Morgan Wallen Makes Historic Hot Country Songs Chart Entrance With ‘Don’t Think Jesus’
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Morgan Wallen becomes the first artist to score a trio of No. 1 debuts on Billboard‘s airplay-, streaming- and sales-based Hot Country Songs chart since the survey began as an all-encompassing genre ranking in October 1958.
On the April 30-dated tally, Wallen’s “Don’t Think Jesus,” released on Mercury/Republic/Big Loud Records April 15, rockets in at the summit. It gives Wallen four career No. 1s, including a record-breaking three that have opened in the penthouse.
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Only 11 songs have debuted on Hot Country Songs at the pinnacle since its inception. Just one other artist has achieved multiple No. 1 arrivals: Taylor Swift, with “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” last November and “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” in February 2021.
Wallen’s “Wasted on You,” his current single being promoted to country radio, from his 2021 release Dangerous: The Double Album, premiered at No. 1 on Hot Country Songs in January 2021, after “7 Summers” launched at the summit in August 2020. His first leader, “Whiskey Glasses,” completed a 30-week trek to the top in May 2019.
On the all-format Billboard Hot 100, “Jesus” opens at No. 7, marking Wallen’s third top 10, all of which have started in the tier. “Wasted” began at its No. 9 peak and “7 Summers” arrived at its No. 6 best.
“Jesus” was written by Jessi Alexander, Mark Holman and Chase McGill, “with [Wallen] on their mind,” Wallen noted in a preview performance of the song in October on Instagram.
“Jesus” marks Wallen’s first song released with him in a lead role since he was caught on video using the N-word among friends in February 2021. He subsequently apologized and asked fans not to defend him. While most radio chains pulled his songs, his music eventually returned to airwaves – with Dangerous single “Sand in My Boots” having topped Country Airplay this February; the same month, he kicked off his The Dangerous Tour.
“Jesus” begins with drew 18.1 million U.S. streams in its opening frame, ending April 21, according to Luminate, formerly MRC Data, and grants Wallen his seventh No. 1 on Country Streaming Songs.
The stand-alone single also sold 21,500 downloads and starts atop Country Digital Song Sales and the all-genre Digital Song Sales list. Wallen posts his fifth No. 1 on the former ranking and his second on the latter, which he first topped as featured on Lil Durk’s R&B/hip-hop hit “Broadway Girls” in January. Thus, Wallen earns his first No. 1 on the all-genre sales tally with a country track.
“Jesus” is additionally bubbling under the Country Airplay chart, with 465,000 impressions in the week ending April 24.
