I'm the Problem
"I'm the Problem" is the fourth studio album by American country music singer-songwriter Morgan Wallen, released on May 16, 2025, through Big Loud Records and Mercury Records.[1][2] The double-length project comprises 37 tracks, marking it as Wallen's longest album to date and surpassing his previous record set by the 36-song One Thing at a Time (2023).[3][4] The album explores themes of personal accountability, relationships, and self-reflection, often delivered through Wallen's signature blend of traditional country instrumentation and modern production elements.[5] It includes notable collaborations, such as "What I Want" featuring Canadian pop artist Tate McRae and a track with rapper Post Malone, expanding Wallen's sound into crossover territory.[4][6] Preceding the full release, four singles were issued: "Lies Lies Lies" in July 2024, "Love Somebody" in October 2024, "Smile" on New Year's Eve 2024, and the titular "I'm the Problem" in January 2025, all of which achieved commercial success on country charts.[4] "I'm the Problem" continues Wallen's streak as one of country music's top-selling artists, building on the massive commercial dominance of his prior releases; the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, with all 37 tracks entering the Billboard Hot 100, marking a record for the most simultaneous entries by a single artist.[7] It will support his 2026 Still the Problem Tour.[8] The album's expansive tracklist features songs like "I Got Better," "Superman," and "Just in Case," showcasing a mix of upbeat anthems and introspective ballads that highlight Wallen's evolution as a performer.[2][9]Background
Development
Following the controversies that marked his career through 2024, including his April 2024 arrest for throwing a chair from a rooftop bar in Nashville to which he pleaded guilty in December 2024, Morgan Wallen drew inspiration for I'm the Problem from a period of personal introspection, particularly evident in the self-reflective tone of the title track. Wallen has described the album's concept as an admission of his own flaws, stating, "I have been a problem, for sure, and I've got no problem admitting that," while questioning whether it was time to evolve beyond that phase after nearly a year of reflection. This motivation stemmed from life events that prompted him to examine regret, relationships, and the pressures of fame, aiming to channel these experiences into honest songwriting.[10][11] Songwriting for the album began in 2023, with Wallen hosting collaborative sessions at his farm outside Nashville, Tennessee, where he spent nearly a year crafting and refining material in a deeply personal environment. Key co-writers included frequent collaborators HARDY and ERNEST, who formed a hitmaking trio with Wallen known for their ultra-collaborative approach, often working in relaxed, creative settings like the farm to develop introspective tracks. Producer Joey Moi, a longtime partner, was also deeply involved in these early stages, helping shape the project's direction alongside other contributors such as Charlie Handsome and Jacob Durrett. These sessions emphasized Wallen's desire for authenticity, building on their established bond from prior hits.[12][13] The project evolved into a expansive double album format with 37 tracks, selected from an initial pool of around 50 songs, reflecting Wallen's ambition to deliver a comprehensive body of work similar to his previous releases like Dangerous: The Double Album. This decision was influenced by positive fan responses to the volume and variety of his earlier albums, allowing for a broader exploration of themes while prioritizing quality through cuts like the 13 songs ultimately excluded. The structure underscored Wallen's goal of providing fans with an immersive experience rooted in his personal growth.[10][14] During the development phase, Wallen shared early demo snippets on social media to test fan interest and refine the material, a tactic that helped build anticipation and inform the final tracklist. These previews, including acoustic glimpses of unreleased material, highlighted his raw vocal style and songwriting, engaging his audience directly in the creative process.[15]Recording
The recording of Morgan Wallen's fourth studio album I'm the Problem took place primarily at Wallen's personal farm studio near Nashville, Tennessee, spanning from 2023 to early 2025, with additional sessions at Blackbird Studio in Nashville.[16][17] Producers Joey Moi and Charlie Handsome led the sessions, focusing on layering country, alternative-indie, and cross-genre elements to create a cohesive sound across the project's expansive tracklist, while incorporating guest features through targeted overdubs.[16][2] Their approach emphasized blending Wallen's traditional country roots with rock-infused production techniques, such as dynamic vocal stacking and instrumental builds, to support collaborations with artists including Tate McRae, Post Malone, Eric Church, ERNEST, and HARDY.[18][16] A key challenge during production was selecting and refining material from approximately 50 recorded songs to the final 37 tracks, ensuring no filler content while maintaining narrative depth and musical variety.[16][18] The bulk of tracking occurred in summer 2024, allowing time for iterative overdubs and adjustments to integrate guest contributions seamlessly without disrupting the album's flow.[16] Final mixes were completed by March 2025, ahead of the album's May release.[16]Composition
