Cody Jinks, Zach Bryan Make Surprising Moves on Country Radio
Yes, just a day after Saving Country Music posted a long-winded rant about why trying to court mainstream country radio is a fool’s errand, not one, but two interesting anomalies have popped up on the format that are worth remarking about, and keeping a close eye on.
The first is that Zach Bryan and his hit single “Something in the Orange” has finally officially charted on the Billboard Country Airplay chart this week, coming in at #59. The song is already a smash, and may become one of the biggest songs in country in 2022. It’s hit #3 on the more consumption-based Hot Country Songs chart on multiple weeks, is currently sitting at #6 on that chart, and continues to be one of the most streamed songs in country, coming in this week at #3 on Billboard’s Country Streaming Songs chart.
It’s unclear if there is an active effort underway to promote “Something in the Orange” to country radio, or if it’s appearance is more organic. There has been no advertisement for the song as a radio single by Zach Bryan’s label Warner Music, and it never appeared on the “Most Added” lists on the charts. It just seems like the Zach Bryan phenomenon is having such a significant impact, country radio’s otherwise closed-minded and closed-off programmers are finding no other choice but to add the song.
#59 is not much at this point. But clearly country radio is seeing the strong appeal for “Something in the Orange,” as well as Zach’s album American Heartbreak released in May, which once again is the #3 album in all of country music this week right behind titles by Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs. It’s likely certain radio stations are adding the song to the playlist in light or moderate rotation, while others remain unaware. What’s most important is what happens in the coming weeks now that “Something in the Orange” has shown up on a major chart.
Zach Bryan releases a new album Summertime Blues this Friday (7-15).
Just as surprising, and perhaps even more unprecedented, Cody Jinks is getting ready to send a new single to mainstream country radio, and it happens to be an old one. Instead of selecting a track from his recent country album Mercy from 2021, Cody Jinks is calling country radio’s bluff, and sending the biggest song of his career to the format, “Loud and Heavy.”
Released on Cody’s magnum opus Adobe Sessions in 2015, “Loud and Heavy” has gone on to become one of Cody’s signature songs, and was Certified Platinum by the RIAA in September of 2020. Incidentally, the album Adobe Sessions was also Certified Gold in February of this year. Just on Spotify, the song has received over 142 million streams.
What will the prospects be for a seven-year-old song? It’s hard to tell, but it’s an interesting move by Jinks and his team, almost like a game of chicken. You might recall, in November of 2021 around the release of his latest album, Cody Jinks promoted the single “Like a Hurricane” to mainstream country radio, including taking out advertisements for the single, and hiring the radio promotional company 16 Camino to help push it. The song actually appeared on some “Most Added” metrics early on, but never garnered any significant chart placement.
This move is likely Cody Jinks and his team saying, “Okay country radio, let’s see if you’ll play a song that’s already been certified as a hit.” “Loud and Heavy” officially goes for adds on August 1st.
What should we expect the prospects for these singles from Cody Jinks and Zach Bryan to be? I would remain skeptical. But it will be interesting to see just how receptive the mainstream country radio format is to songs that the public has clearly signaled a strong appeal for.
If mainstream country radio is to survive and continue to be relevant, it’s going to have to open its playlists to artists that the public is clearly clamoring for as opposed to just playing what their major label partners want to promote. Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange” and “Loud and Heavy” by Cody Jinks would be a good start, so would Morgan Wade’s “Wilder Days,” which has been stuck in the 30s for a while now.
In truth, country radio probably needs artists such Zach Bryan, Cody Jinks, and Morgan Wade more than they need country radio. All three artists play this weekend’s Under The Big Sky Fest in Montana.
July 12, 2022 @ 8:40 am
Once people who may have never heard real country music, hear real country music, there will be no going back. The emotional impact of real country music has a healing effect that people need desperately right now. They’ve been shortchanged with the garbage that music row has been feeding them.
July 12, 2022 @ 11:04 am
I wish that were true. “Real” music requires some effort by the listener. It requires you to listen and pay attention rather than just exist as background music with a silly hook or good beat. Hell, sometimes good music can even be tedious. The music I love demands attention and occasionally I just can’t be as mentally and emotionally invested in it as the song demands. Every once in a while I can use something a little lighter, but not just senseless garbage like Luke Bryan.
