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Morgan Wallen debuted a surprise single to close out 2024 on Tuesday (December 31).
The reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year released “Smile,” which he wrote with Rocky Block, John Byron, ERNEST and Ryan Vojtesak. It was produced by Joey Moi and Charlie Handsome. The lyrics of Wallen’s newest single depict a couple drifting apart, even though a photograph of the pair suggests a different story. Wallen sings, “If someone were to see this, they’d think everything’s alright/ At least we got a pretty little moment frozen in time
“It was good to see you smile/ Girl, you know it’s been a while/ It was good to see you smile/ Even if it was just for the picture”
The ballad arrives with a music video directed by Justin Clough. In the video, Wallen is getting ready to perform on a televised New Year’s Eve special, seemingly distracted amid a distant relationship. He took one last glance at a woman sitting in his dressing room before he leaves to take the stage, though the two never say a word to one another. The host of the made-up TV special introduces Wallen to the show to sing “Love Somebody,” the single he released in October; however, Wallen opts to debut “Smile” instead. By the end of the video, the woman has left. Wallen returns to an empty dressing room as the rest of the TV audience cheers, “Happy New Year!”
“Smile” arrives about a week after Wallen posted a sneak peek of an unreleased song. He said at the time it’s a “rough demo verse chorus of a song we wrote the other day. I do believe I like it.” The brief audio clip earned praise from fellow singer-songwriters, including ERNEST, HARDY, Jessie James Decker and others. Wallen’s latest singles also include “Love Somebody” and “Lies Lies Lies,” following his latest full length record, 2023’s One Thing At A Time.
Watch Wallen’s new “Smile” music video here: