Morgan Wallen’s Latest Milestone Proves He’s One of This Century’s Biggest Artists

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Morgan Wallen News: Singer Passes Adele for No. 1 Album Milestone

We already know Morgan Wallen is one of the biggest artists of the new millennium, but now the numbers help prove it.

The country star’s hit album I’m the Problem tallied a 12^th week at No. 1 on the latest Billboard 200, marking a major chart milestone. Wallen’s records have now spent 41 cumulative weeks in the top spot of the mainstream albums chart, moving him past Adele for the second-most since 2000. You can probably guess the only singer ahead of him: Taylor Swift, with an eye-popping 86 weeks.

Listen to I’m the Problem on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music

I’m the Problem is the latest smash for 32-year-old Wallen. The 37-track album debuted atop the Billboard 200 in May and features the popular songs “Love Somebody” and “What I Want,” a collaboration with Tate McRae.

Despite the project’s massive success, Wallen has surprisingly decided not to submit I’m the Problem or any of its songs for consideration at the 2026 Grammy Awards. The singer is the reigning CMA Entertainer of the Year but has found it more difficult to break through at the Grammys with only two prior nominations in his career.

Who Is Morgan Wallen?

Morgan Wallen is a Grammy-nominated country singer known for hit songs like “You Proof,” “Last Night,” and “I Had Some Help” with Post Malone. Wallen first rose to prominence while competing on The Voice in 2014. His music has since garnered mass appeal, with his 2021 album Dangerous: The Double Album rising to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums charts. At one point, he simultaneously held half of the top 10 tracks on the Billboard Hot 100 with songs off his 2023 album One Thing at a Time—something only five other artists, including Taylor Swift and The Beatles, have accomplished. Wallen’s fourth album, I’m the Problem, released in May 2025 and became his third consecutive chart-topping record. The Tennessee native has also made headlines for controversial offstage behavior, including two misdemeanor convictions for reckless endangerment.

Quick Facts

FULL NAME: Morgan Cole Wallen
BORN: May 13, 1993
BIRTHPLACE: Sneedville, Tennessee
CHILD: Indigo
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Taurus

Where Is Morgan Wallen From?

Morgan Cole Wallen was born May 13, 1993, in Sneedville, Tennessee, to parents Tommy and Lesli Wallen. He has three younger sisters: Ashlyne, Mikaela, and Lacey, whom Tommy and Lesli adopted in 2021. The family later relocated to nearby Knoxville when Morgan was a high school freshman.

At age 3, Morgan started singing at the local Southern Baptist church, where Tommy served as pastor. He eventually sang three-part harmonies with Ashlyne and Mikaela. He received a violin for Christmas at age 5 and began taking lessons. Morgan also played and trained on the piano growing up. His father was a rock ’n’ roll music fan and introduced him to artists such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Fleetwood Mac, and the Eagles.

However, Morgan first believed his path was baseball. Playing for Gibbs High School in Knoxville—which also calls Kenny Chesney an alumnus—he became a star shortstop and pitcher. During a game his senior year, he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his elbow that required surgery. Colleges lost interest following the injury, and Morgan took a few months off following his graduation in 2011 to figure out his future. “I prayed and tried to figure out what was my plan and my purpose. That’s how I started writing songs and playing guitar just to get my feelings out,” Wallen told LancasterOnline in 2017.

Morgan began his music career by playing for his mother and friends, who told him he had talent. However, it was his appearance on a popular reality TV show that truly set him up for success.

Contestant on The Voice

In 2014, Wallen boarded an airplane for the first time to fly to Los Angeles and audition for the sixth season of The Voice, the popular NBC singing competition show. He performed Howie Day’s 2003 pop hit “Collide” and impressed celebrity judges Shakira and Usher. “I think that there are no voices like your voice on today’s radio—that’s why I turned [my chair],” Shakira told him. “It’s as manly as it gets.” Wallen chose Usher to be his mentor.

Wallen made it through the first and second battle rounds, performing Avicii’s “Hey Brother” and “Story of My Life” by One Direction. Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine even “stole” Wallen for his team of performers. However, Wallen was eliminated in the playoff portion of the competition.

Still, the experience increased his profile and allowed Wallen to pick up industry connections. He also zeroed in on country music as the genre that best suited him. “It may not have been the biggest influence in my life, as far as musically,” he told The New Yorker in 2020. “But once I started writing songs, it just sounded country. And I was like, well, I guess I’ll sing country music, because this is the life I know.”

