Before ascending to country music juggernaut status, Morgan Wallen faced the familiar struggles of a rising artist, reaching a point where he genuinely considered walking away from his dream. This pivotal moment of doubt was ultimately shattered by a truly priceless, genuine reaction the first time he heard his music played on the radio—a sudden milestone that validated his entire career path and gave him the fuel he needed to push forward.

Wallen’s official debut single sent to country radio was “The Way I Talk,” released in September 2016 as the lead single from his debut studio album, If I Know Me. The track, which leans into his East Tennessee accent and small-town roots, quickly became one of the most added singles nationwide upon its release. However, the moment Wallen often recounts with visible emotion involves him, not knowing the exact timing, finally hearing his song air.

The Emotional Parking Lot Moment

Wallen has detailed the story of his radio debut in several interviews, including one with iHeartCountry, emphasizing the surprise and immediate shock of the experience. The event took place in a parking lot in Phoenix, Arizona. Wallen recalls being with his radio promotion representative and a few others, about to grab a bite to eat. He suspected his rep knew the song was about to play because they were simply sitting in the car, waiting.

“I was in Phoenix, Arizona when I first heard myself on the radio,” Wallen recalled. “We were about to go eat… We were sitting in the parking lot. I think [his radio rep] knew that they were about to play the song because we were just sitting there. I’m like, ‘What are we waiting on?’” The wait ended when the track began to play just as he was about to get out of the car. “So we sat there and listened to it all,” he stated.

The profound impact of hearing his own voice and the product of years of hard work filling the airwaves was immediate and overwhelming. Wallen emphasizes the vivid memory: “I can still picture what everything looked like around that scene, so it was special to me.” This sudden, public validation of his music—from a Nashville demo tape to a nationally broadcast single—was the powerful push needed to overcome early career struggles and the fear of giving up.

Charting the Success

The emotional radio debut was the necessary first step toward the unprecedented success Wallen would achieve, driven by a sound that blended country and pop-rock sensibilities. Wallen’s second single, “Up Down” (featuring Florida Georgia Line), gave him his first major commercial success, peaking at No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in 2017. His sophomore effort, Dangerous: The Double Album, then broke numerous records in 2021, becoming the first country album to spend 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and later earning him the prestigious CMA Entertainer of the Year award in 2024. The raw emotion in that Phoenix parking lot, hearing “The Way I Talk” for the first time, was the true beginning of a journey that would ultimately make Morgan Wallen one of the best-selling artists in modern music.