Musical style
"I'm the Problem" predominantly blends country rock with infusions of pop and hip-hop, marking a core country album enriched by R&B, rock, and trap beat elements that amplify its crossover appeal.[19] This sonic palette evolves from Wallen's prior releases like "Dangerous: The Double Album" (2021) and "One Thing at a Time" (2023), which similarly merged traditional country with contemporary pop, but introduces greater experimental flair through eclectic shifts and audacious genre fusions across its expansive tracklist.[19][20] Instrumentation emphasizes acoustic guitars in introspective ballads, providing a rootsy foundation, while electric guitar leads—courtesy of session ace Tom Bukovac on the majority of tracks—drive the rock-infused energy of uptempo selections.[5] Drum programming and trap-influenced beats underpin the faster-paced songs, contributing to a compressed, modern production style that prioritizes rhythmic drive over ornate traditional elements like fiddle or steel guitar.[20] Tracks such as "What I Want" (featuring Tate McRae) showcase this experimentation with electronic-tinged pop arrangements, diverging from Wallen's straighter country roots.[21] Spanning 37 tracks with a total runtime of 116:46, the album employs varied pacing—alternating ballads, stomps, and high-energy anthems—to sustain listener engagement over its nearly two-hour duration.[2] Guest appearances further shape its sound: Eric Church brings traditional country grit to duets like "Number 3 and Number 7," grounding the project in outlaw heritage, while Post Malone adds a crossover element to the track "I Ain't Comin' Back," enhancing the album's genre-blending ambition.[16][22][23]Lyrics and themes
The lyrics of Morgan Wallen's album I'm the Problem center on personal accountability, with the title track serving as a confessional exploration of self-sabotage in a toxic relationship, where Wallen acknowledges his flaws while questioning his partner's complicity, as in the chorus lines "I guess I'm the problem / And you're ‘Miss Never Do No Wrong’ / If I'm so awful, then why'd you stick around this long."[24] This theme extends across the record, portraying relationships as cyclical and destructive, often using metaphors like a "swinging door" to depict repeated returns despite evident harm.[24] Recurring motifs include redemption and emotional vulnerability, evolving from Wallen's earlier work focused on party anthems toward more introspective narratives that reveal personal weaknesses, particularly in fatherhood and romance.[25] For instance, "Superman" confronts the gap between paternal ideals and reality, with lyrics admitting imperfections like relying on alcohol to mask vulnerabilities, emphasizing a quest for self-improvement amid rural life's hardships.[26] Tracks like "Falling Apart" and "Eyes Are Closed" further this through motifs of regret and denial, where Wallen grapples with longing and escapism in fleeting romances, as seen in "Eyes Are Closed" evoking willful ignorance to sustain emotional connections.[25][26] Rural struggles and addiction emerge as key undercurrents, grounding Wallen's storytelling in authentic, small-town imagery that highlights isolation and temptation. In "20 Cigarettes," the act of lighting one on a Nashville deck symbolizes addictive habits intertwined with heartbreak, reflecting broader patterns of self-destructive behavior in everyday settings.[27] Similarly, "Don't We" underscores pride in "nowhere" origins as a source of resilience amid romantic turmoil, while "Genesis" ties biblical temptation to vices like whiskey, portraying redemption as an ongoing battle against personal demons.[27] This approach marks a shift to raw, co-written confessions that prioritize emotional honesty over escapism, fostering a narrative of growth through confrontation with one's flaws.[25][26]Release and promotion
Announcement and marketing