Those who appreciate “film” may find my tastes in “movies” a little lacking. They may make the same argument that you are. I believe I can and do appreciate at least some film, but sadly there are some that just don’t “get” ANY kind of art.
For some people, music isn’t art, it’s just something that’s on and they don’t have any real connection to it. The “no deep cuts, just play the hits” crowd. The people who go to the next track before the current song is finished because they are bored (they would have never survived the 80’s “repeat chorus 16 times and fade out”). That’s the crowd that music row is catering to.
July 12, 2022 @ 6:55 pm
Budwiz, you freaking nailed it and clearly the bud has made you wise. I’ve used Loud and Heavy many times as my go-to song to introduce mainstream country listeners to “our” country – SCM readers country. Without fail the response is – cool voice, but too slow….can’t dance to it…..can’t sit by the pool and drink a seltzer to it, can’t make out to it, on and on. Epic middle finger by Cody for sure. Fortunately the readers of this site are in on the joke.
July 12, 2022 @ 12:14 pm
You might be on to something there. That might be the reason mainstream radio doesn’t let on that listeners have better and healthier alternatives.
July 12, 2022 @ 9:14 am
“Something In The Orange” has not been sent to radio and is not being actively promoted as a radio single at the moment. Would love to see Warner give it a legitimate push to see what it can do, though..
July 12, 2022 @ 12:15 pm
They very well might now that it’s already showing traction and momentum.
July 12, 2022 @ 10:12 am
It really shows you even Cody Jinks and his people know his best days of writing and recording music are far behind me. That’s why I don’t get people who rush artists to release new music… Jamey Johnson, Turnpike Troubadours. The new stuff just might not be up to par and your stuck promoting 7 year old recordings.
July 12, 2022 @ 12:17 pm
I’m not sure that’s what’s going on here. I think this is like a middle finger to radio. I think it’s a power move by Jinks. Will it be in any way effective? I’m speculative.
July 13, 2022 @ 10:16 am
Jinks in particular seems to be stuck in a somewhat similar loop of songwriting, notably on his prolific recent output of albums. Nothing is bad or even sub-par in terms of song quality on the surface, however there’s no real evolution in his songwriting style to speak of. Not that we need a total deviation of his sound (a la Sturgill Simpson), but something with a spark of newness and creativity would go over much stronger and potentially give him more fodder for cross-over appeal.
July 24, 2022 @ 7:33 am
I got an email this morning for a Cody Jinks $25 ticket promotion for his August 20th Pittsburgh show. Just four years ago, he played here back to back sold out shows, now they are running a $25 ticket promotion. His new music is stagnant and his recent anti-labor social media post turned me off. Also, in Pittsburgh there’s so much concert competition in August and September (his date was announced very late in comparison). But, there was a time where I said I’d never pass on a Cody Jinks concert, but I am passing and I don’t know anyone going in my concert circle.
July 24, 2022 @ 12:24 pm
I actually went back and opened the email: Birmingham, Atlanta, and Biloxi – $25 individual tickets; $80 “all-in 4-packs.” So you and three friends can go see Jinks for $20 a ticket! Those are markets Jinks should not need a ticket promotion.
Where are The Flockers?
July 24, 2022 @ 3:09 pm
They had the 4 packs going here for Friday’s show in a Chicago suburb at a posh theater that sucks for Country music in my opinion. Capacity 3500. I’m sorry we all love Cody but sometimes in some places the promoters are a little over zealous with expectations of Cody’s popularity across the Country. As of Wednesday about 1200 tickets had been sold. I’ve seen Cody 4 times. Twice in Wisconsin, once in Chicago, and once in Joliet all at smaller capacity cheaper ticket price venues and none were sold out but the price was fair and crowds were a comfortable 80%. All were incredible shows! I wasn’t excited about this one because of the prices and the venue not because of the current album. The show I saw in Joliet 3 weeks before the world shut down was one of the best ever!!!
