Morgan Wallen released his highly-anticipated and extensive fourth studio album, I’m The Problem, on Friday (May 16), the follow-up to 2023’s One Thing At A Time and 2021’s Dangerous: The Double Album. The already highly-streamed collection features 37 tracks, all of which are hit-worthy. But, only one tune out of them all appears to stand out to the country superstar’s 4-year-old son, Indigo Wilder Wallen.
Wallen opened up about his son while appearing on a recent episode of This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von. During the hour-long conversation, the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year revealed that “Eyes Are Closed” penned alongside John Byron, Blake Pendergrass, and Ryan Vojtesakis, is his child’s favorite tune.
Morgan Wallen Reveals His Son Indigo’s Favorite Song From I’m The Problem
According to the country hitmaker, Indigo discovered “Eyes Are Closed” in passing as Wallen was playing the demo for the track at home following a writing session.
“I brought it home that night. We wrote it that day, and I took it home that night, and I was just playing it,” Wallen recalled. “I wasn’t playing it for him. I just had it kind of playing in the background because It was my first time hearing the demo of what we had just done that day, and he was in the background. He kind of moseyed over there and started being like, ‘What’s this?’ And after it was done, he said, ‘I like that song, Daddy.’ And it was the first time he had ever done that, so it was a special moment for me, something I’ll never forget.”
His Son Wanted to Hear The Song On Repeat
Wallen went on to say that Indigo requested the song be played on repeat after he heard the track in its entirety. Hearing that from Indigo pleased Wallen to the point where it didn’t matter if “Eyes Are Closed” would ever become a hit on country radio.
“He said, ‘play that again.’ And I was like, this song’s a hit for me no matter what, Wallen beamed, adding that, as far as showing interest and understanding what his father does, “This was the first time I had really seen him like all those dots start connecting….this is the first time where it seems like he’s really starting to put two and two together. I would come home after I’d been writing, and I’d show him songs. This is the first time that he’s ever cared.”
“Eyes Are Closed” Appears On I’m The Problem
The nostalgic “Eyes Are Closed,” which appears as the ninth cut on I’m The Problem, finds Wallen questioning a seemingly ex-girlfriend whether or not she misses him now that they’re no longer together. From a sonic standpoint, the tune falls in the vein of much of Wallen’s hip-hop-leaning material, but includes an acoustic guitar with lyrics that prove his world-class storytelling credibility as a songwriter.
“When you’re crawlin’ into bed with the guy you chose/ Instead of spendin’ Saturday night alone/ Tell me, am I still where your mind’ll go?/ Who do you see when your eyes are closed?/ ‘Cause baby, I can tell ya, it’s you for me/ No one else can do the things you do for me/ Can you feel me in the air, baby, like a ghost?/ Who do you see when your eyes are closed?” Wallen sings, showcasing his signature East Tennessee vocals throughout the chorus.
Son Confused Wallen For John Michael Montgomery
Before “Eyes Are Closed” caught his ears, Wallen said Indigo confused his daddy with another country star — John Michael Montgomery.
“For a while, he thought that ‘Sold’ by John Michael Montgomery, he thought that was me singing,” Wallen said of the ‘90s chart-topper’s quick-paced smash. “He was, like, ‘Play Daddy’s fast song,’ He called it the ‘fast song [and] he thought that was me. I said, ‘Damn, man.’ I mean, that dude sounds pretty good, but come on. He called it the fast song, and I had to finally break it to him. I said, ‘That ain’t me.’”
Wallen Also Honor Indigo On The Project With “Superman”
Luckily, Indigo doesn’t have to venture outside of his dad’s new album to find fast songs as there are plenty of uptempo tracks on there, including “Superman,” which Wallen penned as a dedication to his son.
“I’ve tried so many times to write a song like that for him, and it always fell flat,” Wallen said of “Superman.” “I also didn’t want to write a song to him that was all sappy and slow, and just what you would expect a dad’s son song to be. That song has been written plenty enough.”
“On the way home I was listening to it and started crying, and that’s the first time that had happened with a song for him. So that I kind of knew,” he added of “the tune, which was the last song that made the album.
Morgan Wallen Opens Up About Fatherhood
Music aside, Wallen said he enjoys soaking in all the time he gets with Indigo, and being able to watch him grow and learn new things is one of the best parts of it all.
“It’s cool. I’ve been working on him on how to catch and stuff. I’ve just been using a soft basketball that I’ve got, and one of those basketball [hoops] you hang up on the door. I still use it more than him. Every time I’m on a phone, I’ll just put my headphones in and just start shooting for 30 minutes since it’s been cold, especially,” Wallen shared. “But yeah, just when we first started, he couldn’t do it, and then a couple of weeks later he’s like catching, and he can catch a bounce pass now. It is just like seeing those things progress in such a short period is cool.”
Wallen just closed out a successful three nights of the inaugural Sand In My Boots Festival, which ran from May 16 through May 18. During the weekend extravaganza, held in Gulf Shores, Alabama, he live debuted seven tracks from I’m The Problem, including “I’m The Problem,” “Kick Myself,” “Don’t We,” “I’m A Little Crazy,” “I Got Better;” “Superman” and “Just In Case.”
Sand In My Boots Festival featured an eclectic mix of more than 30 of Wallen’s favorite artists and inspirations, including Post Malone, Brooks & Dunn, HARDY, The War On Drugs, T-Pain, Three 6 Mafia, and more. On June 20, Wallen will kick off his I’m The Problem Tour at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
For more information on Morgan Wallen’s upcoming tour dates, visit his official website.
