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Before I’m The Problem, Morgan Wallen’s music was best enjoyed at the lake, or on the StairMaster. This album is overwhelmingly unsuitable for neither. Wallen is Billboard’s Top Artist of 2025, determined by an amalgamation of baseball stats. He netted the highest number of placements on the Hot 100 chart, a simpler feat when you release 37 tracks. An uptick in diaristic pop à la Gracie Abrams sees artists acknowledging bad behavior in their personal lives, but Wallen is everyone’s problem. Publicly. If its predecessor One Thing at A Time was about drinking in bars, I’m The Problem is about drinking alone. OTAAT is B.C. (Before Chair), and ITP is A.D. (After Disorderly Conduct charge). His 50+ collaborators weaned him off trap beats, leaving a void for more centrist Southern star Jessie Murph to fill this year. The project is bloated with slop, and broadly lacks the witty devices that give bro country its charm. Still, Wallen shines. He sounds earnest under autotune. His paranoia and self-hatred are palpable, though all the awareness in the world won’t make him a stand-up guy. He’s also got the gift of perfect phrasing, which musicologist Nate Sloan compared to that of Frank Sinatra. Like it or not, I’m The Problem is what America listens to. I’d recommend tracks 1, 5, 11, and 23. If you care where your dollar goes, Soulseek still exists.
Dec 31, 2025