Last Night

Album: One Thing At A Time (2023)
Charted: 28 1
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Songfacts®:

  • "Last Night" is a song about relationship struggles. Morgan Wallen recounts a difficult conversation with his romantic partner, fueled by alcohol, from the previous night. Despite ongoing issues, he still desires her love and strives to keep their union going.
  • The story of two people who despite the conflicts that arise from their alcohol-infused drama cannot stay away from each other is a rare occurrence in Wallen's catalog: a love song. The country star is best known for his heartbroken hometown cuts, but he also sings about matters of the heart on "Somebody's Problem" and "Tennessee Fan."
  • Wallen recorded "Last Night" for his third studio album, One Thing at a Time. The announcement of the album on January 30, 2023, came alongside the release of this song alongside two other tracks, "Everything I Love" and "I Wrote The Book."
  • Morgan Wallen didn't write the song. It came from the pen of John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher and Charlie Handsome. While John Byron and Ashley Gorley's resumés are filled with country acts, Charlie Handsome also works with R&B and hip-hop musicians (Khalid, Post Malone, Jack Harlow) and Jacob Kasher's pedigree is primarily with pop acts (Charlie Puth, Katy Perry, Maroon 5, Selena Gomez).
  • The song climbed to #1 on the US country chart in its second week. The same week, Wallen's prior singles "Thought You Should Know" and " You Proof" claimed the #2 and #3 positions.

    It was the second time Wallen boasted the Top 3 on the Country chart. He became the first artist to have three songs in all three top spots on the chart when on the December 17, 2022 listing "You Proof" was #1, "One Thing At A Time" #2, and "Wasted On You" #3.
  • Following the release of One Thing at a Time, "Last Night" leapt from #5 to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated March 18, 2023, becoming Wallen's first leader on the chart.

    With "Last Night" simultaneously topping the Country chart, it became the 20th song to reach the summit of both tallies. This accomplishment was last achieved by Taylor Swift's "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" on the charts dated November 27, 2021. Furthermore, "Last Night" stands out as the first solo male artist's song to achieve this double feat in over 42 years, since Eddie Rabbitt's "I Love A Rainy Night" ruled the Hot Country Songs for a week in January 1981, and the Hot 100 for two weeks that February-March.
  • The song topped the Australian ARIA singles charts too. During its eighth week at #1 it broke the record for longest reigning leader by a male American country singer, surpassing Billy Ray Cyrus' seven-week chart-topping run with "Achy Breaky Heart" in 1992.
  • The song was produced by Joey Moi, who has worked with Wallen since his debut album. "We purposefully kept it simple," Moi said to Billboard of "Last Night." "There are a handful of parts going on, but it's more about the negative space and making it about the story, the vocal and the instrumental that runs throughout. It lends itself to being accessible by more lanes as far as radio formats; it was tougher to define as just a country song, or just a pop song or [adult top 40] song. It kind of fit everywhere."

    Moi added the song's sparse production was driven by Wallen's own creative inclinations. "My natural instinct is to build these larger-than-life productions, and Morgan is great about coming behind me and being like, 'Take this out and that part out,' making sure I'm not doing too much on certain things," the producer said. "I'd say he has had his best opportunity on the last two records to really imprint upon every aspect of it, from the songwriting to demos to our approach to tracking in the studio and post production. You can hear his contemporary, youthful thoughts over all of it."
  • "Last Night" spent 16 non-consecutive weeks at #1 on the Hot 100, breaking the record for the most ever for a non-collaboration. Only Lil Nas X's joint track with Billy Ray Cyrus, "Old Town Road," which accumulated 19 weeks at the peak position, spent longer.

    Two other collaborations also spent 16 weeks at the top: Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men's "One Sweet Day" and Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee feat. Justin Bieber "Despacito."

    Morgan Wallen's record was usurped by Shaboozey's "A Bar Song (Tipsy)," which spent its 17th week at #1 in November 2024.

Comments: 1

  • S, St-pierre from QcA lot of writers!
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