Riley Green Celebrates Back-to-Back Self-Written No. 1 Hits in Nashville
Inside Green’s double No.1 party.
Riley Green; Photo by Country Now
Riley Green celebrated a double milestone in Nashville this week, teaming up with BMI and his label, Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment, to mark back-to-back No. 1 hits for his self-written singles, “Worst Way” and “Don’t Mind If I Do.”
Ahead of the celebration, Green sat down with Country Now and other outlets to reflect on his solo-written hits, admitting he never intentionally set out to write alone – it simply happened that way.
“I never went into writing by myself because I wanted to be a solo writer. I wrote all my songs on my own early in my career. I did construction. I didn’t know anybody else that wrote songs and then I started co-writing and I saw how many doors that opened for me and how awesome it is to go get to write with some of these great writers,” he explained. “But I think when I have an idea that means something to me, it’s kind of easy for me to write by myself and a lot of times I get inspiration when I’m on my farm in Alabama and there’s just nobody else around. So again, it is not anything that I do mindfully. It just sort of happens when the idea is right.”
While the celebration honored both “Worst Way” and “Don’t Mind If I Do,” featuring Ella Langley, Green was asked to specifically reflect on “Worst Way,” the song that made him the first country artist since Taylor Swift to earn back-to-back solo-written No. 1 singles on the Billboard Country Airplay chart.
“That was probably the most unsure of a song that I’ve ever been,” he admitted. “I don’t really live in the sappy love song world very often, especially not that forward of a love song. And so when I wrote it…that’s the tough about writing by yourself, it’s not really that you can’t do it, it’s just how do you know if it’s right or not?”
He went on to recall playing the song for his friends and collaborators, Erik Dylan and Nick Walsh, who urged him to record it. Now, it’s become one of the biggest songs of his career and a standout moment in his live show.
With those two chart-toppers now in the rearview and “Change My Mind” climbing the country radio charts, Green has his sights set on new music. However, he admitted the release timeline isn’t entirely in his hands. If it were up to him, fans would be hearing more new songs sooner rather than later.
“You know what? If I could do whatever I want to do, I’d probably be in the studio and have several songs recorded and be looking at putting some of those songs out really, really soon. And then an album sometime this year. That’s what I would do if I could make the schedule,” he teased.
While fans will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on a new album from Riley Green, they have many opportunities to see him live on his Cowboy As It Gets Tour throughout the year.
Green’s double No. 1 celebration was hosted by BMI’s Clay Bradley, where he was presented with commemorative plaques from Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment. BMLG’s Scott Borchetta alongside NHRE’s Jimmy Harnen and Ryan Dokke honored Green with No. 1 plaques for “Don’t Mind If I Do” and “Worst Way,” as well as a Gold plaque for his current single, “Change My Mind,” which stands as his fastest-rising track at country radio to date. The team also revealed that “Worst Way” has officially earned 3X-Platinum certification from the RIAA.
Sponsored by Studio Bank, the evening also featured a charitable moment, as Kari Barnhart presented a donation on Green’s behalf to his Buford Bonds Charitable Fund.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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