Highlights
- Morgan Wallen's rise to country music stardom was not an easy journey, and he faced challenges and setbacks along the way.
- The Voice served as a turning point for Wallen, pushing him back to his country music roots and guiding him towards his true path.
- Wallen's hard work and dedication paid off, as he achieved major success with his albums and tours, solidifying his position as one of country music's all-time greats.
- Morgan Wallen's net worth skyrocketed in 2023, and is likely to continue rising rapidly in 2024.
By the relatively youthful age of 30, Morgan Wallen has etched his name on the list of the most prominent country musicians.
Wallen has a huge knack for captivating audiences with his heart-rending compositions.
However, his voyage to country stardom was hardly one of smooth sailing.
Morgan Wallen's path to fame and fortune officially kicked off with his audition on The Voice in 2014, singing Howie Day's "Collide" while the judges – Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Usher, and Shakira – faced away from the future star.
The Voice is known in part for its unique competitive format, through which the show's judges decide solely based on vocal performance (i.e., "the voice") without observing the contestant.
It was a make-or-break moment for him:
Shakira recognized Wallen's talent first, followed by Usher.
However, Blake Shelton and Adam Levine fatefully elected not to hit the approval button – unaware that they were "passing" on a gargantuan country music star in the making.
There is no doubt Morgan Wallen had the potential to win The Voice, but surprisingly (considering his current success), he was voted off.
However, in an interview with Outsider, Morgan Wallen disclosed a shocking truth about his experience on The Voice:
"I wanted to sing country music, but they wanted me to sing pop music. So I was just like, 'I guess these people are really smart people, I guess I’ll try it.'
"And I sang some pop songs, and then they finally let me pick a song, and I picked a country song, and they kicked me off. It was the best thing to ever happen though."
It's worth noting that Morgan Wallen's first coach on The Voice was R&B and pop legend Usher.
Later in the competition, he was assigned to the team of another huge pop artist, Adam Levine.
But Wallen didn’t blame either of them for the outcome of his stint on the show.
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Ultimately, The Voice served as a kind of guide for the fledgling musician, pushing him back to his roots: country music.
While preparing for The Voice, Wallen was coached by Sergio Sanchez, vocalist for the band Atom Smash. After The Voice, Sanchez helped Wallen start a temporary band, Morgan Wallen & Them Shadows.
Sergio Sanchez became the spark Morgan Wallen needed for his talent to truly shine, because Sergio introduced him to important people in the music industry.
In 2015, Wallen signed with Panacea Records – but left the label within months of signing.
In a post to Instagram in late January, Morgan Wallen certainly did not mince words and lashed out at the label, bluntly criticizing Panacea Records for opportunistically releasing his earliest musical efforts.
Wallen's January 25th post included a lengthy written portion, in which he detailed his frustration with Panacea Records.
Morgan explained that he took time away from a trip to voice his irritation, and didn't hold anything back, writing in part:
"I'm writing y’all from a duck hunting trip because I want to fill you in on something happening tonight ... Back in 2014, I went to Florida to try my hand at making original music & songwriting for the first time. This led to a recording deal with a local investor & an artist management deal that I deeply regret. Unfortunately, I signed both deals without any legal representation.
"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 to my standards. We deemed 5 worthy-enough to make the Stand Alone EP which includes a fan-favorite, 'Spin You Around.'
"Tonight, those colleagues I parted ways with almost 10 years ago plan to release a '10th Anniversary' edition of Stand Alone against my wishes & include 8 unreleased songs, distributing it with the assistance of my former managers. For months I’ve been exploring every avenue possible to acquire the rights to this old music & keep the quality of my catalog consistent with songs I choose to release & believe in ..."
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It’s gross, greedy, and an example of how the dark side of the music business can suck the soul out of artists.
Of course, Morgan Wallen, now a superstar, was not an overnight success – he had to work hard, build his fan base slowly, and face many disappointments.
Finally, after all his effort, Wallen achieved major success in 2018.
In April 2018, he released a new album, If I Know Me, through Big Loud Records – where he was signed after leaving Panacea Records.
If I Know Me sold just 2,000 copies in its opening week, and Morgan was worried. But the public liked the record, and clever marketing and word of mouth did the trick.
Wallen sold three million copies of his first album, and was awarded three platinum certificates from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Suddenly, the stage was set for Morgan Wallen, and he met the moment with a brilliant approach.
Wallen toured quite a bit, and built upon his If You Know Me success with several more impactful, emotional songs, winning the hearts of country music fans everywhere.
But 2023 was the year Morgan Wallen transcended the mantle of "brilliant country music wunderkind," graduating to become one of the genre's all-time greats.
His third album, One Thing At A Time, was met with havoc in the music industry. The album contained a staggering 36 songs, all of which entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
No other singer in the world had hit the Billboard chart with 36 songs at once, and Wallen smashed several chart records; as of February 4th, Billboard was still reporting on the album's chart performance.
In 2023, the Billboard Music Awards named Morgan Wallen their "Top Male Artist," and the star was up against Drake, Luke Combs, The Weeknd, and Zach Bryan.
On top of that, Wallen's One Night At A Time tour was one of the biggest tours of 2023, racking up stats comparable to musical greats Coldplay, Elton John, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift.
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Morgan Wallen entered 2023 with an estimated net worth of $4 million.
By the time 2024 rolled around, estimates of Wallen's net worth had jumped an astounding 300 percent, to $12 million on the low end; some estimates placed it as high as $18 million or $20 million.
Wallen's success didn't happen because of magic, but rather due to his magical voice.
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His third studio album sold five million copies in less than a year, and is still selling like hotcakes.
In 2023, country music's newly minted legend, Morgan Wallen, swept the Billboard Awards, winning in eleven categories, including "Top Male Artist," "Top Male Country Album," and "Top Country Song."
On February 6th, Billboard reported that Wallen had signed a new deal with Warner Chappell Music, recapping his then-recent successes:
"Wallen has earned 10 No. 1 Billboard Country Airplay hits and has sold out arenas and stadiums on his One Night at a Time tour. But he’s also been deeply involved in writing many of his own chart-topping hits, including '7 Summers,' 'Chasin’ You,' 'You Proof' and 'Thought You Should Know.'
"Wallen’s third studio album, One Thing at a Time, has spent 18 weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart [as of February 6th], and was named Luminate’s top album of 2023 in the U.S. Wallen was honored with the songwriter of the year accolade at the 2023 BMI Country Awards last year."
After a massively successful 2023, Morgan Wallen's net worth could skyrocket even higher in 2024 – in part because he is set to extend his popular One Night At A Time tour, expected to be even more lucrative in the new year.
ICYMIMorgan Wallen Announced An Extension Of The 'One Night At A Time Tour' For Angry Fans
In addition to makeup tour dates, Morgan Wallen's tour involved over $500,000 in philanthropic efforts.In 2024, Wallen has plans to re-record his hit songs – a move that worked out quite well for Taylor Swift – marking a significant step toward further financial success and control over his music.
However, the likeliest reason for Morgan Wallen's net worth to surge even higher in 2024 is his forthcoming fourth album, currently in progress and almost certain to drop in the latter portion of the year.
Day by day, Morgan Wallen is building his fortune, and reaping rewards for previous efforts.
He has solidified his reputation as a star, and fans are eagerly awaiting his upcoming projects – it is safe to predict that 2024 will be another massive year for him, and Wallen's net worth will rise at a breakneck pace.
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