ToC Critic’s Pick: William Michael Morgan, ‘I Met a Girl’ [Listen]

William Michael Morgan’s debut single “I Met a Girl” is a warm country love song that slows time. Strong songwriting and Morgan’s smooth baritone make this song tough to resist.

The singer will quickly find fans in those rooting for a return of traditional country music, but by the end of the chorus, fans of a more progressive sound should stop and listen. Lyrically “I Met a Girl” is as strong as any George Strait cut. Morgan doesn’t quite have the same power to captivate the audience, but he’s only 21.

“I met a girl / She made me smile, she made me wait / She crossed the street, she crossed my heart / She fixed her dress, she bit her lip, she lit me up / I met a girl with crazy shoes and baby blues / The way she moves is changing my whole world / I met a girl,” he sings at the chorus. A mellow acoustic guitar, brush strokes and a quiet cry from the steel round out the arrangement. It’s all so pure and simple.

“The sunshine waits for her to wake up / She’s a pony tail no makeup Saturday / She don’t need umbrellas in the summer rain / She could catch the eye of a hurricane in blue jeans and pearls,” he adds during the second verse.

One issue traditional country is having along the comeback trail is too often modern day traditionalists bring a cornpone sound progressives can’t get with. Morgan’s single is just an honest country story, buoyed by strong lyrics and a love everyone can relate to.

Key Lyrics: "I met a girl with crazy shoes and baby blues / The way she moves is changing my whole world / I met a girl."

Did You Know?: This traditional, no-frills country cut was co-written by Sam Hunt, along with Trevor Rosen (Old Dominion) and Shane McAnally.

Listen to William Michael Morgan, “I Met a Girl”