Morgan Wallen and Tate McRae’s “What I Want” hits a new high at No. 9 on the Digital Song Sales … More
Morgan Wallen collected another No. 1 on the Hot 100 just a few weeks back with “What I Want,” the latest single from his gargantuan album I’m the Problem. The tune debuted atop the competitive list at the same time that the full-length opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The track earned featured pop singer Tate McRae her first leader on the ranking as it debuted. “What I Want” quickly stepped down on the Hot 100, but it has been steadily gaining ground on another list — one where its ascent is a bit surprising.
This week, “What I Want” lifts one spot on the Digital Song Sales chart. The cut climbs from No. 10 to No. 9, reaching a new all-time peak on Billboard’s list of the top-selling tunes throughout the U.S.
The Wallen/McRae team-up has experienced something of an unusual journey on the Digital Song Sales chart. Typically these days, when a major musician drops a new track, its first week turns out to be its most important when it comes to pure purchases. After enjoying a full tracking period, that’s usually when it debuts in a lofty position on the Digital Song Sales tally — then often drops from there, unless it turns out to be a sustained smash. That’s not what has happened with “What I Want.”
The single completely missed the Digital Song Sales chart the week it arrived on other Billboard rankings. When I’m the Problem first ruled, it was surprising to see the No. 1 song on the Hot 100 completely miss the 25-spot sales tally, but its quick adoption at radio and huge streaming numbers powered it to the summit.
Last week, when it declined to the runner-up space on the Hot 100 – making room for “Ordinary” by Alex Warren to finally hit No. 1 – “What I Want” finally debuted on the Digital Song Sales chart at No. 10. It’s uncommon for the biggest track in America to not even rank as one of the 25 bestselling compositions in a given frame, but less odd for the No. 2 tune to sell the tenth-most copies of any track in the country.
Interestingly, sales of “What I Want” are not increasing. It seems a relative lack of competition is to thank for the track’s ascent. In the past tracking period, Luminate reports that the collaboration sold a little more than 2,100 copies. That’s actually down 15% from the period before, when it managed 2,500.
