“I did not think the past week could have been any more amazing, but to have the No. 1 song feels like the cherry on top,” says Barrett, who last Thursday (April 8) was named new female artist of the year by the Academy of Country Music. “I’m so grateful for my husband, who truly is a good one and inspired this song. Thank you to my family and fans for supporting me, my label and team for helping take my second single to the top and country radio for playing it. Most importantly, I’m thankful for Our gracious Lord Jesus and how kind He is to me always. It’s more than I deserve.”
Barrett becomes the first woman to notch two career-starting No. 1s on Country Airplay since Kelsea Ballerini, who earned the honor with “Love Me Like You Mean It” in July 2015 and “Dibs” in March 2016. She made it three in a row when “Peter Pan” hit No. 1 in September 2016, becoming the first female to take her first three singles to the summit since Wynonna Judd in 1992.
Two other women have sent their first two career singles to No. 1 on Country Airplay: Faith Hill (1994) and Deana Carter (1996-97).
’90s,’ IN THE ’20s Sam Hunt nabs his ninth Country Airplay top 10 as “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s” climbs 11-10 (17 million, up 6%). It follows “Hard to Forget,” which became his seventh leader last July.
Hunt’s latest is the first song whose title calls out the ’90s to hit the top 10 on Country Airplay (which itself began that decade, in January 1990). It bests two other such entries: Lauren Alaina’s “Ladies in the ’90s” (No. 40 peak, April 2019) and Walker Hayes’ “90’s Country” (No. 52, December 2018).
