Elle King & Miranda Lambert ‘Drunk’-Dial Up a Country Airplay No. 1

Jim Asker
·2 min read
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For the first time in nearly 30 years, a collaboration between two women tops Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, as Elle King and Miranda Lambert‘s “Drunk (and I Don’t Wanna Go Home)” rises from No. 3 to No. 1 in its 46th week on the survey (dated April 16).

In the tracking week ending April 10, the RCA/Columbia Nashville single increased by 7% to 24.8 million audience impressions, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data.

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The song marks the second shared Country Airplay leader (dating to the chart’s January 1990 inception) by two female soloists, after Reba McEntire’s “Does He Love You,” with Linda Davis, led the list dated Nov. 6, 1993.

“The life of this song has taught me so much: Everything has its own time and path,” King tells Billboard. “And when in doubt, add Miranda Lambert. I am so thankful to you, Miranda – you are a shining light, and nobody makes me laugh harder than you. I am so unbelievably proud of us, and our song.”

“Elle is one of my favorite artists,” shares Lambert. “Elle is one of my favorite artists and one of my favorite people to be around. I am proud to call her my friend, and I’m so glad she asked me to do this song with her. The fact that a duet by two women hasn’t been No. 1 since 1993 is crazy. So, the fact that we got here today means even more because it’s bigger than us. Thanks, Reba and Linda, for paving the way.

“Now let’s get drunk and not wanna go home!”

“Drunk,” which King co-wrote with Martin Johnson, marks her second Country Airplay No. 1 in as many visits. It follows her featured turn on Dierks Bentley’s “Different for Girls,” which led for a week in October 2016. King broke through with “Ex’s & Oh’s,” which reached No. 10 on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Adult Pop Airplay in November 2015. Amid its Country Airplay climb, “Drunk” hit No. 12 on Adult Pop Airplay last September; on the April 16 Hot 100, “Drunk” becomes King’s second top 40 hit (and Lambert’s 10th), rising 41-37, after it debuted in March 2021.

Lambert lands her seventh Country Airplay leader and first since “Bluebird,” which dominated for a week in August 2020. She first reigned with “The House That Built Me” for four frames beginning in June 2010.

On Hot Country Songs, “Drunk” pushes 7-6 for a new high. It drew 4.6 million official U.S. streams (up 2%) and sold 2,200 downloads (up 5%) in the April 1-7 tracking week.

Notably, among her 15 Country Airplay top 10s, Lambert boasts another female duet: “Somethin’ Bad,” with Carrie Underwood, hit No. 7 in October 2014.

All charts dated April 16 will update on Billboard.com tomorrow, April 12.

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