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Ahead of its release, Morgan Wallen’s album One Thing at a Time has already rung up seven top 10 hits on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
Wallen released a trio of tracks from the set on Jan. 31 and, of those, “Last Night” launches the highest — at No. 7 — on the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based survey (dated Feb. 11).
The album is due March 3 and will sport 36 songs, including nine released so far.
“Last Night” drew 11.8 million U.S. streams and sold 8,000 downloads in the week ending Feb. 2, according to Luminate. It arrives atop Country Digital Song Sales, awarding Wallen his ninth No. 1. It opens at No. 3 on Country Streaming Songs, marking his 19th top 10.
On Hot Country Songs, Wallen banks his 18th top 10. Here’s a rundown of the seven songs, including three No. 1s, already released from One Thing at a Time that have hit the chart’s top 10. All seven have also debuted at their peak ranks:
No. 1 (one week), April 30, 2022, “Don’t Think Jesus”
No. 1 (one week), May 21, 2022, “Thought You Should Know”
No. 1 (19 weeks), May 28, 2022, “You Proof”
No. 2, Dec. 17, 2022, “One Thing at a Time “
No. 5, Dec. 17, 2022, “Tennessee Fan”
No. 7, Dec. 17, 2022, “Days That End in Why”
No. 7, Feb. 11, 2023, “Last Night”
The two other tracks released Jan. 31 from One Thing at a Time, “I Wrote the Book” and “Everything I Love,” start at Nos. 16 and 18, respectively, on Hot Country Songs. “Book” corralled 6.7 million streams and sold 5,000, while “Love” drew 6.3 million clicks and sold 3,000.
Next week’s Feb. 18-dated charts will reflect the first full tracking week (Feb. 3-9) for each of the three tracks released Jan. 31.
Meanwhile, Wallen’s prior LP, the 30-song Dangerous: The Double Album, leads Top Country Albums for a record-extending 93rd week, with 42,000 equivalent album units (up 5%). The set has also generated seven Hot Country Songs top 10s.
Bryan Leads, Debuts
Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” dominates Hot Country Songs for a sixth week. Plus, “Dawns,” his collaboration with Maggie Rogers, debuts at No. 13. Released Jan. 27, the latter drew 10 million streams through Feb. 2.
The pair co-wrote “Dawns,” which marks fellow singer-songwriter Rogers’ first country chart entry. She boasts three No. 1s, among five top 10s, on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.
Hubbard Dances In
Tyler Hubbard posts his first top 10 as a soloist on Top Country Albums, as his self-titled debut LP starts at No. 8 with 15,000 equivalent album units. He co-penned all 18 songs on the set. Florida Georgia Line – the duo comprising Hubbard and Brian Kelley – has tallied four No. 1 albums among seven top 10s.
The set’s new single, “Dancin’ in the Country,” jumps 30-24 on Country Airplay with a 37% increase to 5.3 million impressions. It also drew 3.8 million streams and ranks at a new No. 26 high on Hot Country Songs. Lead single “5 Foot 9” led Country Airplay and hit No. 5 on Hot Country Songs.
King ‘Get’s Started
Meanwhile, Elle King’s Come Get Your Wife begins at No. 11 on Top Country Albums (13,000 units). She co-penned eight of the 13 songs on the set, which she co-produced with Ross Copperman.
The album’s current single “Worth a Shot,” featuring Dierks Bentley, ranks at No. 45 on both Country Airplay (1.8 million impressions, up 6%) and Hot Country Songs, as it also logged 2.2 million streams (up 14%). First single “Drunk (And I Don’t Wanna Go Home),” with Miranda Lambert, led Country Airplay and reached No. 6 on Hot Country Songs.
The new LP follows King’s Love Stuff and Shake the Spirit, which hit Nos. 3 and 9 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums in 2015 and 2018, respectively.
