Morgan Wallen ended 2024 on a somewhat somber note with the surprise release of the contemplative ballad “Smile” on Monday (Dec. 30). The song — written by Wallen along with Rocky Block, John Byron, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak and Luis Witkiewitz — is described in a press release as being a continuation of themes established in the singer’s previous lovelorn singles, “Lies Lies Lies” and “Love Somebody.”
In the accompanying video directed by Justin Clough, Wallen plays himself gearing up to perform on a New Year’s Eve-style broadcast. Sitting nervously in his green room as the announcer teases his set, Wallen stares anxiously at a woman sitting silently across the way before getting his call. Glumly marching to the stage, Wallen appears to tune out the anxious producer’s notes about looking at the camera and remembering to smile. “People will love that,” he says as Wallen seems to ignore him completely.
Introduced as one of the “biggest pop stars in the world,” the host tells viewers that Wallen is gearing up to perform “Love Somebody,” the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single he released in October that is slated for his upcoming fourth studio album. Wallen pulls an Elvis Costello, though, snapping on his Field & Stream baseball hat and staring at the song’s lyrics in the Teleprompter before going rogue and playing “Smile” instead.
“I can’t remember the last time/ You looked as happy as you did tonight/ Your tipsy friend grabbed that bartender/ Gave him her phone and pulled us over there with her,” he sings over gentle acoustic guitar as the TV show’s crew freaks out about the bait-and-switch while the prompter reads “[OFF SCRIPT].”
Wallen is unbothered, though, crooning the song’s gentle, pleading chorus, “It was good to see you smile/ Girl you know it’s been a while/ It was good to see you smile/ Even if it was just for the picture,” lamenting that after all the good times what’s left is only happy memories caught in photos.
Though it was an unplanned detour, Wallen’s sincerity appears to click, with the network brass turning from exasperated to elated as they watch the viewing numbers spike during the performance. As he sings about capturing a precious moment in time, Wallen’s love comes out to watch the performance, with the two sharing a last, longing look before she walks away.
“Smile” is the third single Wallen has released this year from his as-yet-untitled fourth album, the follow-up to 2023’s Billboard 200 No. 1 double LP One Thing at a Time.
Check out the “Smile” video below.
