Bailey Zimmerman Nets Third Career-Opening Country Airplay No. 1 With ‘Religiously’

Bailey Zimmerman scores his third career-launching leader on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart as “Religiously” surges from No. 4 to No. 1 on the list dated Sept. 30. In the Sept. 15-21 tracking week, the single increased by 16% to 28.4 million impressions, according to Luminate.

The track — which the 23-year-old from Louisville, Ill., wrote with Marty James, Alex Palmer, Frank Romano and Austin Shawn — has served as Zimmerman’s opening song since he started as a supporting act on Morgan Wallen’s One Night at a Time Tour in April.

“Seeing my fans with tears in their eyes, screaming the lyrics back night after night has made me realize how many lives it’s touched, and that’s what this whole dang thing is about,” Zimmerman tells Billboard. “I know they are the ones that keep pushing these songs to the top of the charts, supporting me and believing in me. I promise to always give my best. ‘Thank you’ will never be enough. Believe in yourself!”

The song is from Zimmerman’s LP, Religiously: The Album, which opened at its No. 3 high on Top Country Albums in May. The track follows his second Country Airplay leader, “Rock and a Hard Place,” which dominated for six frames starting in April, and his rookie single, “Fall in Love,” which ruled for one week in December 2022.

‘Confetti’ Rises

Dustin Lynch adds his 11th Country Airplay top 10, as “Stars Like Confetti” shoots 13-10, up 12% to 19.1 million impressions. It’s his first such hit since “Thinking ‘Bout You” (featuring MacKenzie Porter), which reigned for six weeks beginning in December 2021, marking his eighth No. 1. His first entry, “Cowboys and Angels,” hit No. 2 in October 2012.