One Thing at a Time
One Thing at a Time is the third studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Morgan Wallen, released on March 3, 2023, through Big Loud Records, Mercury Records, and Republic Records.[1] The double album features 36 tracks, including the title song, and incorporates a mix of country, hip-hop influences, and collaborations with artists such as Eric Church and Hardy.[2] It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 498.28 million on-demand official streams in its first week—the fifth-largest streaming week for any album in the US at the time.[3] The album's content draws from Wallen's personal experiences, exploring themes of relationships, self-reflection, and rural life across its extensive tracklist, which includes pre-released singles like "You Proof" and "Thought You Should Know."[4] With contributions from 49 songwriters and three guest features, it represents Wallen's most ambitious project to date, blending traditional country sounds with modern production elements.[2] Commercially, One Thing at a Time achieved unprecedented success, holding the Billboard 200 number-one position for 19 nonconsecutive weeks and marking the longest-running number-one country album in chart history, surpassing Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind.[5] By the end of 2023, it was certified as the top album in the US by Luminate, with its tracks generating 6.657 billion on-demand audio streams, multiple tracks reaching the top of the Billboard Hot 100—such as "Last Night" and "I Had Some Help"—and several certifications for diamond and multi-platinum status.[6][7] The release solidified Wallen's position as one of the dominant forces in contemporary country music, despite ongoing discussions about his public persona and industry controversies.Background and development
Conception and recording
Morgan Wallen first teased material from his third studio album in December 2022, releasing a three-song sampler EP titled One Thing at a Time (Sampler) on December 2, which included the title track alongside "Days That End in Why" and "Tennessee Fan."[8] The full album was officially announced on January 30, 2023, via Wallen's social media and website, with a surprise release scheduled for March 3, 2023, through Big Loud Records, Mercury Records, and Republic Records.[9][10] Serving as the follow-up to Wallen's sophomore effort Dangerous: The Double Album (2021), One Thing at a Time was conceived as a expansive, mixtape-style project encompassing 36 tracks to reflect the diverse moods and experiences of the preceding years, including personal highs and lows. Wallen recorded 42 songs for the project but narrowed it to 36 tracks, citing ear fatigue after the extensive sessions.[11] Wallen co-wrote 14 of the songs, emphasizing fresh lyrics, music, and production across a blend of country, alternative, and hip-hop influences, with only three collaborations—featuring Eric Church, Hardy, and Ernest.[12] Recording sessions spanned two years, beginning prior to Wallen's 2021 racial slur controversy, during a period of personal reflection and growth.[13] The bulk of the work took place at RCA Studio A in Nashville, with additional sessions at other locations, under the primary production of Joey Moi; Charlie Handsome, Jacob Durrett, and Cameron Montgomery served as co-producers on select tracks.[13][9] Wallen himself received co-production credit, marking his increased involvement in the creative process compared to prior albums.[11]Inspirations and themes
The album One Thing at a Time draws heavily from Morgan Wallen's personal experiences over the preceding years, encompassing the highs of fatherhood and career milestones alongside the lows of public controversies and relational challenges following his 2021 racial slur incident.[14] Wallen has described the record as a candid reflection of these periods, emphasizing growth through introspection and a commitment to authenticity in storytelling.[4] This personal lens shapes the album's core emotional narrative, capturing fleeting moments of vulnerability and resilience. Recurring themes include love and heartbreak, often intertwined with alcohol as a coping mechanism for emotional pain, as well as reflections on small-town life and spirituality.[15][16] Songs evoke the simplicity and constraints of rural upbringing, while spiritual elements draw from Wallen's church-rooted background, exploring redemption and faith amid personal struggles.[17] These motifs are influenced by his relationships and family ties, including tributes to his grandmother and collaborations with siblings that honor his formative years.