Tate McRae is pushing back against criticism over her collaboration with Morgan Wallen, arguing that one song should not define an artist or their personality. In a new interview with W Magazine, the Canadian pop star reflected on the reaction to “What I Want,” which drew backlash from some of her fans following its release in May 2025.
“It’s crazy to think one song could define a whole person. There are many aspects of my personality that three-quarters of my audience has no idea about,” McRae said.
Your daily dose of music news, trends, and fresh drops.
InMusic Newsletter
The comments revisit the controversy surrounding “What I Want,” Morgan Wallen’s country-pop collaboration with Tate McRae, released on May 20, 2025, through Big Loud, Mercury and Republic Records. The track served as the fifth single from Wallen’s fourth studio album, I’m the Problem, and marked his first collaboration with a female singer.
Despite the criticism, the song became a major commercial success. “What I Want” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning Wallen his fourth chart-topper and McRae her first. The achievement gave the pop singer a milestone hit beyond her own releases, but the pairing also placed her at the center of a debate about working with an artist whose past controversies had prompted criticism.
Morgan Wallen previously explained that the collaboration was something both artists had wanted to pursue for some time. He said his sister had introduced him to McRae’s music several years earlier and praised her contribution, recalling that she “just absolutely crushed every single part of the song.”
Tate McRae’s W Magazine interview arrives as she prepares to begin another chapter of her own. On October 7, she announced “Housewife,” her first new single in almost a year, scheduled for release on October 15. The announcement follows the success of So Close to What, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, and its deluxe edition, SO CLOSE TO WHAT???, which added five tracks, including “Tit for Tat.”
Alongside her music, she has also expanded into beauty with TATE 01, her first signature fragrance, launched in partnership with Scent Beauty.
Leave a Reply