It was mid-April when Craig Morgan stepped onto the stage of the Grand Ole Opry to play a song that he had co-written well before the pandemic began, but a song that seemed to have been created for just this time in our history.

“I really see it now,” Morgan said from the stage that night about the song “The Mask,” which Morgan co-wrote with his bandleader, Mike Rogers. “People getting up and going to work and they are nervous. You know they are scared, but they go.”

The song has evolved into an ode to all of the frontline heroes of the current coronavirus crisis, but also for all those who are struggling in private during this time of unprecedented chaos.

“They all put on a mask,” added Morgan, who released his new album God, Family, Country in May. “I’m not talking about the physical mask that we are all wearing when we go shopping or something. I’m talking about how they put on a front so they can look strong, and that is what this song is about.”

With Luke Combs looking on, Morgan went on perform a heartfelt version of the timely song. And on June 12, Morgan officially released the song, much to the delight of his loyal legion of fans.

“Some of you may have heard me perform my new song, “The Mask” on the Opry or on a recent livestream,” Morgan wrote on his Instagram. “I’m now excited to announce that this Friday I’ll be releasing a recorded version of it dedicated to our frontline heroes during the pandemic and to anyone who has put on a brave front to selflessly help others.”

“Such a wonderful song, Craig,” one listener wrote. “Thank you for being such a light and a blessing to so many, not only during this crazy time right now, but, always. Your songs, they hit the heart, they make us feel, they support us when we need it.... not many artists can do that these days. We appreciate you beyond measure. You truly are a gem.”

Morgan previously stunned fans with "The Father, My Son and the Holy Ghost," his song about life after the death of his son Jerry, who died in a boating accident in July of 2016.

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