9/10
Morgan Wallen takes a vulnerable leap on his fourth studio album, I’m The Problem, diverging from the stereotypical, surface-level country that first brought him fame. His 2018 debut, If I Know Me, launched his career with honest and relatable songs about heartbreak and small-town life. Since then, Wallen has faced public scrutiny and misdemeanor charges, prompting a transition in his musical approach toward more raw, unfiltered, and nuanced themes. Wallen’s shift takes center stage on I’m The Problem, a project that strips back bravado in favor of self-examination and emotional clarity.
The opening track, “I’m The Problem,” dives into Wallen’s toxicity and self-destructiveness in a past relationship. “If I’m the problem / Then you might be the reason,” Morgan sings, acknowledging his flaws while also suggesting shared blame. Lyrics like “If I’m so awful / Then why’d you stick around this long?” and “Why you on your way to waste another Friday night?” extend Wallen’s frustration and emotional exhaustion, while the drawn-out guitar notes echo the weight of his prolonged conflict. He acknowledges he may be the issue, but also points to her repeated decisions to stay and trust him as a part of the larger issue.
Wallen further explores themes of self-destruction on “What I Want,” a highly anticipated track featuring pop star Tate McRae. McRae’s high-pitched, airy vocals and the repeated, resolute line, “that’s what I want,” contrast with Wallen’s heavier, more sorrowful delivery. Here, he admits to hurting past partners, offering a moment of solo blame that sets the song apart. “Nah, you ain’t gotta worry ‘bout no trust issues with me / I got ‘em too,” he sings. The song’s meaning however, is overshadowed by the disjointed sonics. The pair’s conflicting vocals make the song feel somewhat awkward, as if the inclusion of McRae is a cash grab rather than an artistic choice.
I’m The Problem is filled with soft acoustics and lyrics full of regret. On “Falling Apart,” Wallen reveals his honest despair after first love. “If I’d have built my life around you / I coulda built it to the sky,” he sings. Similar hazy guitar sounds continue in “I Got Better,” where familiar clichés like “I ain’t saying you’re the weight on my back / I’m just sayin’ that it ain’t there no more” express a deep sense of hopelessness. Both tracks are reminiscent of older country musicians like Willie Nelson, with slow guitar strings and themes of heartbreak and gloom.
Despite the album’s sorrowful tone, Wallen offers a sense of hope on “Skoal, Chevy, and Browning.” Backed by a faint acoustic guitar, he shares advice on how to be “a friend like Skoal / always there in a pinch” and love a woman “like a Chevy, buddy, steady as a rock” to create a picture of love and loyalty.
It wouldn’t be a Wallen album without shoutouts to the small Tennessee towns that shaped him. On “TN,” he wrestles with the memory of a past relationship, finding comfort in familiar surroundings. He continues this theme on “Don’t We,” questioning if he should live somewhere “better” but deciding to stick with his roots. “If you don’t know about this nowhere, you don’t know me,” he sings.
Wallen’s pride in his Southern identity carries into his collaboration with fellow country musician HARDY on “Come Back As A Redneck.” The track opens with HARDY’s signature stadium rock tone, but slows as Wallen takes over. “Revel in the pride of a simple man / Maybe then you’ll understand,” he sings, pushing back against city-dwelling critics. The song solidifies Wallen’s grounded values of rural life, an identity that shapes the entire record.
“Superman,” released a few weeks before the rest of the album, embraces a soft, classic country sound as Wallen reflects on the challenges of living in a fast-paced, unforgiving world. “Superman’s just a man sometimes,” he sings, admitting his own fallibility as he continues to move forward in exploring his actions.
Wallen collaborates with Post Malone on “I Ain’t Comin’ Back,” a track about reaching an emotional breaking point. Following the massive success of the duo’s 2024 collaboration, “I Had Some Help,” Wallen hinted at another partnership—and this one delivers with a new raw quality. Post Malone’s more hardcore lyrics urges Wallen to be unapologetic, making his point clearly with blunt lyrics.
With a slight falter in the Tate McRae collab in the beginning of the album, Wallen sways toward modern country. The critics he accumulated with fame pushed him to create more diverse, unapologetic tracks that clap back at skepticism. A greater variety of lyrics and variations of guitar strings keep the two hour long album interesting. He may be the problem in his relationships, but he is definitely not the problem with this album.