[14] Musically, the album integrates Wallen's diverse influences—country, alternative, and hip-hop—to create a raw, unfiltered sound that evolves from the more polished production of his prior release, Dangerous: The Double Album.[14][18] Representative examples include the interpolation of The Allman Brothers Band's "Midnight Rider" in "Everything I Love," nodding to classic Southern rock, and the sampling of Rich Gang's "Lifestyle" (featuring Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan) in "180 (Lifestyle)," highlighting hip-hop elements.[14] The title track embodies Wallen's "one thing at a time" mindset, prioritizing present emotions over long-term narrative arcs across the 36 songs.[4]Music and lyrics
Musical style
One Thing at a Time is primarily classified as country pop, blending traditional country elements with influences from alternative rock, hip-hop, and trap music across its 36 tracks, which span a total runtime of 111 minutes and 37 seconds.[19][20] The album's sonic palette draws from mainstream country conventions while incorporating genre-mixing elements that expand beyond Wallen's earlier work, creating a more varied listening experience.[21] Key instrumentation includes acoustic and steel guitars, which provide a foundational twangy texture reminiscent of classic country sounds, as heard in tracks like "I Deserve a Drink." Drums, performed by Jerry Roe throughout much of the album, drive the rhythmic backbone, combining organic percussion with electronic beats in select songs such as "Last Night," where a prominent bass drop introduces a trap-infused energy.[22][9][23] Production techniques emphasize layered vocals to build emotional depth, particularly in choruses, while auto-tune is applied sparingly to enhance Wallen's natural drawl without overpowering it. Genre-blending is evident in collaborations like "Man Made a Bar" featuring Eric Church, which incorporates rock-leaning guitar riffs and a gritty, outlaw-country edge that contrasts with the album's poppier moments.[24][25][26] Compared to its predecessor Dangerous: The Double Album, One Thing at a Time is more eclectic, integrating nods to 1990s country balladry alongside modern rap cadences and beats, resulting in a broader stylistic scope that reflects contemporary genre fusion in Nashville.[19][20] This departure underscores Wallen's evolution toward a hybrid sound that appeals to diverse audiences while maintaining country roots.[21]Songwriting and structure
The songwriting for One Thing at a Time emphasized authenticity, with Wallen drawing from personal experiences rooted in his Tennessee upbringing to craft lyrics that reflect life's highs, lows, heartbreaks, and everyday struggles.[4] Sessions involved collaborative writing camps where Wallen co-wrote 14 of the 36 tracks alongside frequent contributors like ERNEST (who penned 11 songs) and HARDY (who contributed to three).[2][27] Overall, the album features contributions from 49 songwriters, resulting in 131 total writing credits that blend personal storytelling with broad country narratives.[2] Standout collaborations highlight the album's communal spirit, including Eric Church on the reflective "Man Made a Bar," where their shared verses explore regret and self-made troubles.[4] Lyrically, the album showcases variety through highlights like the lead single "Last Night," a rowdy party anthem detailing a tequila-fueled breakup night with vivid, unfiltered lines about letting "the liquor talk."[2] In contrast, "Thought You Should Know" serves as an emotional ballad addressed to Wallen's mother, expressing gratitude and vulnerability amid life's chaos.[4] These tracks exemplify the raw, confessional style that prioritizes honest emotion over polished perfection. The album's structure adopts a non-linear, playlist-like sequencing to mirror modern listening habits, mixing high-energy openers with introspective closers for dynamic flow rather than a strict narrative arc.[28] With an average track length of about 3:06 across its 112-minute runtime, the shorter songs enhance variety and replayability.[29] Thematically, it progresses loosely from celebratory partying vibes in early tracks to deeper reflection on personal growth and flaws toward the end, creating an overarching sense of emotional journey without rigid progression.[4]Artwork and promotion
Cover art and packaging
