It didn’t stop fans from streaming it, apparently. There’s really no way around it; Morgan Wallen is equally the most successful artist in country music history as he is the most controversial. From a charts and sales standpoint, he’s truly unmatched. Scoring four all-genre #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 over the past few years and recently dethroning Garth Brooks to become the highest-selling country artist of all time (3rd all-genre), the “Whiskey Glasses” singer has experienced unprecedented numbers in terms of crossover success, unlike anything we’ve ever seen so far. Despite all the hit albums, singles and collaborations, there’s one black sheep in terms of Wallen’s lucrative discography. That project, of course, is none other than the 2024 10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of his debut EP, Stand Alone. In case you missed it, Wallen obviously released the EP as his debut project all the way back in 2015. Upon its release, it contained five tracks, including the fan-favorite, “Spin You Around.” In 2024, however, his former label and management team, Panacea Records, went behind his back and released a deluxe version of Stand Alone against the “Don’t We” singer’s wishes. That deluxe edition of Stand Alone was something Wallen did not want put out, and he shared in a lengthy post on Instagram that he “cringes” when he listens to those songs now. He added that he explored every avenue possible to stop its release, calling the move “gross, greedy & an example of how the dark side of the music business can suck the soul out of artists.” “Tonight, those colleagues I parted ways with almost 10 years ago plan to release a “10th Anniversary” edition of Stand Alone against my wishes & include 8 unreleased songs, distributing it with the assistance of my former managers. For months I’ve been exploring every avenue possible to acquire the rights to this old music & keep the quality of my catalog consistent with songs I choose to release & believe in.   It’s gross, greedy & an example of how the dark side of the music business can suck the soul out of artists.    I want you to know this is NOT my new music & I don’t want to see this happen to anyone else. I cringe when I listen to these songs & I’m concerned my fans may mistakenly believe this is a new release by me. I begin recording my next project at the end of February. I’m feeling inspired creatively & super excited to make more music I’m proud of.” View this post on Instagram In response, the Tennessee native not only pledged $100k from the Morgan Wallen Foundation to the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals For The Arts (VLPA) program in hopes of preventing the same situation from happening to young artists, but he also went ahead and re-recorded his own version of “Spin You Around,” which he subtitled ‘1/24,’ with producers, Joey Moi and Bryan Sutton. Despite Wallen publicly denouncing the EP’s re-release, it appears that it didn’t stop some fans from buying and streaming the project in waves over the past two and a half years. As of today, June 7th, Stand Alone (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition) has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which means it has sold well over 500,000 units in the U.S. Given the fact that the “Chasin’ You” singer is nothing short of a streaming and sales giant, highlighted by the aforementioned fact that he’s already the highest-selling country artist of all time, a gold certification would hardly be noteworthy at this point in his career. With that being said, however, it’s a bit surprising that this project, in particular, would stream and sell so well, primarily due to the fact that Wallen himself publicly denounced it. I guess when you have a fanbase that is so eager to hear anything, regardless of where it came from, the way Wallen’s is, you should expect it at this point. However, it’s a fascinating development for this undoubtedly shady money-grab from his former label. “Spin You Around (1/24)” ‘Still The Problem’ Tour Dates July 17 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Brooks & Dunn, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 18 || Baltimore, Md. || M&T Bank Stadium w/ Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock, Jason Scott & The High Heat July 24 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ Thomas Rhett, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 25 || Ann Arbor, Mich. || Michigan Stadium w/ HARDY, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten July 31 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ ​​Brooks & Dunn, Hudson Westbrook, Blake Whiten August 1 || Philadelphia, Penn. || Lincoln Financial Field w/ Ella Langley, Hudson Westbrook, Blake WhitenThe post Morgan Wallen’s Controversial 10th Anniversary Re-Release Of ‘Stand Alone’ Gets Certified Gold Despite Him Dennouncing It first appeared on Whiskey Riff.