A few years ago, Morgan Wallen was an unknown artist auditioning on 'The Voice.' But now, he's a well-known name in the country music world, and he's clearly been busy since losing out on the chance at a record deal following the reality show.
So how far did Morgan Wallen go on 'The Voice,' and where did he end up afterward?
When Was Morgan Wallen On 'The Voice'?
After his mom signed him up, Morgan Wallen debuted on 'The Voice' in season six, in 2014. Initially, Usher was his coach, but he was later 'stolen' to Adam Levine's team.
As Morgan once explained in an interview, he wasn't quite sure of his sound or voice when he first came on the show. Though he didn't win, he credits 'The Voice' with, as cliche as it sounds, helping him find his authentic voice.
That led Wallen to dabble in country music rather than pop, which was sort of where his voice first fit. That pivot into country music would help him out when it came time to launch a singing career post-'The Voice.'
So why was Morgan Wallen eliminated from 'The Voice'? He didn't make it through the playoffs, which isn't a big deal in the scheme of things. After all, only one artist can win, and Wallen clearly learned a lot about how to formulate a career after leaving the reality show.
What Did Morgan Wallen Sing On 'The Voice'?
As Morgan later explained, he initially thought he was a pop singer of sorts. But he didn't make the bold move of auditioning with a judge's song. His audition song was 'Collide,' which straddles a couple of genres but definitely lacks the country vibe Wallen now has.
Of course, the song did let Wallen show off his vocal chops, and it was enough to impress both Usher and Shakira. The gravelly sound he had at that time wouldn't stick, though, as Morgan learned from a voice coach how to embrace his country twang.
By his battle round on the show, Wallen took another turn with 'Story of My Life,' which was more pop than alternative, but that performance still didn't hint at what was to come for Morgan.
Who Won 'The Voice' in 2014?
The year that Morgan Wallen competed on 'The Voice,' another singer wound up taking center stage. That competitor was Josh Kaufman, whose coach was also Usher.
But Kaufman was 'stollen' by Usher, and that season was the first when a 'stolen' artist actually won the entire competition. Though critics suggest that the show is completely staged, the bottom line is that not everyone will come away a winner.
It doesn't seem like there were any hard feelings on Morgan's part, though. After all, not every singer can win, but not every singer who wins winds up enjoying the most celebrity.
After all, the exposure can help artists develop a strong fan following, and it seems that's just what Morgan Wallen did after departing from 'The Voice.'
What Does Morgan Wallen Do Now?
In that same interview post-'The Voice,' Wallen explained that being on the show wound up spotlighting him to the point where Florida Georgia Line noticed the singer.
Immediately after finishing the show, Wallen had an offer to go on tour with FGL, and he wound up getting pretty close to Kane Brown at the time, too.
Of course, things haven't been all good since the reality show that catapulted Wallen to fame. A recent controversy, where evidence that Wallen used a racial slur was publicized, meant that the up-and-coming star got some bad publicity.
The thing is, it didn't have quite the impact that detractors thought it would. In fact, on some streaming channels, Wallen's music got a boost. Mere weeks later, he'd be back on stage and going on tours, performing live and delighting fans all over again -- as if the 'scandal' had never happened.
Plus, Morgan has since released two albums; 2018's 'If I Know Me' and 2021's 'Dangerous: The Double Album.' He won a handful of awards in 2021 at the Billboard Music Awards, and in 2020 he earned specific awards for his new songs and music videos, too.
Fans can find Morgan these days performing with Luke Bryan, Jason Aldean, Tyler Hubbard, and more -- when he's not at home hanging out with his young son.
The 28-year-old Wallen isn't slowing down though, with more music in the works constantly, and more public appearances no doubt coming up with his fellow country stars.
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