7 Summers

During the COVID-19 quarantine, Wallen was nominated by fellow country musician Jake Owen to do a demo on Instagram; he accepted the challenge and performed the first verse and chorus in April 2020.[1][2] He was initially uncertain whether the song would be included on his second album, however he changed his mind after the demo received good feedback from fans and went viral on video-sharing app TikTok, where it earned over 24 million views prior to its official release.[3][4] On August 4, in response to a fan who posted on TikTok that they were waiting for Wallen to release the song, he announced the song would be released the following week.[2]

In a statement on the song's release, Wallen said:

"Social media played a huge part in me releasing this song, especially this early. It's a cool thing – me being on the fence about it, then being able to put it out and get people's feedback. Seeing the response played the biggest part in this release. I think that speaks to just how much fans mean to me and fans mean to music. I'm glad I'm getting to put it out and glad people are loving it, I can't wait for y'all to hear the full version".[3]

"7 Summers" contains a "faint tinge" of 80s country music and soft rock flowing through its ringing, suspended chords,[5] and layered guitars,[6] with a "breezy, island-influenced" melody,[7] while Wallen's "daydreamy" vocals[6] finds him reminiscing about a summer love of his who got away, and wondering if she thinks of him.[8] His nostalgia takes him back to an unforgettable summer that is "all too vivid", while indicating that a second chance with his former romance may be possible.[6] Sounds Like Nashville's Chris Parton noted the song for being a "bittersweet anthem", referencing the "time traveling" chorus "Does it ever make you sad to know / that was seven summers ago".[6] Wallen also refers to himself as "that boy from East Tennessee", his home state.[9]

Billboard's Melinda Newman gave the song overall praise, labeling it "swoon-worthy", and stating: "If 'easy listening' were still a bonafide genre, the languid '7 Summers' would go straight to the top of the charts as the melody, Wallen's wistful vocals, Joey Moi's pitch-perfect production and the yearning for a time and love long gone pack a gentle wallop".[10] Allie Clouse of The Knoxville News Sentinel deemed it a "nostalgic summer soundtrack".[9] Think Country Music's Jamie Gard declared it "the country soundtrack of the season", opining that the "breezy, sun-kissed reminiscer, loaded with twilight sonics" will captivate listeners with its "irresistible sway".[11] Rolling Stone's Jon Freeman called the song "dreamy", complimenting producer Joey Moi's "atmospheric" production, stating that it "perfectly fits the mood of Wallen's story".[5]

Time ranked it at number seven among the best songs of the year.[12]

On December 5, 2020 Wallen performed the song on Saturday Night Live.[13]

"7 Summers" set the record for the biggest first-day streams for a country song on Apple Music, garnering 4.6 million streams and debuting at number three on the Global Apple Music chart.[3] It also broke Spotify's first day record for a country track by a solo artist.[3][9] The song debuted at number six on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Wallen's first top 10 entry, as well as the second top 10 debut ever for a song by a solo male country artist, the first since Chris Gaines' "Lost in You" in 1999.[14] This also made Wallen the first contestant from The Voice to score a top ten single.

The song stalled at number 15 on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in February 2020 after SiriusXM Satellite Radio, iHeartRadio, Entercom, and Cumulus Media all issued directives to their stations to remove Wallen's music from airplay[15][16] following controversy after the singer was caught on camera using the word "nigger" with friends as they were entering his Nashville home.[17]