Ask Billboard: Praise for Mariah Carey’s First Gospel Chart No. 1

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Mariah Carey’s First Gospel Airplay No. 1

Hi Gary,

With Mariah Carey accomplishing her fourth different No. 1 on a Billboard chart within a year, on Gospel Airplay with “Jesus I Do” (dated May 16), following “Type Dangerous,” “In Your Feelings” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” I was curious: Is there any kind of comp to artists achieving that kind of success across various Billboard charts in less than a year’s span?

Mariah gets a bonus week as a credited songwriter on Hot Hard Rock Songs with “Where Are You Christmas?” by the Pretty Reckless!

Thank you,

Brad L.
Los Angeles

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Thanks Brad.

Clearly, Carey has not been just the Queen of Christmas, as she’s run up a roster of No. 1s in the past year, which includes the release of her latest album, Here for It All, in October.

Here’s a recap of her leaders since, including for the set and her holiday reigns:

Beyond those titles, Carey also charted with Here for It All tracks “Play This Song,” featuring Anderson .Paak; “Sugar Sweet,” featuring Shenseea and Kehlani; and “Nothing Is Impossible.” Most notably, they hit respective highs of No. 2 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales and R&B Digital Song Sales; No. 5 on R&B Digital Song Sales; and No. 25 on Adult Pop Airplay.

Meanwhile, songs from the album have charted on Radio Songs, Pop Airplay, Adult Pop Airplay, Rhythmic Airplay, R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, Adult R&B Airplay, Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay and Gospel Airplay. Plus, they did so outside the major-label system, with Here for It All on MARIAH/gamma.

“Jesus I Do” marks Carey’s first Gospel Airplay entry. It became the fourth No. 1 for the Clark Sisters, dating to their first in 2007. Her catalog has incorporated the genre, including on her top five 1992 Hot 100 classic “Make It Happen” and 1998’s “When You Believe,” with Whitney Houston. The latter, a top 15 Hot 100 hit, has subsequently made Billboard’s Gospel Streaming Songs and Gospel Digital Song Sales charts.

 “I don’t call myself a legend,” Carey mused to Billboard for the January cover story. “I’m just still working, still trying hard.”

Perhaps a good parallel for Carey’s recent run is Justin Bieber’s, with his latest album likewise producing chart-toppers on secular and religious rankings, mixed with resurgent catalog hits.

Among other highlights, Bieber’s Swag launched at No. 1 last July on Top Streaming Albums, as well as (like Here for It All) Top Album Sales and Top R&B Albums. Lead single “Daisies” ruled Streaming Songs and Pop Airplay and follow-up promoted single “Yukon” topped Rhythmic Airplay.

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Plus, earlier in May, the LP’s “Everything Hallelujah” spent two weeks at No. 1 on Christian Streaming Songs and Christian Digital Song Sales. Further, Swag cut “Forgiveness” — by Marvin Winans — crowned Hot Gospel Songs and Gospel Streaming Songs.

Also like Carey, Bieber’s catalog continues to be a gift that keeps giving, with “Beauty and a Beat” atop the Global 200 for two weeks following Coachella.

“I wouldn’t consider myself religious,” Bieber told Vogue in 2019. “That confuses a lot of people because they’re like, ‘Well, you go to church.’ I believe in the story of Jesus — that’s the simplicity of what I believe. But I don’t believe in all the religious elitism and pretentiousness, like people are better than you because they come to church, like you have to go to church and dress a certain way.

“I get sensitive when religion comes up because it’s been so hurtful to a lot of people,” he continued. “I don’t want to be thought of as someone who stands for any of the injustice that religion has done and does do.”

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Lionel Ridenour, gamma. executive vp/promotion, tells Billboard that “there was no hesitation on our end” when it came to promoting “Jesus I Do” to gospel radio, calling the combination of Carey and the Clark Sisters “a natural fit” for listeners.

“By bringing together two generations of musical greatness, this record was ideal for stations without compromising faith or format,” Ridenour says. “The Clark Sisters’ involvement brings credibility, anointing and generational trust to this record. This song honors gospel’s past, celebrates its present and inspires its future.”

Ridenour also shouts out industry veteran Cathy Carroll, who has promoted music to both R&B and gospel, as key in working “Jesus I Do.”

Adds Chris Connors, vp/programming at Gospel Airplay panelist WFMV Columbia, S.C., “I loved the song from the very first spin. Mariah Carey teed it up and the Clark Sisters knocked it out of the park. Those angelic voices took the song all the way to No. 1, and I’m here for it.”