As most know by now, Morgan Wallen is an up-and-coming music artist who has recently taken the country music world by storm. With his hits such as, “7 Summers,” first released on Tik Tok, Wallen has blossomed into arguably one of the most popular country artists of the year. Born in Sneedville, Tennessee, he played baseball throughout high school and learned to play instruments like the guitar. Offered a chance to play baseball in college, he turned it down to pursue his budding music career. These experiences and his love for the way he grew up greatly shaped his adult life and influenced his music, as evident in songs such as, “More Than My Hometown.”

On January 8, Wallen released his highly anticipated double album titled, Dangerous (this isn’t his first album; he released one titled, If I Know Me, back in 2018, launching him into the public eye). As an avid fan of country music, it’s only fitting that I do a (partial) album review of Dangerous. Here are my top 12 favorite songs on the album, in no particular order:

1. Somebody’s Problem
   1. Revealed in an interview, Wallen wrote this song about a girl he doesn’t even know. As the story goes, he was driving on the interstate one day with a friend, when he passed a beautiful girl in the lane next to him. When he asked his friend, “wow, I wonder who that is,” his friend scoffed and replied, “somebody’s problem,” and thus the song was born. Wallen sings of how this girl is probably a nightmare to some, causing them problems and breaking hearts, but he would love for her to break his heart next.
   2. Best lyric: “Somebody’s best day, somebody’s worst night, somebody’s reason for leaving on the porch light”
   3. Rating: 7/10
2. More Surprised Than Me
   1. A funnier and more heart-warming song on the album, this song is about Wallen’s relationship with a girl who is visibly out of his league. Wallen explains how for his whole life he has been able to play things off by making himself seem cooler than he is: For example buying a Harvard University sweatshirt at Goodwill to make people think he is smarter than he actually is. He then goes on to say that the one thing that people still refuse to believe of him is that he has a beautiful girlfriend: they claim, “there ain’t no way that she’s with him.”
   2. Best lyric: “In a world where nothing is what it seems, ain’t no one more surprised than me”
   3. Rating: 8/10
3. 865
   1. First opinions: this is the breakup song of the decade. The raw emotion in this song is enough to make anyone sob, let alone those going through a difficult breakup. Here, Wallen sings about how much pain he is in over losing this person who meant so much to him and how he picks up his phone to call her. He says he does everything in his power to keep himself from calling the girl again, but he keeps thinking of “865-409-1021” (presumably the number of the mystery girl).
   2. Best lyric: “I know I told you I wouldn’t call and I tried, but…865 (409-1021)”
   3. Rating: 8/10
4. Wonderin’ Bout the Wind
   1. This song serves as a commentary on the things Wallen has never understood in his life, such as why the girl he loves so much seems to always come and go with the wind. This song is in keeping with the theme of not understanding why people leave and the sadness which that can bring. That being said, this song is still beautifully written and full of emotion.
   2. Best lyric: “Yeah, if anybody out there somewhere got a secret they want to share on why it does to her what it does to dust, really just ain’t fair”
   3. Rating: 8/10
5. Cover Me Up
   1. Much slower and more soulful than the other songs on the album, “Cover Me Up” is a song of burning love and finding someone who saves you from yourself. Wallen sings of his wild days in his youth and finally meeting someone who was able to make him realize he was “meant for someone.” This person he sings of adds meaning to his life and helps him be his best self every day. Not only does Wallen find redemption through his lover in this song, but he also goes on to show how much this person means to him and how he wants to spend his days making them know they’re enough.
   2. Best lyric: “I was so sure, what I needed was more, tried to shoot out the sun.”
   3. Rating: 7/10
6. 7 Summers
   1. Known for its shot to fame from Tik Tok, this song is definitely one of the most popular on the album. A clever song about the pains of growing up and leaving behind high school love and memories when reaching adulthood, Wallen really hit the nostalgia out of the park with this one. He is able to articulate the joys of teenage summer and the highs of first love. Along with the joy, Wallen describes the feeling of longing sadness that comes along with moving on. But hey, that was 7 summers ago. 😉
   2. Best lyric: “And I know we both knew better, but we still said forever, and that was seven summers ago”
   3. Rating: 7/10
7. More Than My Hometown
   1. This is definitely a feel-good song that can make anybody crack a smile. Written about Wallen’s utter love for the town he grew up in, this song is a message to a girl who he loves almost as much. He tells her that he loves her more than most things in this world, but he just can’t seem to love her more than his beloved hometown, and for that reason, he will never leave it, even if she does.
   2. Best lyric: “I love you more than the feeling when the bass hits the hook, when the guy gets the girl at the end of the book, but that ain’t you and me so I guess I’ll see you around”
   3. Rating: 10/10
8. Silverado For Sale
   1. In my opinion, this is the single most underrated song on the entire album. Nobody talks about this song, or sings its praises as they should, because it truly is great. This is a sentimental song about a man who makes the difficult decision to sell his beloved truck, one of the things that means the most to him, in order to buy something that means even more. He is selling his old Chevy in order to buy an engagement ring for the girl of his dreams, but before he gets rid of it, he has a message to whoever the new owner is. He makes sure to tell them all the awesome things that this truck can do, including help winning over the perfect girl.
   2. Best lyric: “God knows all the stories it can tell; I got a Silverado for sale”
   3. Rating: 10/10

9. Blame it on Me

1. 1. Although this song may not be a true lyrical masterpiece, it still has a very cute message. Here, Wallen tells a girl that if her new boyfriend is confused as to why she starts doing more unconventional things, to blame it on him because it’s his fault for making her like that in the first place. He claims that it’s his fault for making her prefer going fishing in the countryside on the weekends rather than going out on the town with her girlfriends, and basically mocks the stuck-up men who live in the city.
   2. Best lyric: “If you’re up to see the sun before you fall asleep, baby blame it on me”
   3. Rating: 6/10

10. Quittin’ Time

1. 1. 1. This song is one of the sadder songs on the album for sure, so get ready to grab the tissues. Here, Wallen sings of how to know it’s “Quittin’ Time” with your significant other, meaning how to know when it’s finally time to give up on someone you love. He explains how sometimes in a relationship there comes a point where you are putting in way more effort than your partner, for little to nothing in return. This is when it’s time to finally stop trying, no matter how much you love the person, because there’s nothing left for you there.
      2. Best line: This time, I have two favorite lines because I couldn’t choose just one
         1. “Before the credits roll just know I always loved you”
         2. “I can tell by the tears not in your eyes, it’s quittin’ time.”
      3. Rating: 8/10