2020 was nobody’s year, particularly for Morgan Wallen. But 2021 is quickly proving to be a year of redemption for the country singer.
Wallen released his sophomore album, Dangerous: The Double Album on Friday, after an infamous premature release from Walmart earlier in the week. The 30-track album is riddled with lyrical stories as Wallen reflects on the greatest lessons he’s learned in his tumultuous twenty-seven years of life. Although fans are familiar with some of the songs like “More Than My Hometown,” “7 Summers,” “Still Goin Down,” and his Jason Isbell cover of “Cover Me Up;” there are still a large handful of songs to fit every fans’ need.
But when you finally get a chance to listen to all 30 tracks, think about which half of the album you’d like to start with. The first-half of the album is more moody and emotional than the second-half. From the first to the last track, all have a much slower tempo than the rest. Wallen delivers ballad after ballad, which is quite a change of pace from his debut album If I Know Me in 2018. But once you get to the second-half, the vibe is quite the opposite; filled with upbeat tracks and drinking tunes galore.
In order to effectively breakdown the big album without boring you, I’ve decided to approach this album review a bit differently. Take a look at the categories below and find the song that best suits your need. But in my honest opinion, it’s hard to find 1 bad track out of 30 potential hit songs.
Most Personal: “Livin’ The Dream”
“Livin’ The Dream” dropped prior to the January album release, so it doesn’t come as a new track to fans. This deeply personal song gives fans insight into Wallen’s life, reminding them that his fame isn’t as glamorous as it may look. In previous interviews, Wallen admitted this song was one of the most personal for him; as he sings about being in and out of cop cars, trashing hotel bars and living a (what seems to be) carefree life on the outside. But as the track goes on, all of the things that make him the modern-day country rockstar he is, are what’s killing him on the inside. Even singing “Mama don’t pray for my success anymore, but Mama still prays for me,” as a nod his family, who worry about his questionable life decisions.
Funniest Song: “Country A$$ Shit”
Doesn’t the title of the song basically give this one away for you? Of course I’m going to pick something called “Country A$$ Shit” to win the coveted title of ‘Funniest Song’ on the album. Just take a listen and see for yourself. All I can say is, I can’t wait until we are in a post-pandemic world and I’m watching him perform this one live on-stage with a beer in hand. That’s what songs like this were made for!
Most Buzz: “865”
Remember the song ‘Jenny’ from back in the day? You know, the one that goes, “8-6-7-5-3-0-9?” Think of Wallen’s “865” as a modern-day version of that 80’s jam. Now, it may not be as fast-paced as “Jenny” was, but by the end of the song you find yourself singing “8-6-5-4-oh-9-ten-twenty-one” along with Wallen. And, as any country music fan would do, I called the number Wallen sang about in the song. What can I say? I was curious!
Don’t worry, some 865 Knoxville, Tennessee ex-girlfriend of his is not getting flooded with calls right now. The number simply links to a company called, U.S. TelePunch. I know – it’s not that exciting. But, the song originally came to Wallen titled “919,” which is a Raleigh, North Carolina area code. Wallen changed the three digits when recording because the 865 area code has more personal meaning to him. So, I called 919-409-1021 too and the line was busy – looks like that scorned ex already changed their number…
Worst Song: “Dangerous”
I didn’t want to do it, but would this be an honest review if I didn’t add one bad song?! Like I said above, there isn’t a bad track on this album; but if I had to pick my least-favorite, it would be the album title track “Dangerous.” In my opinion, the song needed to slow down a bit. Okay, it needed to slow down A LOT. It sounded as if Wallen was rushing through the entire thing, and the lyrics lacked substance compared to the rest of the songs. Plus, at 2:28 in length, this song wasn’t even long enough to comprehend what Wallen was saying in his thick country accent.
Best Duet: “Only Thing That’s Gone” featuring Chris Stapleton
Now this song basically wins by default, considering it’s one of the few duet tracks on the album. But, that doesn’t mean it’s not worth listening to. Morgan Wallen and Chris Stapleton are the harmonious duo I didn’t know I was missing in my life. And singing a break-up song? Even better. Wallen kicks off the song, before Stapleton join him for the chorus. Then, Stapleton takes it away in the second verse. These two sound SO GOOD together, my goodness. The melody was more heavenly than getting endless amounts of flowers and chocolates on Valentine’s Day. It was so smooth, the perfect mix of country and rock n’ roll. Can someone please tell these two to make more music together? This one song was not enough! A must-listen on the album, if you ask me.
