Similarly to Wallen's previous album, I'm the Problem garnered mixed reviews from music critics.[7][8] Nonetheless, the album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 and has yet to depart from the top spot after six weeks, thus marking Wallen's third consecutive number-one album on the respective chart. The album moved over 493,000 album-equivalent units in its opening week, with 133,000 pure sales, overtaking the Weeknd's Hurry Up Tomorrow as the largest debut week of the year.
Background and singles
On March 3, 2023, Wallen released his third studio album One Thing at a Time.[9] The album received mixed reviews from music critics, many considering the album as too monotonous.[10][11][12] Despite the mixed critical reception, the album debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart, remaining there for nineteen non-consecutive weeks throughout 2023 and 2024, eventually becoming the year-end number one album of 2023.[13] The album also holds the record for the second-most weeks spent atop the US Top Country Albums chart with 86 weeks.
To celebrate the one-year anniversary of One Thing at a Time, Wallen released the Abbey Road Sessions.[14][15] The Abbey Road Sessions included an acoustic rendition of "Lies Lies Lies", the lead single from I'm the Problem—which was released on July 5, 2024.[16][17] The Abbey Road Sessions additionally included a cover version of Nothing but Thieves' "Graveyard Whistling", and featured digital collections and live recordings of all 36 tracks from One Thing at a Time, namely from studio number-two.[15][18][19] Predating the release of the album's second single, "Love Somebody" was teased by Wallen on his various social media accounts.[20] Wallen additionally performed the song before release during his One Night at a Time Tour, which garnered positive reception.[21] "Love Somebody" released on October 18, 2024, serving as the album's second single.[22][23] Additionally, "Love Somebody" debuted atop the US Billboard Hot 100 dated November 2, 2024, becoming Wallen's third number one on the respective chart,[5] and the 81st song to debut atop the chart in history.[24][25]
On December 31, 2024, coinciding with New Year's Eve, Wallen surprise-released the promotional single "Smile".[26][27][28] The promotional single was released alongside an official music video, becoming Wallen's eighth song to feature a music video.[29][30] Exactly one month later on January 31, 2025, Wallen released the third single from the album, being the title track.[31] The title track was first teased on Wallen's Instagram as "I Guess", and received positive reception from fans.[32][33] Then on March 21, 2025, Wallen released two promotional singles: "Just in Case" and "I'm a Little Crazy".[34][35] The former song caused Wallen to break the record for the most top-ten hits from an album before the album's release, with "Just in Case" debuting at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100 dated April 5, 2025.[d][3] Wallen released "Just in Case" as the album's fourth single on March 31, 2025, due to high-demand from fans.[36][better source needed]
Following the rave critical reception from Wallen's duet with Post Malone on "I Had Some Help", Wallen and Malone began to tease another collaboration.[37][38] The collaboration with Post Malone, being the third promotional single from the album "I Ain't Comin' Back", released on April 18, 2025.[39] On the US Billboard Hot 100 dated May 3, 2025, "I Ain't Comin' Back" debuted at number eight on the chart, further extending the record for the most top-ten hits from an album before release.[40][4] On May 9, 2025, a week prior to the album's release, Wallen released the fourth promotional single from the album, being "Superman".[41][42] Wallen revealed that he wanted the respective song to "have its own moment" since he wrote the song for his at-the-time three-year-old son, Indigo "Wilder" Wallen.[43]
"I'm the Problem" debuted at number one in the United States with 493,000 units sold in its first week. The album's debut marked the largest of the year, and it broke various streaming and sales record upon its arrival. The project also reached number one in various countries around the world, including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Scotland, with some marking Wallen's first number one debut in the region. 36 of the 37 tracks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, and all tracks debuted on the Hot Country Songs chart.
To coincide with the album release on May 16, 2025, "What I Want" the duet with Tate McRae was released to pop radio as the album's fifth single.[1]
Release and promotion
On January 26, 2024, he revealed that he would start recording his next album towards the end of February 2024.[44] In a statement on January 24, 2025, nearly a year later, Wallen expressed his gratitude for his fans and announced that he was still working on new music.[45] He revealed his next album to be titled I'm the Problem.[46] The news also included the announcement of the release of the title track on January 31, previously teased on January 13, 2024, with the caption "I guess".[47] Wallen previewed two other tracks titled "Superman" and "I'm a Little Crazy" in February and March 2025, both set to appear on the album.[48]
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, I'm the Problem received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 64 out of 100 from six critic scores.[53]
Commercial performance
United States
In the United States, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart. It moved 493,000 album-equivalent units in its opening week, including 133,000 pure album sales, overtaking the Weeknd's Hurry Up Tomorrow as the largest debut week of the year. This extended Wallen's record as the country artist with the most debuts atop the Billboard 200.[58] On the Billboard Hot 100 chart (dated May 31), 36 of the 37 tracks from the album charted, alongside his hit collaboration "I Had Some Help". This gave the country star the record for the most tracks charted simultaneously, breaking the previous record held by himself (36). Wallen also became the only artist history to hold all tracks inside the top 10 of the Hot Country Songs chart. The project generated 462.63 million on-demand official streams in its first week, marking the largest streaming debut for a country album in 2025. It sold 286,000 units in its second week,[59] 246,000 units in its third week,[60] 209,000 on its fourth week, 186,000 on its fifth week,[61] and 176,000 on its sixth week. As of June 29, 2025, the album has earned 1,596,000 units.
^The tracks listed are listed in chronological order from which was released first to the most recent released. "Lies Lies Lies", "Love Somebody", "the title track", "Just in Case", and "What I Want" we're all released as singles. "Just in Case" was first released as a promotional single but later released as a single. "What I Want" was released as a single hours after I'm the Problem released.
^"Smile", "I'm a Little Crazy", "I Ain't Comin' Back", and "Superman" we're all released as promotional singles. Being listed in chronological order, "Smile" was released first while "Superman" was most recently released.
^"Just in Case" became the fifth US Billboard Hot 100 top-ten hit from I'm the Problem before it's release, eclipsing the conjoint record held by Red and Hollywood's Bleeding by Taylor Swift and Post Malone respectively. "I Ain't Comin' Back" would further extend the record to six top-ten hits prior to release.