The cover art for One Thing at a Time consists of a black-and-white photograph of Morgan Wallen seated contemplatively outside his late grandmother's home in Sneedville, Tennessee.[14][30] This imagery carries personal significance as a tribute to his grandmother, Mamaw Boots, who helped raise him and passed away in 2019, aligning with the album's introspective themes.[31][32] The album's packaging employs a minimalist design with clean typography that emphasizes raw authenticity, consistent with Wallen's country roots. Physical releases include a standard two-CD jewel case edition containing the full 36-track album and a three-LP vinyl set pressed on bone white vinyl, featuring a gatefold jacket and custom printed inner sleeves for each disc.[33][34] Liner notes in these formats credit the songwriters for each track, such as Hardy, Zach Abend, and Wallen for "Born With a Beer in My Hand," and John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Ryan Vojtesak, and Wallen for "Last Night."[35] Special editions expand on the standard packaging, with retailer exclusives like Target's bone white vinyl variant and the official webstore's orange or evergreen-colored three-LP sets, all retaining the core artwork while offering collector-oriented color variations.[36][37] Digital formats mirror the physical tracklist without additional packaging elements.Marketing and singles
The marketing strategy for One Thing at a Time emphasized a rapid rollout with minimal traditional buildup, focusing instead on digital teasers and immediate content drops to capitalize on streaming platforms. In late 2022, Wallen generated pre-release buzz through a surprise EP released on December 2, which included the title track "One Thing at a Time," "Days That End in Why," and "Last Night," marking an unconventional approach without extensive prior singles campaigns.[38] This was followed by the album's official announcement on January 30, 2023, via social media, where Wallen revealed the 36-track project and simultaneously dropped three new songs—"Last Night," "Everything I Love," and "I Wrote the Book"—to heighten anticipation ahead of the March 3 release.[10] The strategy aligned with Wallen's recovery from prior controversies, shifting emphasis to prolific music output as a means of re-engagement, with his label Big Loud prioritizing artistic volume over public relations narratives.[39] Key singles from the album drove the promotional cycle, starting with "Last Night," released on January 31, 2023, as the lead track, which quickly became a cornerstone of the campaign by blending country with pop and R&B elements for broad appeal. "You Proof," initially teased in 2022, was re-contextualized within the album as a core single, reinforcing continuity from Wallen's prior work while amplifying radio and streaming exposure. Subsequent releases included "Thinkin' Bout Me" on September 7, 2023, which built on the album's momentum through targeted radio pushes. Promotion leaned heavily on digital platforms, with Big Loud securing prominent placements on Spotify playlists like Today's Top Hits and country-specific rotations to boost algorithmic visibility, alongside aggressive country radio airplay that garnered widespread adds from stations nationwide.[10][40]Tour and live performances
One Night at a Time Tour
The One Night at a Time Tour was the concert tour by American country music singer Morgan Wallen in support of his 2023 album One Thing at a Time. It launched on April 15, 2023, at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, following an added opening show the previous night, and consisted of 87 performances across 51 stadiums, arenas, and amphitheaters primarily in the United States, with additional dates in 10 countries across three continents.[41][42] The tour concluded on October 19, 2024, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, after spanning two years and earning recognition as Billboard and Pollstar's Country Tour of the Year in 2023, as well as People's Choice Award for Concert Tour of the Year.[42][43] The setlist for the tour heavily featured tracks from One Thing at a Time, including staples like "Last Night," "Thought You Should Know," "One Thing at a Time," "Everything I Love," and "You Proof," which were performed at nearly every show to highlight the album's themes of relationships and personal reflection. These were interspersed with hits from Wallen's prior albums, such as "Up Down," "Whiskey Glasses," "7 Summers," and "Sand in My Boots," creating a blend that appealed to both new and longtime fans. The structure typically opened with high-energy numbers like "Broadway Girls" and "Ain't That Some," building to acoustic segments and closing with crowd favorites like "Cover Me Up."