Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani score their second total and consecutive No. 1 on duet on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, as “Happy Anywhere” rises 3-1 on the ranking dated Dec. 12.
In the week ending Dec. 6, the song increased by 8% to 32.8 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.
Written by Ross Copperman, Matt Jenkins and Josh Osborne, the song follows Shelton and Stefani’s “Nobody but You,” which led for two weeks in May. Shelton adds his 28th Country Airplay No. 1, while the engaged couple’s two leaders encompass Stefani’s sum of No. 1s.
“I moved to Nashville after I graduated high school hoping to hear just one of my songs on country radio,” Shelton tells Billboard. “I don’t think there’s a word to describe how blessed or fortunate I’ve been over these years. And now to have 28 No. 1 singles, not to mention two consecutive with the fantastically talented and life-saving Gwen Stefani … my lucky streak continues.
“In the middle of a pandemic, what better message could there be than to be ‘Happy Anywhere’ when isolating with family and the ones you love?” Shelton muses. “None of this success happens without the songwriters, the music makers and the fans that continue to listen. Thank you for letting us be part of your lockdown! I love you, I thank you and I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. And please, for crying out loud, can we kick COVID’s ass and celebrate a new year?!”
Shelton’s 28 Country Airplay No. 1s mark the third-most since the chart launched in 1990. Kenny Chesney leads with 31 leaders, followed by Tim McGraw with 29.
Meanwhile, Stefani pads her multi-format résumé. No Doubt, with Stefani as frontwoman, boasts three No. 1s on the Pop Songs airplay chart and one on Adult Pop Songs, along with five top 10s on Alternative Airplay. As a soloist, Stefani has scored two Pop Songs No. 1s and one each on Rap Airplay and Rhythmic Songs. She also topped the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 with “Hollaback Girl” in 2005.
Additionally, “Happy” is the eighth song by a female soloist or all-female duo/group to top Country Airplay in 2020, tying 2016 for the most such No. 1s since a record 13 ruled in 1998. Dating to the chart’s 1990 inception, 2020 marks the just fourth year in which at least eight songs by all-female acts have led.
HISTORIC ‘HOPE’ Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” expands its domination to 19 weeks atop the multi-metric Hot Country Songs chart, with 70.8 million in all-format airplay audience, 8.5 million U.S. streams and 4,000 downloads sold in the tracking week.
Barrett’s launch single ties Maren Morris’ “The Bones” (which “Hope” dethroned in July) for the longest-leading Hot Country Songs No. 1 by a woman and no accompanying acts since the chart began as an all-encompassing genre ranking in October 1958. Bebe Rexha retains the crown as the woman with the longest-ruling Hot Country Songs No. 1 overall, as “Meant to Be,” with Florida Georgia Line, ruled for a record 50 frames in 2017-18.
“Hope” previously led Country Airplay in April and, sparked by a remix with Charlie Puth, topped the all-format Radio Songs chart in October and hit No. 3 on the Hot 100 in November.
‘BIG, BIG’ JUMP Chris Lane nets his third Hot Country Songs top 10 as “Big, Big Plans” hops 11-6. It pushes 4-2 on Country Airplay (30.3 million, up 3%) and corralled 5.1 million streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the tracking week.
HIS TEXAS EX Trey Lewis joins the growing ranks of country artists capitalizing on TikTok exposure. The Birmingham, Ala.-based artist, who boasts over 270,000 followers on the social, video-sharing platform, blasts onto Hot Country Songs at No. 13 with his first charted title, his self-released, ribald single “Dicked Down in Dallas.”
Released Dec. 1, after being teased in clips on TikTok, the track sold 24,000 downloads in the week ending Dec. 3 and opens atop Country Digital Song Sales. On the all-genre Digital Song Sales chart, it starts at No. 2. It also drew 4.2 million U.S. streams (beyond TikTok, on services that contribute to the chart). The song additionally enters the Hot 100 at No. 65, while Lewis arrives at No. 1 on the Emerging Artists chart.
Lewis follows Priscilla Block, Andrew Jannakos and SarahBeth Taite as the latest act to turn a notable TikTok presence into a first Billboard chart appearance.
