WALLEN RELEASES BALLAD "SMILE" ON NEW YEAR'S EVE

On the final day of the year, Morgan Wallen surprised fans with “Smile” (Big Loud/Mercury/ Republic).

Co-written with Rocky Block, John Byron, ERNEST, Ryan Vojtesak and Luis Witkiewitz, the heartbreak track continues in the vein of such recent Wallen smashes as “Lies Lies Lies” and “Love Somebody” (the former, we hasten to note, hit #1 at Country).

The video, meanwhile, finds a melancholy Wallen struggling to balance stardom and a relationship and confusing a New Year's Eve crowd with “Smile” instead of “Love Somebody” before his girlfriend leaves and he rings in 2025 alone. We can totally identify with these themes, except for the parts about having a career and a relationship.

Meanwhile, Wallen has teased more new music on socials and will have his first chance at a Grammy thanks to his collab with Post Malone, “I Had Some Help” (Mercury/Republic).

In a possibly related story, a "Smile" is the least likely response to news that we will continue publishing in 2025.