BILLBOARD.COM/NEWSLETTERS FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 1 OF 17

Country UpdateBILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE Tom.Roland@billboard.comINSIDE

Kenny Chesney’s ‘Happy’ Occasion

>page 4

Garner’s Mulehouse Kicks In>page 9

Hall of Fame, Triple 8 Promotions

>page 9

Vincent, McCollum Opry Moments

>page 10

Makin’ Tracks: Nate Barnes’ ‘Pretty’ Start

>page 14

Country Coda: ‘Brother’ Chesnutt’s

First No. 1>page 17

At the end of a jumbled week, CountryQueer.com posted a story on Feb. 6 from contributor Holly G, who defined herself as “Black, queer, atheist. Country music fan.”

For the previous three weeks, she had been listening inces-santly to Morgan Wallen, whose use of a racial slur — which TMZ revealed Feb. 2 — was a betrayal to her as a Black woman.

Without that distraction, Holly G might have instead been celebrating this past week as a lesbian, for Brothers Osborne vocalist T.J. Osborne became the first art-ist on a major-label country roster to come out publicly as a gay man in a Time maga-zine piece on Feb. 3. It was a step forward for the LGBTQ+ community, though the prejudice inherent in Wallen’s disgrace-ful speech blurred whatever progress Osborne represented.

The country industry’s response to those two developments was a tad surprising: Os-borne was roundly supported, while Wallen was admonished and/or punished and/or dropped by his label, his booking agency, radio, the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.

The reaction is opposite of what would have been expected in the genre during a previous era. And that’s part of the reason that CountryQueer.com exists. The country culture is experiencing a major realignment, and — as Osborne addressed in the Time piece — the progressive and conservative wings of the industry and its fans are looking at the same issues through completely

different lenses.“This is the kind of central question about American culture,

and country’s place in it, that we’ve been exploring for a year or so now,” says CountryQueer.com publisher Dale Henry Geist.

Officially launched in September 2019, the site endeavors to be an online magazine for gay fans of coun-try music, a consumer segment that might feel outcast at a typical country show.

“I’m telling you: You belong, just as much as anybody,” Geist wrote to readers in his in-augural welcome from the publisher. “You deserve to enjoy the music you love without hiding who you are.”

It’s a n issue t hat’s endem ic to t he LGBTQ+ life. While other audiences who are fighting for equality — such as Blacks, Latinos and women — are often identifiable by physical characteristics, most LGBTQ+ people are not. Their ability to blend in makes it easier to avoid danger, but it also makes it more difficult to connect.

“It was so lonely and isolating,” Osborne told Time about life in the closet. “It made me resent people.”

CountryQueer.com provided a symbolic coming-out platform for country acts when it launched an artist directory on Dec. 29, 2020. Created by filmmaker/web designer Jeremy Leroux, the directory was seeded with roughly two dozen artists who had publicly identified as LGBTQ+. Another two dozen have since signed up, though it’s just the start of what could become a siz-able resource.

CountryQueer.com’s Publisher On Love, Hate, Wallen And Osborne

GEIST

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 2 OF 17

“We’ve covered hundreds of artists,” says Geist, pointing to the editorial segments of the site. “We anticipate that it’s going to be a useful tool for jour-nalists, people who are booking shows, DJs and so forth.”

CountryQueer.com is still developing its audience, though its reach seems to be expanding quickly. It attracted 13,500 visitors in January, says Geist, noting that that figure represents a 67% increase over December, which was in turn a 70% increase over November.

Its emergence comes at a time when the industry is under pressure to give more credence to voices beyond white, conservative males. Change the Con-versation has advocated for better representation of female artists for several years. Sony Music Nashville announced the signing of a Latin duo, Kat & Alex, on Feb. 1. And the business is becoming more receptive to Black performers, though the ones who have made the biggest waves thus far — including Jim-mie Allen, Blanco Brown and Kane Brown — have all been men.

Critics lament, with some justification, that the business needs to open its doors wider and faster, though last week’s tandem reactions — the general support of Osborne’s coming out, contrasted with the rebuke of Wallen’s demeaning words — suggests that the industry is trying to make strides.

“Nashville’s a liberal place,” suggests Geist. “The people who run the re-cord companies are liberal. The people that do the media are liberal. That’s not an issue. I’m not surprised that the industry is responding favorably to T.J.”

The fan response to Osborne has likewise been positive. In addition to sup-portive social media posts, Brothers Osborne’s on-demand audio and video streams increased 32%, and album and song sales jumped by 264% on Feb. 3-4, compared with the two previous days.

Consumer reaction to the Wallen controversy has been more divided. De-spite the industry bans, sales and on-demand streaming of his music both rose. Wallen, meanwhile, received a mix of verbal responses in social media, with some fans saying he deserved his punishment while others claimed he did nothing wrong in using a bigoted slur.

Given the heightened awareness of racial issues since the murder of George Floyd in May, those defenders — and Wallen himself — seem woefully igno-rant of, or insensitive to, the pain those attitudes cause.

“How do you apologize for something like that?” one major songwriter said in an off-the-record rant. “You don’t. As eye-opening as 2020 was to Black Lives Matter and racial bigotry, the kid’s got to know that that’s just not something anybody’s going to put up with anymore. Take that word and bury the son of a bitch. That’s what they should do with that word. That and the Confederate flag — bury both of them because it’s nothing but hate. And who wants to hate anyway?”

While the reaction was uneven, the industry and a good portion of the coun-try fan base seemed to choose love over hate in the aftermath of Feb. 3. That should be at least a little heartening to CountryQueer.com’s Holly G, though short-term words mean far less than long-term actions.

“We certainly aren’t seeing the walls come tumbling down,” says Geist, “but I think we may be seeing some cracks.”

Columbia Nashville artist Kameron Marlowe had a virtual meeting with syndicated media as his debut single, “Sober As a Drunk,” reaches its Feb. 8 add date. From left: Marlowe, Sony Music Nashville vp national promotion Lauren Thomas, Sun Broadcast Group Nashville correspondent Becca Walls and Café Nashville host Jody Van-Alin.

117 Music artist Courtney Dickinson performed Feb. 1 on-air at WUCZ Carthage, Tenn., maintaining a safe environment with GM/program director/music director Dennis Banka.

Broken Bow artist Lainey Wilson held a virtual media visit on Feb. 3 in advance of the Feb. 12 release of Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’. Clockwise from top left: Billboard Country Update editor Tom Roland, BBR Music Group senior publicity manager Quinn Kaemmer, American Songwriter contributor Madeline Crone and Wilson.

DECISIVE INTELLIGENCE. DELIVERED DIGITALLY.

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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 4 OF 17

Kenny Chesney banks his 54th top 10 on Billboard’s airplay-, sales- and streaming-based Hot Country Songs chart as “Happy Does” (Blue Chair/Warner Music Nashville/WEA) rises 11-10 on the tally dated Feb. 13.

On Country Airplay, the song holds at its No. 2 high, up 14% to 29 million audience impressions in the week ending Feb. 7, according to MRC Data. It also attracted 4.7 million U.S. streams in the week ending Feb. 4.

Chesney earned his first Hot Country Songs top 10 with “Fall in Love” (No. 6, July 1995). His 54 such hits are the most among all artists since, followed by Tim McGraw (51), George Strait (42) and Keith Urban (40).Chesney last visited that region of the chart with “Here and Now,” which reached No. 7 in July 2020 and topped Country Airplay the same month, becoming his record-extending 31st No. 1.

EVEN ‘BETTER’ Luke Combs’ “Better Together” (River House/Columbia Nashville) paces Hot Country Songs for a second week and Country Airplay for a fourth, leading the latter list with 32.6 million impressions. It also corralled 10.6 million U.S. streams and sold 4,000. Of Combs’ record 10 career-opening No. 1 Country Airplay singles, “Better” is his fifth to lead for at least four weeks.

‘USED TO’ IT Russell Dickerson’s fourth Country Airplay No. 1, “Love You Like I Used To” (Triple Tigers), which led for two weeks in November, logs its 20th week in the top 10 (8-9; 19.8 million). It joins Lee Brice’s “One of Them Girls,” which reigned last October, for the second-longest top 10 run. Lonestar’s “Amazed” holds the record, ruling for eight weeks and tallying 21 weeks in the top 10 in 1999.

A ‘DANGEROUS’ ERROR Morgan Wallen’s U.S. sales have exploded, his streams have stayed mostly steady, and his airplay has collapsed after TMZ posted a video on Feb. 2 of him yelling expletives, including the N-word,

during a late night out. He subsequently issued an apology, while his label, Big Loud Records, indefinitely suspended his recording contract.

Wallen’s new LP, Dangerous: The Double Album, holds at No. 1 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums for a fourth week, encompass-ing its entire run on each ranking. The set grew by 14% to 149,000 equivalent album units in the United States in the week ending Feb. 4. It sold 25,000 copies

in the tracking week, with over two-thirds of that total logged Feb. 3-4.

He also claims an unprecedented monopoly of the Country Digital Song Sales top five. “Wasted on You” reigns with 9,000 sold (up 24%), followed by “More Than My Hometown” (7,000, up 146%), “Sand in My Boots” (6,000, up 21%), “7 Summers” (5,000, up 95%) and “Whiskey Glasses” (4,000, up 255%).

While streams for Wallen’s catalog have stayed rela-tively level, despite the removal of his songs from over 30 influential playlists across Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Pandora, his radio airplay has plunged since the TMZ video posted. Analyzing his most recently air-play tracking week, his collective songs were drawing around 1,500 plays Feb. 1 and 2 on reporters to Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. On Feb. 3, as multiple radio groups dropped his music, his catalog fell by 74% in plays. His totals have since cratered to 55, 25, 29 and 27 plays on Feb. 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively.

Wallen’s latest radio single, “7 Summers,” has suffered the most from the airplay decline, having tumbled from around 500 plays daily to 149 (down 70%) on Country Airplay reporters on Feb. 3. The song then drew a mere eight, five, five and six plays on Feb. 4, 5, 6 and 7, respectively. It drops off the latest audience-based Country Airplay chart, a week after it rose from No. 16 to its No. 15 peak (up 8% in audience in the tracking week ending Jan. 31).

—Additional reporting by Billboard senior directors of charts Keith Caulfield and Gary Trust.

Kenny Chesney Back In Hot Country Songs Top 10; Morgan Wallen Dominates

In Sales While His Airplay Plummets

ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER jim.asker@billboard.com

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Sam Hunt’s second studio full-length, and first in over five years, Southside (MCA Nashville/Universal Music Group Nashville), debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart dated April 18. In its first week (ending April 9), it earned 46,000 equivalent album units, including 16,000 in album sales, ac-cording to Nielsen Music/MRC Data.

Southside marks Hunt’s second No. 1 on the chart and fourth top 10. It follows freshman LP Montevallo, which arrived at the summit in No-vember 2014 and reigned for nine weeks. To date, Montevallo has earned 3.9 million units, with 1.4 million in album sales.

Montevallo has spent 267 weeks on the list, tying Luke Bryan’s Crash My Party as the sixth-longest-running titles in the chart’s 56-year history.

On the all-genre Billboard 200, Southside ar-rives at No. 5, awarding Hunt his second top 10 after the No. 3-peaking Montevallo.

Hunt first released the EP X2C, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 on Top Country Albums in August 2014. Following Montevallo, Between the Pines: Acoustic Mixtape started at its No. 7 high in November 2015.

Montevallo produced five singles, four of which hit the pinnacle of Country Airplay: “Leave the Night On,” “Take Your Time,” “House Party” and “Make You Miss Me.” “Break Up in a Small Town” peaked at No. 2.

Hunt co-penned all 12 songs on Southside, including “Body Like a Back Road,” which was released in 2017. The smash hit ruled Country Airplay for three weeks and the airplay-, streaming- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart for a then-record 34 frames. It now ranks second only to Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line’s “Meant to Be” (50 weeks atop the latter list in 2017-18).

“Downtown’s Dead,” which is also on the new set, reached Nos. 14 and 15 on Hot Country Songs and Country Airplay, respectively, in June 2018. “Kin-folks” led Country Airplay on Feb. 29, becoming Hunt’s seventh No. 1. It hit No. 3 on Hot Country Songs.

Latest single “Hard to Forget” jumps 17-9 on Hot Country Songs. It’s his eighth top 10, having corralled 8.2 million U.S. streams (up 96%) and 5,000 in

sales (up 21%) in the tracking week. On Country Airplay, it hops 18-15 (11.9 mil-lion audience impressions, up 16%).

