Country Music Dominates Billboard Charts
Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time” Continues to Reign
Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing at a Time,” and its lead single “Last Night,” have now spent 11 weeks simultaneously topping the albums and songs chart. The 36-song set has logged a total of 15 nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 while the buzzy “Last Night” spends a 13th at the peak, surpassing Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” as the third-ever album to have ruled over Billboard 200 for at least 11 weeks while one of its songs leads on the Hot 100.
Country Music’s Rise in Popularity
“One Thing at a Time’s” 110,500 album units managed to ward off Young Thug’s surprise debut of “Business Is Business,” which entered the chart at No. 2 with 89,000 units and 106 million streams. In the past few months, Wallen has also been challenged by K-pop champions (Twice, Jimin, Agust D, Seventeen) and stars ranging from Ed Sheeran to Melanie Martinez, Niall Horan and others. To this day, Wallen’s 2021 album “Dangerous: The Double Album” also remains in the top 10 of the chart (this week it’s at No. 7).
Country Music’s Global Impact
All of these wins combined with Luke Combs’ recent chart entries — singles “Gettin’ Old,” and his latest “Fast Car,” which sits at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 — are giving country music a big look in 2023. The genre’s consumption has steadily evolved in the last two years thanks to the streaming habits of Gen Z and millennials, who according to a recent study conducted by Luminate, make up 50% of the average listenership for Wallen, Combs and Zach Bryan.
Resurgence of Regional Mexican Music
The extent of country music’s growth these past few years can also be observed globally in the resurgence of regional Mexican music, commonly recognized as Mexican folk or country music and traditional música Mexicana. Mexican singer-songwriter Peso Pluma’s debut album “Génesis” clocks in at No. 3 on the albums chart this week — marking the highest charting effort ever for the regional Mexican genre — with 73,000 equivalent album units earned and 101 streams. As reported by Billboard, the set is only the third regional Mexican set to hit the top 10 following two sets from Eslabon Armado, both of which were released in the past 14 months.
New Releases in the Billboard 200
The only other new release occupying the top 10 of the Billboard 200 is Kelly Clarkson’s confessional “Chemistry,” which debuts at No. 6 with 53,000 equivalent album units earned and 43,000 sales as a complete package. Taylor Swift’s “Midnights” continues at No. 4 while Gunna’s “A Gift & A Curse” is at No. 5 and SZA’s “SOS” is at No. 8. Swift also reappears in the No. 9 slot for “Lover” and ATEEZ’s “The World EP.2: Outlaw” falls from its No. 2 debut to No. 10 in its second week.
New Entries on the Hot 100
On the Hot 100, the “Barbie” movie soundtrack nabs a top 10 entry with Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice’s “Barbie World,” with Aqua, debuting at No. 7. The soundtrack, which has yet to be fully released, also features guests like Charlie XCX, Karol G, Dua Lipa and more.
Continued Success of Charting Songs
Rema and Selena Gomez’s “Calm Down” remains at No. 3 despite making its first appearance on the chart at No. 91 back in September 2022. The track gradually rose on streaming and also became a top 40 hit on radio, becoming Gomez’s second-highest charting song on the singles chart. Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” is at No. 4; Lil Durk’s “All My Life,” featuring J. Cole, is at No. 5 and Toosii’s “Favorite Song” is at No. 6.
