'The Voice' Winner Cassadee Pope is Leaving Country Music So She's No Longer 'Shamed for Speaking Out'

justjared.com:

Cassadee Pope is saying goodbye to country music. In a new interview, the 34-year-old singer, who won season three of The Voice, opened up about her decision to transition out of the country music genre and back into alt-rock music, which is the genre she first started making music in. Keep reading to find out more…While speaking to Rolling Stone, Cassadee attributed the decision in part to the sexism she has experienced in the world of country music and the genre’s lack of widespread progressive politics. “I realize every genre has problematic people in it,” Cassadee shared. “I’m not saying there’s not a frontman in a band who hasn’t been accused of something in rock music.

But I guess rock is in my bones more. You’re not completely ostracized and shamed for speaking out.” Cassadee went on to say that she’s found herself frustrated with the mechanisms of the country industry as she’s educated herself more on topics like intersectional feminism and racism.

She also explained that she’s been told to “get in nice” with programmers at country radio or risk not getting her music played. Cassadee‘s decision to leave country music also comes after she, along with Maren Morris, slammed Jason Aldean‘s wife Brittany for her transphobic post in 2022. “In that moment, I felt so proud,” Cassadee said of her viral comments against Brittany. “I had no feeling of regret.

I just kept my head down and kept going.” “It’s only been the past few months that I’ve let my guard down in therapy and said, ‘Wait, I actually wasn’t OK,’” Cassadee continued. “But I think that kind of comes with the territory of including activism in your life.