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Ryan Upchurch’s “Can I Get A Outlaw” Is In The Hot Seat Right Now. Here’s Why!

Can I Get An Outlaw by Ryan Upchurch
by
  • Riley is a Senior Country Music Journalist for Country Thang Daily, known for her engaging storytelling and insightful coverage of the genre.
  • Before joining Country Thang Daily, Riley developed her expertise at Billboard and People magazine, focusing on feature stories and music reviews.
  • Riley has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Belmont University, with a minor in Cultural Studies.

Ryan Upchurch’s “Can I Get A Outlaw” is currently the center of controversy!

The song – featuring Luke Combs, just before his mainstream success – was released as a single in 2015 off Upchurch’s debut album, Heart of America. The first verse is actually a chorus from Comb’s song in 2014 about several legendary outlaw country artists, but Upchurch’s version has been a bigger celebration of Southern pride.

However, six years later, stills from the music video of “Can I Get A Outlaw” has been circulating again and is getting a massive backslash. In the short clip, Luke Combs can be seen performing with several Confederate flags in the background. His acoustic guitar also carried a sticker that resembled the Stars and Bars flag – which has been a common white supremacist symbol.

The country superstar has since apologized for his past mistake, saying that he was not aware, at that time, of what the image portrays. But Combs also admits that “there is no excuse” for using the flag imagery. He added that he has now grown a lot as an artist and as a man. In fact, the moment he landed a record deal and got his team in place, he made sure that they would disassociate themselves from any racial behaviors, and they have been doing that for years.

Ryan Upchurch also posted a video on YouTube titled “my apology” – however, it wasn’t to apologize but instead to object to Combs’ apology and defend his use of the Confederate flag. He believes that there’s nothing to be sorry for and calls for all country singers “to quit being f—ing sissies.”

According to reports, Combs’ record label – Sony Music Nashville – is currently trying to have the music video of Upchurch’s “Can I Get A Outlaw” removed from online video-sharing platforms.

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