The Transformation Of Maren Morris From 22 To 31 Years Old

Maren Morris might be considered one of country music's biggest stars of today, but she was no overnight success. Born in Dallas, Texas in 1990, Morris grew up with a passion for music. At the age of 10, she would sing while using her family's karaoke machine, according to Ace Showbiz. Morris learned how to play the guitar at 14 after she was given the instrument by her father.

In 2010, she graduated from the University of North Texas and left her hometown so she could focus on her dreams of becoming a singer. The aspiring talent moved to Nashville and started to write songs for a series of high-profile names, some of which included Tim McGraw and Kelly Clarkson, before becoming a household name herself.

Morris (pictured above at 22 years old) would go on to release her debut album in the mid-2000s. However, it would take some time for her voice to really get heard.

Five years after graduating from the University of North Texas, Maren Morris released her debut album, Walk On, in 2005. The self-released LP consisted of 10 tracks and was recorded at The Bridge Studio in Austin, TX, according to All Music. The album may have not made much noise, but it was a step in the right direction. Morris didn't give up and dropped two more studio albums — All That It Takes in 2007 and Live Wire in 2011, per All Music. Morris had yet to break through into the mainstream, but she certainly wasn't going to call it a day. 

According to Music Row, she won the New Music Seminar's "Artist on the Verge" award in 2012. Three years later in 2015, she released her self-titled EP, which attracted a number of major labels. Morris (pictured above at 25 years old) was on her way to superstardom and signed a record deal with Sony Music Nashville. The rest? Well, it was kind of history. The EP racked up more than 2.5 million streams in just over a month and had three songs hitting Spotify's US and Global "Viral 50" chart. While this was a great achievement for the singer, it was only the beginning.

After signing to a major label, Maren Morris (pictured above at 26 years old) went on to record the album that essentially introduced herself to the world. In June of 2016, she released her fourth studio LP, Hero, which became her first charting record. According to Billboard, Hero peaked at No. 5 on the US Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the US Top Country Albums chart. Her highly anticipated follow-up release, GIRL, in 2019, cemented her status as the princess of country music and became her second LP to peak within the top 5 on the US Billboard 200 and to reach the top spot on the Top Country Albums chart.

Morris' career was in demand and everyone wanted a slice. In 2018, she teamed up with Zedd and released the monster hit "The Middle." That same year, Morris (pictured above 26-years-old) collaborated with former One Direction member Niall Horan on "Seeing Blind." In 2019, she featured on Sheryl Crow's song "Prove You Wrong" with the legendary Stevie Nicks.

The massive success of Hero and GIRL helped Maren Morris quickly pick up a lot of awards and earned herself a number of plaques.

After selling over 1 million copies in the US alone, Hero has been certified platinum by RIAA, while GIRL has shifted over 500,000 units and has gone gold. "The Middle" with Zedd and "The Bones" remain her most popular singles, going 3x platinum after 3 million sales. As of this writing, she has eight singles that have achieved platinum status. 

As of 2021, Morris (pictured above at 27 years old) has been nominated for 11 Grammy Awards and has taken home a trophy for Best Country Solo Performance for "My Church." At the 2020 Country Music Association Awards, she won three awards for Single of the Year for "The Bones," Song of the Year, and Female Vocalist of the Year, per Variety. That same year, Morris was awarded Favorite Female Artist — Country at the American Music Awards, according to Country Now.

According to Us Weekly, Maren Morris first met fellow singer and husband, Ryan Hurd, in 2013 at a writing session. After years of love, Hurd popped the question and asked the "My Church" hitmaker to marry her in July 2017. Less than a year later, the couple walked down the aisle and exchanged vows in Nashville in March 2018.

After getting married, Morris went on a huge tour with Niall Horan that summer, something she admitted had an effect on her relationship. "It was probably the hardest part of our relationship," she told Esquire in 2019. "We went on our honeymoon, and then I immediately went on this gigantic tour opening for Niall Horan. It was more international touring than I had ever done. And I was gone more than I had ever been on any other tour."

Morris (pictured above 29-years-old) admitted it was a "tough summer," one which sent her and Hurd to couple's therapy. "We have grown so much closer because we had to make some hard decisions and have some tough talks about what this future looks like and how we can make this better," she said. "I have always loved him, but I feel like I like him in ways I never knew I could before."

In October 2019, Morris revealed she was expecting her first child, whom she gave birth to in March 2020. She welcomed her son, Hayes Andrew Hurd, who she described as the love of her life on Instagram (via Us Weekly).

Maren Morris (pictured above 31-years-old) hasn't released a studio album since 2019, but that hasn't stopped her career from going from strength to strength. With that being said, she has still been keeping listeners fed with new material. In 2021, she teamed up with Canadian hitmaker JP Saxe for "Line by Line." That same year, she released a duet with her husband, Ryan Hurd, titled "Chasing After You."

At award shows, Morris continues to clean up. At the 2021 American Country Music Awards, she picked up Song of the Year for "The Bones" and Female Artist of the Year, according to CNN Entertainment. At the iHeartRadio Music Awards, she received nods for Country Artist of the Year and Country Song of the Year. At the 2021 Grammy Awards, she performed her hit "The Bones" alongside John Mayer.

If there is anything to learn from Morris's success, it's to never give up on your dreams. From self-released albums that got very little recognition to performing on some of the biggest stages, she proves that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. As of 2021, she is worth an impressive $3 million, and it certainly seems like we can expect that figure to grow.