took the time to apologize to the contestants on behalf of the country music community, saying, “Coming from country music and its relationship with LGBTQ+ members, I just want to say ‘I’m sorry’, and I love you guys for making me feel like a brave voice in country music.”
Marren Morris Has Previously Opened Up About Her ‘Traumatic’ ‘American Idol’ Audition
Marren Morris has never tried to hide the fact that she faced rejection from “The Voice”, “American Idol”, and other singing shows over the years. In 2019, she went on “Late Night With Seth Meyers” to promote her album, “Girl”, and shared the story of her “American Idol” audition.
“I have this very traumatic, vivid memory of auditioning for ‘American Idol’ when I was 17, in Dallas where I’m from. It was at the Cowboy’s stadium, and you know you don’t see Paula, and Simon, and Randy in the first-go audition,” Morris said, “It’s like a stadium cattle call, and you audition for a 20-year-old producer who has probably no music cred. You just sing for like eight seconds and sing your heart out, and then my entire group got cut, and they were like ‘Sorry. You have to take the walk of shame.'”
The country singer goes on to remember the walk out to the parking lot, the search for her mom’s car, and the tears she cried on the ride home, although she still recognized that “It all worked out.”
Marren Morris’s latest album, “Humble Quest” came out in 2022. It is nominated for “Best Country Album” at this year’s ceremony, with its lead single “Circles Around This Town” up for two awards of its own (Best Country Song and Best Country Solo Performance).
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