for KING & COUNTRY
Robby Kleinfor King & Country, the duo of siblings Joel and Luke Smallbone, achieves its first No. 1 on Billboard‘s streaming-, airplay- and sales-powered Hot Christian Songs chart, as “Relate” travels to the top of the list dated Feb. 12.
The act’s first No. 1 is among 17 top 10s, dating to its first, “Busted Heart (Hold on to Me),” which reached No. 3 in February 2012. The pair has reached its No. 2 peak three times (all in 2018-20).
The tandem wrote “Relate” with Josh Kerr and Tayla Parx. It’s the first single from for King & Country’s album What Are We Waiting For, due March 11.
“When you start the process of writing a new album and it becomes time to release that first single, to be honest, it’s quite vulnerable,” the duo says in a joint statement to Billboard. “You hope and pray that it connects with people. You hope and pray that it’s impactful. So we’re very humbled to hear how many have been ‘relating’ to ‘Relate’!”
The song surged by 34% to 1.9 million U.S. streams in the week ending Feb. 3, aided by growing prominent placement on multiple playlists. Plus, a remix featuring Dutch DJ/producer R3hab was released Jan. 28. The track flies 21-9 on Christian Streaming Songs, awarding for King & Country its sixth top 10.
Additionally, “Relate” gained by 46% to 800 downloads sold and jumps 21-5 on Christian Digital Song Sales, becoming the duo’s 21st top 10.
On Christian Airplay, the song led for three weeks starting in December, becoming for King & Country’s 10th No. 1. It also marked the act’s record seventh leader in a row (encompassing songs promoted as proper radio singles). On the latest list, it ranks at No. 2 with 9.4 million impressions.
“Relate” also continues its crossover climb, rising 38-37 on Adult Pop Airplay in its second week on the ranking.
NEW ‘NAME’ AT No. 1 Singer-songwriter Katy Nichole, 21, from Mesa, Ariz., lands her first No. 1 on Christian Digital Song Sales as her debut single “In Jesus Name (God of Possible)” jumps to the top from No. 4 following its first full week of tracking.
The song, which Nichole wrote with Ethan Hulse and Jeff Pardo, sold 2,900 downloads in the Jan. 28-Feb. 3 tracking week, following its Jan. 26 release.
On Christian Airplay, the song enters at No. 26 with 1.4 million in audience. It bows on Hot Christian Songs at No. 30, also driven by 620,000 streams.
Nichole has built buzz on social media and platforms including TikTok, where she boasts over 300,000 followers.
Smashing Pumpkins are hoping to bring their A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness production to the Las Vegas Sphere for a one of a kind performance centered around the legendary 1995 album.
Billy Corgan is stepping away from traditional rock venues and leaning into the world of opera with his large scale A Night of Mellon Collie and Infinite Sadness tour, which transforms the band’s iconic record into a full orchestral and operatic experience.
Even though the group has not officially been invited to perform at the cutting edge venue in Las Vegas, Corgan admitted he would immediately embrace the opportunity.
Speaking with KROQ, he explained: “It’s a no-doubter for us. We just haven’t been asked yet.
“See, if the Sphere came to us and said, ‘We’d love you to do all of Mellon Collie with that production.’ Now, that makes sense to me to do something like that, to build the show around the album.
"Then you have a chance to recast the songs and the music in a different dynamic.”
The performance sees Corgan joined by acclaimed solo vocalists and complete orchestras, reshaping some of Smashing Pumpkins’ most beloved songs into expansive classical arrangements.
The project first premiered in Chicago and received overwhelming praise, with audiences and reviewers applauding the powerful reinterpretations of songs such as 1979 and Tonight, Tonight.
Corgan shared that the experience has become one of the most meaningful achievements of his artistic journey.
He said: “The success of translating Mellon Collie into operatic and classical form has been one of the most satisfying experiences of my life. Where on each of the 7 sold out nights in Chicago, we’d finish within the raucous wave of a standing ovation. So to now take it on the road, and to Europe, too says this magical dream doesn’t have to end.”
The production was developed by Corgan alongside Grammy nominated conductor James Lowe, who added: "It has been so gratifying to discover how the nuances and layers of Mellon Collie reveal themselves in fresh new ways in these symphonic, choral and operatic settings. To now have the opportunity to perform this work in Europe with world class musicians in such important venues is nothing short of thrilling."
The lineup features vocalists Ed Parks, Sydney Mancasola, Zoie Reams, Dominick Valdes Chenes and Dean Murphy. The wardrobe for the production was created by House of Gilles designers Gilles Mendel and Chloé Mendel Corgan.
The upcoming run will include several September performances throughout the UK, Belgium, France and Spain, highlighted by two special evenings at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