[44][45][46] Notable for its massive scale, the tour set multiple attendance records, including at venues like Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, where two shows drew 156,161 fans, surpassing the previous mark held by The Jackson 5, and at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with over 110,000 attendees across two nights. Individual shows often exceeded 70,000 fans, contributing to a total of 3,107,695 attendees. Supporting acts varied by date but frequently included Hardy, Koe Wetzel, and Bailey Zimmerman, with select performances featuring guests like Ernest for collaborative sets.[47][43][48] Economically, the tour generated $300,121,701 in ticket revenue from 1,508,436 sold tickets, with an average gross of $5.88 million per show, establishing it as the highest-grossing country music tour in history and significantly extending the commercial lifespan of One Thing at a Time through sustained fan engagement and media coverage.[49][50]Notable live renditions
One of the standout live renditions from the album occurred at the 2023 CMA Awards, where Morgan Wallen joined Eric Church to perform "Man Made a Bar." The duet, featuring the two artists trading verses amid a dimly lit bar set, highlighted the song's themes of solace in drinking and earned praise for its raw emotional delivery.[51] In April 2024, Wallen headlined the Stagecoach Festival, debuting several tracks from One Thing at a Time in a high-energy set that included guest appearances. He brought out Eric Church for another rendition of "Man Made a Bar," alongside Hardy for "He Went to Jared," Post Malone for "I Had Some Help," and Bailey Zimmerman for "Up Down," blending album cuts with crowd favorites to create a festival highlight.[52] A viral television moment came during New Year's Eve Live: Nashville's Big Bash on December 31, 2023, when Wallen performed "Last Night" to a massive outdoor crowd in downtown Nashville. The televised set, complete with confetti and fireworks, captured the song's infectious energy and contributed to its ongoing chart dominance, with fan videos amplifying its reach online.[53] These event-specific performances, distinct from the album's supporting tour, played a key role in sustaining public interest, helping One Thing at a Time achieve 100 nonconsecutive weeks in the Billboard 200's top 10 by March 2025.[54]Critical reception
Professional reviews
One Thing at a Time received mixed reviews from music critics, earning a Metacritic score of 47 out of 100 based on six reviews, indicating "mixed or average" reception.[55] Reviewers praised elements of Wallen's vocal performance and the album's stylistic range across its 36 tracks, which span traditional country, hip-hop influences, and rock-leaning numbers, showcasing his growth as a versatile artist capable of blending genres.[56] For instance, some noted the polish in production and Wallen's improved emotional delivery, highlighting his ability to convey heartbreak with nuance.[25] However, the album faced significant criticism for its excessive length, clocking in at nearly two hours, which many felt led to repetition and filler material that diluted its impact.[56] Rolling Stone awarded it 3.5 out of five stars, commending the high-energy party anthems but critiquing the lack of introspection amid the formulaic songwriting and predictable themes of drinking, romance, and regret.[13] Pitchfork, scoring it 4.1 out of 10, described it as a "36-song album that says a whole lot of nothing," pointing to Wallen's subdued energy and the project's reliance on generic bro-country tropes without meaningful evolution.[56] The New York Times echoed these sentiments, calling the collection "predictable" and dominated by whiskey-and-women clichés, though it acknowledged Wallen's resilient voice as a consistent strength despite the lack of ambition.[25] Overall, while critics recognized the album's commercial triumph—debuting at number one on the Billboard 200—the consensus highlighted an artistic divide, with its sprawling scope prioritizing quantity over depth.[55]Accolades and awards
"One Thing at a Time" garnered significant industry recognition, particularly in country music award ceremonies, reflecting its commercial dominance and artistic impact. The album received an Album of the Year nomination at the 58th Annual Country Music Association Awards in 2023.[57] At the 59th Academy of Country Music Awards in 2024, it earned another Album of the Year nomination, while the lead single "Last Night" was nominated for Single Record of the Year.[58] It also secured an Album of the Year nomination at the 2024 People's Choice Awards.[59] Singles from the album continued to earn honors, with "I Had Some Help" (featuring Post Malone) receiving nominations for Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2024 CMA Awards.[60] In 2025, "I Had Some Help" won Country Song of the Year at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.[61] Despite divided critical opinions, the album appeared on Billboard's list of the 50 best albums of 2023.[62]Commercial performance
