The video, which was shot by his neighbor, shows Wallen returning home after a party with friends. He says goodbye to them, curses profanely and calls one of them the “N” word.
The singer has already apologized in an interview with TMZ. He said he was ashamed of his use of an obscene racial slur and would behave better in the future. “There’s no excuse at all for that kind of language,” Wallen added.
Cumulus Media, one of the largest radio networks in the United States, which owns several hundred radio stations, has removed all of his songs from rotation. His songs have also been removed from Spotify and Apple Music. 88% of listens to his songs came from streaming, and they rank 11 out of 100 on Spotify’s top playlist.
Wallen has been condemned by his peers on the scene. Singer Kelsey Ballerini said Wallen’s behavior does not represent all country music. Maren Morris said the country music scene needs to be tougher on stars who make racist remarks. She was supported by Justin Fabus, who said that those who exonerate Wallen have no place in any society.
This is not the first time the singer has been caught in a touchy situation. In October 2020, his performance on the television show Saturday Night Live was canceled after a video surfaced of him entering a bar without a security mask and making out with several women. In May, he was arrested for lewd behavior after being kicked out of a bar in Nashville.
Wallen, 27, is one of the most popular members of a new generation of country musicians. His latest album, Dangerous: The Double Album, spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard charts and repeated the 2012 record for country music artists set by Taylor Swift with Red.