Songs and Albums

Following The Voice, Wallen moved to Nashville, Tennessee, to advance his career. He formed a temporary band called Morgan Wallen & Them Shadows with Serg Sanchez of the group Atom Smash. Sanchez introduced Wallen to executives at Panacea Records, which signed the artist in 2015 and financed an EP called Stand Alone and the single “Spin You Around.”

In August 2016, Big Loud Records announced it had signed then-23-year-old Wallen, who continued working with music producer Joey Moi. Wallen released his debut single with the label, “The Way I Talk,” that same year.

Debut Album and “Whiskey Glasses”

Next came his debut studio album, If I Know Me, in April 2018. It rose into the top 20 on the Billboard 200 and contained the songs “Up Down” featuring Florida Georgia Line and “Whiskey Glasses.” The latter reached No. 1 on the Country Airplay chart and peaked at No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2019, marking his biggest success to date. Wallen went on tour with Florida Georgia Line that same year. When the Country Music Association named Wallen the New Artist of the Year at the November 2020 CMA Awards, it cemented his status as one of the rising stars in the genre.

Dangerous: The Double Album

Wallen continued to surge in popularity with his second studio album, Dangerous: The Double Album, in January 2021. The release debuted at No. 1 and had the largest streaming week ever for a country album, according to Billboard. It contained songs like “7 Summers” and “Wasted on You,” which peaked at No. 6 and 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Dangerous proved to have staying power, as the album reached its 86^th nonconsecutive week in the Billboard 200’s top 10 in September 2022—the most ever. Peter, Paul, and Mary held the previous record, which dates back to the early 1960s, for their self-titled album.

“Last Night” and One Thing at a Time

Wallen wasn’t resting on the success of Dangerous. In May 2022, he released the single “You Proof.” The song became Wallen’s top chart performer up to that point, peaking at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. “Thought You Should Know” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 that same month and reached a high point of No. 7 almost a full year later.

By then, Wallen had already released his 36-track album One Thing at a Time and embarked on a 65-show world tour, which was interrupted while the singer recovered from a vocal injury. The March 2023 album was an immediate success, quickly topping the Billboard 200 and placing the song “Last Night” atop the singles chart. Four other songs—“You Proof,” “Thought You Should Know,” “Thinkin’ Bout Me,” and the title track—simultaneously reached the top 10, making Wallen accountable for half of it. Only Taylor Swift, The Beatles, 21 Savage, Drake, and Juice WRLD had accomplished the feat.

Unsurprisingly, Wallen won the Academy of Country Music Award for Male Artist of the Year in May 2023. Months later, in September, he was nominated for three CMA Awards—Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Album of the Year for One Thing at a Time—but left the ceremony empty-handed. Wallen still ended the year on a high note when Spotify announced “Last Night” and One Thing at a Time were the platform’s top streamed song and album in the United States for 2023.

In April 2024, Wallen began a months-long extension of his One Night at a Time World Tour from the previous year. He also received six ACM Award nominations, including in the categories for Entertainer, Male Artist, Album, and Single of the Year. Wallen’s trophy drought continued at the next month’s ceremony.

In September 2024, Wallen was nominated for seven CMA Awards, most of which he received for his hit collaboration on Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help.” The No. 1 track competed for Song, Single, Musical Event, and Music Video of the Year. While Wallen didn’t take home any of those awards, he did receive the night’s biggest trophy as the Entertainer of the Year. It broke a winless streak dating back to 2020.

“I Had Some Help” netted more acclaim through two 2025 Grammy nominations: Best Country Song and Best Country Duo/Group Performance. They mark the first Grammy Award nods of Wallen’s career.

I’m the Problem

Beyond his Post Malone duet, the country star dropped six songs ahead of his fourth album, I’m the Problem. “Love Somebody” became his third No. 1 hit on the Hot 100. Meanwhile, “Lies Lies Lies” was Wallen’s fifth song to top Billboard’s Country Airplay chart in 2024, setting a new single-year record.

I’m the Problem released on May 16, 2025. The 37-track album, which features the popular duet “What I Want” with Tate McRae, spent its first eight weeks at No. 1 and, as of August 30, 2025, 12 weeks total leading the mainstream albums chart. Wallen now ranks fourth among male solo artists whose albums have cumulatively spent the most weeks atop the Billboard 200. He follows Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, and Michael Jackson.

Also in August, news broke that Wallen decided not to submit the album or any of its songs for consideration at the 2026 Grammys. The musician and his team haven’t commented on what fueled the choice.

Controversies: Arrests and Racial Slur

While Wallen has generally made headlines for his music, the singer has also gained notoriety for several offstage incidents. He was arrested in May 2020 on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct following an incident at a bar and steakhouse owned by Kid Rock in Nashville, Tennessee.

