On Monday night at the at Academy of Country Music Awards, Morgan Wallen, who fought through the attempts to cancel him after a video had surfaced showing him using the N-word, won the Album of the Year award for “Dangerous: The Double Album.”
As he accepted the award, Wallen stated:
I wrote some stuff down, When I started this album, I was a kid. By the time I put it out, I was a father. And that’s become more important to me than anything else. To my son, this album and this award will signify that his daddy was a fighter and he chased his dreams and worked hard to make them a reality.
I want to say a special thank you to all the songwriters, producers, and musicians that played on this album. I wish you were standing next to me now; this project would not be complete without each other. I’d also like to thank my good Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, my family, my close friends, my band, my team in Nashville, country radio and everyone who has shown me grace along the way. But most importantly, I have to address my fans personally and directly: Thank you, thank you, thank you!
In February 2021, TMZ published a video reportedly recorded by a neighbor showing Wallen using the N-word after a night out in Nashville with friends. Wallen’s music was subsequently removed from numerous platforms.
Wallen apologized publicly, saying, “I’m 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.”
Wallen’s sister Ashlyne posted an Instagram message in which she wrote:
There are only 3 things you should ever do about a mistake: admit it, learn from it, and don’t repeat it. Cancel culture is the worst thing that has come out of our digital world. It leaves no room for forgiveness and growth, in turn, leaving no opportunity for individuals who have made mistakes to learn from them. If you make a mistake or do something stupid then apologize, correct your mistake, and learn through personal growth.”
“The world we live in thrives off drama and bringing others down. I refuse to be part of that,” she continued. “If my family or my friends make a mistake and apologize, I’m going to listen, accept it, and expect them to learn from their mistake. Someone who is truly sorry should be forgiven — not continuously bashed. Your past mistakes do not define you; it is how you choose to move forward that does.”
“While our digital world connects us in a wonderful way, it also does the opposite. It gives many a platform to spew hate at others. It is easy to say something behind the safety of a screen — anyone can do it. But, those receiving the comments are people, too. I know my brother. He is my best friend. And although what he said was completely unacceptable, I know that it did not come from a place of hate or malicious intent,” she added.
Wallen’s “Dangerous: The Double Album” sold extraordinarily well in the face of the attempts to cancel him. “Radio and others may have dropped him, but Morgan Wallen’s music is still selling,” CNN reported.
Billboard added in early February 2021 that the album was remaining number one on the Billboard 200 chart for a fourth consecutive week. “The set earned 149,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in the week ending Feb. 4 (up 14%), according to MRC Data. The album arrived atop the list three weeks ago, on the chart dated Jan. 23.”
Billboard confirmed in January 2022 that the album was 2021’s most popular album in any genre.