Photos + Review by Steve Cerf ( @stevecerf )
September 14th, 2025 – Maren Morris spread her country–pop magic across the stage of The Met in Philadelphia. Morris kicked off the much-anticipated D R E A M S I C L E tour, promoting what I feel is her strongest album yet. It’s her seventh release and already a critically acclaimed hit.
Morris strode out onto the smoke-covered, neon-lit elevated platform as the band amped into “Cry in the Car” off D R E A M S I C L E and then went right into one of her early hits, “80s Mercedes.” It was clear she’d be pulling songs from across her catalog. Her commanding vocals filled the old theater, her contralto voice bursting with power and emotion that carried through the aisles and up to the rafters. She’s a robust songwriter and a dynamic singer, moving easily from big anthems to stripped-down moments, every line hitting its mark.
She powered through her pop hits—“GIRL,” “Rich,” “The Bones,” and “The Middle,” the song that marked her crossover into the pop world and put her voice on every radio dial. She also strapped on her guitar for country tunes like “Grand Bouquet,” “Carry Me Through,” and one of her first hits, “My Church.” Morris has been delivering hit after hit for years, and tonight showed just how deep that catalog runs.
Morris has stepped away from the mores of her conservative and far-right communities for her beliefs in women’s rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and racial diversity—stances she’s proud of and vocal about. She backs it up with action. In January 2023, she appeared on RuPaul’s Drag Race and apologized directly to the queens for how country music has treated LGBTQ+ fans and artists. A few months later, she took the stage at Nashville’s Love Rising benefit, helping raise funds for Tennessee LGBTQ organizations. When Tucker Carlson mocked her as a “lunatic country music person,” she turned it into a T-shirt campaign that raised $150,000 for Trans Lifeline and GLAAD. Around the release of D R E A M S I C L E she publicly came out as bisexual—so when she sings about finding your people and your peace, it lands.
She’s also been outspoken about country music’s lack of diversity, calling out how Black artists have been overlooked and using her platform to keep the issue on big stages where it can’t be ignored.
Morris was visibly moved by the love and support from the packed house at The Met. She closed the night with “The Bones,” a fan favorite that still hits hard every time. It’s all just Maren, and her fans were given the full range of who she is—what she can do—and what she stands for.
