Morgan Wallen Strips Down ‘Whiskey Glasses’ During Vulnerable RISERS Performance
Maybe you didn't know Morgan Wallen could sing like this. Maybe you didn't know the "Whiskey Glasses" singer could be so vulnerable. Maybe there's a lot you don't know about the east Tennessee native and newest Taste of Country RISERS pick.
Wallen — a 25-year-old son of a classic rock loving preacher from Sneedville, Tenn. — admits that scoring a hit with his song "Up Down" was validation, but he's hell bent on proving he's capable of interpreting songs with more emotional depth. Find the singer-songwriter heartbroken on this second single from his debut album, If I Know Me.
During this acoustic RISERS performance, fans get an up-close introduction to a man who is clearly more than just party songs. "I'mma need some whiskey glasses / Cause I don't wanna see the truth," he sings to begin a big, cathartic chorus.
Ben Burgess and Kevin Kadish wrote "Whiskey Glasses," but Wallen admits his performance was inspired by an old flame who he promises is out of his heart and head these days.
"I can speak for everybody in saying we've all been through a breakup to where you didn't want it to be over," he says. When asked if the girl he had in mind knows about it, he answers with a laugh:
"She better not."
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"Whiskey Glasses" twists the phrase around to create a double meaning. "Almost like a modern day beer goggles a little bit, you know," Wallen says.
"I'mma need some whiskey glasses / If I'm gonna make it through / If I'm gonna be single I'mma need a double shot of that heartbreak proof."
That's part of the reason he dug the demo so much, although admittedly what he heard at first was more of a rap lyric, cut by Burgess. His rural Tennessee drawl took care of that to create a song that's true to his raising. You'll learn more about that unique experience in a few days, plus how Wallen put himself at ease working with superstars like Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line, the personal reason he chose to grow a mullet and what went wrong to start his singing career.
Wallen is the third and final member of the 2018 class of Taste of Country RISERS, following Devin Dawson and Lindsay Ell. Past RISERS include Brett Young, Kalie Shorr, Runaway June and Aubrie Sellers.
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