Morgan Wallen officially announced his fourth studio album, I'm the Problem, on March 20, 2025, through a video posted on social media platforms including Facebook and TikTok, revealing a release date of May 16, 2025, and immediately opening pre-orders.[28][29] In the announcement, Wallen expressed excitement about the project, which he described as a continuation of his personal storytelling, while sharing a courtroom sketch-style album cover to intrigue fans.[30] The album's marketing emphasized exclusive physical merchandise and experiential events to heighten anticipation. Pre-orders launched concurrently with the announcement, featuring limited-edition bone white triple vinyl sets available through Wallen's official store and retailers like Target, which offered a brown variant bundled with collectibles such as a fishing ID card.[31][32] Limited to four units per customer, these editions sold out quickly, underscoring Wallen's strong fanbase demand for tangible formats.[33] Additionally, pop-up listening parties were held on May 13, 2025, at Wallen's Nashville bar, This Bar, where fans previewed unreleased tracks and heard stories behind the album in an intimate setting.[34] Digital strategies amplified the pre-release buzz through platform-specific engagements. Big Loud Records curated a Spotify playlist titled "Morgan Wallen: I'm The Problem," aggregating tracks from the album alongside related singles to stream to millions of listeners.[35] On TikTok, snippets from lead single "Love Somebody"—released in October 2024 and which debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100—fueled user-generated challenges and remixes, encouraging fans to create content around themes of romance and small-town life.[36][37] This promotional push built on momentum from Wallen's 2024 singles releases, including the chart-topping "Love Somebody," and the January 24, 2025, reveal of the I'm The Problem Tour, a 20-stadium run that tied directly into the album's themes of self-reflection and redemption.[38][39] The tour announcement, accompanied by a teaser video snippet of the title track, further integrated live performances into the hype cycle, positioning the album as a cornerstone of Wallen's 2025 career arc.Singles
The lead single from I'm the Problem, "Lies Lies Lies", was released on July 5, 2024, marking Morgan Wallen's first solo release in over a year and generating significant anticipation for the album. The track, a brooding country ballad about deception in relationships, quickly climbed the charts, reaching number one on the Billboard Country Airplay chart in November 2024 and peaking at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. It was certified platinum by the RIAA in April 2025 for one million units sold in the United States, underscoring its role in building pre-album momentum through radio play and streaming.[40][41][42] Following the success of the lead single, Wallen released "Love Somebody" on October 18, 2024, as the second single, a heartfelt anthem emphasizing emotional vulnerability that debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the Hot Country Songs chart. The song's immediate chart dominance, driven by strong digital sales and streams, highlighted Wallen's continued commercial prowess in blending country roots with broad pop appeal. The third single, "Smile", was surprise-released on December 31, 2024, and peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100. The fourth pre-release single, the title track "I'm the Problem", followed on January 31, 2025, as a self-reflective country rocker that addressed personal accountability and debuted strongly on streaming platforms.[43][44][45][46] Promotional singles were issued to build further excitement, including "Just in Case" and "I'm a Little Crazy" on March 21, 2025, both reflective tracks that previewed the album's themes. Another promotional release, "I Ain't Comin' Back" featuring Post Malone, arrived on April 18, 2025, to tease the album's collaborative elements. With the album's release on May 16, 2025, "What I Want" featuring Tate McRae was issued as a single, debuting at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and becoming Wallen's fourth chart-topper there. These releases collectively propelled the album's visibility, with "What I Want" particularly noted for its genre-blending duet style that expanded Wallen's audience.[47][48][49] In addition to official singles, Wallen issued further promotional tracks leading into and beyond the launch. Another release, "20 Cigarettes", accompanied the album's May 16 rollout and later served as the sixth single with its official impact on country radio on October 20, 2025; its music video, featuring stark black-and-white visuals of isolation and regret, emphasized the song's themes of fleeting habits and emotional turmoil. These promotional efforts, alongside music videos for key tracks, played a crucial role in sustaining fan engagement leading into and beyond the album's launch.[50]Reception
Critical response
