Tate McRae Doesn’t Let Her Morgan Wallen Collab ‘Define’ Her

Tate McRae sees her collaboration “What I Want” with Morgan Wallen as just another song in her discography, and she doesn’t feel it should define her beliefs. For her W Magazine cover story, she said of the controversy, “It’s crazy to think that one song could define a whole person. There are many aspects of my personality that three-quarters of my audience has no idea about. You hope one day you figure out a way to show all aspects of it.” Her first Billboard no. 1 came with confusion, as her fans did not understand why she made a song with Wallen. He received backlash for using racial slurs in a leaked video. He also faced felony charges for throwing a chair off the roof of his bar in 2024. Wallen also couldn’t wait to go “back to God’s country” after performing on SNL in 2025.

Earlier this year, McRae said she would rather show her beliefs through the non-profit organizations she works with, like The Trevor Project. “I like to say my piece through organizations I support and the environment that I have on tour,” she explained. “And I hope that my fans can see that through the things that I’m putting my energy towards.”