Chayce Beckham Is The Fourth American Idol Winner To Land A Song In The Top 10 On Billboard’s Country Airplay Chart
Beckham is following the footsteps of Idol icons like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, and Scotty McCreery.
Chayce Beckham; Photo by Andrew Wendowski, Kelly Clarkson; Photo by Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal, Carrie Underwood; Photo by Jeff Johnson, Scotty McCreery; Photo by Andrew Wendowski
Chayce Beckham solidifies his place alongside Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Scotty McCreery as the fourth American Idol winner to earn a spot in the Top 10 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, according to U.S. Radio Updater on X.
This feat comes as a result of his entirely self-written, RIAA-certified PLATINUM hit single “23,” which is currently rising into to the top five at country radio.
Clarkson was the first person to ever win American Idol in 2002. Two years later, she found herself rising to the Top 10 on the chart with her GRAMMY-nominated single “Because Of You,” following the iconic moment she performed it as a duet with Reba McEntire at the 2007 ACM Awards. The next country star to emerge from the show and earn a spot on the Country Airplay chart was Carrie Underwood. Following her Idol win in 2005, she scored her very first Top 10 hit (and first No.1) with her faith-filled single “Jesus, Take the Wheel,” which dominated the chart for six weeks beginning in January 2006.
Idol’s Season 10 champion, Scotty McCreery landed his first Top 10 hit in 2014 with his fourth single, “See You Tonight.” This tune was certified Gold on February 14, 2014 and is credited for being the first song he ever released that he was a writer on.
Beckham’s Self-Penned Tune Lands Multiple Milestones
As for Beckham, he had penned his autobiographical tune “23” one year before landing a spot on Season 19 of the renowned singing competition show. At the time, he wasn’t sure if it would ever see the light of day because it was just something he wrote as a way to express how he was feeling and what he was going through at 23 years old. However, while on the show in 2021, he was asked to perform an original song for the Top 4 round and decided to give “23” some recognition.
The vulnerability of the California native’s choice proved to be rewarding because after debuting the song on Idol, he earned the ultimate title on the competition, making him the first contestant to ever win American Idol with an original tune. The song was then released as his first single via BMG and continues to be a fan favorite as it racks up over 4.6M on-demand streams each week. It also became one of only three singles on the country radio chart in 2023 that was self-penned by the artist.
New Tour And Debut Album On The Horizon
Chayce Beckham has since continued to steadily release new music including songs like “This Ol’ Rodeo,” “Whiskey On The Wall,” “Till The Day I Die,” “Keeping Me Up All Night,” “Little Less Lonely,” and more. The country star also recently shared that he has been hard at work in the studio, building out his soon-to-be-announced debut project.
While fans await this exciting addition to his catalog, Beckham is also gearing up to launch his headlining Bad For Me Tour. The trek will kick off March 9 in Toowoomba, Australia and then return to the U.S. in March 23 for a show in Alpine, CA. Fans will be able to catch Beckham performing across the country before wrapping things up in October. Additionally, he’s been tapped to join Luke Bryan’s 2024 “Mind Of A Country Boy Tour” this summer.
“I have a brand new show, and I’m beyond thrilled to be back on the road and touring again this year,” says Beckham. “With a new set and new music coming very soon, I’m itching to get in front of some crowds and sing these songs with my band. I’m really proud of the work we’ve done to create this experience for the fans of country music.”
Tickets for the upcoming run are available now.
Written by
Madeleine O’Connell
Madeleine O’Connell graduated from North Central College with a bachelors degree in Journalism and Broadcast Communications before deciding to pursue her studies further at DePaul University. There, she earned her masters degree in Digital Communication & Media Arts. O’Connell served as a freelance writer for over two years while also interning with the Academy of Country Music, SiriusXM and Circle Media and assisting with Amazon Music’s Country Heat Weekly podcast. In addition to Country Now, she has been published in American Songwriter, Music Mayhem, and Holler.Country. Madeleine O’Connell is a member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.