I'm the Problem received mixed reviews from music critics, aggregating to a Metacritic score of 64 out of 100 based on six reviews, indicating generally favorable but divided opinions.[51] Reviewers praised Morgan Wallen's vocal growth, noting a more mature and nuanced delivery compared to his prior work.[52] Positive assessments highlighted the emotional depth in tracks like "Falling Apart," where Wallen's vulnerability added significant dimension to the album's themes of loneliness.[52] AllMusic commended the album's fusion of country, pop, and trap elements, viewing it as a continuation of Wallen's genre-blending approach.[53] Critics frequently faulted the album's excessive length at 37 tracks, with Pitchfork describing it as an "absurd and needless two hours" filled with back-end filler that diluted its impact.[54] Variety characterized the sprawling set as both overly long and slight, pointing to uneven execution across its contributions that failed to sustain depth.[55] Production by Joey Moi was commended for its melodic polish and concision, keeping most songs under three minutes despite the overall bloat.[56] Several reviewers linked the mixed reception to Wallen's public image, including past controversies like his 2021 racial slur incident, which cast a shadow over the album's introspective persona.[55]Commercial performance
Upon its release on May 16, 2025, I'm the Problem debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 493,000 equivalent album units in its first week, the largest debut for any album that year.[57] This total included 133,000 pure album sales and 357,000 streaming equivalent albums derived from 462.63 million on-demand official streams, marking the biggest streaming week ever for a country album.[57][58] The album achieved significant international success, topping the charts in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK Official Albums Chart, while also reaching number one in Canada, Norway, and Scotland.[59][60][61] Additionally, 37 tracks from the album entered the Billboard Hot 100 in the same week, with several reaching the top 10.[62][7] Streaming played a dominant role in the album's performance, with the first-week total of over 462 million global streams largely driven by platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, where it set records for the biggest country album debut of 2025.[57][63] The album held the number one position on the Billboard 200 for 12 non-consecutive weeks as of August 2025, and has spent 25 weeks on the chart as of November 2025, currently at number three, underscoring its sustained commercial impact.[64][65] In terms of certifications, I'm the Problem was awarded Gold in Australia by ARIA for sales exceeding 35,000 units shortly after release. Given its massive sales and streaming figures, along with tie-ins from the accompanying I'm the Problem Tour, the album achieved multi-platinum status in the US by late 2025.[66])Album content
Track listing
The standard edition of I'm the Problem, released on May 16, 2025, features 37 tracks across digital and physical formats, with no deluxe variants available at launch. The album has a total runtime of 116:46.[2][3] Tracks 15–20 form a conceptual "side B" segment emphasizing more acoustic arrangements.[6]| No. | Title | Length | Primary writers | Primary producer(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "I'm the Problem" | 2:57 | Wallen, Block, McLaughlin, ERNEST, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome, Joey Moi |
| 2 | "I Got Better" | 3:24 | Wallen, Pendergrass, Vojtesak | Joey Moi |
| 3 | "Superman" | 3:08 | Wallen, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 4 | "What I Want" (feat. Tate McRae) | 3:04 | Wallen, McRae, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 5 | "Just In Case" | 2:46 | Wallen, Moi, Vojtesak | Joey Moi |
| 6 | "Interlude" | – | Wallen | Joey Moi |
| 7 | "Falling Apart" | – | Wallen, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 8 | "Skoal, Chevy, and Browning" | – | Wallen, Block, McLaughlin | Joey Moi |
| 9 | "Lies Lies Lies" | – | Wallen, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 10 | "Smile" | – | Wallen, Handsome, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 11 | "I Ain't Comin' Back" | – | Wallen, Moi | Joey Moi |
| 12 | "TN" | – | Wallen, Vojtesak | Joey Moi |
| 13 | "Love Somebody" | – | Wallen, Handsome, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 14 | "The Dealer" (feat. ERNEST) | – | Wallen, ERNEST, Vojtesak | Joey Moi |
| 15 | "Come Back As A Redneck" (feat. HARDY) | – | Wallen, HARDY, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 16 | "Dark Til Daylight" | – | Wallen, Moi | Joey Moi |
| 17 | "Leavin's The Least I Could Do" | – | Wallen, Block | Joey Moi |
| 18 | "Drinking Til It Does" | – | Wallen, Vojtesak | Charlie Handsome |
| 19 | "Nothin' Left" (feat. Post Malone) | – | Wallen, Post Malone, Handsome | Charlie Handsome |
| 20 | "I'm A Little Crazy" | – | Wallen, Moi | Joey Moi |
| 21–37 | Additional tracks including "Don't We," "Kick Myself," "Genesis," "20 Cigarettes," "Revelation," and "Number 3 and Number 7" (feat. Eric Church) | Varies | Various (primarily Wallen, Vojtesak, Handsome, Moi, Block) | Joey Moi, Charlie Handsome |