No matter how hard his critics try, the cancellation of Morgan Wallen just hasn’t happened. The Country singer-songwriter has risen to untouchable status since his controversy back in 2020, which only served to increase his popularity. With each successive album, Wallen has cemented his superstar status and he’s proven that his brand of Country music can reach far beyond the US. Recently releasing his fourth studio album “I’m the Problem”, Wallen has manged not only to top the charts in the US but also in the UK, marking his first number one here. Last year he sold-out a headline show at Hyde Park in London as part of BST Hyde Park, and tonight he returned to London for an intimate show at The Roundhouse.
Billed as an album release show, this was something a little different for Wallen’s fans. Performed as if in the round, and stripped down, the show was both a celebration of Wallen’s new album and proof that he’s as much the megastar here as he is back home. With no support act to keep crowds entertained, Wallen’s fans were happy to sing along to his music, chat with one another and exchange hopes of what the setlist may entail. Speculation was rife around me as fans connected and the excitement built. Did Wallen stick only to new material as some fans had expected, or did he mix things up?
Taking a stool at the front of the stage, Wallen launched into “I’m the Problem”, the title track from his new album, and it kicked off a passionate sing-a-long that lasted the entire set. While Wallen has done acoustic performances before, and released many on YouTube, a full stripped-back concert proved to be a real eye opener. That bravado and car wreck image that Wallen can often portray, whether intentional or not, wasn’t present during the performance. Instead, fans saw a humbler side of the star humanising him and allowing the focus to fall solely on his talent rather than his much-documented antics.
‘Kick Myself’ and ’20 Cigarettes’, both fan favourites from the new album got a rapturous reception, while ‘Kiss Her In Front Of You’ – a song introduced by Wallen as one of the toxic songs his fans seem to love – was a standout moment from the early part of the set. Other highlights included the touching ‘Superman’, which Wallen wrote for his son, and “Don’t We”, a song that packs a punch and showcases that edge that he has as a performer.
There were some hits peppered in the set including ‘Cowgirls’ and a touching piano rendition of ‘Sand In My Boots’, but it was Wallen’s version of ‘Cover Me Up’ that got one of the biggest reactions of the night. At times you could barely hear Wallen for the singing from the crowd. The biggest hits were saved for the final stretch of the set with ‘Love Somebody’ and ‘More Than My Hometown’ sounding fantastic in the acoustics of The Roundhouse. Wallen’s classic hit ‘Whiskey Glasses’ was a celebratory moment while a solo version of ‘I Had Some Help’, a song that was a huge hit for Wallen with Post Malone, was truly something special.
A quick dip back into Wallen’s latest album with the catchy ‘Just In Case’ paved the way for the set’s final moment, a rousing rendition of ‘Last Night’. It ended the set on a rather abrupt note, with fans waiting for an encore that never came, but it was a triumphant end to a night that was clearly as special to Wallen as it was to his fans. It must also be noted just how fantastic he sounded, not missing a beat all night.
Love him or hate him, Wallen is going nowhere and it’s a long time since I’ve been to a gig where it felt like the audience was completely lost in the performer. The fans knew every single word, Wallen at times looked overwhelmed by the reaction he was getting and there was a sense of family that’s rarely present at shows anymore. Whatever it is Wallen has, his fans can’t get enough of it and with even bigger things in the pipeline for the UK in 2026, it looks like Wallen’s star is going to continue to rise. Tonight’s performance proved that he’s at the top of his game right now and he’s showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Set list: 1. I’m the Problem 2. Kick Myself 3. 20 Cigarettes 4. Kiss Her In Front of You 5. Cowgirls 6. Don’t We 7. Eyes Are Closed 8. I Got Better 9. Sand In My Boots 10. Cover Me Up 11. I’m a Little Crazy 12. Superman 13. Love Somebody 14. What I Want 15. More Than My Hometown 16. Whiskey Glasses 17. I Had Some Help 18. Just In Case 19. Last Night Venue: The Roundhouse, London Performance date: 28th May 2025
