You’ve probably seen the memes by now. The ones where people joke about the 37-track runtime of I'm The Problem, asking if Morgan Wallen even sleeps or if he just lives in a recording booth on his Tennessee farm. Honestly, it's a fair question. When Morgan Wallen's new album 2025 finally dropped on May 16, it didn't just land; it cratered the charts.
It's massive.
We are talking about nearly two hours of music. Some people think that's overkill. They say no one has the attention span for 37 songs in a TikTok world. But the numbers? They say something else entirely. Debuting at number one on the Billboard 200 with almost half a million units in its first week isn't an accident. It's a statement.
What’s the deal with the 37 tracks?
Morgan has this habit of dropping these "marathon" albums. He did it with Dangerous and One Thing at a Time, and he’s done it again here. Basically, he’s betting that his fans don’t want a curated ten-song "experience." They want the whole vault.
Recording this one was a bit different, though. Most of the tracks weren't cut in some high-end Los Angeles studio. Instead, Wallen retreated to his farm outside Nashville. You can kinda hear it in the production. It feels a little more lived-in, a little less "polished for radio," even though it’s obviously still getting massive airplay.
The title track, "I'm The Problem," set the tone early when it released in late January. It’s self-deprecating in that classic country way, but it also feels like a nod to the headlines that follow him everywhere. He isn't running from the "bad boy" image; he's leaning into it.
The collaborations people are actually talking about
Everyone knew Post Malone would be on here after "I Had Some Help" blew up, but the standout feature for a lot of people is actually "What I Want" with Tate McRae. It’s a weird pairing on paper—a country titan and a pop-heavy Canadian star—but it works. It's got this moody, rhythmic vibe that pushes Wallen out of his comfort zone.
Then you’ve got the heavy hitters:
- Eric Church on "Number 3 and Number 7" (a total standout for the traditionalists).
- Post Malone appearing on "I Ain’t Comin’ Back."
- HARDY and ERNEST, who are basically part of the furniture at this point, showing up on "Come Back As A Redneck" and "The Dealer."
Is "I'm The Problem" just more of the same?
That’s the big debate. If you look at critics—like the ones over at Metacritic where it’s sitting around a 64—they’ll tell you it’s bloated. They argue that if he cut the 15 weakest songs, he’d have a masterpiece.
But talk to a guy wearing a Mullet-and-Miley t-shirt at a tour stop in Houston, and he'll tell you the "fillers" are his favorite part. Songs like "20 Cigarettes" and "Skoal, Chevy, and Browning" aren't trying to win Grammys. They’re just songs for Friday nights.
There’s a real vulnerability in "Superman" too. It’s written as a letter to his son, Indigo. It’s probably the most "human" Morgan has sounded in years. It’s not about whiskey or girls or trucks; it’s about the pressure of being a hero to a kid when the rest of the world sees you as a headline.
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The 2025-2026 Tour Cycle
You can't talk about the album without the tour. The I’m The Problem Tour was a sprint through the summer of 2025, hitting 19 stadiums. And just when people thought he was done, he announced the Still The Problem Tour for 2026.
He’s hitting places like:
- Minneapolis
- Las Vegas
- Indianapolis
- Gainesville
It’s a smart move. He’s keeping the momentum of the May release alive well into the next year.
Why this album actually matters for the genre
Love him or hate him, Wallen is the reason country music is currently dominant on global Spotify charts. I'm The Problem is the culmination of that "all-genre" approach. He’s taking the Sand In My Boots Festival energy—where he’s got Wiz Khalifa and The War on Drugs on the same bill—and putting it into a 37-song tracklist.
It’s a mix of country, trap beats, and 80s rock ballads. "Lies Lies Lies" and "Love Somebody" have already proven they have legs on the charts.
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If you're looking to dive into the record, don't try to power through all 117 minutes at once. You'll get "Wallen fatigue." Start with the Eric Church collab or "Smile," then let the rest of it grow on you. It’s a lot to process, but that’s exactly what his audience wants.
To get the most out of this release, check out the live versions he's been performing. The acoustic "farm sessions" he's teased on social media often hold more weight than the studio versions. If you’re planning on hitting the 2026 tour dates, keep an eye on the "Still The Problem" registration dates, as the 2025 shows sold out almost instantly.