My Church
"My Church" is a debut single by American country music artist Maren Morris, released on January 19, 2016, through Columbia Nashville as the lead track from her major-label debut studio album Hero.[1][2] Co-written and co-produced by Morris and songwriter-producer busbee, the song blends traditional country with gospel influences, reaching number five on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart and number nine on the Country Airplay chart.[3][4] It earned Morris her first Grammy Award for Best Country Solo Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards in 2017, along with a nomination for Best Country Album for Hero.[5][3] The song's lyrics employ religious metaphors to equate the exhilaration of live country music concerts with spiritual redemption and worship, portraying the stage as a pulpit and the audience as a congregation seeking solace and joy.[3] Morris has described the track as a personal reflection on how music serves as her "church," providing a sense of community and escape amid life's imperfections, inspired by her experiences in Texas honky-tonks and her deep-rooted love for country legends.[6] This thematic depth, combined with Morris's powerful vocals and the track's anthemic production, propelled it to widespread acclaim, marking a breakthrough that established her as a prominent voice in contemporary country music.[7] Following its release, "My Church" not only boosted Hero to number one on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart but also contributed to Morris receiving the Academy of Country Music Award for New Female Vocalist and the Country Music Association's Horizon Award in 2016.[4][8] The music video, directed by David McClister and released on January 25, 2016, further amplified its impact by visually capturing the song's revival-like energy in a church setting filled with musicians and dancers.[9] Critically, it was praised for bridging gospel traditions with modern country, influencing Morris's subsequent career trajectory toward genre-blending success and multiple Grammy nominations.[10]Background and release
Writing and inspiration
The song "My Church" originated from Maren Morris's personal experiences during a road trip across California, where she discovered a profound sense of redemption and spiritual solace in music blasting from the car radio. This inspiration struck while Morris was hungover following a night out, transforming a moment of vulnerability into a celebration of music's healing power amid the open highway.[11][12] The track was co-written by Morris and producer-songwriter busbee during a session at busbee's studio in Los Angeles, California, marking a pivotal collaboration for Morris's debut major-label album Hero. Morris contributed the central hook, drawing from her raw emotional anecdotes, while busbee shaped the melody and helped flesh out the verses, infusing the process with influences from classic country icons like Johnny Cash and Hank Williams to evoke a gospel-like reverence for the genre.[11][13]Recording and production
The recording of "My Church" was co-produced by Maren Morris and busbee (Mike Busbee), who aimed to fuse country roots with R&B grooves and gospel-inspired fervor to mirror the song's thematic reverence for music as a spiritual outlet.[7] Busbee, drawing from his experience bridging pop and country production, handled much of the initial tracking at his Los Angeles studio, where the track evolved from a quick demo into a polished single emphasizing raw emotional delivery over ornate arrangements.[7] This collaborative approach allowed Morris to infuse her personal influences, resulting in a sound that evoked communal worship through subtle textural layers.[14] Key instrumentation centered on acoustic guitar—played by busbee and Derek Wells—to provide an intimate, rootsy foundation, complemented by organ swells and layered backing vocals from Dave Thomson, Laura Veltz, and Morris herself, which collectively built a "church-like" atmosphere of uplift and harmony.[15] These elements were tracked to support the song's mid-tempo drive, with handclaps and percussion adding rhythmic propulsion reminiscent of gospel handclapping choirs, all while keeping the production lean to highlight Morris's vocal presence.[16] Morris's vocals were captured in a single, unhurried session using the original demo take for the radio version, showcasing her versatile range from husky lows to soaring highs and incorporating spontaneous ad-libs like calls for "hallelujah" to deepen the track's emotional resonance and sense of live congregation.[7] The final mix, handled by Dave Clauss alongside busbee, refined these components into a cohesive 3:17 runtime, balancing clarity and warmth to ensure the song's intimate yet anthemic quality translated across formats.[17]Release history
"My Church" was released as Maren Morris's debut major-label single by Columbia Nashville on January 19, 2016, available immediately for digital download across platforms such as iTunes and Amazon. The release marked a pivotal moment in her transition from independent artist to signed performer, following the song's initial appearance on her self-titled EP in late 2015.[1][18] To build anticipation for her upcoming album, the single received a robust pre-album radio push, arriving at country radio stations on January 20, 2016, and quickly garnering widespread airplay from over 100 reporting stations in its first week. This promotional strategy emphasized the song's crossover appeal, blending country roots with pop sensibilities to target both traditional and emerging audiences. Digital platforms further amplified the rollout, offering instant access to fans and driving early streaming momentum.[19] The track was included as the third song on Morris's debut studio album, Hero, which Columbia Nashville released worldwide on June 3, 2016. International variations in the single's rollout followed the U.S. launch, with digital availability expanding to markets including the UK to support global promotion ahead of the album. Following its release, "My Church" debuted on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.[20][21]Composition
Musical structure
"My Church" is structured in a verse-chorus form typical of contemporary country music, performed at a moderate tempo of 77 beats per minute in the key of A major.[22] The song opens with a simple acoustic guitar riff accompanied by muffled handclaps from a gospel-style choir, establishing a hymn-like tone that evokes praise and worship anthems through its repetitive and singable phrasing.[16][23] The chorus serves as the song's central hook, featuring the repetitive, anthemic line "Can I get a hallelujah" delivered in a call-and-response style with layered echoes on responses like "hallelujah" and "amen," building emotional intensity through vocal stacking and diatonic harmony centered on I-IV-V progressions.[23] This section contrasts the verses' narrative sparsity with its communal, revivalist energy, using straight quarter-note rhythms and slight syncopation for emphasis.[23] A brief instrumental bridge provides dynamic contrast, escalating with added full-band instrumentation—including drums and electric guitar—after an a cappella choral moment, transitioning back to the chorus for heightened drama.[23] The outro reprises the chorus with increasing vocal layers that mimic a choir, fading out on declarative repetitions to reinforce the song's thematic resolution.[23]Lyrics and themes
