Country star Annie Bosko is speaking out about the criticism that she has faced after releasing her new song “Goodbye California” earlier this year.
During an interview with Fox News Digital, the 40-year-old singer explained that the bittersweet country ballad has resonated with the majority of listeners but struck a nerve with others, who have tried to frame the song as political, which she insists was not her intention.
“I have gotten some backlash on the song, and I’m OK with it,” Bosko shared ahead of her March 5 concert at the famed West Hollywood music venue the Troubadour.
“I think anytime you put yourself out there to make a statement and to say something, people will take any shot at turning something political,” she continued.
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“I don’t believe in getting involved in politics — I care about the state that I grew up in,” Bosko added. “I love California. So that’s where I stand on things. And there comes a point where right is right and wrong is wrong, and it feels like there’s too much wrong going on.”
“So, you know what, if 1% of people are upset with me, then so be it, right?” Bosko added. “You can’t please them all.”
“So, therefore, you’re forced to leave,” she continued. “Not because you want to leave, but because you feel like you don’t have any other option. And I feel like a lot of people, and myself included, have felt that way in both love relationships and geographically in locations. I think most people would say ‘Why would you want to leave here?’ Like look at the weather, look at everything. I mean it’s beautiful, right? You got everything: the desert, mountains, ocean, farm, ranch, everything.’ I just think sometimes people, for financial reasons or other reasons, feel like they’ve been forced to leave.”
The “Levitating” singer explained that many people she knows in the entertainment industry have also moved on to other states due to a sharp decline in projects filming in Los Angeles.
“This was the epicenter of all entertainment,” Bosko said. “And I feel like so many people have left because the jobs aren’t here. And so I feel like — I wouldn’t say there’s a specific moment in time — I just feel like, gradually over the years, every time I’ve come back, it feels like little things have kind of been chipped away.”
“It just feels like so much of that dynamic and community has changed,” she continued. “So many of my actor friends are leaving. And that’s what makes LA and Hollywood so special are the artists. Without the artists, this town is not the same. You need artists. And so I feel like it’s kind of been a combination honestly of all those things.”
WATCH: COUNTRY STAR ANNIE BOSKO DEFENDS ‘GOODBYE CALIFORNIA’ AFTER CRITICS SPEAK OUT
Bosko told Fox News Digital that she has spent a lot of time in Nashville, Tennessee, in recent years and believes that it would make the most sense for her to relocate to Music City.
“So much of the music industry is there,” she said. “And so many of my collaborators and business partners are there. So that would kind of be the obvious answer.”
“But I feel like California’s my heart and soul,” she continued. “I’d like to end up here just because I love it and this is my home.”
Bosko shared that she remains optimistic California could one day return to the state she remembers from earlier years.
“I’m hopeful that there’s a bright future,” she said. “The world always changes, but I almost feel as though people have to get so fed up that everyone wants a change. And I do feel as though so many people across the board — doesn’t matter where you are on the political spectrum — I think so many people across the board are fed up with just the way things have been and that there’s a better way to lead this state.”
The singer explained that California holds a special meaning for her because her grandparents were able to build successful lives in the state after emigrating from Croatia.
WATCH: COUNTRY STAR ANNIE BOSKO SAYS ‘99%’ OF PEOPLE RESONATE WITH HER SONG ‘GOODBYE CALIFORNIA’ DESPITE BACKLASH
“I guess that’s why I feel so passionately about California, in particular, because my family did come here and live the American Dream,” she said. “They were able to come here, start a farm, build a business, buy homes. And I think about this next generation, and I don’t know that they’re in the same position.”
“It’s like to buy a home here, right? It’s just everything is difficult,” Bosko continued. “I think families are paying astronomical money in taxes to not feel safe walking their own kids outside in a stroller on the road. And at some point, it’s just not fair anymore.”
“This next generation will be impacted the most,” she added. “I think I read a statistic that more kids now than ever in their 30s are living with their parents just because they can’t afford to start a new life here. And so I really hope that that changes. And I’m hopeful it could change, but like I said, people have got to be so upset and be aggravated by it to make that change.”
Bosko recalled that her grandmother sold her only car so her husband could buy a Ford tractor and start a small farm, which later grew into her family’s successful Boskovich Farms.
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“Kudos to my grandmother, that’s what you call blind faith,” she said. “I don’t know that I would have been that hopeful in any guy.”
“But she had faith in him, and she knew that he worked really hard, and he was relentless, and he started a farm on four acres of land himself,” Bosko said. “And then his sons ended up helping him grow the company. It was a smart move.”
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COUNTRY STAR ANNIE BOSKO SAYS PEOPLE ARE ‘FED UP’ WITH CURRENT STATE OF CALIFORNIA
Bosko shared that she was concerned since she had seen many farmers — particularly small farmers — who were facing major challenges due to water shortages.
“This doesn’t so much impact the large farming companies,” she said. “But multi-generational farmers are struggling big time right now. And California grows, I think, nearly 75% of the nation’s produce, so that’s huge. It’s really important. I think we need to protect farmers, protect farmland, make sure they’re getting adequate water supply and that we do everything we can to help.”
“Goodbye California” is available to stream here, and the official visualizer can be watched here.