TRY TO ‘CATCH’ UP WITH YOUNG Brett Young achieves his fifth consecutive and total Country Airplay No. 1 as “Catch” (Big Machine Label Group) ascends

2-1, increasing 13% to 36.6 million impressions.Young’s first of six chart entries, “Sleep With-

out You,” reached No. 2 in December 2016. He followed with the multiweek No. 1s “In Case You Didn’t Know” (two weeks, June 2017), “Like I Loved You” (three, January 2018), “Mercy” (two, August 2018) and “Here Tonight” (two, April 2019).

“Catch” completes his longest journey to No. 1, having taken 46 weeks to reach the apex. It out-paces the 30-week climb of “Here Tonight.”

On Hot Country Songs, “Catch” pushes 7-5 for a new high.

COMBS ‘DOES’ IT AGAIN Luke Combs’ “Does to Me” (River House/Columbia Nashville), featuring Eric Church, ascends 11-8 on Country Airplay, up 10% to 24.7 million in audience. The song is Combs’ eighth straight career-opening top 10, following a record run of seven consecutive out-of-the-gate, properly promoted No. 1 singles.

Church adds his 15th Country Airplay top 10.

THAT TOOK QUITE ‘A FEW’ MONTHS Travis Denning shatters the record for the most weeks it has taken to penetrate the Country Airplay top 10 as “After a Few” (Mercury Nashville) climbs 12-10 in its 57th week, up 4% to 21.4 mil-lion in radio reach.

The song surpasses two tracks that took 50 weeks each to enter the top 10: Easton Corbin’s “A Girl Like You,” which reached No. 10 in January 2018 be-fore peaking at No. 6 that February, and Aaron Watson’s “Outta Style,” which achieved its No. 10 high in December 2017.

“After” is Denning’s second Country Airplay entry. “David Ashley Parker From Powder Springs” traveled to No. 32 in September 2018.

SamHunt’s Southside Rules Top Country Albums; Brett Young ‘Catch’-es Fifth Airplay

Leader; Travis Denning Makes History

ON THE CHARTS JIM ASKER jim.asker@billboard.com

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE APRIL 13, 2020 | PAGE 4 OF 19

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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 6 OF 17

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

WKS ON

CHART TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistAUDIENCE (IN MILLIONS) PLAYS

THIS WEEK +/– THIS WEEK +/– RANK

1 1 19 BETTER TOGETHER River House/Columbia Nashville HH No. 1 (4 weeks) HH Luke Combs 32.596 -0.604 7927 -125 1

l2 2 30 HAPPY DOES Blue Chair/Warner Music Nashville/WEA HH Most Increased Audience HH Kenny Chesney 28.994 +3.514 7223 837 2

l3 3 27 BEERS AND SUNSHINE Capitol Nashville Darius Rucker 26.694 +2.307 6504 395 4

l4 4 36 HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Black River Kelsea Ballerini 24.766 +0.966 6614 372 3

l5 6 38 JUST THE WAY Stoney Creek Parmalee x Blanco Brown 24.592 +1.777 6328 484 5

l6 5 17 DOWN TO ONE Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan 24.525 +0.990 5854 268 7

l7 7 43 GOOD TIME RCA Nashville Niko Moon 23.964 +1.657 6328 391 6

l8 9 13 WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG Valory Thomas Rhett 22.149 +1.401 5245 344 8

9 8 49 LOVE YOU LIKE I USED TO Triple Tigers Russell Dickerson 19.802 -2.005 4443 -281 10

l10 10 24 STARTING OVER Mercury Nashville Chris Stapleton 17.969 +0.066 4902 -42 9

l11 11 22 LONG LIVE BMLG Florida Georgia Line 17.569 +0.678 4279 109 11

l12 13 41 LADY BMLG Brett Young 16.043 +1.218 4058 261 13

l13 12 51 MOMMA’S HOUSE Broken Bow Dustin Lynch 15.034 +0.133 4163 95 12

l14 14 34 HOW THEY REMEMBER YOU Big Machine Rascal Flatts 14.142 +0.789 4004 208 15

l15 16 35 THE GOOD ONES Warner Music Nashville/WAR Gabby Barrett 13.841 +1.259 4021 230 14

l16 17 52 SOMEBODY LIKE THAT 19th & Grand Tenille Arts 12.040 +0.365 3453 63 16

l17 18 42 NOBODY Curb Dylan Scott 11.638 +1.272 3423 347 17

l18 21 14 HELL OF A VIEW EMI Nashville HH Airpower HH Eric Church 9.786 +1.202 2965 116 19

l19 19 36 ALMOST MAYBES MCA Nashville Jordan Davis 9.771 +0.278 3182 42 18

l20 20 38 MADE FOR YOU Big Loud HH Airpower HH Jake Owen 9.607 +0.328 2911 146 20

l21 22 4 UNDIVIDED McGraw/BMLG/Big Machine Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard 8.198 +1.365 2311 335 22

l22 23 20 ONE TOO MANY Hit Red/Capitol Nashville Keith Urban Duet With P!nk 7.408 +1.137 2340 193 21

l23 25 18 BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S MCA Nashville Sam Hunt 6.712 +0.520 2241 150 23

l24 26 16 GONE Capitol Nashville Dierks Bentley 6.414 +0.532 2201 114 25

l25 24 20 SETTLING DOWN Vanner/RCA Nashville Miranda Lambert 6.378 +0.148 2130 49 26

l26 28 4 MINIMUM WAGE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton 6.069 +0.991 1657 261 29

l27 29 13 BLAME IT ON YOU Macon/Broken Bow Jason Aldean 5.733 +0.741 1632 173 30

l28 27 38 ALL NIGHT EMI Nashville Brothers Osborne 5.433 -0.063 2240 8 24

l29 30 10 FAMOUS FRIENDS RCA Nashville Chris Young + Kane Brown 4.655 +0.166 1408 134 31

l30 31 34 HARD DAYS Valory Brantley Gilbert 4.522 +0.317 1819 98 27

Country Airplay

RANKINGSCountry Airplay is ranked by total audience impressions for the week ending Sunday based on monitored airplay of 148 stations by MRC Data. Audience totals on the chart are derived, in part, using certain Nielsen Audio- copyrighted Persons 12+ audience estimates (under license © 2021, Nielsen Audio). The list of all Country Airplay chart reporters can be viewed on MRC Data’s platforms.

BULLETSl Awarded on Country Airplay to titles gaining audience or remaining flat from the previous week. A song will also receive a bullet if its percentage loss in

audience does not exceed the percentage of monitored station downtime for the format. Titles that decline in audience but increase in detections will also receive a bullet if the total audience erosion for the week does not exceed 3%.

TIESOn Country Airplay, if two songs are tied in total audience, the song with the larger increase in audience is placed first.

RECURRENTSOn Country Airplay, descending titles below No. 10 in either audience or detections are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks, provided that they

are not still gaining enough audience points to bullet or if they rank below No. 10 and post a third consecutive week of (non-bulleted) audience decline, regardless of total chart weeks.

HOT SHOT DEBUTAwarded to the highest-ranking new entry on Country Airplay.

MOST ADDEDThe total number of new adds officially reported to Billboard by each reporting station, or by an automatic-add threshold (seven plays for the first time in a chart tracking week, according to MRC Data) for stations that do not report adds.

MOST INCREASED AUDIENCEMost Increased Audience on Country Airplay lists the songs with the greatest week-to-week increases in total audience.

AIRPOWERAwarded on Country Airplay to titles ranking inside top 20 in plays and audience rankings for the first time, with increases in both plays and audience.

BREAKERAwarded on Country Airplay to titles achieving airplay (at least one detection) at 60% of reporting stations for the first time.

© 2021 Billboard Media, LLC

COUNTRY AIRPLAY CHART LEGEND

AIRPLAY MONITORED BY

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 7 OF 17

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KEVIN MAZUR/GETTY IMAGES FOR TW

ERIC CHURCHHell of a View

Co-authored by Church, the song is his 25th top 20 Country Airplay hit, rising 21-18. It

increased by 14% to 9.8 million impressions in the tracking week.

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

WKS ON

CHART TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistAUDIENCE (IN MILLIONS) PLAYS

THIS WEEK +/– THIS WEEK +/– RANK

l31 32 16 WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH Valory Justin Moore 4.144 +0.122 1347 75 32

l32 33 20 NEXT GIRL Big Machine Carly Pearce 3.729 +0.031 1718 75 28

l33 NEW GLAD YOU EXIST Warner Music Nashville/WAR HH Hot Shot Debut/ Most Added HH Dan + Shay 3.413 +3.413 664 664 44

l34 34 32 SINGLE SATURDAY NIGHT Warner Music Nashville/WMN Cole Swindell 3.222 +0.377 1307 66 33

l35 39 18 MY BOY Wheelhouse Elvie Shane 2.441 +0.442 1050 102 36

l36 42 10 DRINKIN’ BEER. TALKIN’ GOD. AMEN. Dack Janiels/BMLG/Broken Bow Chase Rice Featuring Florida Georgia Line 2.386 +0.597 970 117 39

37 35 29 WINE, BEER, WHISKEY Capitol Nashville Little Big Town 2.287 -0.230 1162 -45 35

38 36 22 DEAR RODEO CoJo/Warner Music Nashville/WMN Cody Johnson & Reba McEntire 2.238 -0.177 439 -20 54

39 37 32 WE WERE RICH Wheelhouse Runaway June 2.153 -0.168 1215 9 34

l40 41 15 WORSHIP YOU RCA Nashville Kane Brown 1.905 -0.032 984 77 37

41 38 20 JUST ABOUT OVER YOU inDent/Mercury Nashville Priscilla Block 1.831 -0.419 719 10 43

l42 44 14 YOU TIME Triple Tigers Scotty McCreery 1.690 +0.006 972 24 38

l43 46 25 WHAT DO I KNOW Arista Nashville Robert Counts 1.619 +0.309 738 65 41

l44 50 3 TEQUILA LITTLE TIME Capitol Nashville Jon Pardi 1.507 +0.351 440 85 53

l45 47 9 SHALLOW Pearl Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood 1.460 +0.148 722 150 42

l46 48 14 MEMORY I DON’T MESS WITH Curb Lee Brice 1.398 +0.104 767 63 40

l47 45 9 COLD BEER CALLING MY NAME Combustion/River House/Columbia Nashville Jameson Rodgers Featuring Luke Combs 1.360 -0.041 474 13 51

l48 49 21 WAITIN’ ON 5 Warner Music Nashville/WAR Chris Janson 1.253 +0.026 625 -9 47

l49 52 21 BEERS TO CATCH UP ON Wheelhouse LOCASH 1.137 +0.059 646 48 45

l50 54 16 WHISKEY AND RAIN Warner Music Nashville/WEA Michael Ray 1.074 +0.027 581 11 48

51 51 11 LADY LIKE Atlantic/Warner Music Nashville/WEA Ingrid Andress 1.032 -0.106 492 -22 50

52 53 3 HOME SWEET Triple Tigers Russell Dickerson 1.027 -0.044 506 62 49

l53 RE-ENTRY FOREVER AFTER ALL River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs 1.010 +0.438 286 98 -

l54 55 10 HEAVEN ON DIRT Monument Teddy Robb 0.920 +0.007 640 -20 46

l55 56 7 THINGS A MAN OUGHTA KNOW Broken Bow Lainey Wilson 0.871 +0.054 461 24 52

l56 58 11 WANT ME BACK Stoney Creek Lindsay Ell 0.730 +0.111 397 9 56

57 43 2 FREEDOM WAS A HIGHWAY Stoney Creek Jimmie Allen & Brad Paisley 0.700 -1.002 380 -4 57

l58 59 2 NEED A BAR SOMETIMES Show Dog Nashville Clay Walker 0.687 +0.092 335 46 59

59 57 13 IF IT WASN’T FOR TRUCKS BMLG Riley Green 0.672 -0.047 422 -12 55

l60 60 3 NO BODY, NO CRIME Republic/MCA Nashville Taylor Swift Featuring HAIM 0.642 +0.061 227 32 -

