Brothers Osborne’s TJ Osborne caused quite a stir Monday (March 7) at the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards when, as he and brother John were accepting the award for duo of the year, he lamented that their current single “I’m Not for Everyone” had been “pulled” from country radio.
Below is a timeline of the song’s path.
April, 26, 2021
Brothers Osborne release “I’m Not For Everyone” as the second radio single from its 2020 album, Skeletons, following first single, “All Night,” which peaked at No. 25 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart. Most of the duo’s singles have peaked in the 20s or 30s, with only one single, 2015’s “Stay a Little Longer,” reaching the top five, rising to No. 2. Written by John Osborne, TJ Osborne, Luke Dick and Natalie Hemby, the song is a mid-tempo anthem to reveling in your individuality.
May 10, 2021
For the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated May 15 and released May 10, “I’m Not For Everyone” debuts at No. 57.
Aug. 23, 2021
For the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart dated August 28 and released Aug 23, “I’m Not For Everyone” debuts at No. 42.
Aug. 13, 2021
The Brothers Osborne release their video for “I’m Not For Everyone,” an amusing clip that features the band playing the song in a dive bar as actor Leslie Jordan, in a sparkly suit, dances his way through the clip, completely oblivious to the brawls exploding around him until he unites the crowd. It has been viewed 1.5 million times on YouTube.
Feb. 28, 2022
For the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated March 5, and released Feb. 28, “I’m Not For Everyone” peaks at No. 33 in its 43rd week on the chart. Similarly, on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart, the song peaks at No. 37.
March 7, 2022
For the Billboard Country Airplay chart dated March 12 and released March 7, “I’m Not For Everyone” is no longer on the 60-position chart after EMI Nashville tells radio stations they are no longer actively promoting the single, and it is up to radio to decide whether they want to continue playing the track. (EMI Nashville did not respond to requests for comment.)
As Brothers Osborne claimed their third win for duo of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards March 7, TJ Osborne told Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium audience that he is especially thankful for the awards because “about a week ago, they pulled our single from country radio, so I needed a little wind put in our sails.”
“They” is presumably the label’s home, EMI Records Nashville. While a label stepping back from an underperforming single is not an uncommon occurrence when it becomes clear that a song has run its course, it is rare for an act to comment publicly about it, much less when accepting an award.
Backstage, he went, further, saying, “We don’t get necessarily a lot of the love that some of the other artists do on radio and I’m not necessarily criticizing anyone specifically for that, but it’s just a fact, and to be there tonight, I guess some people were upset that I said that … our single literally got pulled last week and we just won an award. If you’re upset about that, maybe you’re part of the problem … To have a lot of success at radio is really amazing and has done a lot of people a lot of good, has changed their lives, but there [is] more than one way to do it.”
March 8, 2022
Stepping away from the single was the right move by EMI Nashville, says Nate Deaton, vp and general manager at KRTY, even though the song did very well for his San Jose, Calif.- station. “We added it on 4/22/21 and have almost 1,000 plays on it,” he tells Billboard. “It’s a hit for us, but when others dig their heels in and decide not to play something and the labels hold onto it for a year or more, it does no one any good.”
He adds his station “always” supported the brothers’ music and has “no idea” why other stations are reluctant to support them.