“The Hardest Artist in Music Today”: Charlie Handsome Pays Tribute to Morgan Wallen Following New Album, ‘I'm the Problem’

Morgan Wallen's long-time producer, Charlie Handsome, has taken to Instagram to share his admiration for Wallen's willingness to experiment on his new album, I'm the Problem.

Handsome is credited as a co-producer on the record's title-track, along with ‘What I Want’ with Tate McRae, ‘Just in Case’, ‘Interlude’, ‘Missing’, ‘Where'd That Girl Go’, ‘Kiss Her In Front Of You’, ‘Don't We’, ‘Love Somebody’, ‘Smile’, ’LA Night’ and ‘Miami’.

The Georgia native - who often goes by his stage-name of Ryan Vojtesak - has been working with Morgan Wallen since his debut project, with Handsome and Wallen co-writing ‘If I Know Me’, before quickly expanding their partnership on subsequent records.

Handsome initially made his name in the trap sphere, working with the likes of Post Malone, Drake, Kanye West, Travis Scott, Mac Miller, Juice WRLD, The Weeknd and more, before making his foray into the increasingly genre-blurring world of country music.

In a heartwarming new post, Charlie Handsome has donned Morgan Wallen “the hardest artist in music today”. It's a prestigious title, but when looking at the Sneedville titan's unparalleled dominance over the all-genre charts and the ways in which Wallen has grown country music in recent years, it's difficult to argue against Handsome.

Via Instagram, Handsome gushes, “I’m The Problem album by the hardest artist in music today @morganwallen...From the day we wrote If I Know Me years ago to present day Mo has always been down to experiment and pull from all different genres and perspectives. The common denominator is everything he writes is authentically him. A coyote playing sold out shows in a field of wolves type shit”.

The last line, of course, is a pertinent nod to the key lyric in ‘I'm a Little Crazy’, the final track on I'm the Problem, during which Wallen croons, “I'm a coyote in a field of wolves”.

During his interview with Kelleigh Bannen for Apple Music around the album's release, the ‘Love Somebody’ hitmaker touched on how he's often felt as though he hasn't been ‘invited’ in country music, with many gatekeepers in Music City seemingly blocking Morgan Wallen from awards shows and other institutions of the genre.

Elsewhere in his IG message, Charlie Handsome toasts, “I’m lucky to have been a part of the team for the past 8 or 9 years…shit flies by when you’re having fun”, before outlining his gratitude to two artists he's worked with extensively in the past for joining this project, “Thanks @postmalone and @tatemcrae for getting involved”.

Charlie Handsome helps to give I'm the Problem the sonic versatility we have come to expect from Morgan Wallen in recent years. The ‘Last Night’ chart-topper layes his biting, charismatic drawl across a sleek, galvanising trap instrumental on ‘Miami’, while the ‘Interlude’ finds Wallen reflecting on blame - a pivotal theme throughout the album - in the midst of a murky, hazy backing of rattling hi-hats and weighty drums that wouldn't sound out of place on a Travis Scott record.

I'm the Problem is already on track to surpass Wallen's previous three projects, at least in terms of initial streaming figures, with the new record eyeing a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. It's predicted to move a whopping 450-500K equivalent units.

Across The Pond, I'm the Problem is on pace to become Morgan Wallen's first ever UK No. 1 album, with the project battling Sherlocks’ Everything Must Make Sense for the top spot. Next week, Wallen continues his march towards global superstardom with a blockbuster one-night-only show at London's revered Roundhouse.

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