Country Airplay

2/15

FILMORE Nothing’s Better Curb

GARRETT SHULTZ Last Call SMG Nashville

GOING FOR ADDS

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AIRPLAY MONITORED BY

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 8 OF 17

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MOST ADDED®TITLE Imprint/Label Artist ADDSGLAD YOU EXIST Warner Music Nashville/WAR Dan + Shay 43SHALLOW Pearl Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood 16BLAME IT ON YOU Macon/Broken Bow Jason Aldean 15MINIMUM WAGE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton 14FREEDOM WAS A HIGHWAY Stoney Creek Jimmie Allen & Brad Paisley 14HOME SWEET Triple Tigers Russell Dickerson 12GIVE HEAVEN SOME HELL Big Loud HARDY 9TEQUILA LITTLE TIME Capitol Nashville Jon Pardi 8WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH Valory Justin Moore 7MADE FOR YOU Big Loud Jake Owen 5

MOST INCREASED PLAYSTITLE Imprint/Label Artist GAINHAPPY DOES Blue Chair/Warner Music Nashville/WEA Kenny Chesney +837GLAD YOU EXIST Warner Music Nashville/WAR Dan + Shay +664JUST THE WAY Stoney Creek Parmalee x Blanco Brown +484BEERS AND SUNSHINE Capitol Nashville Darius Rucker +395GOOD TIME RCA Nashville Niko Moon +391HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Black River Kelsea Ballerini +372NOBODY Curb Dylan Scott +347WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG Valory Thomas Rhett +344UNDIVIDED McGraw/BMLG/Big Machine Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard +335DOWN TO ONE Capitol Nashville Luke Bryan +268

MOST INCREASED AUDIENCETITLE Imprint/Label Artist

GAIN(IN MIILIONS)

HAPPY DOES Blue Chair/Warner Music Nashville/WEA Kenny Chesney +3.514GLAD YOU EXIST Warner Music Nashville/WAR Dan + Shay +3.413BEERS AND SUNSHINE Capitol Nashville Darius Rucker +2.307JUST THE WAY Stoney Creek Parmalee x Blanco Brown +1.777GOOD TIME RCA Nashville Niko Moon +1.657WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG Valory Thomas Rhett +1.401UNDIVIDED McGraw/BMLG/Big Machine Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard +1.365NOBODY Curb Dylan Scott +1.272THE GOOD ONES Warner Music Nashville/WAR Gabby Barrett +1.259LADY BMLG Brett Young +1.218

TEXAS REGIONAL RADIO REPORTWEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 7, 2021

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

WKS ON CHART TITLE (Label) ARTIST

TW SPINS

SPINS +/–

1 2 23 ANOTHER TOWN (Independent) HH 1 Week at 1 HH Jon Stork 2034 -41

l2 3 13 SILVERADO SATURDAY NIGHT (BIG Label ) Aaron Watson 1946 78

l3 4 15 DEVIL’S RED HOT SAUCE (Independent) James Lann 1915 211

4 1 16 DRINKING MONEY (Tommy Jackson/Thirty Tigers) Randy Rogers Band 1811 -316

l5 8 17 OLD SCHOOL (Independent) David Adam Byrnes 1662 183

l6 7 24 MISSIN’ YOU, MISSISSIPPI (Independent) Dustin Sonnier 1618 133

l7 6 11 CALLIN’ ALL HEARTS (Independent) Terry McBride 1605 50

l8 9 24 RHYTHM OF YOU (Independent) Holly Tucker 1452 7

l9 10 13 OUTSIDE LOOKIN IN (Little Red Truck) Deryl Dodd 1432 81

l10 12 16 HONKY TONK IN HEAVEN (Independent) Kin Faux 1291 42

THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK

WKS ON CHART TITLE (Label) ARTIST

TW SPINS

SPINS +/–

l11 15 13 I WILL (Independent) Darrin Morris Band 1137 126

l12 20 11 BRINGING COUNTRY BACK (King Hall Music) Chad Cooke Band 1093 235

13 14 25 ONE DAY (Independent) Triston Marez 1050 -115

14 5 17 FOOL’S LOVE AFFAIR (117 Music) Randy Travis 1012 -553

l15 17 16 COWBOY’S DAUGHTER (Independent) Scotty Alexander 974 41

l16 19 8 LOST IN A KISS (Independent) George Navarro 967 103

17 13 17 STILL A LITTLE COUNTRY LEFT (Independent) Curtis Grimes 963 -217

l18 22 12 FULL-TIME FOOL (Independent) The Stateline Band 942 97

19 16 21 DEAR RODEO (COJO/Warners Nashille) Cody Johnson 940 -41

l20 38 4 SETTLE ME DOWN (Independent) Josh Abbott Band 898 282

RECURRENTSTHIS

WEEK TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistTOTAL AUD.

(IN MILLIONS)1 ONE OF THEM GIRLS Curb Lee Brice 20.166

2 HAPPY ANYWHERE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Blake Shelton Featuring Gwen Stefani 17.494

3 BIG, BIG PLANS Big Loud Chris Lane 17.190

4 I HOPE Warner Music Nashville/WAR Gabby Barrett 12.306

5 LOVIN’ ON YOU River House/Columbia Nashville Luke Combs 10.433

6 THE BONES Columbia Nashville Maren Morris 9.269

7 I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED Warner Music Nashville/WAR Dan + Shay 9.148

8 HARD TO FORGET MCA Nashville Sam Hunt 8.680

9 SOME GIRLS Combustion/River House/Columbia Nashville Jameson Rodgers 8.427

10 GOT WHAT I GOT Macon/Broken Bow Jason Aldean 8.016

Country AirplayNEW AND ACTIVE

TITLE Imprint/Label ArtistTOTAL

AUDIENCETOTAL

STATIONS ADDSTO BE LOVED BY YOU MCA Nashville Parker McCollum 0.632 19 5

GIVE HEAVEN SOME HELL Big Loud HARDY 0.623 29 9

MARTHA DIVINE Warner Music Nashville/WMN Ashley McBryde 0.614 23 0

WHISKEY’S FINE Arista Nashville Adam Doleac 0.357 24 2

JUST FRIENDS Capitol Nashville Caylee Hammack 0.320 18 0

RUN IT BACK Jawline Blane Howard 0.272 3 2

Texas Regional Radio Report Top 100 is compiled from weekly online playlist reports from 86 radio stations located in Texas and surrounding states, including reports from specialty shows, internet and satellite radio outlets. Songs are ranked by total plays. For tracking, complete chart methodology and more information, visit www.texasregionalradio.com, or contact Dave Smith at 972-252-8777. Copyright 2021, Texas Regional Radio Report

AIRPLAY MONITORED BY

LANEBALLERINI

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 9 OF 17

GARNER’S MULEHOUSE KICKS INTO GEARFormer syndicated radio host Blair Garner is unveiling the full team for the spring launch of his live venue, The Mulehouse, in Columbia, Tenn., relying on a mix of established firms and local music and entertainment executives.

Located in a historic district, the 55,000-square-foot property has secured Live Nation firm Neste Live! for booking, Nugs.net for a dedicated livestream operation, Clair Global for production services, 615 Leverage + Strategy for marketing and Hulcher PR for publicity.

High Valley christened the concert hall on Oct. 1 with a socially distanced performance that set the tone for The Mulehouse, which will emphasize livestreaming even after the coronavirus crisis subsides.

“We were fortunate with our timing, believe it or not, because the reality of the pandemic’s effect became real just as we were completing interior demo-lition,” says CEO Garner. “It was the perfect opportunity for us to pivot and create a first-of-its-kind venue built around livestreaming.”

Not all Mulehouse experiences will happen at a distance. In addition to in-person ticketing, the project will expand to include an upscale restaurant/bar and a smaller performance space in 2022. A boutique hotel is also in the works for later that year.

The Mulehouse in-house team includes: COO Eric Garner, GM Michael Op-penheimer, director of concerts and marketing Jon Shyer, production manager Geoffrey Borchgrevink and private event sales manager Tracy McGlocklin.

RADIO & RECORDS®BMG promoted Jon Loba to BMG Nashville president of recorded music from BBR Music Group executive vp … Warner Music Nashville signed singer-songwriter Drew Parker (“Homemade,” “Forever After All”) to a recording contract … Bluegrass duo Starlett & Big John joined the Turnberry artist roster in a two-album deal. The act consists of guitarist-vocalist Big John Talley and bassist-vocalist Starlett Boswell Austin … United Stations partnered with Tim Richards Media, with owner Tim Richards on board as a daypart programming specialist for the company’s weekday offerings … Emmis/Indianapolis promoted James Conner to vp sales for the cluster, which includes country WLHK. Formerly the group’s general sales manager, Conner replaces Taja Graham, who rose to market president in January … Katelyn Maida joined the KKBQ Houston morning show, replacing recently retired Kevin Kline. It marks a return to the station for Maida, following a six-year run at KSCS Dallas … WFRE Frederick, Md., midday personality Gabby Loielo added assistant PD stripes, according to RadioInk.com … Cumulus/Montgomery, Ala., hired vp/market manager Don Pollnow, RadioInsight.com reported. He oversees six stations, including country WLWI. He was previously iHeartMedia/Wichita, Kan., market president, with a six-station portfolio that included country KZSN … KCYY San Antonio PD Christi Brooks has taken over afternoon drive, according to RadioInsight.com. Brody Simmons shifts to middays, allowing Beth Chandler to make the morning show her primary focus … Additional star power has been added to the agenda for the

virtual version of Country Radio Seminar Feb. 16-19. Luke Combs and Maren Morris will discuss artists’ accountability in a Feb. 17 panel with NPR Music correspondent Ann Powers. Dan + Shay were announced as headliners for a Warner Music Nashville luncheon the same day. Also in the lineup are Brett Eldredge, Cole Swindell, Michael Ray, Drew Parker, Ian Munsick, Shy Carter and Robyn Ottolini. Go here for a detailed CRS agenda.

’ROUND THE ROWPaul Kingsbury joined the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum as managing editor. The author or editor-in-chief for at least eight music books, he was previously North America Agriculture for the Nature Conservancy communications manager. Seven other museum staff members received promotions: Pam Carey rose to director of creative project management from assistant director, Nicole Childrey was bumped to director of digital content from editor, Luke Wiget was upped to director of creative content from associate editor, Lindsey Funfgeld was promoted to associate director of guest relations from manager, Johnny Cunningham was elevated to director of information and technology operations from senior manager, Kaley Daeger advanced to director of IT business solutions from senior business applications manager, and Tori Tarvin was upgraded to director of marketing from associate director … Triple 8 Management promoted six employees. Christina Egan was bumped to CFO from financial manager, Chris Fairbank climbed to senior vp marketing from marketing director, Allison Bostrom rose to vp marketing from director, Mark Noel was upped to vp management from artist manager, Amy Brauchle advanced to marketing coordinator from office manager, and Karrie Tatum ascended to marketing director from coordinator … Booking agent Brett Saliba joined the UTA music department, based in the agency’s Nashville office. He was previously an agent at Creative Artists Agency … The Academy of Country Music has two openings for directors, in digital strategy and in creative and content. Go here for full job descriptions … Warner Chappell Nashville signed singer-songwriter Tyler Childers to a publishing deal … Sheltered Music took over administration for Emmylou Harris’ publishing … Singer-songwriter Jacob Lutz reached a songwriting deal with 50 Egg Music … Former Stoney Creek vp promotion Byron Kennedy took steps in his comedy career by securing Spielberg Entertainment for management and Marathon Talent for booking … Average Joes artist Sam Grow enlisted APA Nashville for concert booking … The Marshall Tucker Band joined the concert roster at UTA Nashville … Kellie Pickler was named a USO global ambassador … The Association of Independent Music Publishers’ Nashville chapter will host part two of a virtual COVID-19 resources panel on Feb. 11 at 4:30 p.m. CT. Go here for details … Songwriter Jim Weatherly died Feb. 3 at his home in Brentwood, Tenn. A member of both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, he authored a trio of Gladys Knight & The Pips hits: “Midnight Train To Georgia,” “Neither One of Us (Wants To Be the First To Say Goodbye)” and “Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me.” Weatherly’s credits also included Glen Campbell’s “A Lady Like You,” Bryan White’s “Someone Else’s Star” and Charley Pride’s “Where Do I Put Her Memory.” A quarterback for Ole Miss, he started three college bowl games in the 1960s and was a 12th-round draft pick for the Boston Patriots. SiriusXM host Charlie Monk paid tribute to Weatherly, saying, “He was probably the most honorable human being I’ve ever known in my life.” A celebration of life is expected later this year.

NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND

Priscilla Block and Andrew Jannakos participated in an Association of Independent Music Publishers virtual panel on Feb. 4 that explored the rise of TikTok as an artist-development platform. Clockwise from top left: Universal Music Group Nashville executive vp A&R Brian Wright, Sony Music Nashville A&R director Margaret Tomlin, Jannakos and Block.

