Nate Smith Earns His First Country Airplay No. 1: ‘My Dad Is Just Glad I Have a Job!’
Written by djfrosty on January 27, 2023
Nate Smith banks his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Feb. 4) with his freshman entry, “Whiskey on You.” The song increased by 10% to 31.2 million impressions in the week ending Jan. 26, according to Luminate.
Smith, from Paradise, Calif., co-authored “Whiskey” with Lindsay Rimes and Russell Sutton. Smith scored early success on social media prior to signing to Sony Music Nashville’s Arista roster in November 2021. He presently boasts 1.4 million TikTok followers.
“When I released ‘Whiskey,’ I wasn’t sure what would happen … I just knew I loved it,” Smith tells Billboard. “First, my fans were super encouraging on social media, and then country radio welcomed the song with open arms, and for that I couldn’t be more grateful. Meanwhile, my dad is just glad I have a job! A huge thank you to country radio, my fans, my team and everyone who has lifted this song up.”
“Whiskey” marks the second initial Country Airplay entry to reign already in 2023, after Jelly Roll’s “Son of a Sinner” (Jan. 14). In 2022, only Bailey Zimmerman reached the penthouse with a first charted title, when “Fall in Love” led in December.
On the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Country Songs list (dated Jan. 28), “Whiskey” ranks at No. 12, bolstered by 5.7 million U.S. streams.
Wilson Keeps on ‘Truck’-in’
Lainey Wilson notches her third straight career-opening Country Airplay top 10 as “Heart Like a Truck” rides 11-10 (19.6 million, up 11%). She co-penned the track with Trannie Anderson and Dallas Wilson.
Wilson’s debut hit, “Things a Man Oughta Know,” led Country Airplay for a week in September 2021, followed by “Never Say Never,” with Cole Swindell, a two-week No. 1 last April-May.
Concurrently, HARDY’s “Wait in the Truck,” featuring Wilson, rises 12-11 (19.6 million, up 10%).