Walker Hayes’ “Fancy Like” rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Nov. 13), marking his first leader on the survey. The viral hit increased by 6% to 28.6 million impressions in the week ending Nov. 7, according to MRC Data.
The Nashville-based Hayes, originally from Mobile, Ala., co-wrote “Fancy Like” with Cameron Bartolini, Josh Jenkins and Shane Stevens.
“One of my favorite things about this business is that the impossible can happen,” Hayes tells Billboard. “You never know when it will, and we definitely didn’t know it was about to happen when we wrote ‘Fancy Like’! Our minds are blown and we are so grateful to play this game.”
“Fancy Like” is Hayes’ seventh Country Airplay entry. His output includes one additional top 10, “You Broke Up With Me,” which hit No. 10 in January 2018.
Meanwhile, Monument lands its first Country Airplay No. 1 since Sony Music Entertainment revived the label in 2017. Formed in 1958 (in Washington, D.C., and named for the Washington Monument), it notched six leaders in 1998-2003, all by The Chicks.
On the airplay-, sales- and streaming-based Hot Country Songs survey, “Fancy Like” dominates for a 17th week. Buzz for the track, which shouts out Applebee’s menu highlights and sparked a commercial synch with the chain, grew early on thanks to TikTok, where Hayes, whose following on the platform has surged to over 2 million, has posted multiple clips dancing to the song with his children.
“‘Fancy Like’ is a song that’s really just about me and the family,” Hayes told Billboard when the song first topped Hot Country Songs in July. “I’ve always written about what’s authentic to my life, through whatever ups and downs I’ve had in my career, so this one means a lot.”
The track has also crossed to Billboard’s pop and adult airplay charts, including into the top 10 of Adult Pop Airplay. It has also hit No. 3 on the all-genre, multi-metric Billboard Hot 100.
Further, “Fancy Like” leads all four of Billboard’s main country song charts: Hot Country Songs, Country Airplay, Country Streaming Songs and Country Digital Song Sales. It’s the first song to achieve the feat simultaneously since Luke Combs’ “Forever After All” in June.
“Fancy Like” drew 47.9 million in all-format airplay audience and 15.4 million U.S. streams and sold 12,400 in the week ending Nov. 4.
The single also ties Thomas Rhett’s “Die a Happy Man” (2015-16) for the ninth-longest reign since Hot Country Songs became an all-encompassing genre songs chart in October 1958. Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha’s “Meant to Be” dominated for a record 50 frames in 2017-18.
“Fancy Like” is the lead-single from Hayes’ six-song EP Country Stuff, which was released June 4 and has earned 252,000 equivalent album units to date.
Hayes recently announced his Fancy Like Tour, with supporting act Mackenzie Porter, set to start Jan. 27, 2022, in Grand Rapids, Mich. Porter recently scored her first Country Airplay and Hot Country Songs top 10 as featured on Dustin Lynch’s “Thinking ‘Bout You.” The song holds at its No. 6 high on the former (21.4 million, up 11%) and climbs 7-6 on the latter.
NEW TOP 10s Kenny Chesney nets his 55th Hot Country Songs top 10 as “Knowing You” pushes 11-10. On Country Airplay, it holds at its No. 7 best (19.9 million, up 5%). It also drew 3.2 million streams and sold 1,300 in the tracking week.
Chesney first reached the Hot Country Songs top 10 with “Fall in Love,” which climbed to No. 6 in July 1995. He boasts the most top 10s in that span, expanding his lead over runner-up Tim McGraw (51), while George Strait ranks third in that stretch (42).
Michael Ray adds his fourth Country Airplay top 10 as “Whiskey and Rain” rises 13-9 (15.9 million, up 16%). Ray last reached the region with “One That Got Away,” which hit No. 3 in April 2019. The song followed “Think a Little Less” (No. 2, March 2017) and his debut single, “Kiss You in the Morning” (a week at No. 1 in August. 2015).
Also on Country Airplay, Jordan Davis’ “Buy Dirt,” featuring Luke Bryan, advances 11-10 (15.8 million, up 15%). Davis claims his fifth career-opening top 10 and Bryan banks his 33rd top 10.
