Maren Morris has left "The Middle" in the past and has finally begun the process of releasing her second album.
Stylized "GIRL" (why?), this song is Morris' first hint of the direction her sophomore record is going to take. This is such an important moment in an artist's career, especially looking at the trends of new women in country music. Putting out the first record generally isn't the problem: putting out the second record is the issue.
Take a look at this quick little overview of the release dates between the first and second record some of Morris's peers.
Lauren Alaina: Wildflower (2011) to Road Less Traveled (2017)
Cassadee Pope: Frame By Frame (2013) to Stages (2019)
Danielle Bradbery: Danielle Bradbery (2013) to I Don't Believe We've Met (2017)
Maddie & Tae: Start Here (2015) to TBA (TBA??)
And just for kicks, let's look at a couple dudes.
Florida Georgia Line: Here's To The Good Times (2012) to Anything Goes (2014)
Thomas Rhett: It Goes Like This (2013) to Tangled Up (2015)
Six years, six years, four years, at least four years, to two years and two years. Interesting.
Anyways, the sophomore slump is a real thing. So Morris has a lot riding on this song being successful.
The song itself is ... unexpected. I'm not sure what anyone really expected from Morris as she's definitely not one to follow convention. But I don't think anyone expected anything like this. The lyrical content of this song is stellar, an interestingly-crafted girl power anthem. This isn't a "Love Me Like You Mean It;" this is deeper than that. Morris criticizes how society views and evaluates women. This lyric in particular seems directed at the media:
Take a look at this quick little overview of the release dates between the first and second record some of Morris's peers.
Lauren Alaina: Wildflower (2011) to Road Less Traveled (2017)
Cassadee Pope: Frame By Frame (2013) to Stages (2019)
Danielle Bradbery: Danielle Bradbery (2013) to I Don't Believe We've Met (2017)
Maddie & Tae: Start Here (2015) to TBA (TBA??)
And just for kicks, let's look at a couple dudes.
Florida Georgia Line: Here's To The Good Times (2012) to Anything Goes (2014)
Thomas Rhett: It Goes Like This (2013) to Tangled Up (2015)
Six years, six years, four years, at least four years, to two years and two years. Interesting.
Anyways, the sophomore slump is a real thing. So Morris has a lot riding on this song being successful.
The song itself is ... unexpected. I'm not sure what anyone really expected from Morris as she's definitely not one to follow convention. But I don't think anyone expected anything like this. The lyrical content of this song is stellar, an interestingly-crafted girl power anthem. This isn't a "Love Me Like You Mean It;" this is deeper than that. Morris criticizes how society views and evaluates women. This lyric in particular seems directed at the media:
"Draw your comparisons, tryin' to find who's lesser than
I don't wanna wear your crown, there's enough to go around."
But the hook is a little underwhelming, especially for an artist like Morris. She's known for her killer hooks, like in "My Church" and "Rich." "GIRL's" hook falls flat in comparison.
The production is generally pretty confusing. The instrumentals are fairly generic, not really fitting into country, pop, rock or soul. It's a fusion, but it doesn't create a new, interesting sound. It creates a sound that feels overused, already done. It's important to note that this is not the same producer who produced Hero (busbee); this was produced by Greg Kurstin. He's known for his work with Adele, Kelly Clarkson and Sia, most notably.
In general, "GIRL" is an excellent concept bogged down by mediocre production. But apparently, Morris knows better than I do, as the video already has almost 1 million views after only being out for a week, has 3.6 million streams on Spotify, and currently sits at #1 on the Billboard Country Digital Sales Chart. As always, rooting for Morris despite my thoughts on the mediocrity of this song's production.
The production is generally pretty confusing. The instrumentals are fairly generic, not really fitting into country, pop, rock or soul. It's a fusion, but it doesn't create a new, interesting sound. It creates a sound that feels overused, already done. It's important to note that this is not the same producer who produced Hero (busbee); this was produced by Greg Kurstin. He's known for his work with Adele, Kelly Clarkson and Sia, most notably.
In general, "GIRL" is an excellent concept bogged down by mediocre production. But apparently, Morris knows better than I do, as the video already has almost 1 million views after only being out for a week, has 3.6 million streams on Spotify, and currently sits at #1 on the Billboard Country Digital Sales Chart. As always, rooting for Morris despite my thoughts on the mediocrity of this song's production.
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