Ashe’s “Moral of the Story” is already a bop, and all over TikTok as fans use the chorus to document unfortunate romantic endeavors and life mistakes.
On Wednesday (June 17), however, the song got an exciting new layer thanks to Niall Horan, who lent his vocals to a revamped version of the track. The re-imagined twist features a new second verse from Horan, changing Ashe’s original “Remember when we painted our house just like my grandparents did/So romantic but we fought the whole time,” to something more Niall-esque: “We burnt down our paper house/Talking to your father he said you could be mine.”
“Niall’s voice on ‘Moral of the Story’ feels so natural and organic. He’s absurdly talented. It feels like he was in the room the day we wrote it, as if he had been there all along and I just didn’t know it,” Ashe said in a press statement. “This is the most personal song I’ve ever written/released and I needed to know Niall was going to treat it with the same vulnerability and care. He absolutely exceeded those expectations.”
“From the minute Ashe got in touch and I heard this song, I loved it so much,” Horan mirrored. “From the chord choices to the natural storytelling melodies that she possesses, it was a no brainer that I was going to be a part of it. We sat on FaceTime for ages chatting, writing different parts and having a laugh. Ashe is a legendddddd. She’s insanely talented and I’m proud to say she’s now my friend.”
The original version of “Moral of the Story” was co-written by Ashe, Finneas, Noah Conrad and Casey Smith, and appears on Ashe’s double EP, Moral of the Story Chapters 1 & 2, executive produced Finneas.
Listen to the new version via a yellow-toned visualizer below.