Chart performance
"One Thing at a Time" debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart dated March 18, 2023, earning 501,000 equivalent album units in its first week, marking the largest debut week for a country album in the chart's history.[63][64] The album accumulated 19 nonconsecutive weeks at the top spot, surpassing Garth Brooks' "Ropin' the Wind" (18 weeks) to become the country album with the most weeks at number one on the Billboard 200.[5] It also led the Billboard Top Country Albums chart for 87 weeks, the second-longest reign in that chart's history behind Wallen's own "Dangerous: The Double Album."[65] In a chart milestone tied to its singles' promotion, all 36 tracks from the album entered the Billboard Hot 100 simultaneously upon release, setting a single-week record for the most simultaneous entries by one artist, previously held by Drake with 27 songs.[66] The album's enduring popularity is evident in its year-end performance, topping the 2023 Billboard 200 as the year's biggest album overall, while ranking third on the 2024 year-end chart amid sustained streaming and sales momentum.[67] Internationally, "One Thing at a Time" reached number one on the albums charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, where it achieved multi-week stays at the summit in each territory.[68] By March 2025, the album notched its 100th nonconsecutive week in the Billboard 200 top 10, a rare longevity milestone shared with few other releases in chart history. As of November 2025, it has spent over 140 weeks on the chart.[54]Sales and certifications
In the United States, One Thing at a Time has been certified 7× Platinum by the RIAA, representing 7 million units consumed, including sales and streaming equivalents, as of October 8, 2024. This certification reflects the album's sustained popularity, with ongoing consumption into 2025. Internationally, the album achieved 4× Platinum status in Canada from Music Canada, equivalent to 320,000 units, as of September 21, 2023, highlighting strong North American demand. In Australia, it earned 2× Platinum certification from ARIA, signifying 140,000 units shipped. Post-2024 updates include a Gold certification in the United Kingdom from the BPI, for 100,000 units, awarded during Wallen's European tour promotion. Globally, One Thing at a Time has surpassed 7 million equivalent album units as of September 2025, driven primarily by streaming.[69] The album amassed over 2.7 billion streams on Spotify as of September 2025.[70]| Country | Certification | Units | Certifying Body | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 7× Platinum | 7,000,000 | RIAA | October 8, 2024 |
| Canada | 4× Platinum | 320,000 | Music Canada | September 21, 2023 |
| Australia | 2× Platinum | 140,000 | ARIA | February 2024 (estimated) |
| United Kingdom | Gold | 100,000 | BPI | September 2024 |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Featured artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Born with a Beer in My Hand" | 3:08 | |
| 2 | "Last Night" | 2:43 | |
| 3 | "Everything I Love" | 3:07 | |
| 4 | "Man Made a Bar" | Eric Church | 3:11 |
| 5 | "Devil Don't Know" | 3:25 | |
| 6 | "One Thing at a Time" | 3:24 | |
| 7 | "'98 Braves" | 2:51 | |
| 8 | "Ain't That Some" | 2:59 | |
| 9 | "I Wrote the Book" | 3:04 | |
| 10 | "Tennessee Numbers" | 3:01 | |
| 11 | "Hope That's True" | 3:01 | |
| 12 | "Whiskey Friends" | 3:25 | |
| 13 | "Sunrise" | 3:11 | |
| 14 | "Keith Whitley" | 2:00 | |
| 15 | "In the Bible" | HARDY | 3:16 |
| 16 | "You Proof" | 3:22 | |
| 17 | "Thought You Should Know" | 3:36 | |
| 18 | "F150-50" | 3:12 | |
| 19 | "Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby)" | 3:00 | |
| 20 | "I Deserve a Drink" | 3:11 | |
| 21 | "Wine into Water" | 2:59 | |
| 22 | "Me + All Your Reasons" | 3:18 | |
| 23 | "Tennessee Fan" | 3:04 | |
| 24 | "Money on Me" | 3:02 | |
| 25 | "Thinkin' 'Bout Me" | 3:07 | |
| 26 | "Single Than She Was" | 3:21 | |
| 27 | "Days That End in Why" | 3:04 | |
| 28 | "Last Drive Down Main" | 3:11 | |
| 29 | "Me to Me" | 3:18 | |
| 30 | "Don't Think Jesus" | 2:59 | |
| 31 | "180 (Lifestyle)" | 3:09 | |
| 32 | "Had It" | 2:54 | |
| 33 | "Cowgirls" | ERNEST | 3:12 |
| 34 | "Good Girl Gone Missin'" | 3:02 | |
| 35 | "Outlook" | 3:08 | |
| 36 | "Dying Man" | 3:16 |