In August 2015, Morris self-released five songs as a self-titled extended play, Maren Morris, on Spotify.[4] 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.[5] The label then re-released the 5-song EP on November 6, 2015, with "My Church" as the lead single.[6]
"My Church" would become a success on the chart, reaching number 5 on the Hot Country Songs chart and winning Best Country Solo Performance at the 59th Annual Grammy Awards. The success of "My Church" was followed by the release of the Morris' first major label album release, Hero.[6] All tracks from the EP are included on the album, with "Company You Keep" included on the deluxe edition. The additional songs in the album were co-written with Chris DeStefano, Natalie Hemby, Shane McAnally, and others.[7] 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.[8] "Rich" was released February 12, 2018, as the album's fourth single.[9]
Morris embarked on the Hero Tour in 2017, in support of her album.[10]
A deluxe edition of the album was released on March 17, 2017. It features the songs "Bummin' Cigarettes", "Space" and "Company You Keep".[11]
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."[1] 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."[14]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.[15]
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.[2] It also debuted at number one on the Top Country Albums chart.[32] As of April 2019, the album has sold 313,100 copies in the United States.[33] On July 17, 2019, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over a million units.[34]
