A remix of Franklin's "123 Victory" with Pharrell helps send the song to No. 1, marking Franklin's record-breaking fifth leader.
Gospel singer-songwriter/producer Kirk Franklin is known for collaborating with artists outside the gospel circle. For instance, when Kanye West performed on the Feb. 13 episode of NBC's Saturday Night Live, he brought out Franklin and Chance the Rapper.
For his newest partnership, Franklin recruited pop/R&B artist/producer Pharrell Williams for a fresh version of Franklin's "123 Victory," which, sparked by Pharrell's featured involvement, tops Billboard's Hot Gospel Songs chart (dated Sept. 10).
The track debuted at No. 15 on the Hot Gospel Songs ranking dated Dec. 5, 2015, and first peaked at No. 2 in May. Now in its 41st week, it soars 9-1 powered by the Pharrell-assisted version; as with any song, edits or remixes of tracks are combined for chart purposes. Only one song has taken longer to hit No. 1 in the chart's 11-year history: Ricky Dillard & New G's "Amazing," which completed a 47-week odyssey on Dec. 27, 2014.