Morgan Wallen, the new country music star

Who is Morgan Wallen and why is he the biggest selling artist in the U.S. of A. today? He has a No. 1 single in Last Night. A No. 1 album in One Thing at a Time, all 36 tracks of which entered the Hot 100. That was the most titles at one time by any artist in the history of the chart.  And you can also add Canada to Wallen territory where his recordings constantly make No. 1.

Wallen was born in Tennessee and initially wanted to play baseball. A torn leg ligament forced him off the sport and he wandered unsure of where to go for a while before picking up music. He had piano and violin lessons as a child and he now added guitar. It proved to be a natural fit and he was soon singing and writing songs. He joined the reality competition show, The Voice, but was eliminated after only a few weeks.

But no matter. Being on TV gave Wallen the exposure and industry contacts he needed. Soon the hits started coming. Spin You Around from his debut EP, Stand Alone; Whiskey Glasses, Up Down and Chasin’ You from If I Know Me; and More Than My Hometown, 7 Summers, Sand in My Boots and Wasted on You from Dangerous: The Double Album.

Wallen garnered controversy after a reel of him mouthing a racial slur was uploaded on the Net. His recording contract was suspended and his songs were taken off from some platforms and playlists. He apologized and made a donation to the Black Music Action Coalition. There were industry people who thought that would be the end of Wallen’s career but his sales soared even higher.

Dangerous, a collection of country tunes spiced with pop and R&B, became the first country album to spend 10 weeks atop the Top 200 Albums chart. Now two years later, here is One Thing at a Time and Wallen is an even bigger star. Not just a country music star for that matter.  He is also in the Global hit list and is second only to Taylor Swift in the Artist 100. Come to think of it, Wallen is the closest competition Swiftie ever had.

Wallen’s music is simple and intimate. He sings about what seems like his personal experiences, mostly about home, women, whiskey and broken hearts. All these are topics that his country market can easily relate to. And how they do! They made him a superstar. Of course, it also helps that Wallen is handsome and cuts a sexy rugged figure in his white T-shirt and tight denims get-up.

As of this week, this is the Top 20 of the HOT 100: Last Night by Morgan Wallen; Kill Bill by SZA; Flowers by Miley Cyrus; Ella Baila Sola by Eslabon Armado X Piso Pluma; Un X 100to by Grupo Frontera X Bad Bunny; Calm Down by Rema & Selena; Creepin’ by Metro Boomin, The Weeknd and 21 Savage; Die for You by The Weeknd and Ariana Grande; Boy’’’s a Liar, Pt 2 by Pink Pantheress and Ice Spice; Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift.

La Bebe by Xng Lvcas X Piso Pluma; Search and Rescue by Drake; Favorite Song by Toosii; Fast Car by Luke Comb; Sure Thing by Miguel; Players by Coi Leray; Rock and a Hard Place by Baily Zimmerman; Double Fantasy by The Weeknd ft. Future; You Proof by Morgan Wallen; and As It Was by Harry Styles.

The Top 20 albums are One Thing at a Time by Morgan Wallen; D-Day by Agust D; Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Session by Taylor Swift; Midnights by Taylor Swift; Don’t Try This at Home by Young Boy Never Broke Again; SOS by SZA; Dangerous: The Double Album by Morgan Wallen; Getting’ Old by Luke Combs; Heroes and Villains by Metro Boomin; Lover by Taylor Swift.

Un Verano Sin Ti by Bad Bunny; Folklore, again by Swift; Portals by Melanie Martinez; 72 Seasons by Metallica; Her Loss by Drake and 21 Savage; Highlights by The Weeknd; Manana Sera Bonita by Karol G; American Heartbreak by Zach Bryan; Starboy, also by The Weeknd; and My Turn by Lil Baby.

Just noticed something. No K-pop among the Top 20s but a lot of Latinos in the lists.