Glee's Matthew Morrison releases debut album

MANILA, Philippines - Millions of fans know him as Glee’s eternally optimistic high school choir director Will Schuester, but MCA Music’s newest solo artist, Matthew Morrison shows you another side of that talent on his self-titled debut album, where the Tony Award-nominated Broadway musical star proves his skills as a songwriter and even at strumming a ukulele.

On the album’s first single, Summer Rain, a rhythmic reggae tune he co-wrote with Claude Kelly [Bruno Mars, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera] and hit Norwegian duo Espionage’s Espen Lind and Amund Bjorklund (Train’s Hey, Soul Sister), Morrison looks back on his 20’s, when he worked his way up from a chorus line dancer to a Broadway star, remembering an idyllic tryst up on the roof somewhere in Manhattan. “That’s about an ex-girlfriend of mine,” he explains. “What it’s like to be young, in love and in New York City without a care in the world. It’s something that, when I’m 65, I’m going to look back on and think, ‘That was an awesome moment.’ It was actually the first song I wrote for the album.”

Morrison’s debut album also includes a duet with his Glee co-star Gwyneth Paltrow on a version of the classic Somewhere Over the Rainbow, the same song he sang at the audition-learning how to play ukulele in the process-which earned him his starring role in the hit Fox TV show. “It’s my favorite song of all time,” says Morrison, who says this version, on which he plays ukulele, is based on the cover by Hawaiian player Israel Kamakawiwo’ole, one he also played on the final show of the first season. “I sing the prelude, which not many people do. I feel it’s equally as beautiful as the rest of the song, and that’s what makes it a little different.”

Morrison also was joined in the studio by Sting for a cover of his gospel-flavored Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot, featuring a full-on church choir as well as Elton John for a Glee-style mash-up of Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters and Rocket Man.

“I love this album, but this is just the beginning,” he says. “I’m still figuring things out — who I am as an artist, the stories I want to tell. It’s going to be a process. As proud as I am of this record, I’m looking forward to the next one and the one after that.”  

Promising a mix of originals and covers, Morrison recorded tracks for the album in Los Angeles, New York City and London, and collaborated with several writers including Steve Kipner (The Script, Cheryl Cole), JC Chasez, formerly of N Sync, and Britain’s Eg White (Adele, Duffy). With 10 eclectic tracks, this album will definitely become one’s perfect soundtrack this season.

Matthew Morrison’s self-titled debut album is exclusively released under MCA Music, Inc. To download the hit single, Summer Rain as a ringback tone, just text the code KJ981 and send to 2332 for Globe and Touch Mobile subscribers; SUMER and send to 2728 for Smart and Talk N’ Text subscribers; or 5492057 and send to 2300 for SUN subscribers.