Kacey Musgraves hushed a chattering 2023 Grammy Awards audience on Sunday night (Feb. 5) when she played late country icon Loretta Lynn‘s signature song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” during the broadcast’s In Memoriam segment. Adding to the emotions of the moment, Musgraves played the song on her hero’s 1963 Epiphone acoustic guitar, complete with Lynn’s name emblazoned along the fretboard in mother of pearl.
Hours after the broadcast ended, Musgraves tweeted about how much it meant for her to honor Lynn in this unique way. “10 year old me singing Loretta’s songs would never have imagined I’d be putting my hands right where she made magic for decades. (Her 1963 Epiphone was a dream to play.),” Musgraves wrote along with two screenshots from the performance, including one in which a black and white image of Lynn strumming the same instrument was projected over Kacey’s shoulder.
“Thank you to @LorettaLynn’s daughters for trusting me with this moment of honor tonight. She paved my path,” Musgraves added. The official account for Lynn — who died in her sleep in October at 90 at her Tennessee home — responded with an in-kind thanks to Kacey for creating such a special moment.
“Thank you @KaceyMusgraves, for this beautiful tribute,” it read. “The love all of you have shown us for our mom is beyond words.” Musgraves performed “Daughter” as part of a segment that also featured projected images of late luminaries from Jeff Beck to Pharoah Sanders and Mo Ostin.
Musgraves’ performance was followed by moving tributes to Migos rapper Takeoff, delivered by Quavo and Maverick City Music, and Christine McVie, performed by Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and McVie’s Fleetwood Mac band mate, Mick Fleetwood.
Check out the tweets below.
10 year old me singing Loretta’s songs would never have imagined I’d be putting my hands right where she made magic for decades. (Her 1963 Epiphone was a dream to play.) Thank you to @LorettaLynn’s daughters for trusting me with this moment of honor tonight. She paved my path. pic.twitter.com/x06OOD2N5o— K A C E Y (@KaceyMusgraves) February 6, 2023
Luke Combs brought his native North Carolina to Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena for the 65th annual Grammy Awards Sunday (Feb. 5), delivering a twang-infused performance of “Going, Going, Gone” from his 2022 album, Growin’ Up.
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Combs, dressed in a gray plaid suit and trousers, sang the track — which details a woman who not only moves on easily, but also does not feel tied down — with his blue acoustic guitar and a backing band filled with drums and violins.
“Like a runaway southbound train/ Like an Arizona desert rain/ Like lightning in the sky/ Like fireworks in July/ Like a left field home run ball/ Like a whiskey shot at last call It’s like she was made for moving on/ That girl is going, going, gone,” the country star sang on the chorus.
“Going, Going, Gone” was released as the third single from his third studio album, Growin’ Up. The track peaked at No. 25 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100, where it spent a total of 11 weeks. Meanwhile, Growin’ Up spent 33 weeks on the Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 2. The set marked the fourth No. 1 album for the country singer on the Top Country Albums chart following its release in October.
Combs was up for the best country Grammy with Growin’ Up. The album was beat out by Willie Nelson’s A Beautiful Time.
To kick off an extended In Memoriam segment at the 2023 Grammy Awards, Kacey Musgraves took the stage to deliver a somber acoustic take on a Loretta Lynn classic — while strumming Lynn’s personal guitar.
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Musgraves belted out “Coal Miner’s Daughter” while honoring the legendary country singer-songwriter, who passed away at the age of 90 in October. A bouquet of flowers sat at Musgraves’ feet as various music industry luminaries, from Jeff Beck to Pharaoh Sanders to Mo Ostin, flashed onscreen during the segment.
Musgraves’ performance was followed by moving tributes to Migos rapper Takeoff, delivered by Quavo and Maverick City Music, and Christine McVie, performed by Sheryl Crow, Bonnie Raitt and McVie’s Fleetwood Mac band mate Mick Fleetwood.
Lynn’s “Coal Miner’s Daughter” became one of her signature hits upon its 1970 release, topping Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. In 2010, Lynn was bestowed with the lifetime achievement award at the Grammys. Nine years later, Musgraves won the Grammy for album of the year, for her third album, Golden Hour.
