Morgan Wallen - Smile

Fresh off of his latest number one hit “Love Somebody”, Morgan Wallen is back with the third single “Smile” from his upcoming fourth album. The track is a haunting ode to a troubled relationship. The lyrics speak of a long-troubled relationship that shows flashes of life when Morgan’s girlfriend flashes a smile for the cameras. I like how the lyrics signal towards the current social media world where couples often smile for the cameras in the midst of trouble in paradise. Will the relationship survive? The listener is left to wonder.

Musically, this song continues Morgan’s move away from contemporary country music into more of a mainstream soft rock sound. The extensively stacked background vocals and ominous production reminded me of the work of Chris Stapleton and even Mumford & Sons. I think it’s safe to say that Morgan Wallen is the biggest male pop star in the world. Sure, he’s a country singer but he makes very popular, mainstream songs that often top the Hot 100 chart. Post Malone is a possible rival but much of his chart-toppers are collaborations while Morgan can easily top the pop charts with solo efforts alone. In an industry filled with viral one-hit wonders, Morgan Wallen is in rarefied air.

Judging from his previous single, it’s very obvious that Morgan is aiming for world domination when his highly-anticipated fourth album comes out. I feel like the anticipation is akin to his female counterpart, Taylor Swift, when it comes a new album release. Though, in Morgan’s case, the music does sound more earnest than what Swift offered recently with 2024’s “The Tortured Poets Department”. I love following the Billboard music charts and can’t wait to see the huge numbers that Wallen racks up when his fourth LP comes out sometime in 2025. I’ll be listening!