Latest news with #WhatIWant
Forbes
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Morgan Wallen's New No. 1 Song: An Odd Journey To Becoming A Bestseller
Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae's 'What I Want' hits a new high at No. 9 on the Digital Song Sales ... More chart weeks after topping the Hot 100. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 15: Morgan Wallen attends the 2022 Billboard Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 15, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo byfor MRC) Morgan Wallen collected another No. 1 on the Hot 100 just a few weeks back with "What I Want," the latest single from his gargantuan album I'm the Problem. The tune debuted atop the competitive list at the same time that the full-length opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The track earned featured pop singer Tate McRae her first leader on the ranking as it debuted. "What I Want" quickly stepped down on the Hot 100, but it has been steadily gaining ground on another list — one where its ascent is a bit surprising. This week, "What I Want" lifts one spot on the Digital Song Sales chart. The cut climbs from No. 10 to No. 9, reaching a new all-time peak on Billboard's list of the top-selling tunes throughout the U.S. The Wallen/McRae team-up has experienced something of an unusual journey on the Digital Song Sales chart. Typically these days, when a major musician drops a new track, its first week turns out to be its most important when it comes to pure purchases. After enjoying a full tracking period, that's usually when it debuts in a lofty position on the Digital Song Sales tally — then often drops from there, unless it turns out to be a sustained smash. That's not what has happened with "What I Want." The single completely missed the Digital Song Sales chart the week it arrived on other Billboard rankings. When I'm the Problem first ruled, it was surprising to see the No. 1 song on the Hot 100 completely miss the 25-spot sales tally, but its quick adoption at radio and huge streaming numbers powered it to the summit. Last week, when it declined to the runner-up space on the Hot 100 – making room for 'Ordinary' by Alex Warren to finally hit No. 1 – "What I Want" finally debuted on the Digital Song Sales chart at No. 10. It's uncommon for the biggest track in America to not even rank as one of the 25 bestselling compositions in a given frame, but less odd for the No. 2 tune to sell the tenth-most copies of any track in the country. Interestingly, sales of "What I Want" are not increasing. It seems a relative lack of competition is to thank for the track's ascent. In the past tracking period, Luminate reports that the collaboration sold a little more than 2,100 copies. That's actually down 15% from the period before, when it managed 2,500.
USA Today
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Post Malone on going country and what's next: 'I make what makes me happy'
Post Malone on going country and what's next: 'I make what makes me happy' Show Caption Hide Caption Travis Tritt talks Post Malone's passion for Country music on Opry 100 red carpet Travis Tritt talks Post Malone's passion for Country music on Opry 100 red carpet A crop of musicians has gone country recently, from Tate McRae's chart-topping collaboration with Morgan Wallen on "What I Want" to Beyoncé's Grammy album of the year winner "Cowboy Carter." But perhaps none has been more fully embraced by the genre's fans and surrounding industry than Post Malone. Already a musical chameleon – with No. 1 hits in hip-hop, pop and rock – Malone went all-in on country with his sixth album, "F-1 Trillion." The 2024 release topped both the all-genre Billboard 200 and Top Country charts, earned him a Coachella headlining spot and sparked his most ambitious tour yet, the Big Ass Stadium Tour with Jelly Roll. "I want to make sure I do things with respect. I feel honored that everyone has been accepting and patient with me," Malone tells the Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network, in support of Sony's "For The Music" campaign. Post Malone setlist: All the songs he and Jelly Roll played on the Big Ass Stadium Tour Post Malone: Chart-topper and collaborator Malone has a long history of working well with others. Eleven of the 14 songs he's landed on Billboard's Top 10 were collaborations, including "Rockstar" featuring 21 Savage in 2017, "Take What You Want" with Ozzy Osbourne and Travis Scott in 2019, and "Fortnight" with Taylor Swift in 2024. He's also partnered with brands including Bud Light, Crocs, Oreo and Doritos. In his campaign with Sony's For The Music, he's promoting products including noise-canceling headphones and wireless speakers, along with the idea that the combination of music, technology and creativity leads to a greater connection between fans and artists. "I've always just tried to make music that's true to who I am — no matter," Malone says. "I make what makes me happy. So to be part of something that celebrates artists for doing their own thing and pushing boundaries, that feels really special." What's next for Post Malone? Malone doesn't have plans to leave country music anytime soon. He revealed to Billboard in April he's already working on his seventh album and has made trips to Nashville to record. Acclaimed country guitarist Derek Wells, who has worked with Malone while recording and playing live, has high praise for Malone and teases what to expect on the upcoming project. Review: Post Malone fires up first stadium tour with trusty accomplice Jelly Roll "Performing country music is an entirely different discipline and requires an entirely different vocal delivery from working in pop," Wells says. "Moving away from having his voice saturated with vocal effects and treatments has him really working, especially onstage, to deliver a quality show every night. "There's also more fiddle, pedal steel, guitar solos. Where we started as two feet over the line into traditional country on 'F-1 Trillion' has turned into head, chest, shoulders and feet across the line on where we're headed with the next batch of songs." Contributing: Marcus Dowling, The Tennessean
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Morgan Wallen is country music's biggest star — and resident bad boy. Is that a problem?