Click here for the updating list of Grammy award winners.
Shania Twain‘s new album, Queen of Me, has topped this week’s new music poll.
Music fans voted in a poll published Friday (Feb. 3) on Billboard, choosing the Canadian country-pop superstar’s first album in more than five years as their favorite new music release of the past week.
Queen of Me brought in nearly 88% of the vote, beating out new music from RAYE (My 21st Century Blues), GloRilla (“Internet Trolls”), Karol G and Romeo Santos (“X Si Volvemos”), and others.
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Preceded by singles “Waking Up Dreaming” and “Giddy Up!,” Twain’s latest studio set also lifts the icon’s title track to her 2022 compilation, Not Just a Girl (The Highlights), and incorporates the anthemic single into its 12-song track list.
Queen of Me, the first artist release through Republic Nashville, is the followup to Twain’s fifth studio album, Now, which blasted to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2017. Prior to that, her fourth album release was 2002’s Up, which also hit No. 1 on the albums chart.
“I’m honored and excited to be the label’s first artist and lead the charge of this new and exciting chapter,” the five-time Grammy winner said in September 2022 when the deal was struck. “In this respect, it feels like a new beginning all around, and I’m embracing it wholeheartedly.”
Twain is slated to present at the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 5) and she’s the subject of the Netflix documentary Not Just A Girl, produced by Mercury Studios and directed by Joss Crowley.
See the final results of this week’s new music release poll below.
Tim McGraw fans are swooning over the country star’s cover of a Shania Twain staple from the ’90s this weekend.
As Twain released her sixth studio album, Queen of Me, on Friday (Feb. 3), McGraw took to Instagram to share his acoustic version of the ballad “You’re Still the One,” Twain’s 1998 country-pop hit that was No. 1 on Billboard‘s Hot Country Songs chart and peaked at No. 2 on all-genre Hot 100 that year.
“@bobminner and I had some fun covering this @shaniatwain classic a few weeks ago,” McGraw captioned the clip. “Always been a big fan… can’t wait to listen to the new album!!”
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McGraw’s smooth performance caught the attention of Twain, who commented, “Gorgeous!!”
“Gonna need y’all to record that one!” actress Octavia Spencer chimed in, adding several fire emojis to her comment.
Queen of Me, led by the singles “Waking Up Dreaming” and “Giddy Up!”, is Twain’s first album with Republic Nashville. She’ll be a presenter at the 2023 Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 5).
Watch McGraw’s “You’re Still the One” performance below.
Morgan Wallen’s new album, One Thing at a Time, is a family affair.
His sister Ashlyne and his two-year-old son, Indie, both participated in the making of the 36-track set, which Wallen and producer Joey Moi previewed in Los Angeles on Feb. 3. The project comes out March 3 via Republic/Mercury Big Loud, while his last album, Dangerous: The Double Album, still sits in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart 107 weeks after its release.
Ashlyne, who is 15 months younger than Wallen, sings harmony on “Outlook.” “We’ve always been super, super tight,” Wallen said. “We grew up in church singing hymns and stuff and learning how to harmonize with each other and sing three-part harmony.” The song, Wallen says, is one of the first he ever wrote and addresses faith, “so it seemed appropriate from everything that we grew up learning and everything that we lived through together.” He also wanted his youngest sister, Mikaela, on the record, but she had just given birth so the timing didn’t work out.
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Wallen’s son, Indie, who was born in July 2020, was a frequent studio visitor. “He started coming in there and banging on guitar strings and, you know, delete songs for Joey and stuff like that,” Wallen said with a laugh. “But honestly, he brought a lot of joy into the room. He brought a new energy that we hadn’t had in there before.” By the end of the recording, Indie was frequently in Moi’s lap at the console, turning knobs.
The pair spent four months in the studio and while the intention wasn’t to surpass Dangerous’s 30 tracks, “the songs just kind of naturally came in,” said Wallen, who co-wrote 14 of the songs.
