‘Country Music Is Huge Where I’m From’: Tate McRae Talks About Her Morgan Wallen Duet in 'Rolling Stone' Cover Story
"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. I think it's all important,” the Canadian pop star shared.
Tate McRae is on the cover of Rolling Stone, and she has some interesting tidbits about her starmaking year.
In May, McRae was featured on “What I Want,” a track from Morgan Wallen’s album, I’m The Problem, which ranked at No. 1 on the 2025 Canadian Albums chart. Soon after its release, the song skyrocketed to the top of the charts, securing the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. But the success didn’t come without its controversy.
When the single’s announcement was made back in April — after snippets of the track leaked in March — many of the pop star’s fans — and the general public — were taken aback.
Aside from his chart-topping accomplishments, Wallen has often been in the spotlight for reasons outside of music, notably being called out for using a racial slur during the height of the pandemic, which he later said he was using “playfully.” At the time, the blunder caused Wallen's Big Loud Records contract to be suspended and his music to be removed from streaming playlists and radio stations until a 2024 global publishing deal with Warner Chappell Music saw his discography return.
In the interview, McRae doesn't touch much on Wallen's broader controversy, but says the confusion over her foray into country was confusing. For her, the opportunity felt like a no-brainer.
"Honestly, country music is huge where I'm from," McRae shared, noting that she grew up attending the Calgary Stampede, a music festival and annual rodeo event that elevates country artists — from rising star Josh Ross to Canadian legend Shania Twain. “My brother's always been a rabid country music fan. I've always wanted, at some point in my life, to do folk music or country, and I probably still will in the future,” she said.
"But I honestly just got the opportunity to do a country song, and I was like, 'Oh, this is cool.' And I wanted to cross genres really bad. It was just about the song for me. I didn't realize how much a song would be connected to all the other factors, and it really shocked me."
McRae hasn't actually met Wallen in person, recording the duet remotely. But she said she doesn't regret it.
"I don't think you should regret anything in life, because it gives you so much clarity.”
She continued: "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. I think it's all important."
2025 has been a major year for McRae, who was named Billboard Canada’s Top Canadian Artist in the new year-end chart. She surpassed seasoned mainstays The Weeknd and Drake, which can be credited to the success of her third studio album, So Close To What. It was McRae’s first No.1 album in Canada, and climbed back to No. 2 last week, following the deluxe version’s release in November.
McRae spent most of this year on the road, touring globally for her Miss Possessive world tour, which became her most successful trek — capping off a massive year for one of the country’s biggest pop stars.