At the end of a March episode of Saturday Night Live where he had just performed as a musical guest, Morgan Wallen gathered onstage with the cast as they said their goodbyes. With his trucker hat nearly covering his eyes, the 32-year-old from small-town Tennessee nodded his thanks to host Mikey Madison and darted abruptly from center stage and past the audience. He seemingly wandered all the way to the airport, where he snapped a photo of a small plane and put it on his Instagram story. 'Get me to God's country,' he captioned it. That sparked a firestorm of responses, memes and eventually merch over the next few days. Was Wallen rude, ungrateful or annoyed with the celebrity worship and lifestyle of New York City? Was he right to be? The incident, though odd, didn't dull Wallen's shine or put a damper on his massive and ever-increasing popularity. Fresh off the May 16 release of his 37-track record I'm the Problem, Wallen already has both the top song and the top album in the country. In fact, it's the biggest album of the year so far, and every single song landed on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking another record. His latest single, 'What I Want' featuring Tate McRae, has the chance of earning him the honor of 'Song of Summer' for an unprecedented third year in a row. Wallen faced backlash in 2021 for using a racial slur. In his apology, he asked fans not to defend him, saying it was hour 72 of a 72-hour bender. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment charges related to a 2024 incident in which he threw a chair off a roof. Wallen's first attempt at performing on SNL in 2020 was nixed because he violated COVID protocols. Now, he's not just surviving attempts at cancellation — he's thriving. As it stands, his polarizing status has made him even more of a star. Marcus K. Dowling, country music reporter at the Tennessean, told Yahoo Entertainment that Wallen wouldn't be such a cultural force if he weren't so talented. He's the most successful country crossover artist since Garth Brooks. 'If the songs were not good, if the songs were not catchy, popular, well-written, all of the things, this would not be an issue. But it is an issue, because every time he puts out an album … there is a population of people that very much do not want Morgan Wallen to succeed,' he said. 'But then he puts out another slate of music, and it's very well-produced and the writing is peerless.' It helps that Wallen is prolific too. By releasing dozens of singles in the last five years, he isn't just driving cultural conversation. He's dominating it. 'You're not talking about a person at that point. You're talking about something that's far greater than that … an avatar of a genre and a movement and society at large,' Dowling said. 'People gravitate toward a bad boy image, first and foremost. Then there's this social construct of country, western, rural, nightlife, college-age entertainment and the relatability of [him singing about how] 'I'm really bad at relationships because I'm in my 20s!' Add that all together, it's a very real thing.' 'If you're playing his songs in Florida, he sounds like your next-door neighbor, but he's singing Drake songs. That's like discovering plutonium by accident. The ultimate mistake of your life,' he added. Dowling said Wallen masterfully appeals to swaths of Gen Z-ers and millennials that are young, sad and ready to party. He's a distinctly self-aware and talented writer, and that makes him really good at curating vibes. Wallen curated the first-ever Sand in My Boots music festival in Gulf Shores, Ala., which took place the same May weekend that he released his latest album. All 40,000 tickets sold out in just two hours. 'Gulf Shores is, indeed, God's country, if on the fourth day, God invented Zyn, the fifth day, Michelob Ultra, and on the sixth day, he declared, 'Let there be scantily clad women walking barefoot in the street!'' Billboard's Meaghan Garvey wrote of her experience at the festival. But if Wallen is the top artist in the country, he's not just dominating towns where people are known to have a good time. He's the most-played artist on TouchTunes jukeboxes across the entire country so far in 2025, according to data the company shared with Yahoo Entertainment. He's racking up nearly double the plays of the next closest act across 65,000 locations nationwide. Chicago is the city where his music is most popular. His songs are relatable to the young people who drive culture, explained Nathan Green, CEO and co-founder of in-store music curation company New Level Radio. 'Wallen's raspy, soulful voice evokes emotion, and his songwriting often delves into relatable experiences like toxic relationships and the struggles of navigating modern life. … Songs that discuss drunken screwups, small-town living and life's issues elevate his persona to fans who feel like they are going through the same things in life,' he told Yahoo Entertainment. 'Wallen's fans tend to see him as relatable and authentic, especially his ability to portray the 'sad, bad boy' character.' Wallen's songwriting and sound transcend genre, which is why it's so appealing to such a wide audience. 'His persona blends old-school country grit with that polished, modern pop-country vibe, which makes him appealing to both younger listeners and more traditional fans,' Americana artist Nate Currin told Yahoo Entertainment. 