“It seemed like the more we cut, the more songs would show up,” said Moi. “So it just kept piling up,” he said, adding that at one point they cut the track list down from 42 songs.
The playback included 11 tracks bookended by album opener “Born With a Beer In My Hand” and album closer “Dyin’ Man.” Wallen has already released three tracks, “Last Night,” “Everything I Love” and “I Wrote the Book.”
The album brings in Wallen’s musical influences spanning country, alternative and hip-hop. From the songs played, the three influences subtly intertwine with each other through rap beats and rock guitar work. Wallen also talked about his biggest inspirations in each of the genres, including country superstar Eric Church, who appears on the record, alternative act The War on Drugs and rapper T.I.
Wallen’s studio involvement has become greater with each set. “The first record, in a budding career [from a] new artist is weird, you kind of get stripped of all your time to make the record, so we really panicked our way through that one,” Moi says. “He was on tour, and then we would cut the songs together in the studio, and then he’d go off on tour. I’d squirrel away and work on the music getting ready for him to come back. He’d sing like six songs in one day. It was that process. Second record, we were able to engineer the calendar a little better but he was still heavy in obligations [but] he was present for way more than the first record. This one I feel like we nailed the calendar, and he was there for every moment of it. It was amazing having him in the room the whole time with me.”
Morgan Wallen’s One Thing at a Time track listing (songwriters listed in parentheses): 1. “Born With a Beer In My Hand” (Morgan Wallen, Zach Abend, Michael Hardy)2. “Last Night” (John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Jacob Kasher Hindlin, Ryan Vojtesak)3. “Everything I Love” (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak) Contains interpolation from “Midnight Rider” written by Gregg Allman, Robert Kim Payne4. “Man Made a Bar” (Feat. Eric Church)(Rocky Block, Jordan Dozzi, Larry Fleet, Brett Tyler)5. “Devil Don’t Know” (Travis Denning, Jared Mullins, Ben Stennis)6. “One Thing at a Time” (Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak, Morgan Wallen)7. “’98 Braves” (John Byron, Josh Miller, Travis Wood)8. “Ain’t That Some” (Chris LaCorte, Chase McGill, Josh Miller, Blake Pendergrass)9. “I Wrote The Book” (Morgan Wallen, Michael Hardy, Cameron Montgomery)10. “Tennessee Numbers” (Jordan Minton, Blake Pendergrass, Travis Wood)11. “Hope That’s True” (Morgan Wallen, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)12. “Whiskey Friends” (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Jonathan Hoskins, Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson, Ryan Vojtesak)13. “Sunrise” (John Byron, Blake Pendergrass)14. “Keith Whitley” (Thomas Archer, Brad Clawson, Jared Mullins)15. “In the Bible” (Feat. HARDY) (John Byron, Jeff Garrison, Jon Hall, Ben Johnson, Geoffrey Warburton)16. “You Proof” (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)17. “Thought You Should Know” (Morgan Wallen, Nicolle Galyon, Miranda Lambert)18. “F150-50” (Jared Mullins, John Pierce, Ben Stennis)19. “Neon Star (Country Boy Lullaby)” (Morgan Wallen, Ernest Keith Smith, Josh Thompson, Ryan Vojtesak)20. “I Deserve A Drink” (John Byron, Devin Dawson, Jacob Durrett, Hillary Lindsey)21. “Wine Into Water” (John Byron, Matt Jenkins, Blake Pendergrass)22. “Me + All Your Reasons” (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)23. “Tennessee Fan” (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Michael Hardy, Mark Holman)24. “Money on Me” (Michael Lotten, Blake Pendergrass, Matt Roy)25. “Thinkin’ Bout Me” (John Byron, Ashley Gorley, Taylor Phillips, Ryan Vojtesak)26. “Single Than She Was” (John Byron, Ben Johnson, Ryan Vojtesak)27. “Days That End in Why” (John Byron, Blake Pendergrass, Driver Williams)28. “Last Drive Down Main” (Jerry Flowers, Ryan