As we return from the July 4 holiday celebrating our independence, we have so much to be grateful for in our country. But as the recent slate of Supreme Court rulings further reminded us, our rights—especially for the LGBTQ+ community—are at stake. Born and based in Nashville, singer Morgan Isaac Karr, better known as MORGXN, has felt especially alarmed by laws targeting LGBTQ rights in his state, and has often been found protesting the injustices at the Tennessee State Capitol.
For his “Neighborhoods” session, MORGXN returned to the lawn at the Capitol building to perform his recent single "Modern Man" a cappella as a way of peaceful protest. “A song like ‘Modern Man’ might sound like a disco song to some,” he tells us, “but when you peel it back, and it’s just the voice and the lyrics, you’ll see it’s really a rallying cry to let men be men (who are emotional, honest, sensitive, and able to admit when they have made mistakes). In a state like Tennessee, where people sit inside a building meant to be a beacon of justice and hope, they instead put money and self-interest over the rights and safety of the people they are intended to serve… I thought it would be powerful to strip the song back and sing it as a way of peaceful protest.”
He adds, “Hoping this song and this moment serve as a reminder that it’s OK to be soft, it’s OK to be who you are, and that there are lots of people walking with you as you navigate being a ‘Modern Man.’”
Check out his moving performance below, and look out for his new single “Young & in Love” arriving July 7 via Nettwerk.
