Koe Wetzel and Jessie Murph’s “High Road” travels a spot to No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart (dated Dec. 28). In the Dec. 13-19 tracking week, the duet increased by 20% to 33.6 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
“High Road” is the first Country Airplay entry for the 32-year-old Wetzel from Pittsburgh, Texas, as well as for Huntsville, Ala., native Murph.
Wetzel notches the first No. 1 for a freshman Country Airplay entry since Marshmello led with his Kane Brown collab “Miles on It” in November. (Brown banked his 12th leader with the song.) DJ/producer Marshmello previously tallied four No. 1s on Dance/Mix Show Airplay, among leaders on other charts.
As for the 20-year-old Murph, she becomes the first woman to top Country Airplay as a lead artist with a rookie entry since April 2020, when Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” dominated for two frames.
Murph is only the second female artist to rule Country Airplay in 2024, with both having led this month, after Ella Langley’s “You Look Like You Loved Me,” with Riley Green, spent a week on top two weeks earlier.
“This year’s been absolutely insane,” Wetzel tells Billboard. “For Murph and I to get our first No. 1 at country radio on top of everything else feels unreal. I poured my heart into this, and seeing it connect the way it has … man, I don’t even have the words. Huge love to Jessie for making ‘High Road’ what it is.”
Murph and Wetzel co-wrote “High Road” with Amy Allen, Carrie K, Josh Serrato, Gabe Simon and Laura Veltz. It’s from Wetzel’s album 9 Lives, which became his fourth top 10 on Top Country Albums when it opened at its No. 5 best in August. It’s also on Murph’s That Ain’t No Man That’s the Devil, which arrived at its No. 24 high on the all-genre Billboard 200 in September.
2 ‘Guy’s for the Top 10
Post Malone’s “Guy for That,” featuring Luke Combs, hits the Country Airplay top 10 (11-10; 16.3 million, up 11%).
Post Malone adds his third top 10 on the chart, following two straight leaders: “Pour Me a Drink,” featuring Blake Shelton (three weeks, October) and “I Had Some Help,” featuring Morgan Wallen (four, beginning in June).
Combs rings up his 22nd Country Airplay top 10. His “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” became his 19th chart-topper in September.
“Guy for That” is the third single from Post Malone’s introductory LP in the genre, F-1 Trillion, which entered at No. 1 on the Aug. 31-dated Top Country Albums tally and the Billboard 200 with 250,000 equivalent album units earned in the United States.
