Morgan Wallen Claps Back at Ex-Managers and 'Dark Side of the Music Business' with 'Spin You Around' Re-Recording

Wallen originally released the song as part of 2015's 'Stand Alone' EP under Panacea Records

Morgan Wallen has issued a response — and a new recording — after he says his former managers distributed previously unreleased material from 2015 "against my wishes."

On Friday, the country star, 30, released the track, “Spin You Around (1/24)." The re-recording is a new take on his 2015 song of the same name. It originally appeared on his Stand Alone EP, when he was still at Panacea Records.

As Wallen explained to fans in a statement posted to social media, "colleagues I parted ways with almost 10 years ago" released an extended version of the EP Friday without his consent, and it now shows up under his name on streaming platforms.

"I’m writing y’all from a duck hunting trip because I want to fill you in on something happening tonight," Wallen shared. "Back in 2014, I went to Florida to try my hand at making original music & songwriting for the first time. This led to a recording deal with a local investor & an artist management deal that I deeply regret."

"Unfortunately, I signed both deals without any legal representation," he wrote. "We made 13 songs. Some were OK, most were terrible as I was just learning how to write in general & figuring it all out."

Related: Post Malone, HARDY and Morgan Wallen Perform Joe Diffie Medley at 2023 CMA Awards

Adding that many of the songs they recorded "were not my idea nor to my standards," Wallen explained that his former partners still had a 10th anniversary edition of the EP planned with the 8 unreleased tracks, "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," he wrote.
  
"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," Wallen shared. "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."

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Stand Alone (10th Anniversary Deluxe Edition), credited to Wallen on streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music, was released on Friday via Panacea Records and "under exclusive license to Hard Working Recordings, LLC."

Panacea Records did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment on Friday.

Panacea Records’ label head William Ray told Variety on Friday that he stands by the release. “We love the songs and believe some of his fans will love it too,” he said. “We are excited to finally get these songs out to the world.”

Related: Morgan Wallen's 3 Sisters: All About Ashlyne, Mikaela and Lacey

In response to the old music being released without his approval, Wallen released the re-recorded track on Friday and shared his intentions to donate $100,000 from his Morgan Wallen Foundation to the Volunteer Lawyers & Professionals for the Arts (VLPA) program.

"I hope young aspiring musicians read this story & know they should never have to give up their creative freedoms for an opportunity in this business," Wallen wrote. "Trust me, when new music is ready, you’ll hear it directly from me."

While Wallen's new version of the fan-favorite is his first new solo song since his March 2023 LP One Thing at a Time, Wallen hasn't been too far from the spotlight. In December, he was enlisted by Drake to appear in the rapper's music video for “You Broke My Heart." In the clip, Wallen gave Drake advice after an apparent heartbreak as the two go out on the town.

The clip followed Wallen's recent crossover moment with Post Malone and HARDY, who joined him on stage at the 2023 CMA Awards to perform a Joe Diffie tribute in November.

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