Moral of the Story (song)

"Moral of the Story" is a song by American singer 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.

"Moral of the Story"
Single by Ashe
from the EP Moral of the Story: Chapter 1 and the album Ashlyn
ReleasedFebruary 14, 2019
Recorded2018
Length3:21
LabelMom + 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

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

In terms of music notation, "Moral of the Story" was composed using 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"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[41] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[42] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Niall Horan version
"Moral of the Story"
Single by Ashe featuring Niall Horan
from the album Ashlyn
ReleasedJune 17, 2020
Recorded2020
Length3:18
LabelMom + 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 Niall Horan was released on June 17, 2020.[43] It was included on Ashe's debut studio album Ashlyn (2021).

Charts
Chart (2020) Peak
position
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[44] 19

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.
  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. Zellner, Xander (March 3, 2020). "Ashe Debuts On The Emerging Artists Chart". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  7. "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. Castel, Gregory (February 20, 2019). "Ashe writes the perfect anthem for broken relationships in "Moral of the Story"". Earmilk. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  11. "Ashe - Moral of the Story". YouTube. February 14, 2019. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  12. "Ashe – Moral of The Story". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  13. "Ashe – Moral of the Story" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  14. "Ashe – Moral of The Story" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  15. "Ashe – Moral of The Story" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved March 21, 2020.
  16. "Ashe Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  17. "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 202010 into search. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  18. "EESTI TIPP-40 MUUSIKAS: Uku Suviste põrutas kõrgustesse, aga kõige popim lugu Eesti Laulu finaalist on hoopis..." Eesti Ekspress (in Estonian). Retrieved March 16, 2020.
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  20. "Official IFPI Charts – Digital Singles Chart (International) – Week: 9/2020". IFPI Greece. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  21. "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Stream Top 40 slágerlista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  22. "Official Irish Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  23. "2020 10-os savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)". AGATA (in Lithuanian). March 6, 2020. Archived from the original on March 19, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  24. "Tipparade week 11 van 2020". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Retrieved March 15, 2020.
  25. "Ashe – Moral of the Story" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  26. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. March 4, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  27. "VG-lista – Topp 20 Single uke 10, 2020". VG-lista. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
  28. "Listy bestsellerów, wyróżnienia :: Związek Producentów Audio-Video". Polish Airplay Top 100. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  29. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 19, 2020.
  30. "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202010 into search. Retrieved March 10, 2020.
  31. "Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 10". Sverigetopplistan. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  32. "Ashe – Moral of the Story". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
  33. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  34. "Official Independent Singles Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  35. "Ashe Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
  36. "Ashe Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  37. "Ashe Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2020.
  38. "Ashe Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  39. "Top 100 Songs". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 2020-03-02. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
  40. "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2020". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  41. "British single certifications – Ashe – Moral of the Story". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  42. "American single certifications – Ashe – Moral of the Story". Recording Industry Association of America.
  43. "Niall Horan to feature on new version of Ashe's Moral of the Story". Official Chart Company. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  44. "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 29, 2020. Retrieved June 27, 2020.
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