Cole Swindell just earned his 12th No. 1 hit, with his “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” single, a nod to Jo Dee Messina‘s “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” The song landed at the top spot in only 12 weeks, marking a new record for the country music hitmaker.
“The reaction to this song has blown me away,” Swindell says. “From the minute I released it you all raised your hand in support of it, and it means the world to me. Getting to stand in front of you night after night hearing you sing it back is the best feeling in the world! So thankful for my team and everyone that makes these moments possible.”
Swindell wrote “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” with Thomas Rhett, Ashley Gorley and Jesse Frasure. Swindell wrote the song inspired by his own love of ’90s country music, enlisting Messina to appear in the video for the song.
“Out of all the ‘90s country songs we all love, I don’t think anybody would have thought we would have picked that one, but I think that’s what makes it special,” Swindell said of the song.
After “She Had Me At Heads Carolina” was written, the Georgia native reached out to Messina to tell her about the song.
“I finally got her contact info,” Swindell previously said. “I had been wanting to reach out to her, and tell her what a fan I was. I think I might have met her at a festival years ago, briefly, when I was selling t-shirts. We don’t really know each other … I just got her number and just sent her a text letting her know that it was me and that I’ve been wanting to reach out and that I finally got her contact. [I] just let her know what a fan I was and that the original song, without that, obviously, I would have never had this idea. I just wanted her to know I wanted her to be as much of a part of it as she wanted to be. Or if not at all, that’s fine too.”
“She Had Me At Heads Carolina” is from Swindell’s fourth album, Stereotype, which was released in April. The song is Swindell’s third consecutive No. 1 hit from the record, following “Single Saturday Night” and his “Never Say Never” duet with Lainey Wilson. The latter earned him two CMA Awards nominations, for both Music Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year.
Swindell will kick off his Back Down To the Bar Tour on September 23. Find music and tour dates at ColeSwindell.com.
Luke Bryan and Peyton Manning will serve as hosts of the 2022 CMA Awards. The 2022 CMA Awards will air live from Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, November 9, at 8:00 PM ET on ABC.