Cody Johnson Finally Earns His #1 Moment with “Till You Can’t”

When Cody Johnson partnered his independent CoJo Music record label with Warner Music Nashville in 2018, we thought it could result in the best of both worlds. Johnson would keep creative control over his contemporary cowboy style of traditional country music, which had already made him an arena-level performer in Texas. But now he would have the muscle of a major label behind him, including an opportunity to return at least a semblance of country-sounding music to country radio.
But if we’re being honest, the results were mostly mixed. Cody Johnson was already selling well before signing with Warner, and his debut radio single “One My Way To You” went to #11. Not terrible, but not exactly a top hit either. That was trailed by “Nothin’ On You” that did downright terrible, tanking at #55. And adding Reba McEntire to Johnson’s “Dear Rodeo” didn’t help much either. Cody Johnson’s third major label single ended up at #34.
At that point, it was fair to question the reason for signing with a major label at all. Frankly, the first two singles were mild, and not exactly representative of CoJo’s more country style, but didn’t fare well commercially either. This is so commonly what happens in country with more traditional artists. You try to commercialize them, and you get the worst of both worlds, not the best.
But all the second guessing and doubts about Cody’s prospects in mainstream country have just been eradicated, at least for the moment. The lead single off his second major label album Human called “Till You Can’t” is a doggone hit, and not one of those where it takes 14 months to materialize, and relies mostly on radio to garner the interest of the public.
“Till You Can’t” has become Cody Johnson’s first #1 single as a country artist, and not on the Billboard Country Airplay chart, but on the more consumption-based Hot Country Songs chart that factors in streaming and downloads, along with radio. With no pop crossover prospects for an artist like Cody either, this was all born off of fans listening to a song that’s resonating beyond Johnson’s already impressive fan base.
“Till You Can’t” will also be a #1 on country radio; it will just take a few more weeks to get there. It currently sits at #8, which is a career best for Cody Johnson as well. And how fitting Johnson landed this #1 without the primary help of radio while the annual Country Radio Seminar was transpiring in Nashville last week. One of the big themes of the conference was how radio is losing its relevancy in the marketplace and it’s ability to mint stars, especially how it often takes a year-plus for radio singles to develop these days.
But Cody Johnson’s “Till You Can’t” was released in late October, 2021. And usually once an artist has a failed single or two at radio these days, they rarely recover to get back in the format’s good graces. A good song is a good song though. And though the Americana snobs will scoff, and the purists will claim it’s pop, “Till You Can’t” written by Ben Stennis and Matthew J. Rogers is just a powerful song, bolstered by a propulsive performance by Cody Johnson.
In this era of manufactured radio #1’s bestowed to manufactured stars, former rodeo rider turned independent country artist turned mainstream star Cody Johnson built it all from the ground up, through sweat and toil, through growing grassroots, and keeping it country. And now, finally, after some adversity and ample perseverance, he’s finally scored an illustrious #1, and his way.
February 28, 2022 @ 9:50 am
Good for him, always liked this song, and the 12 or 13 that ended up on my edited version of Human got many many spins. I enjoyed watching the Dear Rodeo documentary too as I never really knew his whole story. Nice to see him achieving this after paying his dues.
February 28, 2022 @ 9:51 am
Nothing against Cody; he’s pretty unremarkable from a talent standpoint, but he seems like an authentic dude. But this song is on the pop side of his sound, is it not? It’s having success because of how country it isn’t, as opposed to how country Cody himself otherwise is.
I just don’t see this as any kind of victory. It’s more of a reminder that the status quo remains unchanged.
February 28, 2022 @ 11:45 am
You’d rather go back five years and have Body Like A Back Road at #1 for like half the year? Or Meant To Be, or After A Few, or The Bones, or Old Town Road? We absolutely are moving in the right direction. Till You Can’t is kind of in the same boat to me as songs like Buy Dirt, Things a Man Oughta Know, and Whiskey and Rain – recent #1’s aren’t as country as they could possibly be, but they’re a very noticeable step up in quality. Nobody’s putting Turnpike at the #1 spot, but I’ll take Till You Can’t over Body Like A Back Road all day every day.
The sands of time move slowly, but the recent #1’s show that the status quo is absolutely changing.
As a side note, when I first saw this comment it had racked up five likes in 12 minutes after it had been posted, as opposed to 1 like on JB’s comment and just 2 on the entire article. Are you liking your own comments from several different devices after you post in order to give yourself some SCM street cred? That doesn’t seem like a very kinglike thing to do.
February 28, 2022 @ 12:32 pm
Princess Cracker-Barrell is the arbiter of truth didn’t you know?
February 28, 2022 @ 1:12 pm
Ian,
He apparently didn’t know. I’m hoping we can resolve that.
February 28, 2022 @ 1:10 pm
….”You’d rather go back five years and have Body Like A Back Road at #1 for like half the year? Or Meant To Be, or After A Few, or The Bones, or Old Town Road?”……
Strawman.
…..”We absolutely are moving in the right direction.”….
If I ever see any evidence of that, I’ll let you know.
…”Till You Can’t is kind of in the same boat to me as songs like Buy Dirt, Things a Man Oughta Know, and Whiskey and Rain – recent #1’s aren’t as country as they could possibly be, but they’re a very noticeable step up in quality.”…..
From what? There’s never been a period of time when there wasn’t music on Country radio that was less bad than the worst.
…”Nobody’s putting Turnpike at the #1 spot, but I’ll take Till You Can’t over Body Like A Back Road all day every day.”…..
Same strawman as the one above.
