Update: Nelly’s cover of “Die A Happy Man” is now available on the key digital music stores and streaming services.
After six weeks atop the Billboard Country Airplay chart, Thomas Rhett’s “Die A Happy Man” is finally beginning to fade at country radio.
Attention, consequently, is turning to the song’s life away from the country format.
Recently, Republic began pushing a glossier “pop mix” of the song to the hot adult contemporary format. The song is beginning to gain traction at the format; it debuted at #38 on this past week’s Mediabase Hot AC airplay chart.
Pop and rhythmic radio, meanwhile, may begin spinning a version of “Die A Happy Man” that does not include Thomas Rhett.
RECORDS recently made Nelly’s cover of the song available to the pop and rhythmic radio communities.
Vocally, Nelly’s performance is similar–and faithful–to the original Thomas Rhett version. The production, however, is notably different.
The cover replaces the central guitar with piano. It also features a punchier, pop/hip-hop beat.
While there is no rapping, the overall sonic outcome is somewhat akin to that of Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth’s “See You Again.”
No details in terms of an impact date have yet emerged, but it is clear RECORDS is eyeing “Die A Happy Man” as Nelly’s next mainstream single.
