Maren Morris gave fans their first taste of her upcoming album, Dreamsicle -- and the new song packs a serious emotional punch.
Morris, 34, dropped the LP's first single and music video, "Carry Me Through," on Thursday, March 27, after announcing Dreamsicle two days prior. The song is a passionate, gospel-tinged anthem about picking yourself up after landing in a dark place.
"Feels like the worst year's always the one you're in," Morris sings on the first verse. "Haven't heard a hallelujah but I ain't been listening / I've looked every direction for a good way to climb out / Maybe my reflection's the only one who can help me now."
In the chorus, the Grammy winner gives a shout-out to the "friends around" with "hands held out" to help her cope, but she ultimately decides that she has to help herself: "I'm still the one who has to choose / To carry me through."
Dreamsicle is Morris' first full-length album since she announced plans to move away from the mainstream country industry in 2023. "I thought I'd like to burn it to the ground and start over," she told the Los Angeles Times in September of that year. "But it's burning itself down without my help."
She added, "If you truly love this type of music and you start to see problems arise, it needs to be criticized. Anything this popular should be scrutinized if we want to see progress. But I've kind of said everything I can say."
She later clarified that she doesn't intend to fully leave her country roots behind, explaining that she meant she "cannot participate in the really toxic arms of this institution" any longer.
"I certainly can't participate in a lot of it," she told The New York Times' "Popcast" podcast in October 2023. "I'm OK kind of just doing my own thing. Come with me if you please; everyone's welcome."
Since her last album, Morris also went through a divorce, splitting from ex-husband Ryan Hurd in late 2023 after five years of marriage. The former couple, who share son Hayes, 5, finalized their divorce in January 2024.
In June of last year, Morris publicly came out as bisexual in an Instagram post celebrating Pride Month. "Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+ happy pride 🌈," she wrote at the time, sharing photos from one of her concerts.
Read the full lyrics of "Carry Me Through" below:
Feels like the worst year's always the one you're in
Haven't heard a hallelujah but I ain't been listening
I've looked every direction for a good way to climb out
Maybe my reflection's the only one who can help me now
A little change of weather
It'll make it better
When it finally does it'll feel like water in the desert
Yeah I know tomorrow's gon' come
Preaching to a choir of one
It's taken me a while, I'll get there soon
Yeah I got friends around
Plenty of hands held out
But I'm still the one who has to choose
To carry me through
Carry me through
I never let 'em see me because I'm prisoner to pride
No one's been too busy, they've been here the whole damn time
A sweeter side is calling
And love was never lost it's
Just waiting for my footsteps to finally come across it even if I'm crawling