Chase Beckham crowned ABC winner American Idol in 2021, and now, he is officially a Billboard Hot 100 chart artist.
The country singer earns his first chart entry dated Jan. 13 as “23” debuts at No. 71. It opens with 13.3 million radio plays (up 16%), 4 million official US streams (up 10%) and 1,000 downloads sold between Dec. 29-Jan. 4 week follow-up, according to Luminate.
The song, released in 2021 via 19 Recordings/BMG/Wheelhouse, also sits high at No. 20 on the Hot Country Songs chart. At radio, it is at No. 14 best on Country Airplay.
Beckham performed “23” live on air during it Idol time. He had written the song a year before and became the first champion to win the competition by performing an original song.
Beckham, from Apple Valley, California, joins a long line of Idol alumni to debut on the Hot 100, a list dating back to Kelly Clarkson's first-season win in 2002 (when the show aired on Fox). Out of the show's 21 total seasons, 14 winners have scored at least one Hot 100 hit.
Here is a recap of each Idol the winner's first song to debut on the Hot 100. (Some artists below debuted multiple songs in their first weeks on the chart.)
Season American Idol, Winner, First Hot 100 Entry (Peak Position, Year)
- Season 1, Kelly Clarkson, “A Moment Like This” (No. 1, 2002)
- Season 2, Ruben Studdard, “Flying Without Wings” (No. 2, 2003)
- Season 3, Fantasia, “I Believe” (No. 1, 2004)
- Season 4, Carrie Underwood, “Inside Your Heaven” (No. 1, 2005)
- Season 5, Taylor Hicks, “Takin' It to the Streets” (No. 69, 2006)
- Season 6, Jordin Sparks, “This Is My Now”, “A Broken Wing” and “I Who Have Nothing” (#15, 66 & 80, 2007)
- Season 7, David Cook, 'The Time of My Life', 'Dream Big', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', 'The World I Know', 'I Don't Want to Lose a Thing', 'Billie Jean', “Always Be My Baby”, “Hello”, “The Music of the Night”, “Eleanor Rigby” and “I'm Alive” (Nos. 3, 15, 22, 28, 42 , 47, 67, 73, 77 and 99, 2008)
- Season 8, Kris Allen, “No Boundaries, “Heartless”, “Ain't No Sunshine”, “Apologize”, “Falling Slowly” and “Ain't No Sunshine” (Nos. 11, 16, 37, 66 and 94 , 2009)
- Season 9, Lee DeWyze, “Beautiful Day”, “Hallelujah”, “Falling Slowly” with Crystal Bowersox, “The Boxer” and “Beautiful Day” (#24, 44, 66 & 88, 2010)
- Season 10, Scotty McCreery, “I Love You This Big” (No. 11, 2011) Season 11, Phillip Phillips, “Home” and “We've Got Tonight” (No. 6 and 97, 2012)
- Season 12, Candice Glover, “I Am Beautiful” (No. 93, 2013)
- Season 14, Nick Fradiani, “Beautiful Life” (No. 93, 2015)
- Season 19, Chayce Beckham, “23” (No. 71 so far, 2024)
The Idol Winners who haven't debuted on the Hot 100 are Caleb Johnson (season 13), Trent Harmon (15), Maddie Poppe (16), Laine Hardy (17), Just Sam (18), Noah Thompson (20) and Iam Tongi (21).
“23” became Beckham's first overall entry on the chart when it debuted at No. 1 on the Country Digital Song Sales of 2021 after Idol win. He has charted an additional song on Country Airplay: “Can't Do Without Me,” featuring Lindsay Ell, peaked at No. 46 in 2022. Also that year, his EP Doing it right hit No. 21 on the Heatseekers Albums chart.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/american-idol-winner-chayce-beckham-hot-100-debut-23-1235578392/