Evvie McKinney banks her first No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart as “Just Like God” reaches the top of the Sept. 11-dated list in its 30th week on the chart.
In the tracking week ending Sept. 5, the single increased by 12% in plays, according to MRC Data.
The 24-year-old from Memphis co-wrote “Just Like God” with Paul Duncan and Jamie Moore.
“After two years of writing and recording during the pandemic, to finally see my debut gospel radio single reach No. 1 is almost indescribable for me,” McKinney tells Billboard. “I wrote ‘Just Like God’ to express my heart: While I try never to be surprised by what God does, I want to always remain in awe of Him doing it. A huge thank you to all the radio programmers and music directors who allow my music to be heard.”
“We are thrilled to have a No. 1 debut gospel radio single from a developing artist on our roster,” says Monica Coates co-executive director, Motown Gospel.
Prior to “Just Like God,” McKinney’s debut single “Look No Further” hit No. 2 on the streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart; No. 19 on Christian Airplay; and No. 21 the multi-metric Hot Christian Songs survey in January-February.
“With the top 20 rise of ‘Look No Further’ at Christian radio earlier this year, Evvie is the rare artist with airplay success at both the gospel and Christian radio formats,” Coates adds. “We are inspired by her reach so early in her career and motivated by those indicators in the current marketplace.”
Also highlighting newer names at the format, as “Just Like God” is McKinney’s first entry on Gospel Airplay, she takes the third such song to No. 1 on the chart in the last four weeks. It follows Shontelle Norman-Beatty’s “Jesus Will Fix It (Trouble in My Way)” (Sept. 4) and Melvin Crispell, III’s “Wonderful Is Your Name” (Aug. 21).
“Look No Further” and “Just Like God” are from McKinney’s rookie EP This Is Evvie McKinney, which reached No. 19 on Top Gospel Albums in March. She is currently working on her first full-length studio album.