July 13, 2022 @ 2:28 pm
Jamey Johnson hasn’t released an album in over a decade.
Blaming his fans for wanting new music is silly.
I will give you Turnpike due to the recent removal of the hiatus.
July 12, 2022 @ 10:23 am
The future is gonna be interesting, especially since Joe Rogan has done more for traditional country music than Bobby Bones has. Radio shot itself in the foot by chasing corporate interests. Gatekeepers on radio had a purpose in the past, to introduce good music that people wouldn’t have heard on their own…I hope something like that can happen online and preferable not thru tiktok.
WSM 650 is almost unlistenable unless it’s at night or on the weekend, for when you forgot your aux cable for your phone.
July 12, 2022 @ 11:22 am
I don’t listen Joe Rogan but which traditional country artist does he mention or has had on his show, I would love to listen to the interview.
July 12, 2022 @ 12:05 pm
He gave a big boost to Sturgill Simpson early on. He’s also had Shooter Jennings on and Wheeler Walker Jr. (who I won’t rant about here)
July 12, 2022 @ 12:13 pm
He also shouted out Colter Wall, Tyler Childers. He had Chris Stapleton on, and Suzanne Santo.
July 12, 2022 @ 1:32 pm
It may just be me living out here in Southern California (outside of Suzanne Santo who I never heard of) but these artist seem more like “hipster” country than traditional country. Not saying it’s good or bad just not my taste. I couldn’t put these guys on a playlist with Haggard, Jones, Lefty and Williams of yesteryear and I couldn’t put them on more recent artists as Mellons, Wesley Dennis, Tim Culpepper or even 17 year old Alex Miller.
July 12, 2022 @ 5:19 pm
There is perhaps no artist that is more traditional country than Colter Wall, at least traditional cowboy and Western. Just because young people are into his music doesn’t make him a hipster. Joe Rogan is a comedian and cage fighting commentator. I wouldn’t expect him to know about Tim Culpepper. 95% of the readers of Saving Country Music don’t know who Tim Culpepper is, and I’ve highlighted him here many times before. The point is he’s shouted out non radio-supported artists and helped increase their audience.
July 12, 2022 @ 6:01 pm
If the initial comment was Joe Rogan has done more for traditional country music than Bobby Bones well that caught my attention and I was just curious who these traditional country artists were. When the artists mentioned are the same as the artist mentioned on SCM I’m was just wondering where are the traditional country artists. And if 95% of the SCM readers don’t know who Tim Culpepper is then they are missing out on some good traditional country music.
July 13, 2022 @ 8:13 am
Marc- I’ve bumped into that opinion about Childers and his ilk from folks out West before, and I really do think there’s a geographic divide in folks’ archetype of “traditional country music.” For us that grew up in greater Appalachia, mountain music is a huge part of what we consider country music to be. Childers might clash with a Haggard/Jones playlist, but he fits right in on a playlist with the likes of Bill Monroe, Lily Mae Ledford, Jean Ritchie, Doc Watson, Loretta Lynn, Roscoe Holcomb etc. For me, growing up in North Carolina, those big smooth Western acts didn’t enter my country music consciousness till after my formative years (glad they did though!).
July 12, 2022 @ 10:48 am
While I don’t begrudge an artist trying to get their music in as many ears as possible, it almost seems like a step backwards for someone like Cody Jinks to be courting radio at this point. I feel like part of the appeal of folks like him is that they’ve “made it” despite lacking radio/corporate support.
July 12, 2022 @ 3:33 pm
He’s also promoted Whiskey Myers.
July 12, 2022 @ 5:08 pm
There was also a big shout out he did for Ellis Bullard when he saw him at the White Horse in Austin.
July 12, 2022 @ 12:51 pm
I’m the music director at a (small town, independent) country station and can tell you the Zach Bryan song hasn’t yet received any real promotional push and so far hasn’t appeared on either of the sites we get new music from. It’s running in our red dirt show, but I had to copy the mp3 from my personal music library to do so.
