Morgan Wallen announced on Instagram Thursday that an acoustic version of “Spin You Around,” one of his earliest songs, will be released at midnight. The song comes as a 10th-anniversary deluxe edition of his first EP Stand Alone, which is also being released the same night, although not with his approval.
In his Instagram post announcing the release of the track, Wallen remarked, “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… 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.”U
“It’s gross, greedy & an example of how the dark side of the music business can suck the soul out of artists.”
I want you to know this is NOT my new music & I don’t want to see this happen to anyone else. I cringe when I listen to these songs & I’m concerned my fans may mistakenly believe this is a new release by me. I begin recording my next project at the end of February. I’m feeling inspired creatively & super excited to make more music I’m proud of.”
He also announced that he’s donating $100,000 from the Morgan Wallen Foundation to Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals For The Arts (VLPA) program to educate young artists on the nuances of the music industry, in the hopes that they may avoid similar pitfalls.
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When Wallen left The Voice in 2014 following a loss in an early round of voting, he quickly signed to Panacea Records and recorded his first EP titled Stand Alone. The EP featured songs like “Sleep When We’re Dead” and “Ying Yang Girl,” along with fan-favorite “Spin You Around,” which to this date has garnered more than 240 million streams on Spotify. It’s far from his most commercially successful release, but it was enough to put him on the map.
Shortly after the EP’s release, Morgan Wallen left Panacea Records and signed with Big Loud in 2016, releasing a few singles before dropping his debut album, If I Know Me, in 2018. The Stand Alone (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) EP, despite it only being nine years since the original version’s release, is being sent to streaming by Panacea Records with a handful of tracks that Wallen left on the cutting room floor. Neither Wallen nor Big Loud have control over its release since neither party owns its masters.
UPDATE: The eight previously-unreleased songs on Stand Alone (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) have been removed from all streaming platforms within 48 hours of its release.
“Spin You Around” is out tonight at midnight (ET).