Darius Rucker and Dolly Parton will join a long list of artists on the Feb. 14 NBC special Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music.

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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 10 OF 17

Feb. 92018 — Scotty McCreery racks up an RIAA-

certified gold single for “Five More Minutes.”2016 — Terri Clark’s caricature is added to the

wall at The Palm in downtown Nashville.

Feb. 102019 — Kacey Musgraves wins four trophies

during the 61st annual Grammy Awards, including album of the year and best country album for Golden Hour, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

2011 — Republic Nashville releases The Eli Young Band’s “Crazy Girl” to radio.

Feb. 111996 — Shania Twain sings the Canadian national anthem before the

NBA all-star game in San Antonio. The East beats the West, 129-118, with Michael Jordan winning the game’s most valuable player award.

Feb. 122001 — I’ll take Jo Dee to block: Jo Dee Messina begins a one-week

guest slot on the syndicated game show Hollywood Squares.

Feb. 131971 — Sammi Smith goes to No. 1 on the Billboard country singles

chart with the Kris Kristofferson-penned “Help Me Make It Through the Night.”

1961 — Frank Sinatra creates Reprise Records. Purchased by War-ner Bros., the label eventually develops country hits for such acts as Dwight Yoakam, Blake Shelton, Kenny Rogers, Gordon Light-foot and Carlene Carter.

Feb. 142020 — Miranda Lambert and director Trey Fanjoy shoot the “Blue-

bird” video in New York.2006 — With the gay-themed Brokeback Mountain in theaters, Wil-

lie Nelson debuts the tongue-in-cheek “Cowboys Are Secretly Fre-quently (Fond of Each Other)” on Howard Stern’s Sirius Satellite Radio show.

Feb. 151991 — Trisha Yearwood begins two days of recording for her debut

album at Nashville’s Sound Emporium. The sessions yield six cuts, including her first single, “She’s in Love With the Boy.”

Source: RolandNote.com, the Ultimate Country Music Database

Nearly a year after her Feb. 28, 2020, invitation to join the Grand Ole Opry, bluegrass vocalist Rhonda Vincent made her pandemic-delayed member-ship official during the Feb. 6 edition of the WSM-AM Nashville show. She was inducted by Opry member Dierks Bentley, who joined her on a version of “Mama Tried.” The evening also marked the debut for Parker McCollum, who added his own cover of “Middle Age Crazy” along-side his first hit, “Pretty Heart.” The Opry will get signif icant attention on Feb. 14 when NBC airs Grand Ole Opry: 95 Years of Country Music with hosts Brad Paisley and Blake Shelton, plus Marty Stuart, Carrie Underwood, Garth Brooks, Kane Brown and newly inducted Lady A.

Eric Church’s national anthem performance with Jazmine Sullivan at Super Bowl LV was a perfect piece at a time when people are at-tempting to navigate cultural differences. Country’s Church and R&B’s Sullivan sang their parts with their own genre-specific styles, and even though it was a little ragged, it came together in a gorgeous union of purpose. Two other male/female duets are also due some recogni-tion. Rapper Lathan Warlick and RaeLynn display plenty of ’tude in the new video “Roots.” And Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd have their first full-blown duet, “Chasing After You,” set for release Feb. 12.

Rodney Crowell is raising money for Music Health Alliance with a limited-release compilation, Songs From Quarantine, released Feb. 5 at Bandcamp for a two-week window. Contributors include Keith Urban, Emmylou Harris, Rosanne Cash, John Hiatt, Lucinda Williams and Elvis Costello. Other al-bums on the way include Tommy Emmanuel’s Live From the Balboa Theatre, due Feb. 12; Carly Pearce’s EP 29, Feb. 19; Dale Watson’s The Memphians, Feb. 26; Luke Bryan’s Born Here Live Here Die Here (Deluxe Edition), April 9; and The Shootouts’ Bullseye, produced by BR549’s Chuck Mead, April 30.

New Quartz Hill artist Ben Gallaher is supporting his debut single, “Every Small Town,” with a lyric video that assembles photos and videos of hometowns from across the nation. Country fans are encouraged to submit materials for the project here through Feb. 14.

VINCENT

Back Blocks Music announced the signing of its first songwriter, Blake Pendergrass, on Feb. 1. He is flanked by BMI Nashville executive director of writer/publisher relations Leslie Roberts (left) and Back Blocks founder Rakiyah Marshall.

NASHVILLE & NATIONAL TOM ROLAND

How The NFL Pulled Off A Safe Super Bowl LV Halftime Show In The Middle Of A Pandemic

Response To Morgan Wallen Slur Applauded By Black Music Action Coalition, But ‘There Is Much

More To Be Done’

Bruce Springsteen’s Manager Jon Landau On The Boss’ Involvement In ‘Every Shot’ Of

His Jeep Super Bowl Ad

Garth Brooks & Pat Alger Top Hard-Rock Songwriters Chart, Thanks To Cover Of

‘The Thunder Rolls’

SoundCloud To Let Fans Pay Artists Directly

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Top Headlines from .comClick on headlines below for more details

ON THIS DATE IN COUNTRY MUSIC

McCREERY

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 11 OF 17

Hot Country SongsTHIS

WEEKLAST WEEK

TWO WEEKS

AGOWKS ON CHART

TITLE Artist PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL

COUNTRY AIRPLAY

RANKPEAK

POSITION

1 1 2 35 BETTER TOGETHER HH No. 1 (2 weeks) HH Luke Combs S.MOFFATT (L.COMBS,D.ISBELL,R.MONTANA) RIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE

1 1

2 2 1 93 I HOPE Gabby Barrett R.COPPERMAN,Z.KALE (Z.KALE,J.M.NITE,G.BARRETT) WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WAR RC 1

l3 5 3 4 WASTED ON YOU Morgan Wallen J.MOI,J.DURRETT (M.WALLEN,E.K.SMITH,J.THOMPSON,CHARLIE HANDSOME) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 1

l4 7 10 36 GOOD TIME Niko Moon N.MOON,J.MURTY (N.MOON,J.MINTON,A.MOON,J.MURTY,M.TRUSSELL) RCA NASHVILLE 7 4

l5 8 9 4 SAND IN MY BOOTS HH Streaming Gainer HH Morgan Wallen J.MOI (A.GORLEY,M.W.HARDY,J.OSBORNE) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD

- 5

6 3 4 25 7 SUMMERS Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,S.MCANALLY,J.OSBORNE) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD RC 1

l7 6 6 24 STARTING OVER Chris Stapleton D.COBB,C.STAPLETON (C.STAPLETON,M.HENDERSON) MERCURY NASHVILLE 10 4

l8 4 5 42 MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN HH Digital Gainer HH Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.W.HARDY,E.K.SMITH,CHARLIE HANDSOME,M.WALLEN) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD

RC 2

l9 9 11 34 HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Kelsea Ballerini J.FRASURE,K.BALLERINI (K.BALLERINI,S.JONES,H.LINDSEY,J.FRASURE,A.GORLEY) BLACK RIVER 4 9

l10 11 12 29 HAPPY DOES HH Airplay Gainer HH Kenny Chesney B.CANNON,K.CHESNEY (B.CLAWSON,J.PAULIN,B.BERRYHILL,G.JAMES) BLUE CHAIR/WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WEA

2 10

11 10 7 11 SOMEBODY’S PROBLEM Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,R.CLAWSON,J.DURRETT,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 3

l12 13 21 51 JUST THE WAY Parmalee x Blanco Brown D.FANNING (M.THOMAS,K.BARD,N.W.SIPE) STONEY CREEK 5 12

l13 12 14 26 BEERS AND SUNSHINE Darius Rucker R.COPPERMAN (D.RUCKER,R.COPPERMAN,J.T.HARDING,J.OSBORNE) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 3 12

l14 14 17 16 DOWN TO ONE Luke Bryan J.STEVENS,J.STEVENS (K.FISHMAN,D.DAVIDSON,J.EBACH) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 6 14

l15 15 13 13 WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG Thomas Rhett D.HUFF,J.FRASURE (THOMAS RHETT,R.AKINS,J.FRASURE,A.GORLEY,P.WELLING) VALORY 8 13

l16 16 25 33 THE GOOD ONES Gabby Barrett R.COPPERMAN,Z.KALE (G.BARRETT,E.LANDIS,J.MCCORMICK,Z.KALE) WARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE/WAR 15 16

l17 18 24 22 LONG LIVE Florida Georgia Line C.CROWDER,T.HUBBARD,B.KELLEY (T.HUBBARD,B.KELLEY,C.CROWDER,D.A.GARCIA,J.MILLER) BMLG 11 17

l18 20 18 26 COVER ME UP Morgan Wallen J.MOI,D.COHEN (M.J.ISBELL) BIG LOUD - 15

19 17 15 15 FOREVER AFTER ALL Luke Combs CHIP MATTHEWS,J.D.SINGLETON,L.COMBS (L.COMBS,D.PARKER,R.WILLIFORD) RIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 53 1

l20 23 27 40 LADY Brett Young D.HUFF (B.YOUNG,R.COPPERMAN,J.M.NITE) BMLG 12 20

21 19 16 11 STILL GOIN DOWN Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,M.W.HARDY,CHARLIE HANDSOME) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 8

l22 22 22 4 865 Morgan Wallen J.MOI (J.BYRON,B.PENDERGRASS) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 13

23 21 19 4 WARNING Morgan Wallen J.MOI,CHARLIE HANDSOME (E.K.SMITH,A.GORLEY,CHARLIE HANDSOME) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 10

l24 26 30 15 HELL OF A VIEW Eric Church J.JOYCE (E.CHURCH,C.BEATHARD,M.CRISWELL) EMI NASHVILLE 18 23

l25 24 26 37 MOMMA’S HOUSE Dustin Lynch Z.CROWELL (D.SCHNEIDER,M.LOTTEN,R.CLAWSON,J.T.WILSON) BROKEN BOW 13 21

1 #1 8 WKS MORGAN WALLEN

2 ERNEST KEITH SMITH

3 JOSH OSBORNE

4 ASHLEY GORLEY

5 CHARLIE HANDSOME

6 HARDY

7 LUKE COMBS

8 JON NITE

TIE 9 GABBY BARRETT

TIE 9 ZACH KALE

1 #1 40 WKS JOEY MOI

2 ROSS COPPERMAN

3 DANN HUFF

4 SCOTT MOFFATT

5 ZACH KALE

6 JAY JOYCE

7 ZACH CROWELL

8 JESSE FRASURE

9 DAVID FANNING

10 JACOB DURRETT

COUNTRY PRODUCERSTMCOUNTRY SONGWRITERSTM

The weekly Country Songwriters and Country Producers charts are based on total points accrued by a songwriter and producer, respectively, for each attributed song that appears on the Hot Country Songs chart. As with Billboard’s yearly recaps, multiple writers or producers split points for each song equally (and the dividing of points will lead to occasional ties on rankings).

SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY

SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY

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BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 12 OF 17

The week’s most popular country songs, ranked by radio airplay audience impressions as measured by MRC Data, sales data as compiled by MRC Data and streaming activity data from online music sources tracked by MRC Data. Descending titles below No. 25 are moved to recurrent after 20 weeks.

