William Michael Morgan Criticizes Modern Country’s Sunny Disposition in “Brokenhearted”
Like prospects in sports, sometimes young and talented country artists drafted to the mainstream with hopes of putting a more traditional sound back on the radio pan out, and sometimes they don’t. A couple of years ago, the talk surrounded Mo Pitney, Jon Pardi, and William Michael Morgan as the three voices in the mainstream that could help reverse course from the Bro-Country era. Of course this was before Chris Stapleton hopscotched everybody out of nowhere to become a superstar, and forced everyone to re-evaluate their thinking.
Mo Pitney is great, but we probably shouldn’t be surprised Curb Records figured out how to bungle his talent by taking too long to release his debut record, and not putting enough muscle behind him at radio. Jon Pardi is now on the brink of becoming a major star with four Top 10 singles, two #1’s and a gold record in California Sunrise. But it’s all due to some of his most pop-oriented songs, while the spectacular “She Ain’t In It” stalled at #21.
And then we have William Michael Morgan, who has sent us selling our stock, and then buying it all back again just in a matter of a couple of weeks. The first taste from his upcoming and unannounced sophomore record was a song called “Tonight Girl.” Combining the two hottest buzzwords in mainstream country for it’s title, and finding that all-too-common R&B vibe, the song wasn’t as terrible as it first seemed on the surface, but it’s definitely not the reason we’ve been rooting for the young man since he impressed with his own #1, “I Met A Girl.” “Tonight Girl” was like the sum of our fears for where Morgan may go if the dark side got to him.
And then comes “Brokenhearted.”
Just as “Tonight Girl” is not as bad as it may appear on first sniff, “Brokenhearted” may not be as good. Country songs taking jabs at Bro-Country have become about as formulaic and cliche as Bro-Country itself, especially if you’re just listing off criticisms, similar to how Bro-Country lists off rural artifacts and affirmations. But you have to re-calibrate your country music perspective when dealing with mainstream songs from major label artists. “Brokenhearted” is a mostly playful, but still a fairly pointed country music protest track, while also slathering on the authentic country instrumentation.
“Brokenhearted” bemoans the lack of sad songs in modern country, while specifically calling out certain go-to references in country songs of a sunny disposition. If nothing else, it takes guts for a guy like William Michael Morgan to release a track like this, especially as an opening salvo to a new project. Does it make him a hypocrite since in the same month he also released “Tonight Girl”? No, it makes him smart. You’re never going to have a hard country Whitey Morgan type break into the mainstream overnight, it takes artists like William Michael Morgan to lead mainstream listeners to them through songs like “Brokenhearted” that explain what country music is supposed to be, and expose what it has become.
Many people who would read some obscure website called “Saving Country Music” on a weekly basis may roll their eyes at a track like this, but to mainstream listeners, it may open their eyes to one of the major problems plaguing mainstream country music. “Brokenhearted” is also just a fun, and fairly well-written track. It’s not William Michael Morgan’s fault Bro-Country ruined how cool list songs can be. “Brokenhearted” also seems to take a jab at the cover band culture that has invaded the honky tonks on lower Broadway in Nashville in the bridge of the song.
Also, if you watch the video for “Brokenhearted,” it starts where the video for “Tonight Girl” ends, almost as if Morgan is saying, “Okay, I got the radio hit out of the way, now let me play what I want.” It appears the two tracks together are meant to convey a bigger message. Perhaps the William Michael Morgan camp anticipated some blow back for “Tonight Girl,” and built it into how “Brokenhearted” was released.
Of course the big question is which one of these two songs will be sent to radio as a legitimate single, if either of them will be. If it’s “Brokenhearted,” how will it be received? We’ve seen more traditional-style songs given a chance over the last couple of years, but they still need to prove they can succeed, or labels will be less likely to release them or put serious promotional muscle behind them.
“Brokenhearted” by William Michael Morgan is a good song. Yes, it carries its own faux pas, but Rome wasn’t conquered in a day. And if a song like “Tonight Girl” allows Morgan to record whatever he wants thereafter, including songs like “Brokenhearted,” so be it.
October 29, 2018 @ 7:57 am
Gave him a listen, and not a fan. It’s better than bro country, but it still ain’t for me. Thanks for sharing.
October 29, 2018 @ 8:19 am
Reminds me of “doesn’t anyone hurt anymore” by Travis Tritt. If we accept WMM for what he is and what Trig mentioned – an excellent representation of real country in the world of mainstream country – then this is a song worth celebrating.
October 29, 2018 @ 8:25 am
He’s not reinventing the wheel, but the lyrics are different enough to stand out and it’s a catchy track. I like it.
Personally, I don’t mind a few”sunny” songs, or just anything aside from the usual broken heart lyrical theme.
Happily married for 20 years, I can’t really relate to breakup songs anymore (or hookup songs either, yawn). And just because I might not be in the mood for happy, sunny song doesn’t automatically mean I want the exact opposite. I just want something different. Like the lyrics to Brad Paisley’s High Life, or Brothers Osborne’s Ain’t My Fault.
October 30, 2018 @ 8:12 am
Being a small-time country artist trying to make it in this world, I understand his sentiment though. I have always preferred a good heartbreak song, or something that actually makes you reflect over just a good-time, drinking song. Don’t get me wrong, everything has its place, but it gets a little irritating playing to a crowd that’s fully engaged during fast & fun songs, and loses all interest when you play something slow
October 29, 2018 @ 8:33 am
Hey, I think we are headed in the right direction!! My ear did not detect any electronic sounds. I saw him at the Opry awhile back, and although I’m not a huge fan of his, I thought he treated the stage with more respect than a lot of younger stars do. This sounds like country to me, and is cause for a bit of celebration in my book.