'Add to that his knack for writing catchy, radio-friendly summer tunes, and it's no surprise he's taken the country scene by storm.' Blending genres isn't just an art form — it's a strategy. Atlanta Cobb, a music consultant and founder of the artistic development program Music Industry Mentor, told Yahoo Entertainment that the fact that Wallen's able to play on multiple genres of radio stations aided his breakout success. 'When you combine radio airplay domination with TikTok virality, you've got the perfect combination for becoming the artist (or song) of the summer,' she said. 'His team is incredibly smart about release strategy — dropping hooky, emotionally resonant tracks right before summer, tapping into themes like heartbreak and nostalgia that soundtrack long drives and late nights.' Wallen easily dominates summer every year because his songs play into the things we associate with the season — going out, driving a truck, drinking whiskey and so on. Dowling said these are common themes in country music because, unlike other genres, it 'remembers its history' and taps into that same iconography. What people don't seem quick to remember, though, is Wallen's history of controversy. It's also possible that they've weighed his talent against it and decided that his music is more important than the things he's done. 'I think his fan base sees him as resilient, worthy of second (or third, or fourth) chances and as a survivor of so-called 'cancel culture' — which all feels to me like it mirrors what's happening in the political sphere,' Amy Crawford, vice president of creative development at branding agency MassiveMusic, told Yahoo Entertainment. 'His new album is titled I'm The Problem — he is marketing, and his fan base is rooting for his … redemption.' There are a lot of people who would agree with Wallen's album title and wish he'd go away. 'Depending on where you fall on the ideological spectrum … he's somebody who should be gone. But then you hit play, and 'I'm the Problem' comes on, and you're stuck,' Dowling said. 'Fifteen seconds is all the [music streaming services] algorithm needs. You're done.' You listen to 'Whiskey Glasses,' his first big hit, and then 'Broadway Girls,' a Lil Durk song he's featured on. Maybe you hear his previous songs of summer, 2023's 'Last Night' and 2024's 'I Had Some Help' featuring Post Malone, and you just keep listening. 'If you hit play, no matter what you think about this person, no matter what you think about race … or culture yourself, you're minimally going to give this song a spin,' Dowling said. 'And you're probably going to like it and play it again.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Morgan Wallen is country music's biggest star — and resident bad boy. Is that a problem?
At the end of a March episode of Saturday Night Live where he had just performed as a musical guest, Morgan Wallen gathered onstage with the cast as they said their goodbyes. With his trucker hat nearly covering his eyes, the 32-year-old from small-town Tennessee nodded his thanks to host Mikey Madison and darted abruptly from center stage and past the audience. He seemingly wandered all the way to the airport, where he snapped a photo of a small plane and put it on his Instagram story. 'Get me to God's country,' he captioned it. That sparked a firestorm of responses, memes and eventually merch over the next few days. Was Wallen rude, ungrateful or annoyed with the celebrity worship and lifestyle of New York City? Was he right to be? The incident, though odd, didn't dull Wallen's shine or put a damper on his massive and ever-increasing popularity. Fresh off the May 16 release of his 37-track record I'm the Problem, Wallen already has both the top song and the top album in the country. In fact, it's the biggest album of the year so far, and every single song landed on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking another record. His latest single, 'What I Want' featuring Tate McRae, has the chance of earning him the honor of 'Song of Summer' for an unprecedented third year in a row. Wallen faced backlash in 2021 for using a racial slur. In his apology, he asked fans not to defend him, saying it was hour 72 of a 72-hour bender. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless endangerment charges related to a 2024 incident in which he threw a chair off a roof. Wallen's first attempt at performing on SNL in 2020 was nixed because he violated COVID protocols. Now, he's not just surviving attempts at cancellation — he's thriving. As it stands, his polarizing status has made him even more of a star. Marcus K. Dowling, country music reporter at the Tennessean, told Yahoo Entertainment that Wallen wouldn't be such a cultural force if he weren't so talented. He's the most successful country crossover artist since Garth Brooks. 'If the songs were not good, if the songs were not catchy, popular, well-written, all of the things, this would not be an issue. But it is an issue, because every time he puts out an album … there is a population of people that very much do not want Morgan Wallen to succeed,' he said. 'But then he puts out another slate of music, and it's very well-produced and the writing is peerless.' It helps that Wallen is prolific too. By releasing dozens of singles in the last five years, he isn't just driving cultural conversation. He's dominating it. 'You're not talking about a person at that point. You're talking about something that's far greater than that … an avatar of a genre and a movement and society at large,' Dowling said. 