Morgan Wallen recently recording ‘The Dangerous Sessions’
Morgan Wallen’s Dangerous: The Double Album remains the top-charting album of 2021, the unexpected result of a mass-industry cancellation in February. But the controversy surrounding Morgan Wallen has also drawn attention to older releases.
Back in early February, it looked like Morgan Wallen’s career was done. After being recorded uttering a racial slur outside of his home, Wallen found himself canceled by nearly every radio station, streaming music platform, and awards show in America. But instead of crushing Wallen’s career, the mass-cancellation sparked an explosion in sales and support. The singer’s just-released Dangerous: The Double Album enjoyed a record-setting 10-straight weeks atop multiple album charts, and still remains in the top 5.
Now, it looks like that reaction has also been spilling into older releases. Wallen has already scored eight separate Platinum sales awards, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), but most of those are for recent releases. That is, until now: according to stats recently shared with Digital Music News, Wallen has just received a Gold certification for “Spin You Around,” a song released nearly six years ago.
The RIAA’s Gold certification signifies the sale of 500,000 ‘units’ of a song or album, or the equivalent ‘sales’ across paid downloads and streams. Platinum ups the number to one million.
In other words: if an artist receives either award, it signifies that a very substantial number of fans are buying, downloading, or streaming the song or album in question (usually, it’s a combination of all three). Now, the emergence of an older ‘catalog’ track on the awards shelf means that other older songs are also likely to emerge as award winners soon.
Alongside the latest accolade for the older track, Wallen’s Dangerous is still setting records.
The album has quietly reassumed the top slot on Billboard’s country albums chart, and remains number 3 on Billboard’s overall album ranking. That’s doubly remarkable considering that Morgan Wallen has been almost entirely silent since early February. Just recently, Wallen broke that silence briefly, but only to cancel his entire summer touring itinerary.
It’s unclear when Wallen will decide to tour again, though it’s entirely possible that the artist will headline an arena tour in 2022. For now, Morgan Wallen remains largely canceled, though a sprinkling of radio stations and even Spotify have started easing their bans.
Most recently, Wallen was banned by the Billboard Music Awards, despite scoring the biggest Billboard chart successes of 2021. That followed an earlier block by the Academy of Country Music Awards, which found itself awkwardly blacklisting the most successful country artist of the year from its recent awards showcase. The ACM Awards ultimately scored its lowest ratings in history, though it’s unclear if the Wallen ban was the reason.
You should note this older stuff is on Panacea (Records), not Big Loud UMG. They didn’t “suspend” Wallen or do anything except count their $.
Wallen’s easily the best selling artist of the year.
So what? Doesn’t mean anything about the quality of him or his music. Just says more to those who support racism.
I can hardly conceive that supporting Morgan Wallen constitutes racism, any more than destroying his career would constitute justice. Have you ever hurt someone’s feeliings with your words?
So, those who followed Hitler’s lead weren’t fascists or bad people, for that matter. Get real.
Yawn. Wash, rinse, repeat.
Are you tired of screaming racism yet? I guess not.
You are the racist.
How am I a racist? Prove it. I’ve got proof that Wallen is. Zzzz
It’s ok that comedians use the racial slurs and continue to make money doing it. I support MW, & his music.
Why are rappers allowed to say the same word nonstop?
Jamie, he called his WHITE friend a n***a, he never user the er at the end of the word, so honestly, he’s not a racist.
Just because I like Morgan Wallen’s music does not mean I support racism. His music is awesome and that’s why he’s so popular. If saying a word can make you racist then there are a lot of racist artist.
Yes, there are. Wallen is one and you are too.
Jamie can’t even define what is “racism”.
Really? I can’t? You made a statement about me, now back up your claim. You can’t because you don’t know anything about you. You’re a fool.
Jamie, feel free to explain what is so “racist” about Morgan Wallen.
Did he eulogize and praise a former KKK kleagle, like Democrat Joe Biden did after Democrat Senator Robert Byrd died?
Come on, Jamie. It should be really easy for you to explain it to us. There should be lots of examples out there where Wallen said that one race was superior to another race, or that he dressed in a white robe and hood or blackface like Democrat Ralph Northam. Did he wear blackface like Jimmy Kimmel and Ted Danson? Please find the quotes and the pictures.
Now I see where the term “snowflake” comes from, This poor choice of words in a drunken stupor, has been elevated to way more than it is worth. Extreme over reaction, ( to a momentary lack of judgement), by just about everyone…
That’s ridiculous!! That term was not used as a racial slur, but as a term of endearment just the way that some people of color use it when greeting each other. Even his good friend Jimmy Allen who is a young black country singer stated that when he and his friends had heard about the incident they laughed and thought that it was crazy! Not only does he know Morgan Wallen personally and know that he is not a racist but knew that he was being used by cancel culture as a pawn to make a point!! Morgan Wallen is not a racist and I am not a racist to support him. Without knowing him or myself or anyone else that supports Morgan and calling us racists then you are a hateful, judge-mental and unforgiving person and we need less of people like you in the world.
How endearing of a term that is. Gee, you’re a mental blender of garbage.
You fucking people will make any excuse or attempt to justify anything you deem ok, even if it isn’t. What a mess. Society is fucked until you all die.
You are what is wrong in the world!!! Are you kidding me??? To wish death upon someone else??? You are The people that we need less of in the world!!! How was what he said to his friend any different than what any rapper says to each other using the N-word in songs. Even Justin Bieber uses that word. He is white, he is not someone of color. So why is it OK for him to use it and that’s not considered a racial slur??? It’s the same with Morgan Wallen. He’s not a hateful individual. If you have watched any of his interviews or any of his videos you can see his heart and the person that he is. He even has people of color and his videos, has friends that are people of color. If he were racist that would not happen. So get your story straight and stop being so hateful!!!
When did I “wish death” upon anyone? Death is a definite – it will happen.
Who said Bieber’s use wasn’t racist, as well?
You jump to a lot of conclusions, and you get it wrong every time. But, hey, at least you’re consistent.
How intelligent……….?
How on target, though.
Fight back against the cancel culture. They are nothing but evil socialists.
And, wipe out every one of them when war breaks out. Every damn one of them.
Cancel culture doesn’t exist. You’ll die one day and the world will be a better place. I’m sorry I ever had you in the first place. What a mistake.