Hurd, Michael Lotten)29. “Me to Me” (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)30. “Don’t Think Jesus” (Jessi Alexander, Mark Holman, Chase McGill)31. “180 (Lifestyle)” (Rocky Block, Ashley Gorley, Mark Holman, Blake Pendergrass, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak) Contains interpolation from “Lifestyle” written by Arsenio Archer, London Holmes, Dequantes Lamar, Bryan Williams, Jeffery Williams32. “Had It” (Rocky Block, Alex Eskeerdo Izquierdo, Ryan Vojtesak)33. “Cowgirls” (feat. ERNEST) (Rocky Block, Ashley Gorley, James Maddocks, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)34. “Good Girl Gone Missin’” (Morgan Wallen, Ashley Gorley, James Maddocks, Ernest Keith Smith, Ryan Vojtesak)35. “Outlook” (Morgan Wallen, Rodney Clawson, Jeff Hyde)36. “Dying Man” (Ben Johnson, Blake Pendergrass, Josh Thompson)
Shania Twain‘s new album Queen of Me finally arrived on Friday (Feb. 3). To celebrate, the country singer appeared on The Kelly Clarkson Show, during which she revealed that the album track “Inhale/Exhale AIR” was inspired by a private struggle with COVID-19.
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“I affectionately call the song ‘Air.’ With everyone suffering from COVID…it’s such a respiratory infection that can really take your life very quickly,” Twain told the American Idol alum. “I won’t get into it, but when I was released from the hospital, the first thing I did was write down a list of things that air gives us. Obviously life, but I’m thinking, ‘OK, cheer yourself up. What does air give us that is very celebratory?’”
She continued, “I’m thinking champagne bubbles, balloons! With the air we can sail, we can fly, we can fly a kite. We have all these lovely things to celebrate about air. So I wrote that song. What are you going to do without that air? ‘Inhale, Exhale.’ That’s the most inspired song on the album.”
“Inhale/Exhale AIR” follows Queen of Me‘s self-love theme. Twain took to Instagram on album release day to share her excitement and her hopes for its listeners.
“I am absolutely thrilled to announce that my new album, Queen Of Me, is now yours 🥰 I wrote this album from a place of feeling good within myself – I wanted music that got me up dancing and lifted my spirits!” the 54-year-old wrote. “I think the fact that I recorded this album with so many good hearted and talented people only amplified that! I hope the album brings you joy and empowers you to feel good in your own skin!”
Watch Twain talk about “Inhale/Exhale AIR” on The Kelly Clarkson Show in the video above.
It’s officially February, and as we turn the page on a new month, we’ve got a whole batch of new music to soundtrack the lead-up to Valentine’s Day. And Billboard wants to know: Which release are you loving the most?
More than half a decade after 2017’s Now, Shania Twain reasserts her claim to the country-pop throne with her new album Queen of Me. Preceded by singles “Waking Up Dreaming” and “Giddy Up!,” the new studio set also lifts the icon’s title track to her 2022 compilation Not Just a Girl (The Highlights) and incorporates the anthemic single into its 12-song track list.
Meanwhile, GloRilla feeds the haters and calls out the fakery in all our social media feeds on her delicious new single “Internet Trolls.” “Watch out for them internet trolls/ They be tryna satisfy them internet goals/ You just got locked up ’cause the internet told/ Fake it ’til you make it, that’s the internet code,” she spits on the Hitkidd-produced track.
There’s also RAYE, who caps off a long and arduous music industry journey of the past few years by finally releasing her debut album 21st Century Blues. “Please get nice and comfortable and lock your phones, because the story is about to begin,” she declares at the top of the independent studio set, which arrives on the heels of her U.K. No. 1 hit “Escapism” featuring 070 Shake and also contains highlights like “Oscar Winning Tears,” “The Thrill Is Gone” and the Mahalia-assisted “Five Star Hotels.”
