Morgan Wallen - One Thing At A Time (2023)

Reason for Listening: Back in January I started this album. I decided to finish it up.
#5 on the Billboard 200 (Week of 20240106).
Last Week: 5 | Peak: 1 | Weeks on Chart: 43

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Released 20230303.
36 songs. 111:36. One Thing At A Time (2023)
Wikipedia

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Notes:
--20240102--
First listen.
This song has a hip-hop sound to it, or perhaps R & B ("Last Night"); while I like the melody of the song, I didn't follow the lyrics, and the song as a whole wasn't so catchy and seemed repetitive
Hmm. I feel like somehow this could ahve been a catchy song like Tim McGraw's "Something Like That" but for some reason I found the hook unappealing
Huh. I'm surprised by the super 'pop' beat of this track ("One Thing At A Time"); I don't however, think the voice and/or lyrics matches the beat; off the top of my head, the beat reminds me of Cheryl Crow's "Soak Up the Sun" whose lyrics are very playful [on 20240615, I listened to the song again and don't detect this]
Listening to the track again ("One Thing At A Time"), I feel like the problem is the beat has such a short quick feel to it that I think would be better balanced by longer notes and instead the lyrics opt for a more staccato sound which in this case doesn't work. In contrast, "Soak Up the Sun" by Sheryl Crow has a strong beat, while the lyrics have a nice elongated feel. Take the first part of the chorus for example: "I----I I'm gonna soak up the sun----n. I gonna tell everyon----ne to----o ligh----hten up." [on 20240615, I listened to the song again and don't detect this]
--20240615--
Resume this album (relisten to "One Thing At A Time" and then pick up with the ninth track, "I Wrote The Book")
This song has a good beat; I seem not to have picked up on the problem I picked out above; listening to the song again, I feel he does hold the word "time" for a a few beats and nothing stands out as off ("One Thing At A Time")
This song has lyrics which have a hip-hop feel to them ("Sunrise"); it's possible most of Wallen's songs have this feel and I just haven't noticed
He mentioned Whitley in "Whiskey Friends". Apparently Keith Whitley "died of alcohol intoxication in 1989." ("Keith Whitley")
As an aside, this song did not have a hip-hop feel. It was pure country ("Keith Whitley")
I know "whiskey" is popular in country, but how many songs on this album mention whiskey? ("You Proof")
Clever wordplay on the word "proof" though. ("You Proof")
--20240616--
Continue with track seventeen ("Thought You Should Know").
Hmm... another whiskey song. But also the wordplay, because "whiskey" also ends in the letter "y" ("Days That End in Why")

2: "Man Made A Bar" (ft. Eric Church); "One Thing At A Time"; "Sunrise"; "You Proof"; "Outlook";
1: "Born With A Beer In My Hand"; "Last Night"; "I Wrote The Book"; "Tennessee Numbers";
0: "Everything I Love"; "Devil Don't Know"; "'98 Braves"; "Ain't That Some"; "Hope That's True"; "Whiskey Friends"; "Keith Whitley"; "In The Bible" (ft. HARDY); "Thought You Should Know"; "F150-50"; "Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby)"; "I Deserve A Drink"; "Wine Into Water"; "Me + All Your Reasons"; "Tennessee Fan"; "Money On Me"; "Single Than She Was"; "Days That End in Why"; "Last Drive Down Main"; "Me to Me"; "Don't Think Jesus"; "180 (Lifestyle)"; "Had It"; "Cowgirls" ft. ERNEST; "Good Girl Gone Missin'"; "Dying Man";
-1: "Thinkin' Bout Me";

Summary:
Overall, this album was way too long and I lost focus/patience about halfway through.

Overall Rating: 3.0/5
Favorite Song: "One Thing At A Time"

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20240615 Comment:
The album is currently still on the charts. It's sitting at the following:
#4 on the Billboard 200 (Week of 20240615).
Last Week: 4 | Peak: 1 | Weeks on Chart: 66