COUNTRY UPSTART EARNS FIRST #1 WITH SUMMERTIME SMASH “UP DOWN”
NOMINATED FOR BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST-WRITER OF THE YEAR AT 2018 MUSICROW AWARDS;
EARNING RAVES AS OPENER ON LUKE BRYAN’S WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY TOUR
NASHVILLE, TENN. — Cementing his status as one of Country music’s most exciting new voices, MORGAN WALLEN has notched his first #1 as his downhome summer anthem “Up Down” commands the Mediabase/Country Aircheck and Billboard Country Airplay charts this week.
Since its October release, the swampy, fun-loving track has earned GOLD certification from the RIAA and more than 141.5 million digital streams. Co-penned by Michael Hardy, Brad Clawson, and CJ Solar, “Up Down” features MULTI-PLATINUM duo Florida Georgia Line, who joined Wallen for the song’s TV debut performance earlier this year on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.
“’Up Down’ has changed my life. It’s taken me and my guys from a van to a tour bus, from clubs to opening for Luke Bryan in stadiums, and just giving us the resources we need to be creative and to really thrive in this business. The song has shown me how many people are just like me when it comes to the things we consider to be a good time, and the things we love. Having FGL on here with me, who I now consider to be two of my closest friends, just makes it that much sweeter. I love those guys and I hope this won’t be the last collab you hear from us,” says Wallen. “A HUGE thank you to my whole team, record label, management, songwriters, every last person. They all work countless hours to make these things happen and their belief in me is truly inspiring. None of this would be possible without my friends at Country Radio, either. Thank you for believing in me and my music, and for giving it a real chance to be heard by the fans. Thank you to every single person who has bought this song, streamed this song, shouted this song at the top of your lungs at the shows; whatever it is, we appreciate you and don’t take you for granted. And I always have to give credit to God, I don’t believe any of this would be possible without Him.”
“Up Down” serves as the opening track on Wallen’s debut album IF I KNOW ME (Big Loud Records), tapped as one of the “10 Best Country Albums of 2018, So Far,” by Taste of Country. Rolling Stone Country echoes, “Whether he’s set against these more placid surroundings, or in the more progressive blends of electronic, country and rock found elsewhere on his album, Wallen sounds right at home, fully aware of who he is.”
This latest career milestone propels Wallen’s hot streak, having earned his first #1 as a songwriter with Jason Aldean’s “You Make It Easy” and a nomination for Breakthrough Artist-Writer of the Year at the 2018 MusicRow Awards. The fiery entertainer also made a splash at CMA Fest – where his daytime Chevrolet Riverfront Stage performance ranked as one of Billboard’s “Best Moments” and he incited “stadium-wide singalongs” (Tennessean) with a surprise appearance during FGL’s Nissan Stadium set.
In between it all Wallen has been wowing crowds as support on Bryan’s WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY TOUR and WHAT MAKES YOU COUNTRY TOUR XL – STADIUM SIZED, garnering praise from Digital Journal (“He had the crowd with him every step of the way”), CMchatLive (“It’s evident Wallen is the future of country music. A star with legendary quality making timeless music who certainly knows how to entertain a crowd…”), Tour Bus Entertainment (“…owning the stage from the moment he walked out”), Live in Limbo (“…this skilled singer warmed up the crowd without breaking a sweat”), and many more. He’ll next hit the stage Thursday (6/28) in Raleigh, NC, and Friday (6/29) in Charlotte, NC, before amping up the stadium crowd at Heinz Field Saturday (6/30) in Pittsburgh, PA.