Hot Country SongsTHIS

WEEKLAST WEEK

TWO WEEKS

AGOWKS ON CHART

TITLE Artist PRODUCER (SONGWRITER) IMPRINT / PROMOTION LABEL

COUNTRY AIRPLAY

RANKPEAK

POSITION

l26 25 28 19 SOMEBODY LIKE THAT Tenille Arts A.KLINE (T.ARTS,A.KLINE,A.M.CRUZ) 19TH & GRAND 16 25

l27 27 29 21 ONE TOO MANY Keith Urban Duet With P!nk K.URBAN,PHD,CUTFATHER (D.H.DAVIDSEN,P.WALLEVIK,M.H.HANSEN,J.NORTON,C.TIGHE) HIT RED/CAPITOL NASHVILLE 22 13

l28 29 31 4 DANGEROUS Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 17

l29 28 35 38 ALMOST MAYBES Jordan Davis P.DIGIOVANNI (J.DAVIS,J.FRASURE,H.LINDSEY) MCA NASHVILLE 19 24

l30 NEW 1 BANDAID ON A BULLET HOLE HH Hot Shot Debut HH Morgan Wallen J.MOI,J.DURRETT (M.WALLEN,J.DURRETT,A.GORLEY) REPUBLIC/BIG MACHINE

- 30

l31 34 46 21 HOW THEY REMEMBER YOU Rascal Flatts D.HUFF (M.BEESON,J.OSBORNE,A.SHAMBLIN) BIG MACHINE 14 31

32 31 32 4 NEON EYES Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,M.L.HOLMAN,B.BURGESS) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 18

l33 37 — 11 NOBODY Dylan Scott M.ALDERMAN,C.GIBBS,J.E.NORMAN (D.SCOTT,M.ALDERMAN,D.WILSON) CURB 17 33

l34 35 44 16 GONE Dierks Bentley D.GARCIA (N.GALYON,B.JOHNSON,N.MOON) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 24 30

35 33 45 16 BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S Sam Hunt Z.CROWELL (S.L.HUNT,C.LA CORTE,Z.CROWELL,E.K.SMITH,J.OSBORNE) MCA NASHVILLE 23 32

l36 36 43 17 SETTLING DOWN Miranda Lambert J.JOYCE (M.LAMBERT,L.DICK,N. HEMBY) VANNER/RCA NASHVILLE 25 32

37 32 33 4 MORE SURPRISED THAN ME Morgan Wallen J.MOI (N.MOON,B.BURGESS,L.T.MILLER) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 19

38 30 23 3 UNDIVIDED Tim McGraw & Tyler Hubbard C.CROWDER,T.HUBBARD,T.MCGRAW,B.GALLIMORE (T.HUBBARD,C.LOOCKE) MCGRAW/BMLG/BIG MACHINE 21 23

l39 38 34 11 LIVIN’ THE DREAM Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,B.BURGESS,J.DURRETT,M.W.HARDY) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 19

l40 43 — 5 MADE FOR YOU Jake Owen J.MOI (B.DAVIS,J.HYDE,N.A.MEDLEY) BIG LOUD 20 40

l41 42 40 4 SILVERADO FOR SALE Morgan Wallen J.MOI (D.DAVIDSON,M.GREEN,B.HAYSLIP) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 34

l42 41 — 10 WORSHIP YOU Kane Brown D.HUFF (K.BROWN,A.IZQUIERDO,M.J.MCGINN,CHARLIE HANDSOME) RCA NASHVILLE 40 24

43 39 36 4 YOUR BARTENDER Morgan Wallen J.MOI,M.DRAGSTREM (M.DRAGSTREM,R.AKINS,THOMAS RHETT,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 28

44 40 37 4 WHISKEY’D MY WAY Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.DRAGSTREM,J.MILLER,THOMAS RHETT,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 27

l45 45 49 11 LIL BIT Nelly & Florida Georgia Line J.M.SCHMIDT (T.HUBBARD,J.M.SCHMIDT,B.REDFERRIN,C.HAYNES, JR.) RECORDS/COLUMBIA - 28

46 46 47 26 WINE, BEER, WHISKEY Little Big Town LITTLE BIG TOWN (T.BROWN,K.FAIRCHILD,S.MCCONNELL,K.SCHLAPMAN,P.SWEET,J.WESTBROOK) CAPITOL NASHVILLE 37 23

47 44 38 4 OUTLAW Morgan Wallen Featuring Ben Burgess J.MOI (B.BURGESS,P.DAVIS,J.KERR,J.REYNOLDS) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 29

l48 49 50 14 SHALLOW Garth Brooks & Trisha Yearwood G.BROOKS (S.G.GERMANOTTA,M.D.RONSON,A.ROSSOMANDO,ANDREW WYATT) PEARL 45 35

49 47 39 4 WONDERIN’ BOUT THE WIND Morgan Wallen J.MOI (M.WALLEN,E.K.SMITH) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 33

50 48 41 4 ONLY THING THAT’S GONE Morgan Wallen Featuring Chris Stapleton J.MOI (M.WALLEN,R.C.MCGILL,M.DRAGSTREM,J.THOMPSON) REPUBLIC/BIG LOUD - 32

SALES, AIRPLAY & STREAMING DATA COMPILED BY

For inquiries about any MRC Data, please contact Josh Bennett at 615-807-1338 or jbennett@mrcentertainment.com

COUNTRY MARKET WATCHA Weekly National Music Sales Report

ALBUM CONSUMPTION

AUDIO ON-DEMAND

VIDEO ON-DEMAND

This Week 1,256,000 1,402,809,000 135,937,000

Last Week 1,222,000 1,376,188,000 131,054,000

Change 2.8% 1.9% 3.7%

This Week Last Year 1,045,000 1,103,925,000 148,783,000

Change 20.2% 27.1% -8.6%

WEEKLY UNIT COUNT YEAR-OVER-YEAR

2019 2021 CHANGE

Album Consumption 5,190,000 6,199,900 19.5%

Album Sales 819,000 847,000 3.4%

Audio On-Demand 5,478,904,000 6,805,188,000 24.2%

Video On-Demand 750,062,000 645,151,000 -14.0%

YEAR-TO-DATE

ALBUM CONSUMPTION’20

’21

TOTAL ON-DEMAND STREAMS’20

’21

62.28 billion

51.90 million

74.50 billion

61.99 million

All data measures U.S. activity as of the week ending February 4, 2021. All units counts are rounded to the nearest thousand. Album consumption units — also known as albums plus TEA plus SEA — consists of album sales; track-equivalent album (TEA) sales whereby 10 tracks equal one consumption unit; and stream equivalent albums (SEA) whereby 1,250 paid and/or 3,750 ad-supported audio on-demand streams (OAD) equal one consumption unit.

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 13 OF 17

The week’s top-streamed and top-selling paid download country songs, respectively, from sales reports collected and provided by MRC Data. Charts update weekly on Tuesdays at www.Billboard.Biz/charts. Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

TOP COUNTRY ALBUMS COUNTRY DIGITAL SONG SALES

Top Country Albums ranks the most popular country albums of the week, as compiled by MRC Data, based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums). Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

Americana/Folk Albums ranks the most popular Americana/folk albums of the week, as compiled by MRC Data, based on multi-metric consumption (blending traditional album sales, track equivalent albums, and streaming equivalent albums). Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

AMERICANA/ FOLK ALBUMS

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l1 1 1 4 MORGAN WALLEN DANGEROUS: THE DOUBLE ALBUMBIG LOUD 033180*/REPUBLIC 1

2 2 2 65 LUKE COMBS WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GETRIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 595687*/SMN 1 1

l3 4 4 140 MORGAN WALLEN IF I KNOW MEBIG LOUD 783* 1 1

4 3 3 192 LUKE COMBS THIS ONE’S FOR YOURIVER HOUSE/COLUMBIA NASHVILLE 538883*/SMN 3 1

5 5 5 12 CHRIS STAPLETON STARTING OVERMERCURY NASHVILLE 032689*/UMGN 1

6 6 6 301 CHRIS STAPLETON TRAVELLERMERCURY NASHVILLE 019405*/UMGN 4 1

7 7 7 33 GABBY BARRETT GOLDMINEWARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE 629930/WMN 4

8 8 8 11 LEE BRICE HEY WORLDCURB 79537* 7

l9 10 11 247 GEORGE STRAIT 50 NUMBER ONESMCA NASHVILLE 000459/UMGN (25.98) 7 1

10 9 9 25 KANE BROWN MIXTAPE, VOL. 1 (EP)RCA NASHVILLE DIGITAL EX/SMN 2

11 11 13 44 SAM HUNT SOUTHSIDEMCA NASHVILLE 031776*/UMGN 1

12 12 15 98 ELVIS PRESLEY THE ESSENTIAL ELVIS PRESLEYRCA/SONY STRATEGIC MARKETING GROUP 89048*/LEGACY (25.98) 1 11

13 13 14 160 EAGLES HOTEL CALIFORNIAASYLUM/ELEKTRA 103*/RHINO (18.98) 5

l14 16 16 63 JASON ALDEAN 9MACON/BROKEN BOW/BMG 32944*/BBMG 1

l15 17 17 287 ZAC BROWN BAND GREATEST HITS SO FAR...HOME GROWN 546369*/BMG 3

16 15 12 35 DIPLO PRESENTS THOMAS WESLEY CHAPTER I: SNAKE OILMAD DECENT DIGITAL EX/COLUMBIA 6

l17 21 22 26 LUKE BRYAN BORN HERE LIVE HERE DIE HERECAPITOL NASHVILLE 031777/UMGN 1

18 18 18 82 TYLER CHILDERS PURGATORYHICKMAN HOLLER 001*/THIRTY TIGERS 0 12

l19 20 25 244 TIM MCGRAW NUMBER ONE HITSCURB 79205 (13.98) 1 6

l20 19 21 66 MIRANDA LAMBERT WILDCARDVANNER/RCA NASHVILLE 597873*/SMN 1

l21 22 20 218 KANE BROWN KANE BROWNZONE 4/RCA NASHVILLE 530947*/SMN 2 1

l22 RE-ENTRY 35 KELSEA BALLERINI KELSEABLACK RIVER 2020* 2

l23 26 24 18 RASCAL FLATTS TWENTY YEARS OF RASCAL FLATTS: THE GREATEST HITSLYRIC STREET/BIG MACHINE RF0650A*/BMLG 9

l24 30 30 5 NIKO MOON GOOD TIME (EP)RCA NASHVILLE 973051 WS VS EX/SMN 24

25 23 19 60 BLAKE SHELTON FULLY LOADED: GOD’S COUNTRYWARNER MUSIC NASHVILLE 607343*/WMN 0 1

COUNTRY STREAMING SONGS

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l1 1 4 WASTED ON YOU MORGAN WALLEN

l2 10 32 MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN MORGAN WALLEN

l3 3 4 SAND IN MY BOOTS MORGAN WALLEN

l4 11 24 7 SUMMERS MORGAN WALLEN

l5 RE-ENTRY WHISKEY GLASSES MORGAN WALLEN

6 6 15 THE GOOD ONES GABBY BARRETT

7 5 32 BETTER TOGETHER LUKE COMBS

8 7 23 STARTING OVER CHRIS STAPLETON

l9 8 19 GOOD TIME NIKO MOON

l10 NEW I WOULD’VE LOVED YOU JAKE HOOT FEAT. KELLY CLARKSON

l11 22 4 DOWN TO ONE LUKE BRYAN

l12 RE-ENTRY CHASIN’ YOU MORGAN WALLEN

13 9 75 I HOPE GABBY BARRETT

l14 25 6 SOMEBODY’S PROBLEM MORGAN WALLEN

l15 RE-ENTRY COVER ME UP MORGAN WALLEN

16 14 255 TENNESSEE WHISKEY CHRIS STAPLETON

17 13 12 WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG THOMAS RHETT

18 12 15 FOREVER AFTER ALL LUKE COMBS

l19 RE-ENTRY UP DOWN MORGAN WALLEN FEAT. FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

20 2 4 UNDIVIDED TIM MCGRAW & TYLER HUBBARD

l21 RE-ENTRY DANGEROUS MORGAN WALLEN

22 17 31 WINE, BEER, WHISKEY LITTLE BIG TOWN

23 18 9 HELL OF A VIEW ERIC CHURCH

24 15 12 LIL BIT NELLY & FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE

25 19 17 ONE TOO MANY KEITH URBAN DUET WITH P!NK

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l1 1 4 WASTED ON YOU MORGAN WALLEN

l2 4 4 SAND IN MY BOOTS MORGAN WALLEN

3 2 25 7 SUMMERS MORGAN WALLEN

4 3 11 SOMEBODY’S PROBLEM MORGAN WALLEN

l5 5 19 BETTER TOGETHER LUKE COMBS

6 6 39 MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN MORGAN WALLEN

l7 7 23 STARTING OVER CHRIS STAPLETON

l8 17 4 GOOD TIME NIKO MOON

l9 9 67 I HOPE GABBY BARRETT

l10 11 200 TENNESSEE WHISKEY CHRIS STAPLETON

11 8 15 FOREVER AFTER ALL LUKE COMBS

l12 13 9 COVER ME UP MORGAN WALLEN

l13 14 74 HEARTLESS DIPLO PRESENTS THOMAS WESLEY FEAT. MORGAN WALLEN

l14 15 4 865 MORGAN WALLEN

15 12 4 WARNING MORGAN WALLEN

16 10 8 STILL GOIN DOWN MORGAN WALLEN

17 16 23 I SHOULD PROBABLY GO TO BED DAN + SHAY

l18 19 102 WHISKEY GLASSES MORGAN WALLEN

l19 18 34 GOT WHAT I GOT JASON ALDEAN

l20 20 5 HOLE IN THE BOTTLE KELSEA BALLERINI

l21 21 31 ONE OF THEM GIRLS LEE BRICE

l22 24 4 DANGEROUS MORGAN WALLEN

l23 22 138 BEAUTIFUL CRAZY LUKE COMBS

l24 23 49 CHASIN’ YOU MORGAN WALLEN

l25 NEW BANDAID ON A BULLET HOLE MORGAN WALLEN

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1 1 1 12 CHRIS STAPLETON STARTING OVERMERCURY NASHVILLE 032689*/UMGN 1

