Since the release of her third album, “Humble Quest,” in 2022, Maren Morris has experienced many life- and career-altering changes. 

In 2023 alone, Morris formally announced her departure from the country music industry and filed for divorce from country singer-songwriter Ryan Hurd.

For Morris, 2024 was also change-filled, both personally and professionally. Earlier in the year, she publicly came out as bisexual on social media. Later on, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and shortlisted for an Academy Award for her original song “Kiss The Sky,” from the critically acclaimed animated film “The Wild Robot.”

As a result of these life-changing moments, Morris released her fourth studio album “D R E A M S I C L E” on May 9. Much like Morris herself, her sound has grown dramatically, incorporating more pop and less country elements than her previous work.

“lemonade” 

The album starts out on a strong note with “lemonade,” a song about moving on from a negative past relationship and focusing on yourself without your past partner in the picture. “lemonade” is a pop song that features some elements of country music such as the acoustic guitar and the organ playing behind Morris’ vocals.

“people still show up” 

This song focuses on the people in your life who continue to be by your side, whether you are experiencing the good or the bad parts of life. Super-producer Jack Antonoff produced the song, which features a much different sound that combines both alternative and funk music elements, such as a snare drum and bass guitar.

“cry in the car”

Morris’ desire to hide her true emotions as she “spirals in silence” after seeing a former partner in public is at the center of this song. There are no remnants of her country music roots within this track, which features a pop sound created via the use of synthesizers, drums and multiple bass guitars.

“cut!”

As a collaboration with singer-songwriter Julia Michaels, “cut!” is about appearing organized and kept together in public, but then letting yourself feel the necessary emotions in private. The song was originally featured on her EP “Intermission,” which was released last summer, and was produced by Joel Little, known for his work with Lorde and Taylor Swift. “cut!” is a true pop song.

“bed no breakfast” 

In “bed no breakfast,” Morris sings about her desire for personal space. The song sounds very similar to the pop sounds first heard on “Intermission,” with no evidence of any country music influences throughout the entire record.

“dreamsicle” 

This song is about focusing on what is happening in the moment, rather than worrying about the future. “dreamsicle,” which was written completely by Morris, features an acoustic country sound that is reminiscent of her earlier albums.

“i hope i never fall in love”

Morris provides listeners with a very direct meaning in this song: She’s hoping that she doesn’t fall in love again after a breakup, which is likely referring to her divorce. This song was also included on “Intermission,” but it is a lot different from other songs on the EP. “i hope i never fall in love” incorporates more country musical elements than other songs included on the EP.

“too good”

This is one of my personal favorites. “too good” is about a past relationship where Morris felt her former partner did not treat their relationship well. The song sounds much more similar to songs from Morris’ earlier albums, primarily because of its upbeat country sound and witty lyrics.

“push me over”

On this track, Morris opens up about her bisexuality for the first time in her music after coming out publicly last year. The song was also featured on “Intermission” and was co-written and produced by members of the indie music band MUNA.

“because, of course”

This song is another one of my personal favorites. It’s dedicated to her son and how she will always love and be by his side. “because, of course” is lyrically similar to the songs she wrote for the soundtrack for the Oscar-nominated film “The Wild Robot.” This song was also included on “Intermission,” but is much more musically similar to one of Morris’ noteworthy country songs than other songs from the EP. However, there are still clear elements of pop music featured.

“grand bouquet”

Here, Morris is apologizing to someone who gave her the grand bouquet she wanted for so long. Morris admits that she did not realize that the bouquet was being presented to her in small amounts over time and not all at once, leading to her not appreciating every flower. This song, which was also produced by Jack Antonoff, includes a similar musical style to the title track because of its soft country sound.

“this is how a woman leaves” 

As indicated by another direct title, this song is about how Morris leaves after a breakup. The song was also featured on “Intermission” and features both country and pop musical elements, which provide listeners with one of the clearest examples of Morris’ initial country pop musical styling prior to “D R E A M S I C L E.”

“carry me through” 

This song was written about how you will always be the one pushing yourself forward, even through all the difficult moments in life when it may not feel possible. This song incorporates more country elements than others on “D R E A M S I C L E,” along with some religious musical elements heard through the melody — mainly being performed by an organ.

“holy smoke”

In this song, Morris is at the end of her growth process and discusses finding the metaphorical light at the end of the tunnel. “holy smoke” is another song produced by Antonoff and incorporates similar country and pop musical elements heard in other songs on “D R E A M S I C L E” and throughout her career.

After experiencing three years’ worth of life changes, Maren Morris has created a collection of music that fully represents her life. While it varies musically from most of her previous albums and songs, “D R E A M S I C L E” is still a strong showing of Morris’ successful songwriting and noteworthy musical hooks, which has made this one of my favorite album releases of 2025 so far.