Lil Durk released his eighth studio album Almost Healed on Friday (May 26). On top of a chart-topping promotional single with J. Cole, a special interlude by Alicia Keys, and a posthumous appearance from Juice WRLD, the LP boasted features from Future, 21 Savage, and Kodak Black. Additionally, for the penultimate song on the track list, Durk was joined by country music powerhouse Morgan Wallen for their second-ever collaboration.
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“Stand By Me” sees Wallen croon a heartfelt chorus with his patented Southern twang, allowing Durk to rap lyrics in the song’s verses that echo Wallen’s message of loyalty to your partner regardless of the circumstances.
If tomorrow I lost it all
And everything that I have was gone
When there’s nobody else to call
Would you stand by me? Would you stand by me?
When the world tries to keep me down
And there’s nobody else around
Keep it real, can you tell me now?
Would you stand by me? Would you stand by me?
Wallen and Durk’s unlikely friendship began in late 2021 when the Chicago rapper dropped their collaborative single “Broadway Girls,” which landed on Durk’s seventh album 7220. Employing a similar approach with Wallen on the hook, although they instead sang lyrics about not trusting women, “Broadway Girls” peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by RIAA in May 2022.
Durk accompanied “Broadway Girls” with a fitting music video that sees the two vocalists party at a bar on Broadway in Nashville. “Stand By Me” was not given the visual treatment upon Almost Healed‘s Friday release.
In March, Wallen released his studio album One Thing At A Time, which sat atop the Billboard 200 for 11 weeks, even while Wallen was canceling tour dates and battling health issues. Durk hopes to achieve a similar outcome for Almost Healed, which would be his second consecutive solo album to hit No. 1 on the chart.
Photo by Toni Anne Barson/FilmMagic
