Maren Morris is stepping away from the country music industry: ‘It’s burning itself down’

Maren Morris says she is taking a "step back" from the country music industry.

The singer said she's "tried to avoid" the types of stories currently being told in the country music space, epitomized by the controversial track "Try That In A Small Town," which surged to the top of mainstream charts as critics argued it promotes violence.

When asked in a recent interview with the L.A. Times if it's "been a good year or a bad year for country music," Morris first congratulated singers like Jason Aldean for "crossing over onto the big all-genre chart" before sharing where she stands on the current state of country music.

"I’ve tried to avoid a lot of it at all costs. I feel very, very distanced from it," she told the newspaper.

Morris, who got her big break in country music with the 2016 album "Hero," released two new tracks Sept. 15, "The Tree" and "Get the Hell Out of Here," both of which address her fraught relationship with Nashville since she became outspoken about the lack of diversity and inclusivity in the genre.