Plus, Morgan Wallen previews the massive 36-song track list of his upcoming album One Thing at a Time with a trio of new tunes; Karol G and Romeo Santos team up for the Spanish-language “X Si Volvemos”; and more.
Vote for your favorite new release of the week in Billboard‘s poll below.
First Country is a compilation of the best new country songs, videos & albums that dropped this week.
Dierks Bentley with Ashley McBryde, “Cowboy Boots”
“They ain’t broke in until they’ve broke a few horses and some hearts,” Dierks Bentley sings in this sentimental ode to trusty, dusty old boots. Joining Bentley is is another superb, rootsy-warm vocalist, Ashley McBryde. Together, they bring all out the best nuances in this track, which is included on Bentley’s upcoming album Gravel & Gold, out Feb. 24.
Shania Twain, Queen of Me
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Shania Twain returns with the album Queen of Me, her followup to 2017’s Now. Here she nods to the current culture’s fervent nostalgia for ’90s music — both pop and country. With three top 10 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 (“You’re Still the One,” “That’ Don’t Impress Me Much,” “From This Moment On”), Twain has been one of the foremost architects of the ear-catching, euphoric pop-country blend, and brings to this new project a continuation of the peppy, empowering messages (see songs such as inescapably danceable “Giddy Up!” and “Not Just a Girl”), layered over staunchly pop productions that legions of fans have come to expect. Given her battle with health issues including Lyme disease and dysphonia, Twain’s vocal does sound different than her projects from the mid-’90s, but she uses her voice’s newly gritty texture with great impact, as it lends an added toughness to her defiant, triumphant storylines such as “Brand New” and “Queen of Me.”
Morgan Wallen, “Everything I Love”
Leading up to the March 3 release of his upcoming massive, 36-track album One Thing at a Time, Wallen released three new songs this week: “Last Night,” “Everything I Love” and “I Wrote the Book.” “Everything” is the most traditional country of the three, holding on to his country/rock/hip-hop hybrid, while incorporating a ’70s Allman Brothers vibe — and the the lyrics offer a direct nod to the Brothers’ classic “Midnight Rider” on the lyric, “We were listenin’ to ‘one more silver dollar’/ Hanging out in my Silverado.”
Corey Kent, “Man of the House”
Kent follows his radio hit “Wild as Her” with this moody, autobiographical track about a boy forced to grow up a little too fast, trying to “fill shoes that ain’t my size” in order to make up for the hole left by an absent father. The memories and inner struggle tumble out as his voice runs the gamut from subdued and husky to an angsty near-scream as the memories and inner struggles tumble out, before he muses that now grown up and a father, he’s still “a boy trying to be the man of the house.” A solid showcase of Kent’s maturing acumen as a songwriter and vocal interpreter.
4Runner, “Ragged Angel”
This group first signed with Polydor in 1995, released their debut track “Cain’s Blood” and earned followup hits. Years later, they disbanded to raise their respective families. But now, they return with their first release in nearly two decades, on a reimagined version of a song they first released in 2004 — and a new baritone singer, with lead singer Craig Morris’ son Sam. In that time, it’s clear the group’s Eagles-esque, full-bodied harmonies are perfectly intact on this uplifting and buoyant track, which feels like a perfect throwback in an era filled with nostalgia for 1990s and 2000s country sounds.
Charles Wesley Godwin, “The Jealous Kind”
Godwin’s scruffy voice offers bone-baring honesty on this cover of Chris Knight’s “The Jealous Kind,” accompanied by cool piano licks and haunting bass lines. He and his band kick up the tempo, leaning into the urgency reverberating through the song’s storyline, detailing a guy outrunning the law to reach his wayward lover.
“I never drove two days through the pouring rain just stopping for coffee and gas,” he sings. “Never outrun the law on the interstate/ Didn’t know this thing’d go that fast … but there’s always a first time.”