Hero (Maren Morris album)


Hero is the major label debut studio album by American singer Maren Morris, released on June 3, 2016, through Columbia Nashville. It marks Morris' first release on a major label and her fourth overall. The album debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200 chart and was nominated for Best Country Album at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. It received mostly positive reviews from music critics and is considered by many publications as one of 2016's best albums.

Background

In August 2015, Morris self-released five songs as a self-titled extended play, Maren Morris, on Spotify. The songs garnered 2.5 million streams on Spotify in a month, with three songs appearing in Spotify's US and Global "Viral 50" chart. The success of Morris' EP attracted the interest of major labels and she eventually signed to Columbia Nashville in September 2015. The label then re-released the 5-song EP on November 6, 2015, with "My Church" as the lead single.
"My Church" would become a success on the chart, reaching number 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart. The success of "My Church" was followed by the release of the Morris' first major label album release, Hero. The songs from the EP are included in this album release with the exception of "Company You Keep". The additional songs in the album were co-written with Chris DeStefano, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, and others. Morris has writing credits on all the songs in the album.

Release and promotion

The album's lead single, "My Church", was released on January 19, 2016. The album's second single, "80s Mercedes", was released to country radio on June 27, 2016. The album's third single, "I Could Use a Love Song" was released to country radio on March 27, 2017. "Rich" was released February 12, 2018 as the album's fourth single.
Morris embarked on the Hero Tour in 2017, in support of her album.
A deluxe edition of the album was released on March 17, 2017. It features the songs "Bummin' Cigarettes", "Space" and "Company You Keep".

Critical reception

Hero was well received by most music critics. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic praised Morris' inventiveness and how she "skillfully slides between styles, blurring distinctions between genre and eras". Erlewine felt that the album "belongs to the digital era but it's the songs – smart, sharp, and hooky – that make this a great modern pop album, regardless of genre." Jon Caramanica of The New York Times considered the album an outstanding country music debut, and "perhaps the canniest country record in recent memory." Caramanica thought Morris an "astute synthesizer" of various styles, and found the album to be "both utterly of its moment and also savvy enough to indicate how the future might sound." He also noted the profanity in some of the songs that Morris used "fluently, casually, and effectively, which is to say, you hardly notice at all as she's breaking what may be country's last remaining taboo." Sounds Like Nashville referred to Morris’ songwriting talent, powerful vocals and eclectic music style that made Hero one of the most unique and enjoyable releases of 2016.

Accolades

PublicationRankList
AllMusicN/ABest Albums of 2016
American Songwriter40Top 50 Albums of 2016
AOL7Best Albums of 2016
Billboard950 Best Albums of 2016
Entertainment Weekly5The Best Country Albums of 2016
Noisey44The 100 Best Albums of 2016
NPR3650 Best Albums of 2016
People10The 10 Best Albums of 2016
Rolling Stone140 Best Country Albums of 2016
Rolling Stone1350 Best Albums of 2016
SPIN47The 50 Best Albums of 2016
Stereogum12The 20 Best Country Albums of 2016
Variety7The 10 Best Albums of 2016
WiredN/ABest Albums of 2016

Commercial performance

In the United States, Hero debuted at number five on the Billboard 200 chart with 45,000 equivalent album units; the album sold 37,000 copies in pure sales, with the remainder of its unit total reflecting the album's streaming and track equivalent album units. It also debuted at number one on the Top Country Albums chart. As of April 2019, the album has sold 313,100 copies in the United States. On July 17, 2019, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units.

Track listing

Notes
Credits adapted from liner notes.
Musicians
Choir singers
Technical

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
US Billboard 200106
US Top Country Albums 16

Chart Position
US Top Country Albums 51

Certifications