2 2 2 247 CHRIS STAPLETON TRAVELLERMERCURY NASHVILLE 019405*/UMGN 4 1

3 3 5 293 HOZIER HOZIERRUBYWORKS/COLUMBIA 309996*/LEGACY 3 1

4 6 6 99 TYLER CHILDERS PURGATORYHICKMAN HOLLER 001*/THIRTY TIGERS 0 2

5 4 4 4 BARRY GIBB BARRY GIBB & FRIENDS: GREENFIELDS: THE GIBB BROTHERS SONGBOOK, VOL. ICAPITOL 032878* 1

6 7 8 252 THE LUMINEERS CLEOPATRADUALTONE 1738* 1 1

l7 9 9 210 SIMON & GARFUNKEL SIMON AND GARFUNKEL’S GREATEST HITSCOLUMBIA 31350/LEGACY 3

8 5 7 4 BLACK PUMAS BLACK PUMASATO 0500* 4

l9 NEW 1 LANGHORNE SLIM STRAWBERRY MANSIONDUALTONE 2194* 9

10 10 11 149 KACEY MUSGRAVES GOLDEN HOURMCA NASHVILLE 027921*/UMGN 0 1

Bluegrass Albums ranks the most popular bluegrass albums of the week, as compiled by MRC Data, based on album sales. Copyright 2021, Billboard Media, LLC and MRC Data. All rights reserved.

BLUEGRASS ALBUMS

SALES, DATA COMPILED BY

STREAMING & SALES DATA COMPILED BY

SALES DATA COMPILED BY

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1 1 1 16 STURGILL SIMPSON CUTTIN’ GRASS, VOL. 1: THE BUTCHER SHOPPE SESSIONSHIGH TOP MOUNTAIN 58784*/THIRTY TIGERS (56285) 1

l2 NEW 1 THE DEAD SOUTH SERVED LIVESIX SHOOTER 144* 2

l3 2 2 31 GARY BREWER & THE KENTUCKY RAMBLERS 40TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONSTRETCH GRASS 4050 1

4 3 3 71 BILLY STRINGS HOMEROUNDER 610063*/CONCORD 1

5 4 4 8 STURGILL SIMPSON CUTTIN’ GRASS, VOL. 2: THE COWBOY ARMS SESSIONSHIGH TOP MOUNTAIN DIGITAL EX/THIRTY TIGERS 2

l6 5 5 33 YO-YO MA/STUART DUNCAN/EDGAR MEYER/CHRIS THILE NOT OUR FIRST GOAT RODEOSOUND POSTINGS/SONY CLASSICAL 973855*/SONY MASTERWORKS 1

7 6 6 69 THE DEAD SOUTH SUGAR & JOYSIX SHOOTER 129* 1

l8 11 8 68 OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW LIVE AT THE RYMANCOLUMBIA NASHVILLE 98*/OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW 1

9 7 12 52 THE STEELDRIVERS BAD FOR YOUROUNDER 610080*/CONCORD 1

l10 NEW 1 TONY TRISCHKA SHALL WE HOPESHEFA 3009 10

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 14 OF 17

Americans love an underdog.Whether it’s the fallen star making a comeback, the scrappy Rocky-style

boxer besting an established champion or the wounded warrior overcoming a debilitating injury, nearly everyone appreciates the poetry of someone rising above their perceived station in life. At its simplest level, that kind of storyline reinforces a belief that we all have a shot at beating the odds.

In that spirit, every new artist is an underdog, stepping into a marketplace of better-established talents, hoping that they have a sound, a song, a believability that will make them an unlikely winner in a crowded field.

So it is for newcomer Nate Barnes, a Michigan native working his first single, which — enhanc-ing that longshot status — also happens to be the inaugural single for the independent Quartz Hill label. Thanks to his previous work history, Barnes knows a thing or two about being the outsider.

“I worked around construction guys my whole life that were three times bigger than me, and it was kind of a badge of honor if they were big,” he says. “And so [as] a small guy, I was really self-conscious growing up and always just felt weird and awkward and, you know, not good.”

That makes Barnes a particularly apt voice for his debut single, “You Ain’t Pretty,” a song that does what every successful underdog ac-complishes: turning a negative situation into a positive. It’s a tale about battling the inner ty-rant — everybody’s got one — who says a person isn’t smart enough, tough enough, thin enough or attractive enough.

The idea belonged to songwriter Jimmy Yeary (“I Called Mama,” “I Drive Your Truck”), who thought of the unflattering title, “You Ain’t Pretty,” during a four-mile morning run on Jan. 6, 2020. He pulled out his phone and huffed and puffed the first four lines into the recorder, depicting a woman in front of a mirror whose inner voice is telling her a common lie: “You ain’t pretty.” Yeary wasn’t sure how to get to the payoff, but he thought he had a winner if a male singer were able to reassure her by twisting the negative title into a posi-tive truth: “I ain’t ever seen you, girl, when you ain’t pretty.”

“I just think about my wife,” says Yeary, alluding to Sonya Isaacs of the bluegrass gospel act The Isaacs. “I see her in the mirror sometimes doing her little quirky things with her hair, her shirt or whatever. And then sometimes it goes to ‘Does this look all right? I just feel like it looks stupid.’ And the whole time, before she says that, I’m just thinking to myself, ‘Good God, she’s pretty.’ ”

After his run, Yeary showered and worked out a guitar lick to accompany his opening verse. Then he headed to Sony/ATV on Music Row for a writing appointment with Barnes, whom he had never met or heard, and Jason Sellers (“Don’t You Wanna Stay,” “Sunny and 75”), who was in the process of signing Barnes to a management contract with Brown Sellers Brown, a company he co-owns with former BBR Music Group executives Benny Brown and Paul Brown. Barnes and Sellers were both instant believers in “You Ain’t Pretty.”

“This song was obviously written to a female from the position of the singer,” says Sellers. “But I think the reason it hit us all is just because men and women all feel insecure about themselves for one reason or another.”

Yeary’s lightly syncopated verse melody proved ideal for Barnes’ easy-going baritone, and the three were able to build a lift into the piece when they reached the chorus, slightly raising the melodic range and shifting the phrasing to emphasize the downbeat. The first line of that chorus, “I ain’t ever seen you lookin’ any less than a 10,” enhanced the song’s theme by turning

a negative (most women understandably hate being graded on a scale of one to 10) into a positive.

“What a girl hates,” counters Yeary, “is if you called her a nine. If you’ve never seen her look less than a 10, I think that’s about the only way you get away with it.”

A second verse underscored the man’s devotion, leading naturally to the second chorus. They discussed writing a bridge, but ultimately scratched

that idea, instead slipping a new line, “I know you completely,” into the final chorus. It brought the song’s sentiment to a greater level — if the guy knows her inside and out, and still loves her, she’s in a really good position.

After the management paperwork was done, the Brown Sellers Brown principals established the Quartz Hill label, and Barnes was the first signee. Producers Mickey Jack Cones (Dustin Lynch, Jameson Rodgers) and Derek George (Randy Houser, Joe Nichols) were enlisted, and “You Ain’t Pretty” stood out when they listened to the first batch of songs in Benny’s home theater.

“I turned around at that first chorus,” recalls Cones. “I didn’t even know who wrote it. I just went, ‘That is a smash.’ Like, I literally got chills when I heard it.”

Barnes signed the Quartz Hill deal shortly be-fore his first session, held Aug. 7 at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios. The musicians were masked up and COVID-19-tested: drummer Jerry Roe, bassist Mark Hill, keyboardist Charlie Judge,

steel guitarist Mike Johnson and guitarists Troy Lancaster and Derek Wells. They bought a cake to celebrate Wells’ birthday (no candles — blowing them

out was a coronavirus no-no), and with Barnes experiencing a master session for the first time, the recording had a clear positivity to it.

“It’s special because it was special for Nate — you know, that’s a first time that you never get to relive,” explains Cones. “And the fact that we’ve got his first single on that session, and it was Derek Wells’ birthday and Nate had just signed his deal literally within 24 hours of us going in and tracking, that vibe, for me, matched the tone for the song.”

The players gave the production a little more drama than the demo, and Wells contributed a birthday guitar solo. Barnes delivered his final vocal at a later date. It was fairly easy — since he had co-written it, he knew it completely — and Cones and George helped him adjust the phrasing for the chorus. It was a minor issue, but Barnes was more than happy to go over it repeatedly, trust-ing his producers to help him find the pocket.

“I want to get better, I want to grind with them, I want to dig deeper,” says Barnes. “They helped me go deeper and get there.”

Released to terrestrial radio via PlayMPE on New Year’s Eve, the “You Ain’t Pretty” title looks negative on the page, though when people hear it — usually without actually reading the moniker — it’s hugely positive. The writers have seen adults cry over it. A ballad might be an underdog choice for an inaugural single, but Sellers sees it as a winner.

“I love the fact that that’s the kind of song that we’re launching not just Nate with, but our whole record company with,” he says.

Barnes sees it as a means to guide others to the kind of reversal that he has experienced firsthand.

“There was a time in my life that I was pretty lost,” he says. “I just want to give hope to people. So being able to have a song like this, and knowing that people are feeling that [positivity], that means the most.”

MAKIN’ TRACKS TOM ROLAND tom.roland@billboard.com

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‘You Ain’t Pretty’: Newcomer Nate Barnes Says That In The Nicest Way Possible

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 15 OF 17

Country Airplay IndexA

ALL NIGHT All The Kings Pens, ASCAP/Trampy McCauley, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Songstein Publishing, ASCAP/Songs In The Key Of Claire, ASCAP/Patriot Games Publishing, ASCAP/DTCM Ave, ASCAP (J. Osborne, T.J. Osborne, A.DeRoberts) 28

ALMOST MAYBES Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Jordan Davis Music, ASCAP/Anthem Entertainment, ASCAP/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/BIRB Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP (J.Davis, J.Frasure, H.Lindsey) 19

B

BEERS AND SUNSHINE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/GrowingMusic Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Detroit Records And Tapes, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (D.Rucker, R.Copperman, J.T.Harding, J.Osborne) 3

BEERS TO CATCH UP ON Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Real Big Red Tunes, ASCAP/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP (R.Akins, J.S.Stover, P.DiGiovanni) 49

BETTER TOGETHER Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI (L.Combs, D.Isbell, R.Montana) 1

BLAME IT ON YOU Makena Cove Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/Zona Blue Music, BMI/Lee 45 Music Publishing, BMI/Irishsonmusic, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Peertunes, Ltd., SESAC/MTNoize, SESAC/SB21 Music Publishing, SESAC/BW Tunes, SESAC (K.M.Allison, J.Edwards, T.Kennedy, M.Tyler, B.White) 27

BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Between the Pines, LLC, ASCAP/BIPOD, ASCAP/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Miller Crow Music, ASCAP/Kyler’s Kinda Night, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Tree Vibez Music, LLC, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (S.L.Hunt, C.La Corte, Z.Crowell, E.K.Smith, J.Osborne) 23

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COLD BEER CALLING MY NAME Highly Combustible Music, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/One77 Songs, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Sonofgroceries Music, BMI/Extremely Combustible Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Castle Bound Music, Inc., SESAC (J.Rodgers, H.Phelps, Brett Tyler, A.Vanderheym) 47

D

DEAR RODEO Songs From The Couch, BMI/Cori’s Daddy’s Publishing, BMI (D.Couch, C.D.Johnson) 38

DOWN TO ONE Play It Again Entertainment, BMI/Kyle Fishman Music, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Memory Days, SESAC/Curb Wordspring Music, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC (K.Fishman, D.Davidson, J.Ebach) 6

DRINKIN’ BEER. TALKIN’ GOD. AMEN. Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Nontypical Music, ASCAP/Who Wants To Buy My Publishing, ASCAP/Cale Dodds Publishing, ASCAP (C.Rice, C.Crowder, H.Phelps, C.Dodds) 36

