Maren Morris and Brandi Carlile offer a powerful meditation on the struggle for understanding in their new duet Common. The song appears on Morris new album Girl.
Rather than trafficking in uplifting platitudes, Common takes a more somber, alienated look at human relations. When its over, when its done, when were standing at the gates/Will we see that all along, were a different kind of same? sings Morris, accompanied by some chilly synth chords and a primitive, metronomic beat. Carlile gets her own verse and adds some chorus harmonies, the two singers pushing the song toward a cathartic finish that emphasizes how we may be all more alike than were capable of admitting. The singer debuted the song live onstage during Carliles Girls Just Wanna Weekend last week.
Both Morris and Carlile are among the mostnominated performers at the 61st Grammy Awards, with Carlile leading among women with six total nods including Album of the Year (By the Way, I Forgive You) and Record of the Year (The Joke). Morris is up for five honors, including Record of the Year (for the Zedd and Grey collaboration The Middle) and Best Country Song (Dear Hate). Both are set to perform during the Grammy telecast Sunday, February 10th, on CBS.
Morris second album, Girl, will be released March 8th and includes the recently released title track. Her headlining Girl: The World Tour kicks off the next night in Chicago with supporting duties being split between Cassadee Pope and RaeLynn.