Blake Shelton’s latest song is being criticized for insensitivity.
On New Year’s Eve, the country singer and “The Voice” coach debuted his new song “Minimum Wage”, inspired by his love for fiancée Gwen Stefani, during NBC’s year-end special.
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The song, which features the lyric, “Girl, your love can make a man feel rich on minimum wage,” was met with a wave of backlash on social media, with many calling out the multi-millionaire singer for referencing working at minimum wage.
Some called the song “tone deaf,” while others noted the financial difficulties facing many Americans during the pandemic.
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
Is Blake Shelton singing about being on minimum wage? What is happening #NewYearsEve @nbc
— chandler smith (@cyranodebuffalo) January 1, 2021
I’m sure his intentions were good with that song ‘minimum wage’, but comparing love to monday and minimum wage is a bit tone def considering the state our country is in. Lost job and wages. Some people are living off of minimum wage. @blakeshelton #BlakeShelton #tonedef
— Angela Gordon Holtz (@Angieholtz1972) January 2, 2021
The irony of listening to a millionaire Blake Shelton singing about “love on minimum wage” at the end of 2020 might be lost on its target audience #NewYearsRockinEve
— Dr. Jolene Masone (@jkmbassoon) January 1, 2021
What!? @blakeshelton is #MinimumWage even for real? Yes of course @gwenstefani can make a dude on minimum wage feel rich cuz she’s a millionaire. Are you working at the Home Depot now or something? Wanna pay my rent?
— Kristin Ei (@ei_kristin) January 3, 2021
On Monday Shelton tweeted in what appeared to be a response to the controversy:
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
He also referred to Ronnie Dunn having his back, likely referencing the singer’s post defending the song.
My two cents… #RonnieDunn #BlakeShelton #MinimumWage #HardWorkinMan #CostOfLivin #WorkingManBlues @blakeshelton pic.twitter.com/nOFVlYP9pI
— RONNIE DUNN (@RonnieDunn) January 4, 2021
“The ‘beef’ is yet another of those misguided social issue (cultural scams) that are concocted to further divide this country,” Dunn wrote. “Now, they want to attack country singers for being successful. I slept on a mattress on the floor in a musician friend’s spare bedroom and played BEER JOINTS / DIVE BARS for years before I ever made a $100. Most country singers pay dues and go through things to become successful that no sane human being would.
“I grew up poor. My father was a truck driver, avid country music fan and oilfield worker all his life. My mother worked a ‘minimum wage’ job as a small town bank teller to help support a family with four kids. The entire world wants to hitch a free ride on the American Dream. Those that don’t want to diminish or destroy it. Read the full lyrics to Blake’s song. Hell, I wish I’d written it.”
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ET Canada has reached out to Shelton’s rep for comment.