October 29, 2018 @ 8:34 am
I could see this being a big radio hit.
October 29, 2018 @ 9:06 am
I like WMM quite a bit, but I’ll have to give this one a couple more spins before I can tell if it’s a keeper. A fairly upbeat song lamenting the lack of sad songs in country music: +1 irony points. I also like that it makes a fairly successful attempt at being an anti-list song, without being a list song in and of itself. At least not entirely.
October 29, 2018 @ 9:45 am
Trig & anyone, check out on YouTube Jon Pardi’s new song “Call Me Country”. It hasn’t been officially released yet, but concert goers have recorded him singing it. It will be on his 3rd album.
The song is all about preserving traditional country. He sings lyrics like “I’m a Ghost on the radio….. country boy survival” etc. Very moving song. I came out of retirement just for this comment.
October 29, 2018 @ 12:28 pm
That sounds awesome! I love Jon Pardi.
October 29, 2018 @ 1:30 pm
@Taylor, Pardi has been singing a lot of new songs at recent concerts!!! Fans have uploaded it onto youtube.
Call Me Country, Heartache Medication, and Me & Jack – those are the 3 new songs that will likely make it on the next album!!
Good songs/ very country!!! But I don’t think any of them will be radio singles.
October 29, 2018 @ 9:45 am
I could see the industry throwing the following eggs: Pitney needs to hit the gym, Pardi has a reedy voice, and Morgan looks way too pleased with himself. I bet none of them got focus groups too excited, so the industry effort has been meh. On the other hand: Pitney’s voice is Whitley-level, Pardi could pull off sarcastic novelty songs, and WMM could sing Lee Brice’s songs when Lee Brice gets too old, which may be right about now.
October 29, 2018 @ 9:50 am
Also , not important probably… But California Sunrise album is about to go platinum any week now. It’s sales are close to 1 million.
October 29, 2018 @ 12:26 pm
This is quite good. Wish he, Pitney, and Pardi got more radio support. I know I’m behind all three of them 100%.
October 29, 2018 @ 1:49 pm
As a Pardi fan like yourself, I would say Pardi has plenty of radio support. He won both CMA and ACM best new artist awards in 2017. He has recently opened for big headliners like Luke Bryan, Miranda, and Dierks.
He had 5 singles from his sophomore album. Two #1 hit radio singles, a #3 hit with Heartache on the Dance floor. She ain’t in it is the only “downfall” to his winning streak but it was a very traditional heartbreak song and it did manage to make it into Top 25 on charts… which is decent.
Sure, Pardi doesn’t get the massive radio support that Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan, or even Luke combs gets… But Pardi gets the support and he is slowly becoming a star in country
.. Maybe not as fast as Luke Combs or Stapleton… But slow & easy wins the race.
Night Shift is still climbing the charts, currently at #30
October 29, 2018 @ 1:00 pm
MR. MORGAN IS A GREAT SINGER AND WILL MAKE IT ALong TIME IN CouNTRY MUSIC.. keep your head up
October 29, 2018 @ 1:39 pm
Good song.
Sounds like a hi…well…a small hit.
Too country for “country” radio…the new AJ McLean song “Night Visions” on the other hand…not 1% country but perfect for 2018 “country” radio.
About Curb Records & Mo Pitney: Curb is pushing Dylan Scott again. After the “Deluxe” Edition of an album nobody bought he released an EP called Stripped last week. The same songs over & over again.
October 29, 2018 @ 4:29 pm
It’s almost as if judging an artist based on one single is a terrible idea.
October 29, 2018 @ 5:50 pm
Editors used to judge story writers on the first paragraph.
October 29, 2018 @ 5:15 pm
I can’t tell if he’s lamenting, or celebrating the lack of broken-heartedness in “Country” Music.
Still, I like kid’s style. Between him and Pitney, he’s got more of the “stud muffin” star power thing going for him, while Pitney is the significantly stronger vocalist.
October 29, 2018 @ 5:21 pm
Are we going to get a Freddie Hart obituary?
October 29, 2018 @ 5:33 pm
sounds country …but the music and ‘happy-face’ video is ALL wrong for the lyric sentiment .
could have been a solid statement delivered in a slower 4/4 . shoulda called George Strait and he coulda shown them exactly how to do it.
October 31, 2018 @ 11:37 am
I took it more as a sarcastic grin, but’s that’s kind of how I make it thru life anymore.
October 29, 2018 @ 7:04 pm
It reminds me of Wade Bowen’s Songs About Trucks.
October 29, 2018 @ 7:30 pm
The premise of the song is good (because it highlights an inconvenient truth of where the industry is at right now) and musically it sounds nice, but I dunno…I guess I’m just not into the video. It sounds/looks like he’s happy that country music isn’t about heartbreak anymore, which I’m guessing is completely the opposite of the message that he wanted to convey. I think maybe production-wise this should’ve been more stripped down, something like “Murder on Music Row.” Regardless, if this were to get radio airplay it would be a welcome change of pace to my ears.
October 30, 2018 @ 6:15 am
William Michael Morgan reminds me a lot of Aaron Watson. That is a compliment.
October 30, 2018 @ 3:48 pm
Not really much to be critical of here. As far as Country Songs about Country Songs it’s ok. But compared to what I hear when I dare venture to turn on Country Radio for 30 seconds, this is great.
October 30, 2018 @ 3:58 pm
The fact that you can distinguish the instruments is enough for me to praise this song. Seriously, the mix on this is pretty good. Certainly not over done.