As to Loud and Heavy, I’m genuinely not sure what to do with that song since it’s already been in rotation for us basically since it came out. It would feel weird to suddenly put it into our currents alongside actually new music, but I don’t know that I can just leave it where it is in our rotation, especially if it does get any traction on the charts.
I also firmly believe you and your readers heavily exaggerate the demise of radio as the means for people discovering new music. Hardly anyone I know has heard of Zach Bryan and getting significant radio play would introduce him to a lot of new listeners.
July 12, 2022 @ 3:02 pm
If you’re a small town, independent country station, wouldn’t you have more say in what gets played on your station than what’s played on a large city, corporate radio station (i.e. reporting stations for charts)? What sites are you getting new music from?
“Hardly anyone I know has heard of Zach Bryan..”
Are these people you know 50 and up and constantly bitch about “today’s country not being country anymore?”
July 12, 2022 @ 7:40 pm
Our main source for new music is Play MPE, which is one of the most used services in the industry.
As to the other question I’m in my 30s and mostly hang around people in my age group, so no.
July 12, 2022 @ 1:35 pm
I heard Zach Bryan get a plug on the Bobby Bones show this morning. Bones was naming his favorite songs of the Summer and played a clip of Something in the Orange.
July 12, 2022 @ 2:50 pm
On an unrelated note, why hasn’t Texas Hill gotten any love? I know you’re super busy and I love your writing yada yada yada but that “Heaven Down Here” album is some fine music!
July 12, 2022 @ 7:17 pm
Something in the Orange by Zach Bryan was played on commercial radio during drivetime in DFW market. Heard it with mine own ears!!
July 12, 2022 @ 11:18 pm
Yep probably on 95.9 The Ranch. It’s in heavy rotation here. His show at BBT was filled with fans singing along to not just this song, but all of them. It was magical. His music will break through the clutter because it’s just so good.
October 11, 2022 @ 11:08 pm
Wrong! 96.3 FM Hope no one lost their job…
July 12, 2022 @ 7:51 pm
I don’t get it. To me this is like when grunge cAme along and killed hair metal. Rock stations embraced grunge. Why don’t country stations do the same with independent artists? Maybe grunge bands were tied to major labels and the independent country guys aren’t.
July 12, 2022 @ 8:01 pm
OMG, Jeff P.
Was just thinking about you yesterday.
Wondering where you at, in the world – & how you are doing.
July 13, 2022 @ 6:01 am
I’ve commented here before that I think there is a parallel in Country music now to Hard Rock/Metal. Through the 60s and 70s Hard Rock was a strong but not dominant format on radio. In the early 80s Hair Metal became a dominant radio force much like Bro-Country, but the music became homogenized and and over saturated with sound alike bands. The pushback from musicians led to alternatives like grunge and heavier alternatives like Metallica and Megadeth, but ultimately fracture into a non existent radio genre. Country music is now in its own aftermath of the Bro-Country era that brought the genre mass attention, and the genre is itself splintering among more traditional/Americana/pop country lines. The question is whether or not Country music can move on and become a more organic and successful genre in the radio market, or whether it continues to fade and become a mostly non existent radio market as Hard Rock/Metal has?
July 13, 2022 @ 6:16 am
That was also before the great radio station ownership consolidation that started in the wake of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The O Brother soundtrack was released in late 2000 and ended up selling over 8 million copies. It was the GRAMMY Album of the Year. Also, the CMA album of the year. Country radio ignored it.
July 14, 2022 @ 9:12 am
1996/97 was right around the time country radio got real boring
July 13, 2022 @ 4:24 am
I can see Zach going pop country, he’s already dancing on that line
July 13, 2022 @ 5:13 am
Cody Jinks should have sent “Church at Gaylor Creek” as it seems to be a very under appreciated song but pure country.
July 13, 2022 @ 7:28 am
I heard the Zach Bryan song “From Austin” on an XM station, that isn’t know for playing country music this morning. sounds like he’s starting to get some traction outside of the country realm as well.
July 16, 2022 @ 6:58 pm
Zach Bryan is more folk than country anyway. More power to him getting his music on mainstream country radio of which 99.9999% sucks!