How Morgan Wallen’s ‘I’m The Problem’ Album Became A Global Smash Hit

The Morgan Wallen juggernaut soared even higher this week as his new album, I’m the Problem, only proved problematic for its chart competitors.

The Big Loud/Mercury set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 493,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate, making it the biggest week for any release this year. Additionally, Wallen broke his own record with 37 songs on The Hot 100, taking up more than a third of the chart with his titles alone and claiming the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 spots, the first for a country artist.

The album, which has already logged three No. 1s on the Country Airplay chart, also debuts at No. 1 on Top Country Albums, knocking Wallen’s 2023 set, One Thing at a Time, out of the top spot and his 2021 album, Dangerous: The Double Album, down from No. 2 to No. 3.

Internationally, Wallen scores his first No. 1 on the U.K. Albums chart, besting One Thing at a Time, which debuted at No. 40. And all that activity helps earn Kolby Vetter, Wallen’s day-to-day manager at Sticks Management, the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.

Here, Vetter — who previously worked at Wallen’s booking agency, the Neal Agency, as well as Red Light Management and CAA — details the album’s rollout and how Wallen is leading the way domestically and internationally. “For the country genre as a whole, there has always been this myth that country music has a cap globally,” he says. “That glass ceiling is being shattered, and I think Morgan is leading the charge on that.”

I’m The Problem debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums. What decisions did you make leading up to the release that you felt would increase its chances for a No. 1 debut?

You can do all the planning and strategizing in the world, but at the end of the day it comes down to the music and how it resonates with people. I think everyone knew from the get-go the songs that Morgan was putting on this record were going to be strong and relatable. He spent a lot of time writing and crafting every detail of this project, and I think it shows.

The album is a joint project between Big Loud and Mercury. What was the division of duties between the labels?

There were a lot of different perspectives from a whole lot of smart people in a room together. Some of the best ideas for this album rollout came from the time spent sitting in a conference room together, bouncing ideas off of each other, each of us being unafraid to dream big. This whole project was a total team effort. Working with Seth England and his team at Big Loud was great; they’ve been with Morgan from the very beginning, which is a huge asset. Then you bring in guys like [Mercury’s] Tyler Arnold and Alex Coslov, who are responsible for building the careers of so many artists outside of the country format, and it becomes obvious why they are so successful.

I’m the Problem also debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums chart, marking Wallen’s first No. 1 on that chart and a huge leap after One Thing at a Time debuted at No. 40 there. How did playing London’s Hyde Park last summer play into the plan for the U.K. and what other steps did you take to land such a high debut?

[Hyde Park] was a massive moment that really cemented Morgan’s status as a superstar in the U.K. and beyond. It was also a time for us as his team to sit there and think, “What’s possible here?” It’s really a testament to [Wallen’s manager and booking agent] Austin Neal and the strategy he has put in place from a touring perspective. The sky is the limit. And just for the country genre as a whole, there has always been this myth that country music has a cap globally. That glass ceiling is being shattered, and I think Morgan is leading the charge on that.

The album also debuted at No. 1 in New Zealand, Australia, Norway, Scotland and Canada. How will you continue to support the album and build his international career? When will his next global tour be?

We have an insanely talented international team with the folks at Big Loud/UMG and our internal team at Sticks Management. They are always combing through data and finding areas where growth is happening and where the next pop off could be. We’re able to draw from that data to formulate unique ways to break the market. Interesting enough, Morgan is seeing real growth in China. The tour is being worked on currently, but plans are coming together for an international run in 2026.

Wallen played an intimate show at London’s Roundhouse on Wednesday (May 28). How is that furthering his U.K. base or was that show mainly for the U.K. industry?

The idea for this show started way back in January. Last album cycle Morgan played a free show in Nashville at Bridgestone Arena, and it was a massive success. I don’t think I have ever seen a longer line. This time we thought it would be cool to go play a stripped-back set in an intimate setting where fans could get up close and personal. Morgan hasn’t played a room of this size in years, so I think it’s a cool moment for him as well to go back to where he started, and to be in a room where he can see the face of every fan.

Wallen is the first country artist to claim the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 spots on the Hot 100 with his duet with Tate McRae, “What I Want,” at No. 1. He told Billboard that he found out about Tate from his sister. What were the next steps after that with her camp to have the duet happen?

That one was all Morgan. They have known each other for a couple years and have been discussing a collab when the right song presented itself. As Morgan has said, “What I Want” wasn’t written as a duet but rose to the forefront and felt like the perfect match for them. Vocally it’s powerful, and they complement each other very well. We’re really excited to see what this song will do.

Was there any discussion that 37 tracks may be too many, or given that One Thing at A Time had 36 tracks and was still at the top of the charts, has the belief always been bigger is better?

I think we all knew this album would have a good number just by what we were hearing coming out of the writing rooms. So many great songs. They went into the studio and cut 50 tracks and worked back from there. If there is one thing I’ve learned about Morgan since working together, it’s that he is extremely tuned in. If there was any song that he didn’t feel totally great about or it didn’t feel like the right time for the song, it didn’t make the cut. Morgan has earned the right to that creative freedom. He had a lot of things to say on this album, and I think the 37 songs he chose to include reflect that.

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