'People gravitate toward a bad boy image, first and foremost. Then there's this social construct of country, western, rural, nightlife, college-age entertainment and the relatability of [him singing about how] 'I'm really bad at relationships because I'm in my 20s!' Add that all together, it's a very real thing.' 'If you're playing his songs in Florida, he sounds like your next-door neighbor, but he's singing Drake songs. That's like discovering plutonium by accident. The ultimate mistake of your life,' he added. Dowling said Wallen masterfully appeals to swaths of Gen Z-ers and millennials that are young, sad and ready to party. He's a distinctly self-aware and talented writer, and that makes him really good at curating vibes. Wallen curated the first-ever Sand in My Boots music festival in Gulf Shores, Ala., which took place the same May weekend that he released his latest album. All 40,000 tickets sold out in just two hours. 'Gulf Shores is, indeed, God's country, if on the fourth day, God invented Zyn, the fifth day, Michelob Ultra, and on the sixth day, he declared, 'Let there be scantily clad women walking barefoot in the street!'' Billboard's Meaghan Garvey wrote of her experience at the festival. But if Wallen is the top artist in the country, he's not just dominating towns where people are known to have a good time. He's the most-played artist on TouchTunes jukeboxes across the entire country so far in 2025, according to data the company shared with Yahoo Entertainment. He's racking up nearly double the plays of the next closest act across 65,000 locations nationwide. Chicago is the city where his music is most popular. His songs are relatable to the young people who drive culture, explained Nathan Green, CEO and co-founder of in-store music curation company New Level Radio. 'Wallen's raspy, soulful voice evokes emotion, and his songwriting often delves into relatable experiences like toxic relationships and the struggles of navigating modern life. … Songs that discuss drunken screwups, small-town living and life's issues elevate his persona to fans who feel like they are going through the same things in life,' he told Yahoo Entertainment. 'Wallen's fans tend to see him as relatable and authentic, especially his ability to portray the 'sad, bad boy' character.' Wallen's songwriting and sound transcend genre, which is why it's so appealing to such a wide audience. 'His persona blends old-school country grit with that polished, modern pop-country vibe, which makes him appealing to both younger listeners and more traditional fans,' Americana artist Nate Currin told Yahoo Entertainment. 'Add to that his knack for writing catchy, radio-friendly summer tunes, and it's no surprise he's taken the country scene by storm.' Blending genres isn't just an art form — it's a strategy. Atlanta Cobb, a music consultant and founder of the artistic development program Music Industry Mentor, told Yahoo Entertainment that the fact that Wallen's able to play on multiple genres of radio stations aided his breakout success. 'When you combine radio airplay domination with TikTok virality, you've got the perfect combination for becoming the artist (or song) of the summer,' she said. 'His team is incredibly smart about release strategy — dropping hooky, emotionally resonant tracks right before summer, tapping into themes like heartbreak and nostalgia that soundtrack long drives and late nights.' Wallen easily dominates summer every year because his songs play into the things we associate with the season — going out, driving a truck, drinking whiskey and so on. Dowling said these are common themes in country music because, unlike other genres, it 'remembers its history' and taps into that same iconography. What people don't seem quick to remember, though, is Wallen's history of controversy. It's also possible that they've weighed his talent against it and decided that his music is more important than the things he's done. 'I think his fan base sees him as resilient, worthy of second (or third, or fourth) chances and as a survivor of so-called 'cancel culture' — which all feels to me like it mirrors what's happening in the political sphere,' Amy Crawford, vice president of creative development at branding agency MassiveMusic, told Yahoo Entertainment. 'His new album is titled I'm The Problem — he is marketing, and his fan base is rooting for his … redemption.' There are a lot of people who would agree with Wallen's album title and wish he'd go away. 'Depending on where you fall on the ideological spectrum … he's somebody who should be gone. But then you hit play, and 'I'm the Problem' comes on, and you're stuck,' Dowling said. 'Fifteen seconds is all the [music streaming services] algorithm needs. You're done.' You listen to 'Whiskey Glasses,' his first big hit, and then 'Broadway Girls,' a Lil Durk song he's featured on. Maybe you hear his previous songs of summer, 2023's 'Last Night' and 2024's 'I Had Some Help' featuring Post Malone, and you just keep listening. 'If you hit play, no matter what you think about this person, no matter what you think about race … or culture yourself, you're minimally going to give this song a spin,' Dowling said. 'And you're probably going to like it and play it again.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Will Morgan Wallen & Tate McRae Be Able to Hold at No. 1 on the Hot 100?
