Beyonce’s ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ Is the No. 1 Song in Country Music
Beyonce's debut country single "Texas Hold 'Em" just missed becoming the No. 1 song in America (all genres), but the track is locked in as the top country song.
The uptempo, banjo-led vocal showcase tops Zach Bryan's "I Remember Everything" (a collaboration with Kacey Musgraves) on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart this week. The outlet also reports it is currently No. 54 on the Country Airplay chart.
- Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart combines radio airplay, sales and streaming data and more to decide the most popular songs in country music.
- The Country Airplay chart is strictly based on airplay from over 100 reporting country radio stations.
- "I Remember Everything" had been No. 1 on the former for 20 weeks.
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In shooting to No. 1, Beyonce sets or equals a number of records: "Texas Hold 'Em" is just the 16th song to debut at No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and she's just the second female artist (Taylor Swift) to do it.
She's only the fifth artist to have topped this country chart and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart during her career, joining Morgan Wallen, Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus and Ray Charles.
Additionally, the other new song Bey released last week ("16 Carriages") is No. 9 on the country chart and No. 38 on the Billboard Hot 100, where "Texas Hold 'Em" is No. 2.
A significant amount has been written about how quickly the country music industry would embrace Beyonce's song, but there are signs she's getting some love from programmers. "Texas Hold 'Em" is likely to debut as the most-added song this week, meaning more radio programmers chose to put it in on-air rotation than any other new country song.
Still, one need look no further than the Bryan and Musgraves' song to see how streaming and sales success does not always come before radio success. "I Remember Everything" is just inside the Top 30 on airplay charts after six months of exposure.
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