The Way I Talk

2016 single by Morgan Wallen
"The Way I Talk"
Single by Morgan Wallen
from the album If I Know Me
ReleasedSeptember 12, 2016 (2016-09-12)
GenreCountry
Length3:28
LabelBig Loud
Songwriter(s)
  • Jessi Alexander
  • Ben Hayslip
  • Chase McGill
Producer(s)Joey Moi
Morgan Wallen singles chronology
"The Way I Talk"
(2016) 		"Up Down"
(2017)
Music video
"The Way I Talk" on YouTube
EP cover
EP cover

"The Way I Talk" is a song recorded by American country music artist Morgan Wallen.[1] The song was written by Jessi Alexander, Ben Hayslip, and Chase McGill.[2] It was Wallen's debut single[3] and the lead single from his debut studio album If I Know Me.[4]

Background

The song was written by Ben Hayslip, Jessi Alexander, and Chase McGill, but Wallen felt a personal connection to the song upon hearing it. He stated "It's about "the things that I'm proud of and the way that I live, and it was just a perfect match to me".[5]

Critical reception

Whiskey Riff gave a favourable review of the song, highlighting the lyric "Man it ain't my fault, I just live the way I talk" stating they "wish more people would live that way as well".[6] The Country Note noted Wallen's "dynamic vocal delivery", stating the track "features a sound straight out of the modern South, combining elements of both country and rock".[7]

Commercial performance

"The Way I Talk" reached peaks of number 35 on Billboard Hot Country Songs,[8] number 30 on Country Airplay,[9] and number 50 on Canada Country.[10] This marked Wallen's first entries on each chart. It has been certified Gold by Music Canada.[11]

Music video

The music video was directed by TK McKamy and premiered on April 6, 2017.[12] The video featured Wallen and his friends doing various activities such as chasing chickens or boxing for fun.[13][14]

Track listings

Digital download – single[2]

  1. "The Way I Talk" – 3:28

Digital download – EP[2]

  1. "The Way I Talk" – 3:28
  2. "Chain Smokin'" – 3:42
  3. "Whiskey Glasses" – 3:54
  4. "Stand Out" – 3:14
  5. "American Nights" – 3:22

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2016–2017) Peak
position
Canada Country (Billboard)[10] 50
US Country Airplay (Billboard)[9] 30
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 35

Year-end charts

Chart (2017) Position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[15] 79

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Platinum 80,000‡
United States (RIAA)[16] 3× Platinum 3,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various January 1, 2016 Digital download Big Loud [2]
Streaming
United States / Canada September 12, 2016 Country radio [17]

References

  1. ^ "MORGAN WALLEN CHARMS COUNTRY RADIO WITH "THE WAY I TALK"". Big Loud Records. May 16, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Way I Talk - Morgan Wallen". AllMusic. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  3. ^ Nicholson, Jessica (September 27, 2016). "Big Loud Records' Morgan Wallen Trades Baseball Ambitions For Country Music Dreams". MusicRow. Retrieved April 23, 2017.
  4. ^ Lorie Hollabaugh (April 11, 2018). "Morgan Wallen Releases Track Listing For 'If I Know Me'". Music Row. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
  5. ^ Morgan, Emily (December 13, 2020). "Morgan Wallen's 'The Way I Talk': Story Behind the Country Star's First Hit Song". Outsider.
  6. ^ "Real Country Folks Will Get Something Out Of Morgan Wallen's Heatin' Up Single "The Way I Talk"". Whiskey Riff. November 21, 2016.
  7. ^ "Morgan Wallen Charms Country Radio With "The Way I Talk"". The Country Note. May 13, 2017.
  8. ^ a b "Morgan Wallen Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Morgan Wallen Chart History (Country Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Morgan Wallen Chart History (Canada Country)". Billboard. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Canadian single certifications – Morgan Wallen – The Way I Talk". Music Canada. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
  12. ^ "Morgan Wallen - The Way I Talk (Official Video)" (video). YouTube. April 6, 2017. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  13. ^ Weatherby, Taylor (May 12, 2017). "Morgan Wallen Takes Fans Behind the Scenes of 'The Way I Talk' Video, Talks Touring With Florida Georgia Line: Exclusive". Billboard. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  14. ^ Brickley, Kelly (April 9, 2017). "MORGAN WALLEN CELEBRATES UPBRINGING IN VIDEO FOR 'THE WAY I TALK'". Sounds Like Nashville. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  15. ^ "Hot Country Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved August 21, 2021.
  16. ^ "American single certifications – Morgan Wallen – The Way I Talk". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
  17. ^ "MORGAN WALLEN – THE WAY I TALK". Daily Play MPE. Destiny Media Technologies. August 22, 2016.
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