Blake Shelton debuted a new song on NBC’s New Year’s Eve broadcast but not everyone was a fan. Some Twitter users said the song’s lyric, “Girl, your love can make a man feel rich on minimum wage,’ was insensitive during a global pandemic.
Usually don’t care about this stuff but…Millionaire country singer Blake Shelton debuting a song on NBC about how love can make them feel rich on minimum wage. Odd timing with millions unemployed and struggling during a pandemic.
— Cody T. Squirrel (@Cody_T_Squirrel) January 1, 2021
Does anyone else find Blake Shelton’s “Minimum Wage” song to be incredibly tone deaf to our country’s current state?
— Kyle Kramer (@KYLE0REN) January 1, 2021
While others jumped in to defend the song.
All I’ve got to say is I’m sure Blake Shelton had a minimum wage job at some point in his life… I haven’t heard the song but I’m sure he can remember what being broke vs being in love feels like… Also, maybe he didn’t write it, even if so, let’s not stress about a song
— babyboy5880 (@CJinRealLife) January 4, 2021
Ronnie Dunn of Brooks and Dunn came to Blake’s defense saying that it’s a song he wishes he’d written himself.
“Now they want to attack country singers for being successful,” he says. “I slept on a mattress on the floor in a musician friend’s spare bedroom and played beer joins / dive bars for years before I ever made $100. Most country singers pay dues and go through things to become successful that no sane human being would.”
My two cents… #RonnieDunn #BlakeShelton #MinimumWage #HardWorkinMan #CostOfLivin #WorkingManBlues @blakeshelton pic.twitter.com/nOFVlYP9pI
— RONNIE DUNN (@RonnieDunn) January 4, 2021
Blake hasn’t directly spoken about the backlash but he did tweet “When your fans, @RonnieDunn and @sammyhagar have your back it’s gonna be a good year. Bring it on 2021.”
When your fans, @RonnieDunn and @sammyhagar have your back it’s gonna be a good year. Bring it on 2021.
— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) January 5, 2021