Maren Morris Dancing With the Stars became a talking point on November 10, after she performed her hit “The Middle” live during the show’s first-ever Grammy Night. The performance brought a familiar chart hit to the ballroom. However, it also set off a wave of online criticism, because some viewers questioned her vocals, as Whiskey Riff reported.
The reaction quickly shifted attention from the dance floor to Morris herself. As a result, clips and comments spread across social media while viewers debated whether the live version matched the song’s upbeat reputation.
Maren Morris Dancing With the Stars at a Glance
| Detail | What Happened |
|---|---|
| Episode | Grammy Night, the show’s first-ever Grammy-themed episode |
| Air date | Tuesday, November 10, 2026, live on ABC |
| Song | “The Middle,” Morris’s 2018 hit with Zedd and Grey |
| Dance-off | A cha-cha between Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy, and Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik |
| Winner of the dance-off | Dewan and Chmerkovskiy |
| Other live performers | Sheryl Crow, Brandy and Monica |
| Online reaction | Mixed, with several viewers criticizing her vocals |
What Did Maren Morris Sing on Dancing With the Stars?
Morris sang “The Middle” while Dewan and Ali faced off in a cha-cha, according to Rolling Stone. The song first reached listeners through her collaboration with producer Zedd and the group Grey in 2018.
In addition, Crow, Brandy and Monica performed live for other dance-offs, so the night worked as a music showcase as much as a dance contest.
Which Dance-Offs Featured Live Music?
| Dance-Off | Style | Song and Live Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy vs. Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik | Cha-cha | “The Middle,” performed by Maren Morris |
| Ezra Frech and Daniella Karagach vs. Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov | Rumba | “The Boy Is Mine,” performed by Brandy and Monica |
| Connor Wood and Rylee Arnold vs. Maura Higgins and Mark Ballas | Cha-cha | “All I Wanna Do,” performed by Sheryl Crow |
TV Insider listed the pairings before the show, and the winners of each dance-off earned extra points.
Why Are Fans Criticizing Maren Morris’ Live Performance?
Much of the online chatter focused on her vocals. Some viewers called parts of the performance pitchy, and others said she seemed to struggle with the notes, as the posts that Whiskey Riff quoted show. Meanwhile, some fans disliked that the camera stayed on Morris at the start, so viewers could not see the dancing that the show is built on.
However, those posts came from individual viewers, not from an official assessment. Likewise, the judges focused on the dancers. For example, Carrie Ann Inaba compared the two cha-chas to apples and oranges, while Bruno Tonioli called the result very hard to call, according to Yahoo’s recap.
Still, social media reactions do not speak for every viewer, and the coverage reviewed does not show that audiences broadly rejected the performance. Whiskey Riff even suggested it could simply have been an off night.
Who Won the Dance-Off to The Middle?
Dewan and Chmerkovskiy won the cha-cha face-off against Ali and Ravnik, which gave them bonus points, according to Yahoo’s recap. The pairing had already stirred debate before the episode, because some fans felt Ali faced an unfair match-up against Dewan, who had scored higher all season, as TV Insider reported.
What Made DWTS Grammy Night Special?
The show announced Grammy Night as a first for the franchise, with seven couples dancing to Grammy-winning and Grammy-nominated hits, as Entertainment Now noted. In addition, the episode arrived just days before the 2027 Grammy nominations, which the Recording Academy planned to announce on November 16.
Morris also brings Grammy credentials of her own, since she won Best Country Solo Performance in 2017 for “My Church,” according to Billboard.
Did Maren Morris Respond to the Criticism?
As of November 11, the available reporting shows no public response from Morris. Therefore, it remains unclear whether she plans to address the reaction at all.
Her appearance was a guest performance, not a competing routine. As a result, the attention says more about the expectations around a familiar hit sung live on a major television show than about any competition result.
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FAQs About Maren Morris Dancing With the Stars
What did Maren Morris sing on Dancing With the Stars?
She sang “The Middle,” her 2018 hit with Zedd and Grey, during the Grammy Night cha-cha dance-off.
Why are fans criticizing her performance?
Some viewers called her vocals pitchy, and others disliked how much the camera focused on her at the start.
Who danced to “The Middle”?
Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy faced Tatyana Ali and Jan Ravnik, and Dewan and Chmerkovskiy won.
Who else performed on Grammy Night?
Sheryl Crow, Brandy and Monica also performed live for other dance-offs.
Has Maren Morris responded?
Not yet, according to the reporting available on November 11.
A Familiar Hit, a Divided Response
The Maren Morris Dancing With the Stars moment shows how quickly a live performance can split an audience. While some viewers focused on the vocals, others simply enjoyed a familiar song and a close dance-off, so the full picture is more mixed than the loudest posts suggest.
Faizullah Baig
Entertainment & Digital Culture Writer at WordPlay2018
Faizullah Baig is a writer at WordPlay2018 covering entertainment, celebrity news, movies, television, pop culture, and digital trends.
His work focuses on explaining current entertainment stories in a clear and reader-friendly way, with attention to the details behind trending headlines.
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Faizullah primarily covers:
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Faizullah aims to distinguish confirmed information from reports, estimates, and speculation. For developing stories, information may be updated as additional reliable details become available.
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