Chase Rice attends the 54th Academy Of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino on April 7, 2019 in Las Vegas.
Plus, Dylan Scott tops Country Album Sales and top 10 action from Jon Pardi and Eli Young Band.
Chase Rice's "Eyes On You" rises 2-1 in its 38th week on Billboard's Country Airplay chart (dated May 11), increasing by 6% to 38.5 million audience impressions in the week ending May 5, according to Nielsen Music.
"Eyes," which Rice wrote with Ashley Gorley and Chris DeStefano, becomes the artist's first Country Airplay leader among three top 10s.
"All I can think to say is, this isn't my first No. 1 at all," Rice tells Billboard. "The ups and downs over the last few years and all the songs that paved the way for 'Eyes' have changed my perspective on life and this business for the better. I wouldn't change a thing. Yes, you work your ass off for your first No. 1 song, but so do the people around you who make it all happen, from the songwriters, musicians, band and crew to country radio programmers and many more. [They] are the reason this song has found its way to the top of the charts. This is our first No. 1 song, together."
Rice, 33, who previously worked as a NASCAR pit crew member for Hendrick Motorsports and placed second on the 21st season of CBS' Survivor in 2010, has charted seven Country Airplay entries dating to his 2013 debut. Before his first leader, "Ready Set Roll" hit No. 5 in 2014 and "Gonna Wanna Tonight" reached No. 2 in 2015.
"Eyes" is Rice's second Country Airplay No. 1 as a writer: he co-penned Florida Georgia Line's debut smash "Cruise," which reigned for three weeks in 2012 and led the Hot Country Songs chart, which combines airplay, streaming and sales data, for a then-record 24 frames.
"NOTHING" IS SOMETHING Dylan Scott's EP Nothing to Do Town arrives at No. 3 on Top Country Albums with 13,000 equivalent album units earned in its first week (ending May 2), marking his highest rank and top consumption week. With 10,000 in traditional album sales, the set starts atop Country Album Sales. Scott scores his first No. 1 among two top 10s on the retail list and his best sales week.
Scott previously reached the Top Country Albums top five with his self-titled first full-length, which debuted and peaked at No. 5 in 2016 (11,000 units; 9,000 sold).
PARDI'S WORK PAYS OFF Jon Pardi earns his fifth Hot Country Songs top 10, as "Night Shift" pushes 11-9 in its 37th week.
The song bumps 8-7 on Country Airplay, up 8% to 29.4 million impressions. It also drew 6.2 million U.S. streams (up 6%) and sold 4,000 downloads (down 4%) in the tracking week.
"Night" is the fifth single from Pardi's LP California Sunrise, which bowed as his first No. 1 on Top Country Albums in July 2016. Lead single "Head Over Boots" peaked at No. 4 on Hot Country Songs in August 2016, followed by "Dirt on My Boots" (No. 2, March 2017), "Heartache on the Dance Floor" (No. 5, September 2017) and "She Ain't in It" (No. 23, April 2018). Each of his "Boots"-titled singles topped Country Airplay: "Head Over Boots" for one week and "Dirt on My Boots" for three.
THAT "AIN'T" BAD Eli Young Band's "Love Ain't" hops 13-10 on Hot Country Songs, earning the group its fourth top 10 and first since 2013. The track increases by 6% to 34 million in audience, as it pushes 5-2 on Country Airplay, while corralling 4.9 million U.S. streams (up 16%) and selling 4,000 downloads (up 7%).
EYB had last reached the Hot Country Songs top 10 with the No. 3-peaking "Drunk Last Night" in 2013. Its additional two top 10s are both No. 1s: "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" in 2012 and "Crazy Girl" in 2011.