“It’s pretty crazy having this song go No. 1,” Combs marvels. “It’s all thanks to the fans [and] we have a really great team, from management, to label, to band and crew. And, we’ve been lucky that country radio has embraced us, which means the world to me. I’m forever grateful to everybody that’s helped get my songs out there. Thanks to everybody, and I never take it for granted.”
The single, which Combs wrote with Drew Parker and Robert Williford, follows “Better Together,” which ruled for five weeks beginning in January; “Lovin’ on You” (four weeks, starting last September); “Does to Me,” featuring Eric Church (two, May 2020); “Even Though I’m Leaving” (five, November 2019); and “Beer Never Broke My Heart” (two, August 2019).
“Forever” is among the tracks premiered on the deluxe version of What You See Is What You Get, which was reissued in October 2020, dubbed What You See Ain’t Always What You Get in its 23-track expanded form.
One album has generated six Country Airplay No. 1s all via its standard edition: Luke Bryan accomplished the feat on the chart dated April 15, 2017, when “Fast” became the sixth leader from his full-length Kill the Lights, which opened atop Top Country Albums in August 2015. The song followed the set’s first five No. 1s: “Move” (two weeks, November 2016); “Huntin’, Fishin’ & Lovin’ Every Day” (one, July 2016); “Home Alone Tonight,” featuring Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town (two, February, 2016); “Strip It Down” (two weeks, beginning in October 2015); and “Kick the Dust Up” (one, August 2015).
Bryan cracked opened his six-pack of No. 1s all from the 13-track Kill The Lights; a Target-exclusive version added three songs, but none were released as singles.
“Forever” is Combs’ 11th straight career-opening No. 1 single (counting properly-promoted songs) on Country Airplay. He broke the record for the best rookie streak when he scored his fifth consecutive leader, “Beautiful Crazy,” in March 2019.
Meanwhile, “Forever,” which arrived atop the airplay-, sales- and streaming-based Hot Country Songs chart in November, leads the list for a fifth week. It corralled 13.5 million U.S. streams and sold 7,000 downloads in the week ending May 27. On the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards, which aired live May 27 on Fox, Combs won twice, for country artist of the year and album of the year for What You See Is What You Get.
