- Tate McRae says country music shaped her upbringing and welcomed a duet with Morgan Wallen.
- The Morgan Wallen collaboration topped the Billboard Hot 100 but sparked fan backlash.
- McRae told Rolling Stone she recorded remotely, hasn’t met Wallen, and doesn’t regret the choice.
- 2025 was a breakout year: Billboard Canada’s Top Canadian Artist and a No. 1 album.
Tate McRae on the Morgan Wallen duet
Tate McRae appears on the cover of Rolling Stone and used the profile to address the reaction to her duet with Morgan Wallen. The duet, “What I Want,” featured on Wallen’s album I’m The Problem, rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, but its release also stirred controversy among some fans.
McRae emphasized that the decision was driven by the song and a long-standing interest in country and folk music. “Honestly, country music is huge where I’m from,” she said, noting upbringing experiences like attending the Calgary Stampede and hearing country artists at home.
Why fans pushed back
The backlash was partly rooted in Wallen’s past public controversy, including an incident where he used a racial slur during the pandemic — a moment that led to industry pushback and temporary removal from playlists and radio. McRae did not dwell on Wallen’s history in detail, saying the project surprised her by how many external factors became tied to the single.
She told Rolling Stone she recorded her vocals remotely and has not met Wallen in person. Still, she defended her artistic choices. “I don’t think you should regret anything in life, because it gives you so much clarity,” McRae said. She added that criticism can be instructive: “I think controversy and criticism is a way of learning and figuring out what you want to move forward with, and how that shapes you as a person.”
A genre-crossing move
For McRae, the duet was a natural chance to cross genres. She described an interest in folk or country music as a future path, and said the collaboration satisfied a desire to experiment outside pop. The singer framed the duet as “just about the song” rather than a statement.
McRae’s breakout 2025
Beyond the duet, 2025 marked a major year for McRae. Billboard Canada named her the Top Canadian Artist for the year. Her third studio album, So Close To What, became her first No. 1 album in Canada and later climbed back into the top positions after a deluxe edition release.
McRae also completed a global Miss Possessive world tour, which Billboard reported as her most successful tour to date. Those milestones helped solidify her status among Canada’s leading pop exports, surpassing long-established names in year-end tallies.
What’s next
McRae said she still plans to explore folk and country influences in the future, but for now she’s reflecting on a fast-moving year. The Rolling Stone cover interview frames the Wallen duet as both a creative step and a learning moment in a career that’s rapidly expanding.
News links: Rolling Stone feature cited by Billboard Canada; chart and tour updates from Billboard Canada reporting.
Image Referance: https://ca.billboard.com/music/music-news/tate-mcrae-morgan-wallen-backlash
