Morgan Wallen is dropping a new song at midnight titled “Spin You Around (1/24)” in response to a batch of old songs that he says former managers are releasing against his wishes. Wallen detailed the situation to fans in a lengthy Instagram post on Thursday.
According to Wallen, in 2014 he decamped to Florida to write and record original music, which led to him signing both a recording deal and “an artist management deal that I deeply regret.” Wallen says he signed the deals without consulting a lawyer.
“We made 13 songs. Some were ok, most were terrible as I was just learning how to write in general & figuring it all out. I was not the only collaborator, so many of these songs were not my idea nor met my standards,” he wrote.
The result of those sessions was a five-track EP titled Stand Alone, which included a song called “Spin You Around” that became popular with fans. Now, 10 years later, Wallen says his former colleagues are re-issuing the original EP along with eight unreleased songs.
“It’s gross, greedy & an example of how the dark side of the music business can suck the soul out of artists,” Wallen said.
To counter, Wallen says that in addition to re-recording “Spin You Around,” he is donating $100,000 from his Morgan Wallen Foundation to the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts program, a Tennessee organization that provides legal counsel for artists. “I hope young aspiring musicians read this story & know they should never have to give up their creative freedoms for an opportunity in this business,” Wallen said.
Wallen also implored his fans to ignore the unauthorized music whenever it’s released and said he’ll begin recording his next project at the end of February. “I cringe when I listen to these songs & I’m very concerned my fans may mistakenly believe this is a new release by me,” he said. “Trust me, when new music is ready, you’ll hear it directly from me.”
According to Wallen, his Thursday-night Instagram post about “Spin You Around” was written while on a duck-hunting trip. Earlier today, Wallen also announced that he and Eric Church had purchased Field & Stream magazine and were relaunching the brand with a new website, membership packages, and a live music festival.