Photo: TODD OWYOUNG
Cheers echoed through T-Mobile Arena as country hitmaker Morgan Wallen took the stage at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. Wallen kicked off his set with an emotional rendition of “Sand In My Boots,” a fan-favorite heartbreak ballad, and transitioned into high-energy hits, nearly all of which were included on his massive, nearly-three-dozen-track double album that released last year.
Dangerous: The Double Album is packed with fan-favorite anthems like “Sand In My Boots,” “Wasted On You,” “More Than My Hometown,” “Still Goin Down” and tons of others, all of which Wallen performed during the festival on Friday night (September 23). The reigning iHeartRadio Music Awards Country Album of the Year winner also sang “You Proof,” which released earlier this year, and closed his set with one of his first smash-hit songs from his If You Know Me debut album, “Whiskey Glasses.”
Wallen reemerged on the stage later that evening during Diplo's powerful setlist, teaming up to perform “Heartless” for the first time live. The DJ and the award-winning country artist joined forces on the collaboration in 2020.
During a virtual iHeartCountry Album Release Party in January 2021, Wallen performed some of his biggest Dangerous songs and chatted with Bobby Bones Show co-host Amy Brown and fielded a few questions in a Q&A. Wallen reflected that his life “is completely different from when I first started writing music. So, I think that this album kinda takes people a little bit through that journey of my life.”
Wallen’s songwriting recently earned him an impressive achievement at the 15th Annual ACM Honors, hosted at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. He earned the ACM Milestone Award, which celebrates an “outstanding” and record-breaking year, and “winning Album of the Year at [the ACM Awards], and selling over 800,000 tickets so far in 2022,” according to the Academy of Country Music. HARDY and ERNEST teamed up for an unforgettable medley of some of Wallen’s biggest hits during the show: “Sand In My Boots,” “Wasted On You” and “More Than My Hometown.” ERNEST wrote a tribute to Wallen on Instagram, saying: “The hard work is noticed by all and ur constantly raising the bar to heights that ain’t been touched… the standard is different these days… honored to call ya a friend.”
In case you missed it, or just want to re-live all of the amazing performances, The CW will air a two-night television special on October 7th and October 8th from 8pm-10pm ET.