“Having a No. 1 record is an amazing feeling,” Norman-Beatty, who began singing at age 2, tells Billboard. “The past few years have been challenging. From battling and overcoming the coronavirus to losing my mom and my brother, both to COVID-19, life has been difficult. Despite all the things that I have been through, God has been good to me.”
Norman-Beatty scores the second rookie No. 1 on Gospel Airplay within three weeks. On the chart dated Aug. 21, Melvin Crispell, III reigned with “Wonderful Is Your Name.”
Until this week, the last time a woman and no accompanying artists topped Gospel Airplay in a first visit to the chart was in May 2020 when Nia Allen’s “Wait (2020)” led for a week.
‘HOUSE’ MUSIC Phil Wickham earns his seventh top 10 on the multi-metric Hot Christian Songs chart as “House of the Lord” climbs 11-9. On Christian Airplay, the track hits the top five (6-5; 7.9 million impressions, up 3%). It also drew 1.1 million U.S. streams in the tracking week.
Wickham last reached the Hot Christian Songs top 10 with the No. 2-peaking “Battle Belongs” in April. It led Christian Airplay for four frames, marking his second No. 1.
A ‘NEW’ TOP 10 Also on Christian Airplay, Big Daddy Weave nets its 19th top 10 as “All Things New” rises 11-10 (5.8 million, up 1%). It’s the group’s first top 10 since “I Know,” which became its sixth leader in April 2020.
The Mike Weaver-fronted Big Daddy Weave, formed in Mobile, Ala., in 1998, ranks in seventh place for the most Christian Airplay top 10s since the chart launched in June 2003. Chris Tomlin leads with 29, followed by Casting Crowns (28), MercyMe (27), Jeremy Camp (24), tobyMac and Matthew West (each with 23).
