Shinedown’s Brent Smith performs on ‘American Idol.’ (Disney/Eric McCandless)
Shinedown has officially crossed over into the country world.
The band’s twangy track “Searchlight” has debuted on the Billboard Country Airplay chart at #54, marking the first Shinedown song to appear on a Billboard country ranking.
“Searchlight,” which Shinedown premiered live at the iconic Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, is an acoustic-driven song featuring slide guitar and banjo.
“It was a bit more of a power ballad, and then the guys let me come back in the studio, and I re-sang it with kind of a different intention built around more of that authentic country, really old-school country vibe,” frontman Brent Smith tells Billboard. “But at the end of the day, we always say that Shinedown is everyone’s band, and it’s been incredible to see the country format and just the audiences embrace the song. Everything we did with it was built from authenticity.”
“Searchlight” previously hit #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. Shinedown holds the record for the most #1s in the 45-year history of Mainstream Rock Airplay, with 23.
“Searchlight” appears on Shinedown’s new album, EI8HT, alongside the singles “Dance, Kid, Dance,” “Three Six Five,” “Killing Fields” and “Safe and Sound.” The band’s U.S. tour in support of EI8HT continues in July.