F

FAMOUS FRIENDS Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/They’ve Gone To Plaid Publishing, BMI/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Roc Nation US Music, SESAC/Bennett’s Dad’s Songs, SESAC/Songs Of Rhythm House Black, SESAC/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP (C.Young, C.R.Barlowe, C.Crowder) 29

FOREVER AFTER ALL Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Works For RHA Music, BMI/Rowdy Rob Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Oak Tree Swing Publishing, BMI (L.Combs, D.Parker, R.Williford) 53

FREEDOM WAS A HIGHWAY Sony/ATV Lakeview, SESAC/Red Lining Music, SESAC/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Big Spaces Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Nepasongs, ASCAP (J.Allen, A.Bowers, M.Rogers) 57

TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position

G

GLAD YOU EXIST Monet Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Spokane Boy Music, BMI/Jreynmusic, ASCAP/Buckeye26, ASCAP/Shay Mooney Music, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Beats And Banjos, ASCAP (D.Smyers, J.Reynolds, T.M.Parks, S.Mooney, R.L.Taylor) 33

GONE Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/A Boy Named Ford, BMI/Ben There Wrote That Publishing, BMI/Artist 101 Publishing Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Hits From The Tape Room, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC (N.Galyon, B.Johnson, N.Moon) 24

THE GOOD ONES GBF Music Global, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/BMG Blue, BMI/Fox Landis Lyrics, BMI/Songs Of Jim McCormick, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Revinyl House, BMI (G.Barrett, E.Landis, J.McCormick, Z.Kale) 15

GOOD TIME W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Here Comes The Boom Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Anna Moon Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Joshua Murty Publishing, ASCAP/Mark Trussell Music, ASCAP/Future Heartbeat Publishing, ASCAP (N.Moon, J.Minton, A.Moon, J.Murty, M.Trussell) 7

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HAPPY DOES Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Murphy The Wolf Music, BMI/Five Miles West Songs, BMI/Mandy’s Favorite Songs, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Songsfortatum Publishing, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Hold On Can I Get A Number 1 Music, BMI (B.Clawson, J.Paulin, B.Berryhill, G.James) 2

HARD DAYS Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Indiana Angel Music, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Spirit Of Nashville One, BMI (B.Gilbert, J.Bell, B.Berryhill, J.Brunswick, L.Wall) 30

HEAVEN ON DIRT Haus Of Kings, ASCAP/Twin Spires, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/King Pen Songs, SESAC/Smackworks Music, SESAC/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/Ben Lau, BMI (B.Ratcliff, P.Good, A.J.Babcock, B.Foster) 54

HELL OF A VIEW Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Seven Ring Circus Songs, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Spirit Of Nashville One, BMI/Tunes Of Fluid, BMI/Rust And Chrome Music, BMI (E.Church, C.Beathard, M.Criswell) 18

HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Vistaville Music, ASCAP/Steph Jones Who Music, ASCAP/Big Deal Hits, ASCAP/410 Music, ASCAP/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (K.Ballerini, S.Jones, H.Lindsey, J.Frasure, A.Gorley) 4

HOME SWEET BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Music That Is Russelled, BMI/Blue Corolla Oklahoma, SESAC/Feel Your Creative Pulse Music, SESAC/The Best I Could Do Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP (R.Dickerson, C.Brown, C.Kelley) 52

HOW THEY REMEMBER YOU Son Of Ron Songs, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Built On Rock Music, ASCAP (M.Beeson, J.Osborne, A.Shamblin) 14

I

IF IT WASN’T FOR TRUCKS Peermusic III, Ltd., BMI/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI/Back 40 Publishing International, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (R.Green, Erik Dylan, R.Montana) 59

J

JUST ABOUT OVER YOU Scilla’s Song Shop Publising, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/91 Dogs Publishing, BMI/Emily Kroll Music, ASCAP (P.Block, S.Jones, E.K.Kroll) 41

JUST THE WAY Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/JM Thomas Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, ASCAP/Kevin Bard Music, ASCAP/Margetts Road Music, ASCAP/Nolan W. Sipe Music, ASACP (M.Thomas, K.Bard, N.W.Sipe) 5

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LADY Super Big Music, ASCAP/Caliville Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP (B.Young, R.Copperman, J.M.Nite) 12

LADY LIKE Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/What Is An Ingrid, BMI/Straight From The Art Music, BMI/Songs For A Stone Heart, BMI/Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Happy Rock Publishing, ASCAP (I.Andress, S.Ellis, D.Southerland) 51

LONG LIVE Big Loud Mountain, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/Pranch Ringle Music, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Spirit Two Music Inc., ASCAP/4TheKidz Music, ASCAP/Spirit Vault Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Jack 10 Publishing, BMI/Songs Of The Corn, BMI (T.Hubbard, B.Kelley, C.Crowder, D.A.Garcia, J.Miller) 11

LOVE YOU LIKE I USED TO BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Kailey’s Dream, BMI/Blue Corolla Oklahoma, SESAC/Feel Your Creative Pulse Music, SESAC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs Of Home Team Music, BMI/Tunes Of TrailerParker, BMI (R.Dickerson, C.Brown, P.Welling) 9

M

MADE FOR YOU Plaid Flag Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Dixie Stars Music, ASCAP/Son Of a Carl Music, ASCAP/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., ASCAP (B.Davis, J.Hyde, N.A.Medley) 20

MEMORY I DON’T MESS WITH Love Cannons Publishing, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Mike Curb Music, BMI/Is That The Train Music, BMI/Anthem Music Publishing I, BMI/Twangville Music, BMI/Songs About Jack, BMI/Write Or Die Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (L.Brice, B.Montana, B.Davis) 46

MINIMUM WAGE A Boy Named Ford, BMI/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (C.Crowder, N.Galyon, J.Frasure) 26

MOMMA’S HOUSE Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Two Black Dogs, ASCAP/ole Music Of Parallel, BMI/Lucky Mic Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Ford Drives A Chevy, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/BMG Cicada, SESAC (D.Schneider, M.Lotten, R.Clawson, J.T.Wilson) 13

MY BOY Rome Phrey Songs, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Rome Phrey Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Nick Columbia Publishing, ASCAP/Block Of Marble Music, BMI/Lee Starr Publishing, BMI/SNG Music, LLP, BMI (E.Shane, R.Sutton, N.Columbia, L.Starr) 35

N

NEED A BAR SOMETIMES Peertunes, Ltd., SESAC/Marlow Sinclair Songs, SESAC/Reservoir Media Music, ASCAP/Mirendawrites, ASCAP/Raincreek Publishing, ASCAP/Espiritu de Leon, BMI (C.Walker, J.Boyer, J.Mirenda, G.Birge) 58

NEXT GIRL Smackborne Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Warner Geo Met Ric Music, GMR/Tempo Investments-Smack Hits, GMR/Smackwood Music, GMR/For The Kids Gold, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP (C.Pearce, S.McAnally, J.Osborne) 32

NOBODY Curb Congregation Songs, SESAC/Good Vibes, Good Times Music, SESAC/Curb Songs, ASCAP/Songs Of Riser House, BMI (D.Scott, M.Alderman, D.Wilson) 17

NO BODY, NO CRIME TASRM Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI (T.Swift) 60

O

ONE TOO MANY Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Reservoir 416, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/James Norton Publishing Designee, ASCAP (D.H.Davidsen, P.Wallevik, M.H.Hansen, J.Norton, C.Tighe) 22

S

SETTLING DOWN Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Pink Dog Publishing, BMI/Emileon Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Wrucke For You Publishing, BMI (M.Lambert, L.Dick, N. Hemby) 25

SHALLOW Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/Warner-Barham Music LLC, BMI/SG Songs Worldwide, BMI/Warner-Olive Music LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Concord Publishing, BMI/Zelig Publishing, BMI/Stephaniesays Music, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/White Bull Music Group, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI (S.G.Germanotta, M.D.Ronson, A.Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt) 45

SINGLE SATURDAY NIGHT Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Art In The Fodder Music, BMI/Hark Molman Songs, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Ju Jettsu Music, BMI/Rednecker Music, BMI (A.Gorley, M.W.Hardy, M.L.Holman) 34

SOMEBODY LIKE THAT Oven Music Inc., BMI/Ziggys Z Music, SESAC/Tunes Of Big Deal Music, SESAC/Songs Of Porterfied Music, SESAC (T.Arts, A.Kline, A.M.Cruz) 16

STARTING OVER I Wrote These Songs, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Straight Six Music, BMI/Wixen Music Publishing, BMI (C.Stapleton, M.Henderson) 10

T

TEQUILA LITTLE TIME Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Cowboy And Gus Publishing, BMI/Happy Song Factory, BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Sony/ATV Story Music Publishing, GMR/We Are Creative Nation, GMR/Suzanne James Songs, GMR (J.Pardi, R.Akins, L.Laird) 44

THINGS A MAN OUGHTA KNOW Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Super Big Music, ASCAP/Jett Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI (L.Wilson, J.D.Singleton, J.Nix) 55

U

UNDIVIDED T Tree Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Straight Outta Georgia Songs, SESAC/Tree Vibez Bus Vibez, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC (T.Hubbard, C.Loocke) 21

W

WAITIN’ ON 5 ole Red Vinyl Music, BMI/Buckkilla Music, BMI/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Red Toe Rocker, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Songs Of XO, BMI/We In Good Company, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI (C.Janson, Shy Carter, T.Cecil, C.Wiseman) 48

WANT ME BACK Magic Mustang Music, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Koala T Tunes, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/McGinntellectual Property, SESAC/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/True Blue Works, SESAC (L.Ell, K.Brown, L.Rimes, M.J.McGinn) 56

WE DIDN’T HAVE MUCH Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Paulywood Music, ASCAP/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Tunes From The Red White And Blue School, ASCAP/Anthem Music Publishing II, ASCAP (P.DiGiovanni, R.Montana, J.S.Stover) 31

WE WERE RICH EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Endurance Romeo Charlie, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Combustion Engine Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI (R.Copperman, A.Gorley, N.Galyon) 39

WHAT DO I KNOW Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Dos Hobos Music, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/New Writers Of Sea Gayle Music, BMI/West Pass Music, BMI (R.Counts, M.W.Hardy, J.Mitchell) 43

WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/Tunes by TrailerParker, BMI/Songs Of Home Team Music, BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (Thomas Rhett, R.Akins, J.Frasure, A.Gorley, P.Welling) 8

WHISKEY AND RAIN Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/Big Music Machine, BMI/Two Laine Collections, BMI (J.Frasure, J.Thompson) 50

WINE, BEER, WHISKEY Razor And Tie Music Publishing, BMI/Tofer The Musical, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Silent Desert Music, BMI/Self Made Entertainment, BMI (T.Brown, K.Fairchild, S.McConnell, K.Schlapman, P.Sweet, J.Westbrook) 37

WORSHIP YOU Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/AIX Publishing, ASCAP/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/McGinntellectual Property, SESAC/True Blue Works, SESAC/Krispy Pork Gang, BMI (K.Brown, A.Izquierdo, M.J.McGinn, Charlie Handsome) 40

Y

YOU TIME Dagum Music, BMI/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Fluid Tunes, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP (S.McCreery, F.Rogers, A.Eshuis) 42

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 16 OF 17

Hot Country Songs Index7 SUMMERS Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace

Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Tempo Investments-Smack Hits, GMR/Smackstreet Music, GMR/Warner Geo Met Ric Music, GMR/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (M.Wallen, S.McAnally, J.Osborne) 6

865 Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Blake Pendergrass Publishing Designee, BMI (J.Byron, B.Pendergrass) 22

A

ALMOST MAYBES Ole Red Cape Songs, ASCAP/Jordan Davis Music, ASCAP/Anthem Entertainment, ASCAP/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/BIRB Music, ASCAP/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP (J.Davis, J.Frasure, H.Lindsey) 29

B

BANDAID ON A BULLET HOLE Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Magic Mustang Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (M.Wallen, J.Durrett, A.Gorley) 30

BEERS AND SUNSHINE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/GrowingMusic Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Detroit Records And Tapes, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (D.Rucker, R.Copperman, J.T.Harding, J.Osborne) 13

BETTER TOGETHER Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Sullivan S Guns Music, BMI (L.Combs, D.Isbell, R.Montana) 1

BREAKING UP WAS EASY IN THE 90’S Universal Music Corp., ASCAP/Between the Pines, LLC, ASCAP/BIPOD, ASCAP/Spirit Two Nashville, ASCAP/Miller Crow Music, ASCAP/Kyler’s Kinda Night, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Tree Vibez Music, LLC, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (S.L.Hunt, C.La Corte, Z.Crowell, E.K.Smith, J.Osborne) 35