In October 2020, Wallen was scheduled to be the musical guest on an episode of the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. But in the days leading up to the performance, videos emerged on social media showing Wallen drinking shots, kissing fans, and failing to follow social distancing guidelines after a football game at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Because of show protocols instituted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, SNL replaced Wallen with The White Stripes frontman Jack White. Wallen owned up to his behavior and, two months later, made fun of himself and the incident during his rescheduled appearance on the show in a skit with actor Jason Bateman.

Then, in February 2021, TMZ posted a video of Wallen calling his friend the N-word and using other profanities outside his Nashville home following a night out with friends. Wallen quickly apologized for using the slur, but some radio stations and streaming services dropped him from their playlists. He was also disqualified from the 2021 ACM Awards and temporarily dropped by his label, Big Loud.

That July, Wallen gave his first interview following the incident to ABC’s Good Morning America and said he didn’t mean to use the term in a derogatory manner. “I was around some of my friends, and we say dumb stuff together. In our minds, it’s playful. That sounds ignorant, but that’s really where it came from. And it’s wrong,” Wallen said, adding that he and his friends had been drinking leading up to the exchange. Wallen said he had donated $500,000 from his album sales, which spiked following the backlash, to organizations such as the Black Music Action Coalition and spent a month in rehab in San Diego. “I spent some time… you know, just trying to figure it out… why am I acting this way? Do I have an alcohol problem? Do I have a deeper issue?” he explained.

Wallen was arrested again in April 2024 after allegedly throwing a chair off the roof of a bar in downtown Nashville. Metro Nashville Police charged the singer with three felony counts of reckless endangerment and one misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. “I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility,” Wallen later posted on social media. At a mid-December court appearance, he pled guilty to two reduced charges of reckless endangerment as part of a sentencing agreement. The singer was sentenced to seven days in a DUI education center and two years of supervised probation, which could be eligible for expungement upon completion.

Most recently, Wallen became the center of online discourse after abruptly walking off stage straight toward the camera at the end of his SNL appearance in late March 2025. Rather than waiting until after the credits rolled and celebrating with the cast onstage, as is common for musical guests and hosts, Wallen quickly exited. He then posted a picture of a private jet on the tarmac on his Instagram story captioned “Get me to God’s country,” with no further explanation for his sudden departure.

Dating Life and Son

Wallen, who is currently single, has had at least one serious relationship with a woman named Katie “KT” Smith. They reportedly began dating in 2017 and had an on-and-off relationship that lasted through 2019. At one point, Wallen and Smith were engaged but ultimately split. They share a son, Indigo.

Indigo, or “Indie,” was born in July 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. Although the singer and Smith had broken up by that point, Wallen has said the two do their best as co-parents. His parents also traveled from their home in Tennessee to help care for Indigo. “I just hope to give him as sound advice as my parents gave me and show him love and let him know that I’m here for him and that I’m his friend,” Wallen told People in January 2021.

In June 2023, Indigo was taken to the hospital after being bitten in the face by Smith’s dog, Legend. He received stitches but was okay, according to Smith, who looked to re-home the animal.

Wallen’s son inspired the song “Superman” from the singer’s upcoming fourth album. Alongside a clip of the song, Wallen wrote in a February 2025 Instagram post: “Been trying for a long time to write a song I loved to my son. None of them ever feel good enough because of how perfect I want something like this to be. And not saying this is perfect, but I am very proud of it.”

After his relationship with Smith ended, Wallen quietly dated model and influencer Paige Lorenze starting in 2021. According to reports, the couple broke up in February 2022, only weeks after going public with their relationship. Also that year, the singer briefly dated reality TV star Kristin Cavallari following her divorce from former NFL player Jay Cutler. Cavallari revealed the news on the Dumb Blonde podcast.

For much of 2023, rumors swirled that Wallen was dating fellow country singer Megan Moroney. The following July, Moroney finally shared the pair dated but “never exclusively.” She said their schedules rarely aligned, and today, they are just friends.

Net Worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Wallen’s total net worth is estimated at around $35 million as of March 2025.

Quotes

• I always kinda thought that I was going to have to scrap around and live paycheck to paycheck. I didn’t know exactly what I was gonna do. I had no clue… Obviously, that’s not the case anymore.

• I don’t necessarily speak my feelings a lot. Yeah, definitely writing and singing is damn near the only way I can get my feelings out.

• I got my little boy, I got my family. I don’t know, man—everything is really good for me right now, so gratitude is at the top of my vocabulary.

• Awards are awesome, but my true measure of success is my fans.

• I just try to tell how it is—the good, the bad, the love, the heartbreak. That’s all I know how to do.

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