Entertainment
Country Artist Morgan Wallen Plans to Rerecord Early Songs Following Taylor Swift’s Lead
Country music artist Morgan Wallen has announced his plans to follow in the footsteps of Taylor Swift and rerecord some of his early songs, in an effort to regain control of his music catalog and career. Wallen’s decision comes after his former music label, Panacea Records, announced the release of a ’10th Anniversary’ edition of his album ‘Stand Alone,’ against his wishes and without his support.
Wallen, one of country music’s biggest names and known for hits like ‘Spin You Around,’ expressed his displeasure with the release, calling it ‘gross’ and ‘greedy.’ He is concerned that fans may mistakenly believe this is a new release by him, as he considers the songs on the album to be of lower quality and not up to his current standards.
The album, which includes eight previously unreleased songs, was produced from his early works in 2014 when Wallen was just 21 years old. He admitted to having little knowledge of the music business and lacking legal representation at the time of signing with Panacea Records. Despite his regrets, Wallen released a successful EP called ‘Stand Alone’ from those early sessions.
Over the past months, Wallen has been actively exploring options to acquire the rights to his old music. Inspired by Taylor Swift’s move to rerecord her earlier songs, Wallen aims to maintain the quality of his catalog and release music that he believes in. He has already begun the process of rerecording tracks and intends to release them in the coming months.
In response to Panacea Records’ release, Wallen made his own move by re-recording his hit song ‘Spin You Around’ and sharing it with his fans. He also expressed his frustration with the ‘dark side of the music business’ and hopes that his story will serve as a cautionary tale for other aspiring musicians who may face similar challenges.
To further support his creative freedom and artistic control, Wallen announced that he will donate $100,000 from his Morgan Wallen Foundation to the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) program.
This move by Wallen to rerecord his early songs and regain control over his music career has gained support from fellow artists, including pop/R&B artist SZA, who commended the decision as a powerful statement against the industry establishment.
The music industry has seen similar battles over control of artists’ catalog in recent years, notably Taylor Swift’s highly publicized dispute with Big Machine Records and Scooter Braun over the ownership of her early music.
With Wallen’s mission to rerecord and release his early tracks, it remains to be seen how this strategy will impact his career and the industry’s treatment of artists seeking more control over their discography.