C

COVER ME UP Fame Publishing Company LLC, BMI/Songs Of Emchant, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI (M.J.Isbell) 18

D

DANGEROUS Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI (M.Wallen, E.K.Smith) 28

DOWN TO ONE Play It Again Entertainment, BMI/Kyle Fishman Music, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Memory Days, SESAC/Curb Wordspring Music, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC (K.Fishman, D.Davidson, J.Ebach) 14

F

FOREVER AFTER ALL Big Music Machine, BMI/50 Egg Music, BMI/Straight Dimes Publishing, BMI/Works For RHA Music, BMI/Rowdy Rob Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Oak Tree Swing Publishing, BMI (L.Combs, D.Parker, R.Williford) 19

G

GONE Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/A Boy Named Ford, BMI/Ben There Wrote That Publishing, BMI/Artist 101 Publishing Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Hits From The Tape Room, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC (N.Galyon, B.Johnson, N.Moon) 34

TITLE Publishing-Licensing Org. (Songwriter) Chart Position

THE GOOD ONES GBF Music Global, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/BMG Blue, BMI/Fox Landis Lyrics, BMI/Songs Of Jim McCormick, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/Revinyl House, BMI (G.Barrett, E.Landis, J.McCormick, Z.Kale) 16

GOOD TIME W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Here Comes The Boom Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Anna Moon Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Joshua Murty Publishing, ASCAP/Mark Trussell Music, ASCAP/Future Heartbeat Publishing, ASCAP (N.Moon, J.Minton, A.Moon, J.Murty, M.Trussell) 4

H

HAPPY DOES Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Murphy The Wolf Music, BMI/Five Miles West Songs, BMI/Mandy’s Favorite Songs, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Songsfortatum Publishing, BMI/Don’t Be A Gypsy, BMI/Hold On Can I Get A Number 1 Music, BMI (B.Clawson, J.Paulin, B.Berryhill, G.James) 10

HELL OF A VIEW Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Longer And Louder Music, BMI/Seven Ring Circus Songs, BMI/Little Louder Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Spirit Of Nashville One, BMI/Tunes Of Fluid, BMI/Rust And Chrome Music, BMI (E.Church, C.Beathard, M.Criswell) 24

HOLE IN THE BOTTLE Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Vistaville Music, ASCAP/Steph Jones Who Music, ASCAP/Big Deal Hits, ASCAP/410 Music, ASCAP/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Roc Nation WC Publishing Designee, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (K.Ballerini, S.Jones, H.Lindsey, J.Frasure, A.Gorley) 9

HOW THEY REMEMBER YOU Son Of Ron Songs, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Smackville Music, ASCAP/Smack Songs LLC, ASCAP/Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Built On Rock Music, ASCAP (M.Beeson, J.Osborne, A.Shamblin) 31

I

I HOPE Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/GBF Music Global, BMI/Revinyl House, BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI (Z.Kale, J.M.Nite, G.Barrett) 2

J

JUST THE WAY Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI/JM Thomas Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tunes LLC, ASCAP/Kevin Bard Music, ASCAP/Margetts Road Music, ASCAP/Nolan W. Sipe Music, ASACP (M.Thomas, K.Bard, N.W.Sipe) 12

L

LADY Super Big Music, ASCAP/Caliville Publishing, ASCAP/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/EMI April Music, Inc., ASCAP/Iris In The Sky With Diamonds, BMI/Nite Writer Music, ASCAP (B.Young, R.Copperman, J.M.Nite) 20

LIL BIT Big Loud Mountain, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Pile Of Schmidt Songs, ASCAP/The Money Tree Vibez, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP (T.Hubbard, J.M.Schmidt, B.Redferrin, C.Haynes, Jr.) 45

LIVIN’ THE DREAM Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/This Songs For You Pops, BMI (M.Wallen, B.Burgess, J.Durrett, M.W.Hardy) 39

LONG LIVE Big Loud Mountain, BMI/T Hubb Publishing, BMI/Pranch Ringle Music, BMI/Round Hill Works, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Big Crowd Publishing, ASCAP/Georgia Song Vibez, ASCAP/Spirit Two Music Inc., ASCAP/4TheKidz Music, ASCAP/Spirit Vault Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Jack 10 Publishing, BMI/Songs Of The Corn, BMI (T.Hubbard, B.Kelley, C.Crowder, D.A.Garcia, J.Miller) 17

M

MADE FOR YOU Plaid Flag Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Dixie Stars Music, ASCAP/Son Of a Carl Music, ASCAP/HoriPro Entertainment Group, Inc., ASCAP (B.Davis, J.Hyde, N.A.Medley) 40

MOMMA’S HOUSE Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/Two Black Dogs, ASCAP/ole Music Of Parallel, BMI/Lucky Mic Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Ford Drives A Chevy, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Legends Of Magic Mustang Music, SESAC/BMG Cicada, SESAC (D.Schneider, M.Lotten, R.Clawson, J.T.Wilson) 25

MORE SURPRISED THAN ME W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC/Niko Moon Publishing, SESAC/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Bump Into Genius Music, BMI/Mr. Buck Lucky, BMI/The Country And Western Music, BMI (N.Moon, B.Burgess, L.T.Miller) 37

MORE THAN MY HOMETOWN Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Em Dog Music, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Sony/ATV Countryside, BMI (M.W.Hardy, E.K.Smith, Charlie Handsome, M.Wallen) 8

N

NEON EYES Big Loud Mountain, BMI/BMG Platinum Songs US, BMI/Ju Jettsu Music, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Art In The Fodder Music, BMI/Hark Molman Songs, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Bump Into Genius Music, BMI (M.Wallen, M.L.Holman, B.Burgess) 32

NOBODY Curb Congregation Songs, SESAC/Good Vibes, Good Times Music, SESAC/Curb Songs, ASCAP/Songs Of Riser House, BMI (D.Scott, M.Alderman, D.Wilson) 33

O

ONE TOO MANY Kobalt Songs Music Publishing LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Reservoir 416, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/James Norton Publishing Designee, ASCAP (D.H.Davidsen, P.Wallevik, M.H.Hansen, J.Norton, C.Tighe) 27

ONLY THING THAT’S GONE Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI (M.Wallen, R.C.McGill, M.Dragstrem, J.Thompson) 50

OUTLAW Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/This Songs For You Pops, BMI/Patrick Davis Music, BMI/Tunes Of Black River, BMI/BNA Bangers, BMI/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Jreynmusic, ASCAP/Buckeye26, ASCAP (B.Burgess, P.Davis, J.Kerr, J.Reynolds) 47

S

SAND IN MY BOOTS Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/Relative Music Group, BMI/Sony/ATV Accent, ASCAP/Smackborne Music, ASCAP (A.Gorley, M.W.Hardy, J.Osborne) 5

SETTLING DOWN Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Pink Dog Publishing, BMI/Emileon Songs, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Wrucke For You Publishing, BMI (M.Lambert, L.Dick, N. Hemby) 36

SHALLOW Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI/Warner-Barham Music LLC, BMI/SG Songs Worldwide, BMI/Warner-Olive Music LLC, ASCAP/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Concord Publishing, BMI/Zelig Publishing, BMI/Stephaniesays Music, ASCAP/Downtown DLJ Songs, ASCAP/White Bull Music Group, BMI/Downtown DMP Songs, BMI (S.G.Germanotta, M.D.Ronson, A.Rossomando, Andrew Wyatt) 48

SILVERADO FOR SALE Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Natalia’s Music Money, BMI/Sony/ATV Tree Publishing, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/All Night Linda Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Cross Keys Publishing, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Pinetucky Road Publishing, ASCAP (D.Davidson, M.Green, B.Hayslip) 41

SOMEBODY LIKE THAT Oven Music Inc., BMI/Ziggys Z Music, SESAC/Tunes Of Big Deal Music, SESAC/Songs Of Porterfied Music, SESAC (T.Arts, A.Kline, A.M.Cruz) 26

SOMEBODY’S PROBLEM Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Ford Drives A Chevy, BMI/Shirt At Work, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Em Dog Music, BMI (M.Wallen, R.Clawson, J.Durrett, E.K.Smith) 11

STARTING OVER I Wrote These Songs, ASCAP/WC Music Corp., ASCAP/Straight Six Music, BMI/Wixen Music Publishing, BMI (C.Stapleton, M.Henderson) 7

STILL GOIN DOWN Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Round Hill Compositions, BMI/Relative Music Group, BMI/Songs Of Kobalt Music Publishing America, Inc., BMI/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI (M.Wallen, M.W.Hardy, Charlie Handsome) 21

U

UNDIVIDED T Tree Music, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Straight Outta Georgia Songs, SESAC/Tree Vibez Bus Vibez, SESAC/W.C.M. Music Corp., SESAC (T.Hubbard, C.Loocke) 38

W

WARNING Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Tree Vibez Music, LLC, BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI (E.K.Smith, A.Gorley, Charlie Handsome) 23

WASTED ON YOU Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Em Dog Music, BMI/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI/Sony/ATV Songs LLC, BMI (M.Wallen, E.K.Smith, J.Thompson, Charlie Handsome) 3

WHAT’S YOUR COUNTRY SONG EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/Telemitry Rhythm House Music, BMI/Songs Of Roc Nation Music, BMI/Tunes by TrailerParker, BMI/Songs Of Home Team Music, BMI/Round Hill Songs II, ASCAP/Caleb’s College Fund, ASCAP (Thomas Rhett, R.Akins, J.Frasure, A.Gorley, P.Welling) 15

WHISKEY’D MY WAY Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Songs Of The Corn, BMI/Jack 10 Publishing, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Big Music Machine, BMI/Two Laine Collections, BMI (M.Dragstrem, J.Miller, Thomas Rhett, J.Thompson) 44

WINE, BEER, WHISKEY Razor And Tie Music Publishing, BMI/Tofer The Musical, BMI/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Silent Desert Music, BMI/Self Made Entertainment, BMI (T.Brown, K.Fairchild, S.McConnell, K.Schlapman, P.Sweet, J.Westbrook) 46

WONDERIN’ BOUT THE WIND Big Loud Mountain, BMI/Bo Wallace Publishing, BMI/Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Ern Dog Music, BMI (M.Wallen, E.K.Smith) 49

WORSHIP YOU Songs Of Universal, Inc., BMI/Kane Brown Music, BMI/BMG Gold Songs, ASCAP/AIX Publishing, ASCAP/Kobalt Group Music Publishing, SESAC/McGinntellectual Property, SESAC/True Blue Works, SESAC/Krispy Pork Gang, BMI (K.Brown, A.Izquierdo, M.J.McGinn, Charlie Handsome) 42

Y

YOUR BARTENDER Matt Drag Music, ASCAP/Round Hill Songs BLS JV, ASCAP/Big Loud Proud Songs, ASCAP/Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., BMI/Ritten By Rhettro, BMI/EMI Blackwood Music Inc., BMI/Cricket On The Line, BMI/Red Bandana Publishing, BMI/MV2 Music, BMI (M.Dragstrem, R.Akins, Thomas Rhett, J.Thompson) 43

BILLBOARD COUNTRY UPDATE FEBRUARY 8, 2021 | PAGE 17 OF 17

Chesnutt in Chicago in November 1995.

CODA

R EW I N D I N GT H E

C O U N T RY C H A R T S

PA

UL

NA

TK

IN/W

IRE

IMA

GE

On Feb. 9, 1991, Mark Chesnutt’s “Brother Jukebox” ascended for its first of two weeks atop Billboard’s Hot Coun-try Songs chart, marking his first leader on the list.

Penned by Paul Craft, the song was originally recorded by Don Everly, half of famed duo The Everly Brothers. His version reached No. 96 in 1977.

Chesnutt’s take was released as the

second single from his debut MCA album, Too Cold at Home, which pro-duced five top 10 Hot Country Songs hits. The title-track lead single (No. 3, 1990) started a run of his first 12 entries all reaching the top 10 through 1994.

The Beaumont, Texas-born artist quit high school in 11th grade and was performing in Texas clubs by age 17. Known for his honky-tonk style of tradi-

tional country music, he has racked up 40 Hot Country Songs entries, includ-ing nine No. 1s among 20 top 10s. He won the Horizon Award as best emerg-ing artist at the 1993 Country Music Association Awards.

Now 57, Chesnutt released his lat-est album, Tradition Lives, in 2016. It reached No. 22 on Top Country Al-bums. —JIM ASKER

30 Years AgoMark Chesnutt’s ‘Jukebox’ Played At No. 1In 1991, the Texan achieved his first of nine Hot Country Songs leaders