Remember Cole Swindell’s 1st #1
Earlier this year, Cole Swindell did something only a few people do: Go to #1 with their first single. In May, Cole celebrated that feat with a #1 party. Country Countdown USA’s Lon Helton was there that day. This week, as Cole made his co-hosting debut, we thought it appropriate to remember that day.
It was a perfect day to be “chillin’ it” in Nashville, and that’s exactly what the guy behind that hit did Monday. Cole Swindell was the guest of honor at a party celebrating his debut #1: “Chillin’ It.” Several of his famous friends even showed up, including Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line’s Brian Kelley. Throughout the experience, the young singer was both thankful and proud of his first taste of success. Cole spoke with reporters before the party.
We noticed you pulled up in a limo with some of your family. What’s the story? “Back when my mom met the President of our record label, I told her she’d never been to Nashville, and I said, ‘Maybe if Chillin’ It goes #1, we can get her up for the #1 party,’ and she was joking, ‘Yeah I might need a limo!’ And he said, ‘I’ll get you a limo if it goes to #1.’ The funny thing is she thought he was going to send it all the way to Georgia, which is 7 hours from here. We got her to Nashville with my aunt and uncle and grandmother, and they’ve been driving around in the limo. But that’s the story.”
Talk about your first #1: “I always thought that my first #1 would be somebody else singing it. I can’t believe me as an artist got my first #1. I always approached it like it’s all about the song. This is my first hit, first single, and I know how fortunate I am with the first one out of the box, so it motivates me, I gotta keep working hard.”
Describe the feeling to show your family that it’s starting to pay off? “When I moved to town, it broke my mom’s heart, she didn’t know what I was doing, moving to Nashville, but I knew I had to go. Now that I’ve had some success, she feels better about me moving here now. But seeing the folks who raised me here to support me, that’s why I’m doin’ it, that’s awesome.
Are you holding any songs back? It’s never too early to start on my second record. I’m just getting back into writing, because when the album came out, I wanted to enjoy that album. But I’m probably going to have to keep the songs for myself, I can’t give away any more big ones to any other guys, but without them cuttin’ my songs, I might not be here, so we all win, it’s awesome.
The first single “Chillin’ It” was positive, but your new single “I Hope You Get Lonely,” is the other side: “This is one of my favorite songs on my album. I think it’s a different sides of me, playing it live, people wonder why I want her to get lonely, but it’s a good reason. I cover all the bases on this album.”
Chillin’ It was almost an accident, right? Yeah, I’d heard that XM Radio was finding new songs, I had another song picked for first single, called Let Me See You Girl, but then I wrote Chillin’ It, and we realized that was the one I wanted to introduce myself. You never know, I can’t imagine what my life would be like if we didn’t have that song. I’m so fortunate it did what it did.
Chillin’ It was competing against Luke’s song “Drink A Beer:” I know, isn’t that crazy? There was a chance I wasn’t going to be #1 because Luke had such a huge song, we joked about it. If anybody’s gonna keep me out of #1, I think it’d be alright if it’s him, because he’s given me opportunities. But it’s humbling, I don’t know if I’m deserving to be here. But obviously country radio and the fans felt I did. I can’t believe I’m at my first #1 party.
Are your crowds different in the south? Me & Luke being from Georgia, I think people are proud we’re from there. I just played a show in Georgia, it’s crazy getting to play around your hometown, the crowds are insane.
Talk about going into CMA Music Fest this year: It’s going to be very different. Last year at CMA Fest I played a show at the Hard Rock Café where labels came to see me play, so last year, I didn’t even have a record deal for CMA Fest week, now I do with a #1 under my best, and a new one on the radio, and I remember when I worked for Luke, he had fan club parties, so now I have a party for my fans, and it’s going to be cool to hang with them, it’s going to be a good CMA Fest, I’m excited.
A lot of awards and plaques were presented at Cole’s party, including a plaque from Country Countdown USA host Lon Helton.
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