The ongoing tension between Zack Bryan and John Moreland has intensified recently. Earlier this week, Moreland took to social media to address the situation with a heartfelt video after Bryan pulled their duet from his album.
“I just want to say one more thing about this… I’ll go back to my real life and have a good time online. When I was invited to be part of that album, I didn’t know him at all. I’ve never met him,” Moreland mentioned in the Instagram video.
They had recorded a track called “Memphis, Blues” for Bryan’s upcoming album, “The Great American Bar Scene.” Moreland expressed that if asked to collaborate today, he would decline, stating, “I wouldn’t want to be on an album with someone who is constantly in the spotlight.”
Moreland also expressed discontent regarding Bryan, highlighting a distaste for the artist’s past controversial comments. “I don’t want to be associated with someone known for making borderline racist jokes,” he remarked, adding, “I don’t like that person.” He emphasized that, frankly, he’s better off being excluded from Bryan’s album.
The dispute kicked off when Moreland criticized Bryan’s astonishing $350 million record deal last Friday, remarking that it seemed excessive for what he referred to as “f—.” Bryan had recently extended his contract with Warner Records to include a couple of albums, and reports suggest he’s in the process of selling his publishing catalog, making the total amount around $350 million.
In response to Moreland’s remarks, Bryan shared a screenshot of the comments and his own thoughts. He mentioned feeling uncomfortable having to associate with someone he doesn’t respect and made it clear that “Memphis, Blues” would be temporarily unavailable on streaming platforms but assured fans it wasn’t permanent.
“You’ve probably seen artists I admire immensely, so I don’t want any negativity associated with my work,” he noted, indicating he would replace the track without hard feelings involved.
Currently, both Bryan and Moreland have yet to provide further comments on the matter.
