Hear Rare Maren Morris Songs ‘Space’ and ‘Bummin’ Cigarettes’
It’s shaping up to be a busy spring for Maren Morris, who kicked off the workweek by winning an ACM Award for New Female Vocalist of the Year and ended it with today’s deluxe reissue of Hero. Originally released in June 2016, the major-label debut made its reintroduction this morning as an expanded album, now featuring three new tracks – “Bummin’ Cigarettes,” “Company You Keep” and “Space,” all co-written and co-produced by Morris – that didn’t appear on the album’s standard release last summer.
The re-release marks a celebration of sorts for Morris, whose “My Church” climbed to the top of the Country Digital Songs chart one year ago. Since then, she’s transformed herself from a one-hit newcomer into a mainstream mainstay, taking home trophies at the Grammys and the CMA Awards along the way. When the ACM Awards airs its full ceremony on April 2nd, Morris will be up for five additional honors, including Album of the Year.
That said, Hero‘s deluxe reissue is identical to the souped-up record released by Target last summer. The big-box retailer often releases exclusive versions of popular albums, boosting its sales of records like Taylor Swift’s 1989 and Adele’s 25 with Target-only track lists. Morris’ newer songs – particularly “Space,” with its minor-key melancholia and soft, swaying chorus – do add an interesting shape to Hero‘s arc, but superfans may already own the material, eliminating the need to speed to the store in an Eighties Mercedes.