NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Multi-Platinum performer Chris Young and RCA Nashville labelmate and global entertainer Kane Brown are starting off the new year with the most-added single at country radio as “Famous Friends” tallies a total 53 combined Billboard and Country Aircheck/Mediabase stations. “Famous Friends” released on November 20 and officially impacted yesterday, already posting at #36 on Billboard and #45 on Country Aircheck/Mediabase. The pair talked about their collaboration on “ The Quad with Chris Young” podcast last year. Stream/download “Famous Friends” here.
Critics are sharing early praise for Young and Brown’s “Famous Friends”:
“The earworm of the fall and winter is undoubtedly No. 1-bound as these two ‘famous friends’ complement each other perfectly.”- Billboard
“With a solid friendship and history of great teamwork, it’s no surprise the country crooners joined forces once again for their all-new single.” – People
“Every song that Chris Young writes and sings has a connection to him in some way, but with this new one, it seems the connection is a little deeper…” – The Country Daily
“Chris Young and Kane Brown sent some shout-outs back home with the feel-good ‘Famous Friends.’” – ET Online
“The ‘famous friends’ of the title are people you’ve never heard of who live in Rutherford County (Chris), Hamilton County, GA (Kane) and Davidson County (both). The bopping track and the two stars’ jaunty vocals celebrate these everyday heroes. Hit bound.” – Music Row
Written by Chris with Cary Barlowe and Corey Crowder from a headline tour stop in Tampa in 2018, the track was teased by Chris and Kane on social media last year. The autobiographical song mentions Rutherford County, where Chris grew up in Tennessee, and Kane’s hometown of Hamilton County along with Nashville’s Davidson County – a.k.a. Music City.
An anthemic tribute to the names, faces, and legendary stories that make up each hometown, “Famous Friends” is Chris and Kane’s first collaboration since working together on Kane’s 2017 song “Setting the Night On Fire.” Additionally, the song reunites the former tour mates from Chris’ 2018 Losing Sleep Headlining Tour — which included a sold-out hometown show at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena — and is a full-circle moment since Kane’s first live concert experience as a young Country fan was a Brad Paisley and Chris Young tour stop.
ABOUT CHRIS YOUNG: Multi-platinum RCA Records Nashville entertainer Chris Young has accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments, including membership in the iconic Grand Ole Opry, nearly 4 Billion on-demand streams, 13 Million singles sold, 11 career No. 1 singles, 21 R.I.A.A. Gold/Platinum/Multi-Platinum certified projects, 2 Grammy nominations, 3 Country Music Association nominations and 4 Academy of Country Music nominations along with a win for Performance of the Year at 2020’s CMT Music Awards. Chris’ brand-new single, “Famous Friends,” featuring Kane Brown, is available to stream/download now and impacts country radio at the start of the new year.
As a prolific creator, Chris has given fans 7 studio albums in 15 years including Losing Sleep, his third project in less than two years. The title track is certified Platinum while “Hangin’ On” is his ninth No. 1 as a songwriter. Losing Sleep (2017) and I’m Comin’ Over (2015) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums Chart with “I’m Comin’ Over” becoming Young’s first 2x Platinum single. These accomplishments and more landed him in the Top 20 of Billboard’s top country artists of the decade.
Named “one of his era’s finest traditionalists” by the Associated Press, Chris has quickly become an international ambassador for country music, performing to capacity crowds around the world including the sold-out C2C Festival in the UK. With a hit-packed set that highlights his eleven chart-toppers — including back-to-back No. 1s “Losing Sleep,” “Sober Saturday Night,” “Think Of You,” and “I’m Comin’ Over” — the Grammy and ACM nominated vocalist headlined the Raised On Country World Tour, playing to over 400,000 fans in 3 countries in 2019.
