## A Spiritual Highway
Maren Morris arrived in Nashville as an incredibly talented songwriter, but quickly proved she was meant to be the main event. She broke out universally in 2016 with ‘My Church’, a brilliant, soulful anthem that equated driving down the highway with the radio cranked up listening to Hank Williams and Johnny Cash to attending a sacred, spiritual religious service.
## The Tomato Controversy
As Morris’s star rose, an infamous industry scandal known as ‘Tomato-gate’ shattered the illusion of equality in country music. A high-ranking radio consultant publicly stated that men were the ‘lettuce’ in the salad of country radio, while women were just ‘tomatoes’ that should only be played sparingly. Morris, fiercely outspoken and independent, refused to accept this.
## A Champion for Change
Morris used her massive platform and her powerhouse Grammy-winning talent to relentlessly crusade against the systemic marginalization of women and minorities in the country music industry. She took massive career risks by publicly calling out industry executives, utilizing her sharp wit and undeniable hit-making ability to force the genre to face its biases and demand better representation.