Kelly Clarkson Scores A New Chart Hit, And It’s Not A Pop Record

Kelly Clarkson hasn’t released new music in a little while, and fans might have expected her return to be a pop moment. Instead, she’s back on the Billboard charts this week with a country track. The Grammy and Emmy winner joined Rascal Flatts on a new version of the band’s hit “I’m Movin’ On,” and the tune helps bring her back to one tally that she’s reached a surprising number of times throughout her career.

Kelly Clarkson Returns to the Country Sales Chart

Clarkson appears on the Country Digital Song Sales chart, a Billboard list that highlights the bestselling country tracks in America. The former American Idol champion joins Rascal Flatts on a duet version of “I’m Movin’ On,” which opens at No. 15 on the tally. While that’s the lowest position on the ranking, a hit is a hit.

Kelly Clarkson Ranks Behind Chappell Roan and Blake Shelton

“I’m Movin’ On” ranks as the lowest debut on this week’s Country Digital Song Sales list. Chappell Roan surprises many by debuting at No. 1 with “The Giver.” The track is the singer’s first entry on this ranking, and it also marks their first appearance on any Billboard country tally. Further down, Blake Shelton starts strong with “Let Him In Anyway,” which opens at No. 8.

Several other returning hits round out the top 15, including Post Malone and Morgan Wallen’s “I Had Some Help” at No. 10, another Shelton cut, “Texas,” at No. 13, and Luke Combs’ “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma” at No. 14.

Kelly Clarkson Has a History With Country

While Clarkson is mostly known for her pop output, she’s recorded country music before. Throughout the years, the singer has appeared on the Country Digital Song Sales chart 14 times. Exactly half of those tracks, seven in total, have broken into the top 10. Her biggest success on this specific roster remains “Don’t You Wanna Stay,” her duet with Jason Aldean, which went all the way to No. 1.

Clarkson and Rascal Flatts Team Up for a New Favorite

The newly-released “I’m Movin’ On” is a modernized take on one of Rascal Flatts’s signature hits. The song serves as a promotional cut ahead of Life Is a Highway: Refueled Duets. That project will feature reworked versions of Rascal Flatts classics with high-profile collaborators, and is expected later this year.

The original version of “I’m Movin’ On” helped establish Rascal Flatts as a rising name in country music when it first came out in the fall of 2001. That original take became a hit, peaking at No. 4 on the Hot Country Songs chart and even reaching No. 41 on the Hot 100.