Songfacts®:

• "What I Want" is an emotional ballad where Morgan Wallen duets with Canadian pop singer Tate McRae. Recorded by Wallen or his fourth album, I'm the Problem, it marks the country juggernaut's first collaboration with a female singer.
• The collaboration came about after Wallen's sister, Ashlyne, introduced him to Tate McRae's music. He became a fan and thought she'd add just the right dash of northern stardust to "What I Want," despite the tune being written in a male key. The two didn't meet in the studio, but Wallen insisted McRae "absolutely crushed every single part of the song."
• This musical joint venture sparked considerable excitement and debate, especially among Tate McRae's fans, many of whom questioned her choice to team up with Morgan Wallen, given his history of controversy.
• "What I Want" is an emotionally candid ballad where Wallen and McRae agree to a fleeting connection without the weight or risk of a deeper relationship. Both admit they are "already broke" and not looking to be fixed.
  
  Wallen and McRae trade verses, each willing to embrace a brief, no-strings-attached romance without expectation or regret.
• McRae sneaks in a whispered "Calgary" on the bridge, nodding to her Canadian hometown, while Wallen answers with a barely audible "Knoxville" buried in the right channel at 2:31.
• Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae wrote the song with frequent Wallen co-writers John Byron and Charlie Handsome, plus pop hit maker Jacob Kasher Hindlin ("Charlie Puth's "Attention," Maroon 5's "Memories") and Nashville writer-producer Joe Reeves (Lil Durk and Morgan Wallen's "Broadway Girls," Thomas Rhett's "Gone Country").
• Longtime Wallen producer Joey Moi oversaw the track, with additional programming from Charlie Handsome. Moi's signature widescreen guitars anchor the mix, while Handsome layers trap-leaning percussion.
• Radio programmers slotted "What I Want" simultaneously on pop and country playlists, a strategy Big Loud/Mercury intended to mirror the dual format success of Wallen's "Last Night."
• "What I Want" debuted at #1 on the US Hot 100, giving Wallen his fourth chart-topper and McRae her first.