Luke Bryan fell short of taking a definitive stand for equality in an interview published last week because he feared offending conservative country music fans.
The 44-year-old country star’s 2017 song “Most People Are Good” included the line “I believe you love who you love," – which was seen by many as a show of support for the LGBT community.
Bryan told the Chicago Tribune the lyric “can be taken a lot of ways. “I had a lot of people ask me, ‘Well, does that mean you want to plant a flag and support the gay and lesbian community?’ I'm like, ‘I'm not saying I'm gonna go fly that flag — but I'm not saying I'm not either.’"
Admitting he is “always gonna walk a smart line,” Bryan said “as you get a higher profile, you do watch your words carefully. And that's frustrating too."
Elsewhere in the interview, Bryan shared his thoughts on diversity in country music.
“I have sat up at night after hearing from African American audience members who say they've felt uncomfortable at my shows through the years,” he said. “It’s a delicate conversation, and do I think we may take a little longer in country to have it? Probably. But it's the conversation we're having more and more.”
Bryan also acknowledged his music is not for everyone. “There'll always be people who say I ruined country music,” he said. His current hit “One Margarita” has been criticized for being too frivolous at a difficult time – but Bryan brushed it off.
“If you're a fan of mine and you don't like the song, don't write me off for the rest of your life. Wait around 'til I put something out that's more what you want to hear from me,” he said. “That’s what I used to do with all my heroes. When George Strait put out a song that I didn't care for, I didn't have a platform to tell the world. I just chose not to freak out about that particular song.”