Nelly’s first country album, Heartland, bounds in at No. 7 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart (dated Sept. 11), giving the veteran artist his first top 10 on the tally. In its first week, the LP earned 13,000 equivalent album units, according to MRC Data.
The nine-track set includes eight collaborations. Lead single “Lil Bit,” with Florida Georgia Line, reached No. 3 on Hot Country Songs in July.
Nelly has notched four No. 1s among 14 top 10s on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, where he first reached the top tier with “(Hot Shit) Country Grammar” in 2000. FGL’s breakthrough hit “Cruise,” featuring Nelly, hit No. 4 in 2013.
‘BEER’ RUN Jameson Rodgers’ “Cold Beer Calling My Name,” featuring Luke Combs, climbs 11-8 on Hot Country Songs.
In the week ending Sept. 5, “Beer” bubbled up by 8% to 22.4 million in radio audience; it lifts 8-6 on Country Airplay. It drew 6.7 million U.S. streams and sold 1,600 downloads in the week ending Aug. 2.
Co-penned by Rodgers, Hunter Phelps, Brett Tyler and Alysa Vanderheym, the song is the second single from Rodgers’ EP In It for the Money. Rodgers, who hails from Batesville, Miss., notches his second Hot Country Songs top 10, as the set’s lead single “Some Girls” reached No. 5 last October. It led Country Airplay the same month.
Combs adds his 13th Hot Country Songs top 10, padding a résumé that includes four leaders.
GOOD ‘ON YA’ Speaking of Combs, the artist scores the week’s highest arrival on Hot Country Songs with “South on Ya” at No. 25. Combs, an avid college football fan, particularly of the Southeastern Conference, co-wrote the track for the SEC Network, which broadcasts its games.
Released Aug. 26, the song drew 4.2 million streams and sold 4,800 in its first full week. It surges 19-6 on Country Digital Song Sales, awarding Combs his 23rd top 10.
‘LOVE’ LIFTS Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood’s “If I Didn’t Love You” hits the Country Airplay top 10, ascending 13-10 (17 million, up 14%).
Aldean achieves his 34th Country Airplay top 10, after “Blame It on You” became his 23rd leader in July. Underwood notches her 29th top 10 and first since “Southbound,” which reached No. 3 in October 2019.
MAKING MORE ‘WAVES’ Luke Bryan’s “Waves” leads Country Airplay for a second week (30 million, down 4%). His 25th Country Airplay chart-topper is his 15th multi-week No. 1. It’s his first such leader since his 23rd No. 1, “One Margarita,” ruled for two weeks in July 2020.
MAKING MORE ‘WAVES’ Luke Bryan’s “Waves” leads Country Airplay for a second week (30 million, down 4%). His 25th Country Airplay chart-topper is his 15th multi-week No. 1. It’s his first such leader since his 23rd No. 1, “One Margarita,” ruled for two weeks in July 2020.
