Songs by country star Morgan Wallen filled the top 10 spots on Apple Music on Thursday following a wave of backlash stemming from a video published this week, showing Wallen using the N-word after a night out with friends.
A controversial video published on Tuesday features the Dangerous singer, who can be seen and heard returning home after partying with friends. He refers to one of his friends as the N-word, sparking a wave of backlash from radio networks, including Cumulus Media, which removed him from hundreds of their stations.
“Take care of this pussy-ass motherfucker,” Wallen said in the video. “Take care of this pussy-ass nigga.”
“The singer’s music also disappeared from Spotify’s Hot Country Songs playlist and Apple Music’s Today’s Country,” as Breitbart News reported. Despite the controversy, Wallen’s music dominated the top 10 on Apple Music on Thursday.
A Thursday afternoon snapshot showed Wallen’s “More Than My Hometown” trending in first place, with “Wasted On You,” “Whiskey Glasses,” “7 Summers,” “Sand In My Boots,” “Chasin’ You,” and “Up Down,” in the top 10.
Wallen has since issued an apology, telling TMZ, which published the video, that he is both “embarrassed and sorry.”
“I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better,” he told the outlet.
While Apple Music’s trend suggests that listeners are flocking to his music, Wallen is still facing immense backlash. The Academy of Country Music (ACM), for example, has disqualified Wallen from eligibility for the 56th Academy of Country Music Awards.
“The Academy of Country Music will halt Morgan Wallen’s potential involvement and eligibility for this year’s 56th Academy of Country Music Awards cycle,” ACM Awards said in a statement. “The Academy does not condone or support intolerance or behavior that doesn’t align with our commitment and dedication to diversity and inclusion.”
Country Music Association (CMA) also pulled the star from its platforms, announcing that it will “confer further with our Board of Directors to review additional measures and will continue to examine our industry’s inclusivity efforts.”