….”The sands of time move slowly, but the recent #1’s show that the status quo is absolutely changing.”…..
Evidence? Anyone? Even a shred?
……”As a side note, when I first saw this comment it had racked up five likes in 12 minutes after it had been posted, as opposed to 1 like on JB’s comment and just 2 on the entire article. Are you liking your own comments from several different devices after you post in order to give yourself some SCM street cred? That doesn’t seem like a very kinglike thing to do.”……
Your comment already has double digits. Am I doing this right?
February 28, 2022 @ 1:36 pm
Here here.
Idealism can be the death of progress. Of course “Till You Can’t” has some contemporary elements to it. It’s also way more country than most of what country radio was just a few years ago. It’s also just a great song.
February 28, 2022 @ 2:35 pm
…”Idealism can be the death of progress.”….
Trig,
Show me some objective evidence of progress and I’ll agree with you.
February 28, 2022 @ 3:22 pm
Coming from the guy that thinks Earl Thomas Conley was country.
Sounds to me like you’re the classic case of someone thinking country music stopped sounding “country” when the prime years of your life started appearing in a rear view mirror.
February 28, 2022 @ 3:41 pm
Sure:
https://savingcountrymusic.com/cody-johnson-finally-earns-his-1-moment-with-till-you-cant/
February 28, 2022 @ 3:50 pm
Trig,
Nothing, huh?
February 28, 2022 @ 1:55 pm
I’m very proud of Cody. I think he will continue to make his fans happy with his music. That’s what matters most.I worked with Cody at the prison and a western wear store.
I couldn’t be more proud of his accomplishments.
February 28, 2022 @ 3:10 pm
Good song. Good album. Good country singer. He deserves his success. Great news.
February 28, 2022 @ 3:32 pm
I love this dude and his album, but my question based on recent trends is how will his next single perform?
In recent years when one single does well the follow up ends up bombing, hoping he breaks that trend.
February 28, 2022 @ 4:33 pm
Til you can’t is no where near pop. When a song sounds good and has a good flow people want to say it sounds like pop. Funny Ive been listening to country music fifty years and a lot of those I listen to go back twenty or thirty years before that, and through it all there has been different sounds. Just enjoy what you like, quit trying to label everything.
February 28, 2022 @ 5:01 pm
For what it’s worth, we can argue over what fits our definition of real Country music all day long. Most people I’ve talked to that say he isn’t country don’t necessarily believe his influences were either. It’s music for people that enjoy cowboy/rodeo culture, It’s music that I as a 34 year old father trying to raise a family and take care of a wife can identify with. Till you can’t, still learning to be human, dear rodeo (I once thought my ticket to fame was bullriding), stronger, etc, its music about a real life. And it’s being sung by a person who is building something for his family, while also not getting caught with strippers and cocaine and singing songs about his new bitch.
February 28, 2022 @ 6:39 pm
Both my sons, who, BTW, were raised on MY taste in country music, really like him and my oldest says he puts on one helluva show… and, and, my 3 year old grand daughter loves her some CoJo music that she insists on hearing on the way to Day Care…
I like the video posted but that’s about all I know about him since I don’t listen to radio…
If that’s indicative of his music, sign me up as a fan.
February 28, 2022 @ 7:48 pm
This song is beautiful. The words are so true. Cody does a great job of performing this song with so much passion. This is one of the best country music songs I have heard in a long time !!!!! Thank you Cody
February 28, 2022 @ 7:50 pm
Not every promising traditional country artist needs to release a “Storms of Life”. We shouldn’t have that expectation. After all, baseball games are not won just on home runs. It takes singles and doubles.
I do not know what his staying power will be. This might be his pinnacle. I hope not if he commits to put out music as he has been. Time will tell.
I would rather win the game then hang my hat on a once in a lifetime home run. That ball has already sailed.
March 1, 2022 @ 5:24 pm
Saw CoJo in Atlanta with Ian Munsick let yeah and damn if they didn’t put on a good show. I think Human is a damn good album: Treasure, I Always Wanted To, Human, ‘Til You Can’t & especially Know for Loving You are top for me—although I’ll admit I’m more of a country rock guy along the lines of Eric Church, Cody Jinks, etc. Like most I think it’s probably better without two or three of the weaker songs, but hey, still a damned good album from a stand up dude. I’ll take that any day.
March 1, 2022 @ 6:01 pm
Cody is selling tickets and lots of them. He’ll do great with or without a major label. It makes me glad to know the Nashvegas machine is not necessary Cody is in the driver’s seat not the County music establishment. So however this major label deal ends up and with or without mainstream terrestrial country radio. Cody Johnson has a long successful career ahead of him. The songs are good and country. Cody’s here to stay.
March 1, 2022 @ 6:15 pm
Just sold out Rodeo Houston’s opening night. That’s not an easy feat.
March 3, 2022 @ 5:22 am
We were there. He got emotional about it. He went on to say that he got there by making country music the way it ought to be, and won’t ever change that.
March 19, 2022 @ 6:17 am
It’s amazing to see the jealousy coming out in the comments. Failed songwriters, maybe?
March 20, 2022 @ 4:02 am
The best country song i ever heard in my life …very inspiring
May 12, 2022 @ 4:27 am
For me, it is the top song in my song list right now.. Great lyrics, great sound, and great movement through the song. It’s so good, i leave it on repeat. It’s just great music no matter how someone would like or not like to classify the song. I hope he keeps producing great songs in the way he hears the music and not give into pleasing people who are stuck in a groove to not just let a song be a great song, period. Sure it’s country, but it’s Cody’s style of country.