The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week, for the upcoming Billboard Hot 100 dated June 7, we look at the chances of Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae's star-powered duet to continue its reign on the chart. Morgan Wallen feat. Tate McRae, 'What I Want' (Mercury/Big Loud/Republic): The combined star power of country superpower Morgan Wallen and rising pop phenom Tate McRae helped boost 'What I Want' to being not just the highest-ranking of Wallen's record-breaking 37 tracks on the Hot 100 last week, but the No. 1 song period – Wallen's fourth and McRae's first. The debut came on the back of 31.2 million official streams, according to Luminate, allowing it to bow atop the Streaming Songs chart and making up for its relative lack of radio presence as a new song. More from Billboard The Amity Affliction Cover Turnstile's 'Holiday' for 'Like a Version' Mariah Carey Celebrates 20 Years of 'The Emancipation of Mimi': Stream It Now Miley Cyrus' New Album 'Something Beautiful' This Way Comes: Stream It Now That streaming presence should still be very pronounced in its second week, as the song continues to reign on the Spotify Daily Top Songs USA chart and the Apple Music real-time chart. And the song is already starting to make a radio impact: After debuting at Nos. 32 and 38 on Adult Pop Airplay and Pop Airplay, respectively, on this week's charts (dated May 31), it's pushing toward the top 25 on both. (On Country Airplay, it debuted at No. 55 this week but looks likely to fall off next week – granted it's being promoted so far only to pop and adult formats.) If the song can hold for a second week, it will become the first multi-week Hot 100 No. 1 from I'm the Problem, pulling past the one-week No. 1 'Love Somebody,' which topped the chart last November. (It would still have another 14 weeks to go to tie the longest-reigning single from prior album One Thing at a Time, the 16-week No. 1 'Last Night' in 2023.) Alex Warren, 'Ordinary' (Atlantic): If not for Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem album debut, we might be talking about Alex Warren celebrating his first Hot 100 No. 1 single this week. After multiple frames of being at stuck at No. 2 behind Kendrick Lamar and SZA's 'Luther,' 'Ordinary' finally moves ahead of that 13-week No. 1 – but still only ranks at No. 4 on this week's chart, after falling behind three tracks from I'm the Problem. Nevertheless, 'Ordinary' should remain a strong contender for the top spot. It still ranks towards the top of the major streaming charts, and after reaching the Radio Songs top 10 this week, the song is now aiming for the top five; it's up 16% in audience May 23-26 over the previous building week. It's also challenging for No. 1 next week on Adult Pop Airplay, and could come for the crown on Pop Airplay not long after. Meanwhile, Warren has a new song out in the Jelly Roll collab 'Bloodline,' which should also be headed for a strong Hot 100 debut. But as shown with the success of recent artists like Teddy Swims and Benson Boone, having simultaneous follow-up hits can be more helpful than harmful to the original hits these days, so 'Bloodline' doing well might boost 'Ordinary' in its pursuit of the top spot. Morgan Wallen, 'Just in Case' and 'I'm the Problem' (Mercury/Big Loud/Republic): Morgan Wallen will still be seeing an awful lot of himself in the rearview mirror, as his solo songs that rank at No. 2 and 3 on the Hot 100 this week — 'Just in Case' and 'I'm the Problem,' respectively – should remain big factors on the chart next week as well. Though the two songs rank behind 'What I Want' on DSPs, they still have the head start on radio: 'Just in Case' continues climbing Country Airplay, though it could be still outside the top 10 next week, after rising to a new No. 13 high this week. Meanwhile, 'I'm the Problem' has ruled Country Airplay for six weeks already, and could be on pace for a seventh week at No. 1. If one of these other I'm the Problem tracks is able to pass 'What I Want' on next week's Hot 100, Wallen would replace himself on top for the first time in his career – becoming the first artist to do so since… Kendrick Lamar just a couple months ago, after a Super Bowl-rebounded 'Not Like Us' gave way to 'Luther' and its months-long reign. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Four Decades of 'Madonna': A Look Back at the Queen of Pop's Debut Album on the Charts Chart Rewind: In 1990, Madonna Was in 'Vogue' Atop the Hot 100
