‘American Idol’ Winner Scores With Billboard Hot 100 Hit

Getty Chayce Beckham performs on stage.

Former “American Idol” winner Chayce Beckham has finally cracked the Billboard Hot 100.

Despite first hitting the airwaves over two years ago, Beckham’s hit song “23” has now debuted on the January 13-dated Billboard Hot 100 chart at number 71 . He becomes the 14th “American Idol” contestant in the show’s history to have at least one song make it to the Billboard Hot 100, according to Billboard. He also becomes the only contestant in the last seven seasons to debut on the chart.

Beckham first performed his song “23” live during season 19 in 2021. Beckham made “American Idol” history when he became the first contestant to win the singing competition show while performing an original song. No other contestant had done so in the previous 18 seasons.

Chayce Beckham Has Received Other Accolades for ’23’

In a January 3 Instagram post, Beckham was also happy to announce that “23” had been included in Amazon’s Music’s Breakthrough Artists to Watch in 2024 list. As a country music artist, Beckham’s hit song was added to the streaming giant’s playlist featuring 50 artists from all genres. With Beckham’s growing notoriety, “23” has seen an increase in popularity, explaining his debut on the Billboard Hot 100.

In a May 2021 interview with the Los Angeles Daily News, Beckham detailed his inspiration for his hit song. “A lot of things around me were changing. And I wrote it and I just kind of kept it in my pocket and played it for people here and there,” he said.

Beckham notes that he never expected “23” to take off. According to Beckham, it was those closest to him who saw the true potential of the hit song. “It was never anything that I was banking on, or I was like, ‘Hey, listen to this great song,’” he told the outlet. People would tell me, ‘Man, that song is going to be on the radio one day,’ and I was like, ‘There’s no way,’ because I just couldn’t picture it.”

Beckham Wants to ‘Let the Music Speak for Itself’

In an August 2022 interview with Parade, Beckham spoke about what he valued most regarding his music career. “I love writing songs, recording, and the process of getting really excited about music before you release it,” Beckham said.

“The whole thing of putting it together and shooting videos, I love the excitement that builds. And then when you release a song and fans finally get to hear it, it’s a lot of fun. The whole process is really enjoyable for me compared to jobs I’ve had in the past.”

Although he relishes the opportunity to create, Beckham says that his ultimate goal is to reach as many people as possible with his songs. For him, building that connection from the artist to the fans is crucial.

“But I guess that you let the music speak for itself in that case and, hopefully, I can release music, if not this song, then other songs that will connect with a large amount of people. My goal as an artist is just to try to get a message across to as many people as I can.”