Moral of the Story (song)

Last updated
"Moral of the Story"
Moral of the Story - Ashe.jpg
Single by Ashe
from the EP Moral of the Story: Chapter 1 and the album Ashlyn
ReleasedFebruary 14, 2019
Recorded2018
Length3:21
Label Mom + Pop
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Ashe singles chronology
"Choirs"
(2018)		"Moral of the Story"
(2019)		"Bachelorette"
(2019)
Music video
"Ashe - Moral of the Story" on YouTube

"Moral of the Story" is a song by American singer-songwriter Ashe, featured on her second EP Moral of the Story: Chapter 1 (2019) and her debut studio album Ashlyn (2021). The song gained popularity after it was featured in the Netflix teen rom-com film To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (2020). [1] The song is co-written and co-produced by American producer Noah Conrad and Finneas O'Connell. The song reached number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Ashe's first Hot 100 entry among many other countries including United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Canada, Netherlands and New Zealand.

Contents

Background and commercial performance

"Moral of the Story" was originally released on Valentine's Day 2019 ahead of the release of Ashe's second EP, Moral of the Story: Chapter 1 (2019). The song was co-written and co-produced by five-time Grammy-winner Finneas O'Connell, [2] and also features an uncredited lyrical contribution from his sister, Billie Eilish. [3] The song made its world radio airplay premiere on KYSR on 21 February 2020. [4] The song also became popular on the video-sharing platform TikTok, where it has been used in over 900 thousand videos as of June 2020. [5]

By the time the song had debuted at number 71 on the Billboard Hot 100, it had gained 9.7 million US streams and 4 thousand downloads. [6] As a result of the song's success, Ashe debuted at number six on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart. [6]

Composition and lyrics

"Moral of the Story" is in 4
4 common time, in the key of B-flat major, with a moderate tempo of 120 beats per minute. [7] Ashe's vocal range spans from the low note F3 to the high note of G5, giving the song two octaves and one note of range. [7]

In 2018, Ashe wrote "Moral of the Story" after filing for divorce, in an attempt to try and make sense of why the relationship failed. [8] She told Earmilk: [9]

It's hard to accept when you've made a mistake in love or life. But realizing all those mistakes have made you who you are and have helped shape the life you're in you puts a different light on things.

Critical reception

"Moral of the Story" was described by Gregory Castel of Earmilk as a "sobering love ballad with attention-grabbing lyrics" which Ashe has written with "captivating satire and vulnerability". [10]

Music video

The song's music video, which has gained over 36 million views on YouTube, [11] was released with the single and was noted to have a Walter Wick-inspired aesthetic. [10]

Charts

Certifications

Certifications for "Moral of the Story"
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI) [41] Gold50,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI) [42] Platinum600,000‡
United States (RIAA) [43] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Niall Horan version

"Moral of the Story"
Ashe featuring Niall Horan - Moral of the Story.png
Single by Ashe featuring Niall Horan
from the album Ashlyn
ReleasedJune 17, 2020
Recorded2020
Length3:18
Label Mom + Pop
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Noah Conrad
  • Finneas O'Connell
Niall Horan singles chronology
"Black and White"
(2020)		"Moral of the Story"
(2020)		"Our Song"
(2021)

A version of the song featuring vocals from Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan was released on June 17, 2020. [44] It was included on Ashe's debut studio album Ashlyn (2021).

Charts

Chart (2020)Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [45] 19

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References

  1. ↑ Meredith, Karenna (February 14, 2020). "P.S. I Still Love You: I Can't Get the Dramatic "Moral of the Story" Song Out of My Head". Popsugar . Retrieved March 6, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. ↑ Mamo, Heran (March 3, 2020). "Here Are the Lyrics to Ashe's 'Moral of the Story'". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  3. ↑ Polo, Maximillian (February 14, 2019). "Ashe Reflects on a Messy Divorce in the Magnificent "Moral Of The Story"". Ones To Watch. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  4. ↑ Ashe [@ashemusic] (February 21, 2020). "first time on radio... aaaaaannnddd havent stopped crying . thank u @ALT987fm :.) ..." ["...the big world radio premiere of "Moral of the Story..." (0:52)] (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  5. ↑ "Ashe - Moral of the Story on TikTok". TikTok . Archived from the original on March 6, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  6. 1 2 Zellner, Xander (March 3, 2020). "Ashe Debuts On The Emerging Artists Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Moral of the Story - Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. 26 February 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  8. ↑ Polo, Maxamillion (February 14, 2019). "Ashe Reflects on a Messy Divorce in the Magnificent "Moral Of The Story"". Ones To Watch. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  9. ↑ Blair, Lindsay (August 28, 2019). "Ashe gives us a track-by-track breakdown of her "Moral of the Story Chapter 1& 2"". Earmilk . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  10. 1 2 Castel, Gregory (February 20, 2019). "Ashe writes the perfect anthem for broken relationships in "Moral of the Story"". Earmilk . Retrieved March 6, 2020.
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  36. ↑ "Ashe Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
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  40. ↑ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  41. ↑ "Italian single certifications – Ashe – Moral of the Story" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana . Retrieved February 16, 2024.
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  43. ↑ "American single certifications – Ashe – Moral of the Story". Recording Industry Association of America.
  44. ↑ "Niall Horan to feature on new version of Ashe's Moral of the Story". Official Charts Company . Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  45. ↑ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
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