Although he didn't win season 11, Cuevas crowns the latest chart.
For the second consecutive week, a contestant from season 11 of NBC's The Voice arrives at No. 1 on Billboard's Hot Christian Songs chart. This time it's 20-year-old Christian Cuevas , whose version of Israel & New Breed 's "To Worship You I Live (Away)" opens atop the chart dated Dec. 24.
Competing in the semifinals for Team Alicia, Cuevas performed the song Dec. 5 and, despite his elimination following the episode, the recording sold 19,000 downloads in the tracking week ending Dec. 8, according to Nielsen Music. In addition to bowing atop Hot Christian Songs, "Worship" begins atop Christian Digital Song Sales.
(Israel's original was released on his set Alive in South Africa , which reached No. 3 on Top Christian Albums in 2005.)
In topping Hot Christian Songs with "Worship," Cuevas follows fellow Voice competitor and
newly crowned champion (Dec. 13), Sundance Head , of Team Blake (Shelton), whose cover of
Tom T. Hall 's "Me and Jesus" debuted atop the chart a week ago. The tracks are the sixth and seventh, respectively, by Voice finalists to open atop the list, dating to the first, by Meghan Linsey, in May 2015; see below. (Two prior titles had debuted at No. 1 since the chart launched in 2003: Matthew West 's "More," in 2004, and Carrie Underwood 's "Something in the Water," in 2014.)
Contestants from The Voice to Debut at No. 1 on Hot Christian Songs
"To Worship You I Live (Away)," Christian Cuevas, Dec. 24, 2016
"Me and Jesus," Sundance Head, Dec. 17, 2016
"Mary Did You Know," Jordan Smith, Jan. 2, 2016
"Amazing Grace," Braiden Sunshine, Dec. 26, 2015
"Hallelujah," Jordan Smith, Dec. 19, 2015
"Great Is Thy Faithfulness," Jordan Smith, Dec. 5, 2015
"Amazing Grace," Meghan Linsey, May 23, 2015
