On May 16, 2025, Morgan Wallen released his fourth studio country album, I’m The Problem. Prior to this album, the last album Wallen had released was in March of 2023 with his acclaimed and commercially successful One Thing At A Time. That Wallen album was incredibly successful, as it peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and featured the biggest song of 2023, “Last Night”. Wallen’s newest album is seemingly following a similar trajectory, which is fairly surprising given its critical reception.
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Following the release, Wallen’s newest album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. Two weeks later, it is still there, and has no signs of exiting in the coming days or even the coming weeks. In a sense, it is not surprising that Wallen’s album debuted at No. 1 and remains in the top spot. However, that hasn’t stopped the album from receiving hot and cold reviews from fans and major music publications alike.
Why Wallen’s Newest Country Album Received a 6.4 Rating
The most evident issue people and publications have highlighted is the length, as the 37-track album has a run time of over two hours. Furthermore, it seems Wallen’s go-to themes of drunken mistakes and self-loathing have become a bit redundant for some, especially with such a lengthy tracklist. Concerning that notion, US News wrote, “It’s unclear if that growth has happened. (And considering the rest of the album’s hungover revelations and soured relationships, subjects Wallen knows intimately and has made a career off writing to, it seems unlikely.)”
The most notable review that has poked and prodded Wallen’s album is Pitchfork‘s review. Pitchfork gave the album the score of 6.4, and wrote that “country star’s fourth album stretches out over an absurd and needless two hours. But there’s an alluring thread of paranoia and fatalism hidden among the filler.”
Ultimately, there will be filler songs on a 30-plus track album. And while Wallen certainly didn’t hit a home run with every song, the highs within the album represent an evolved and (depending on who you ask) improved Wallen. As the publication highlighted, noting “Success and its accompanying scrutiny seem to have turned Wallen inward, resulting in his most paranoid album, and maybe his truest.”
While Wallen’s album may not be critically acclaimed or go down as a country classic, he continues to tap into the masses with his sound, leading to astounding chart success.
Photo by Christopher Polk/Penske Media via Getty Images
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