The lyrics of "My Church," written by Maren Morris and busbee and released on her 2016 debut album Hero, employ religious imagery to celebrate music as a source of personal salvation and joy, particularly through the act of driving with the radio on. The song opens with admissions of human imperfection—"I've cussed on a Sunday, I've cheated and I've lied, I've fallen down from grace a few too many times"—contrasting these personal flaws with the redemptive power found in everyday rituals like turning up the car radio. This juxtaposition highlights a theme of accessible spirituality, where music provides forgiveness and uplift without the need for formal confession.[24][3] Central to the song is the metaphor of the car and Highway FM as a "church" for secular redemption, transforming mundane spaces into sanctuaries of worship. Lines such as "Can I get a hallelujah? Can I get an amen? / Feels like the Holy Ghost running through ya / When I play the highway FM" equate the rush of open-road driving and country radio broadcasts to a gospel revival, with the jukebox serving as choir and songs as sermons. Morris draws on country gospel traditions to reframe spirituality outside institutional religion, portraying music as a democratized faith that anyone can access in a parking lot or on a backroad.[25] This secular sacredness challenges conventional evangelical norms in country music, emphasizing emotional release through belting along to tunes that wash away sins like "Till my sins wash away." The song's irreverent tone underscores a broader cultural commentary on finding holiness in the profane, aligning with Morris's vision of music as a unifying, non-dogmatic force.[16]Music video
The music video for "My Church" was directed by Rachel McDonald and released on January 25, 2016.[9] Filmed in the outskirts of Austin, Texas, it serves as a homage to Morris's home state.[26] The video opens with Morris smoking a cigarette on the steps of a church, followed by her driving away in a blue car as a gospel choir performs outside. She then picks up a woman with neon blue hair and a man while cruising open Texas roads, capturing the song's themes of freedom and musical redemption in a rural setting.[26] Morris described the shoot as "the coolest experience of my life," noting the beautiful Texas weather and its fitting backdrop for the song's message.[27]Critical reception
Reviews
Upon its release in 2016, Maren Morris's "My Church" received widespread critical acclaim for its bold fusion of country, gospel, and pop elements, often highlighted as a standout debut single. Rolling Stone described the track as "more than a ring-kissing offering to the radio gods," praising how it portrays radio listening as both a sanctuary and a classroom for musical influences like Hank Williams and Patsy Cline.[11] The publication ranked it at No. 29 on its list of the 30 best songs of the first half of 2016, calling it a "gospel-tinged country anthem that finds salvation in the front seat of a truck, windows down, radio up."[28] Critics frequently commended Morris's vocal delivery, noting its power and versatility in elevating the song's themes. In a review of her debut album Hero, which features "My Church" as the lead single, The New York Times highlighted the track's innovative roots-minded approach to religiosity, describing it as a "breakthrough bait-and-switch" that showcased Morris's ability to blend genres seamlessly with a commanding presence.[29] Similarly, Entertainment Weekly noted the song's role in Morris's rise, emphasizing her "subtle vocal inflections and sounds" that evoked contemporary R&B while maintaining country authenticity, contributing to the album's critical success.[30] Country Universe echoed this, calling her voice "a particularly impressive instrument" with "ragged soulfulness" that hits high notes effortlessly without strain, setting it apart from thinner-voiced peers in the genre.[16] Billboard placed "My Church" at No. 15 on its list of the 100 best pop songs of 2016, lauding it as an "undeniable singalong" where Morris, as country's hottest newcomer, takes listeners to her personal place of worship through infectious energy and crossover appeal.[31] While the song was celebrated for its radio-friendly hooks, some reviewers expressed mild reservations about its overt nod to country radio in a challenging industry landscape. Country Universe critiqued the chorus's heavy reference to "The Highway FM" as feeling like a "commercial," questioning whether the current radio climate—particularly for female artists with unique perspectives—was truly worth such reverence.[16] Despite these notes, the track's reception solidified Morris's breakthrough, with its thematic innovation in treating music as spiritual redemption earning consistent praise across outlets.Accolades
"My Church" received several notable accolades and nominations from major music awards organizations, recognizing its impact in the country music genre. The song earned Maren Morris her first Grammy Award and contributed to her breakthrough recognition. At the 59th Annual Grammy Awards held on February 12, 2017, "My Church" won Best Country Solo Performance.[5] It was also nominated for Best Country Song at the same ceremony.[32] The track was nominated for Single of the Year at the 50th Annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards in 2016, where Morris also won New Artist of the Year, partly propelled by the song's success.[33][34] In 2017, "My Church" received a nomination for Single Record of the Year at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, with Morris earning additional nods in related categories.[35] Furthermore, the song was nominated for International Song of the Year at the 2016 British Country Music Association Awards.[36]| Award | Category | Result | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grammy Awards | Best Country Solo Performance | Won | 2017 |
| Grammy Awards | Best Country Song | Nominated | 2017 |
| CMA Awards | Single of the Year | Nominated | 2016 |
| CMA Awards | New Artist of the Year | Won | 2016 |
| ACM Awards | Single Record of the Year | Nominated | 2017 |
| British CMA Awards | International Song of the Year | Nominated | 2016 |