Morgan Wallen's No. 1 Hit Is Barely Making Noise At Country Radio

Forbes

3 days ago

Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae's 'What I Want' rises to No. 15 on Adult Pop Airplay but barely clings ... More to the Country Airplay chart at No. 60, reflecting its pop-focused strategy. Morgan Wallen performs the song "'98 Braves" at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The show airs on November 19, 2023 on BBMAs.watch. (Photo by Derek White/Penske Media via Getty Images)
When Morgan Wallen's latest album I'm the Problem debuted on the Billboard charts a little over a month ago, it came with a brand new smash single. 'What I Want,' his collaboration with Canadian pop singer Tate McRae, launched atop multiple tallies at once, including the Hot 100, where it gave McRae her first career champion on that list.
Weeks later, it's clear that 'What I Want' is becoming a major success at pop radio. Meanwhile, the country world — where Wallen remains the biggest star the scene has experienced in many years — has yet to fully embrace the track.
'What I Want' Returns to the Country Radio Chart
'What I Want' returns to the Country Airplay chart this frame, but only barely. The Wallen/McRae duet appears on the ranking of the most successful tunes at country radio at No. 60, in last place.
Morgan Wallen's Low-Ranking Hit
This frame is just the second for the track on this roster, as it previously debuted and peaked at No. 55. 'What I Want' is likely not being promoted to country radio, or at least not heavily. Instead, it's being pushed to pop stations. Although Wallen remains a fixture at country radio, the fact that 'What I Want' appears may be due solely to his incredible popularity and the general success of the tune.
'What I Want' is a Pop Radio Win
While 'What I Want' is off to a very slow start on Country Airplay, it is currently performing significantly better on two of Billboard's three pop radio lists. This frame, Wallen and McRae reach a new high point of No. 15 on the Adult Pop Airplay list, up one spot from last time around. 'What I Want' also holds its all-time peak of No. 19 on the Pop Airplay tally, the most important top 40 radio list in America.
Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae Rise on the Radio Songs List
'What I Want' is also just getting started on the all-genre Radio Songs chart, where the collaboration debuted last week. This time around, it improves slightly, pushing to No. 45, though it still ranks below all of Wallen's other successes at the moment.
Morgan Wallen's Five Country Radio Smashes
While 'What I Want' may never become a breakout hit at country radio, that doesn't mean it's not successful. Wallen and his team are likely just giving different radio formats one or two tracks to focus on at a time instead of flooding the country market.
As 'What I Want' returns to the Country Airplay list, Wallen fills five spaces on the 60-spot roster, which is nearly unheard of on one of Billboard's most competitive tallies.