Chase Rice teamed up with Florida Georgia Line on Monday (Nov. 30) for his new song, “Drinkin’ Beer. Talkin’ God. Amen.,” but was met with criticism when he promoted the song by joking that he has coronavirus.
“Just lost my taste and smell. Weird,” he tweeted on Sunday, referring to a common COVID-19 symptom. “Also, dropping a single at midnight.”
“On a real note. Don’t have covid,” he clarified in another tweet. “But I’m dropping a single tonight. With 2 guys that I learned a lot from. Respect the hell out of @FLAGALine. And 10 years after we started doing music together and lived together, we’re at it again. Drinkin beer. Talkin God. Amen.”
His promotional tactic, however, was not received well by fans, who called out the country singer for being insensitive to the 267,000 American lives taken by the novel coronavirus (and to his collaborator Tyler Hubbard, who was recently tested positive for the disease). Many also referred to a similarly inconsiderate incident earlier this summer, when Rice held a controversial show at Petros’ historic Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary outside of Nashville, with zero social distancing or mask wearing.
“Really in bad taste to joke about Covid,” one user wrote. “Thought you had learned something since the concert incident this year. Guess not. Here’s an idea: take all the earnings from this song and donate to Covid survivors or donate PPE to local hospitals. Do better, Covid is not a joke.”
“Yeah you’ve been flagrantly disregarding public health regulations during a pandemic… Super weird…” another added.
See reactions below.
Really in bad taste to joke about Covid. Thought you had learned something since the concert incident this year. Guess not. Here’s an idea: take all the earnings from this song and donate to Covid survivors or donate PPE to local hospitals. Do better, Covid is not a joke.
— wendyrn11 (@wendyrn11) November 30, 2020
Yeah you’ve been flagrantly disregarding public health regulations during a pandemic…
Super weird…— Bachelor Fan Anonymous (@AnonBachFan) November 30, 2020
Well if this is a publicity stunt it is not funny. Especially for those of us who have really lost our taste and smell and are actually sick with Covid.
— Kathleen Brecker (@KJBrecker) November 30, 2020
Hey first off I hope you’re not sick but if you’re not damn it I have Covid right not don’t be joking around about this crap cause I’m struggling to catch my breath at times to a point I feel like I’m about to pass out. Don’t be using a pandemic to rise sales of a dang song!
— John Reynolds (@GENERALLEEJOHN) November 30, 2020
Ask healthcare workers if getting/dealing with Covid-19 is funny. Hint: it’s not.
— Long Duong (@SHD_Agent_Duong) November 30, 2020
Speaking of respect, I used to respect you as an artist. But I was so disappointed to see how you handled the pandemic earlier this year, and now this. You’ve lost a fan my man. Be better.
— Derek James (@derekjames66) November 30, 2020