Morgan Wallen’s Jason Isbell Cover Is So Good, We Can’t Stop Watching
They don't give CMA or ACM Awards out for Cover Song of the Year, but Morgan Wallen's version of Jason Isbell's "Cover Me Up" might inspire a new category.
The "Whiskey Glasses" singer and 2018 Taste of Country RISERS selection chose one of Isbell's most personal songs to cover. Find it as the first song on Isbell's 2013 Southeastern album. It's a slow, vulnerable ballad that reveals a side of Wallen few have seen live. With just a few strums and the first verse you'll find new depth from a man best-known for "Up Down."
"You can just feel the true emotion in it," the east Tennessee native says when asked to explain why he chose this song to cover. “I think the line, 'I made it through because somebody knew I was meant for someone.' I take that as God — as in there’s a lot of things we go through and we don’t even know why. Breakups and you don’t know why things are ending."
"At the end of the day, God has a purpose and a plan for you, and that’s kind of how I take that," he adds.
There is a lot Wallen, 25, has yet to share with fans. His If I Know Me album is a well-rounded country debut that shares plenty about where he's come from and where he's headed, but with some of country music's biggest names as mentors and songwriting partners, he's been able to sharpen and define his personal sound. Sure, it's just a cover song, but there's no denying the personal stamp Wallen puts on this acoustic performance.
Wallen is the third and final member of the 2018 class of Taste of Country RISERS, following Devin Dawson and Lindsay Ell. Past RISERS include Brett Young, Kalie Shorr, Runaway June and Aubrie Sellers.
Watch Morgan Wallen's RISERS Performance of "Whiskey Glasses"
Behind the Scenes of RISERS With Morgan Wallen: