Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae’s single “What I Want” has *officially* released. On Apr. 16, Wallen announced his album I’m The Problem to be released on May 16. He highlighted collaborations on the album, including a song with McRae. McRae received *a lot* of criticism following the announcement, due to Wallen’s past controversies and offensive remarks. Fans flooded the comment section of her Instagram at the time, with one commenter writing, “We were all rooting for you.” Another said, “Girl don’t do this collab ok i love you.”
Wallen and McRae’s single, “What I Want,” released on May 16 and fans are surprised that they’re loving the unlikely collab. Fans may remember that back in February 2021, Wallen was recorded on video shouting the N-word outside of his home. His recording label suspended him immediately afterward, and Wallen posted an apology on Instagram. “I’m embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back,” Wallen said in part. “I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”
Then, at the end of 2024, Wallen was arrested in Nashville, Tennessee, and charged with two counts of reckless endangerment after he threw a chair off the rooftop of a bar. He pleaded guilty and was sentence to one week in a DUI education center and two years of probation.
“What I Want” describes a short-lasting relationship between two broken people. In the chorus of the song, the two sing, “You don’t want this heart, boy, it’s already broke / Told me everything she touch just goes up in smoke / Only stay a couple nights, then she gon’ be gone / I said, baby, you should know that’s what I want.”
In the pre-chorus, Wallen sings, “Nah, you ain’t gotta worry ’bout no trust issues with me / I got ’em too, I got ’em too / Nah, you ain’t gotta worry ’bout no exes that’s crazy / I got ’em too, you know I do / If you’re in a hurry / Nah, you ain’t gonna hurt me tonight / And it won’t be the worst thing / If this is all it is, and in the middle of a kiss.”
In her verse, McRae sings, “There are no hard feelings if you only wanna act like lovers do / For a night or two (Oh, oh yeah) / And sometimes in the mornin’, go back to bein’ someone you never knew (Hey, yeah) / You never knew.”
Fans are shocked at just how much they’re loving the blend of the country and pop genres. Many have gone to X (formerly known as Twitter) to voice their thoughts on the single.
The verdict is in, and the unlikely collab between Wallen and McRae may just be the song of the summer.