Hot 100 First-Timers: Bryan Martin Scores His First Chart Hit With ‘We Ride’

Bryan Martin lands his first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 (dated March 30) as his breakthrough single “We Ride” arrives at No. 96.

“We Ride” has been steadily climbing Billboard’s charts since its release in October 2022 on Average Joes Entertainment. With 35 weeks and counting on the Hot Country Songs chart, and after 18 weeks on the Hot 100’s Bubbling Under ranking, it enters the Hot 100 with 8.7 million all-format radio audience impressions (up 13%) and 4 million official U.S. streams (up 4%) in the March 15-21 tracking week, according to Luminate.

The song also ranks at No. 22 on Country Airplay, a new high, and No. 25 on Hot Country Songs after reaching No. 24.

Activity on TikTok has contributed to the song’s growing profile. Martin began teasing it on the platform in September 2022, performing acoustic clips on his profile ahead of its official release. To date, the song has soundtracked more than 26,000 clips on TikTok, where Martin boasts nearly 400,000 followers. Many users are resonating with the lyrics detailing Martin’s struggles with everyday life, including the line, “rubbin’ two nickels just tryin’ to make a dime/ hard to make a livin’ while the gas is so high.” Such autobiographical elements have also helped spark the success of other country stars of late, including Jelly Roll and Oliver Anthony.

“We Ride” is on Martin’s third solo LP, Poets & Old Souls, which was released in March 2023 and reached No. 12 on the Heatseekers Albums chart this January. He previously released Self Inflicted Scars in 2022 and If It Was Easy in 2019.

Martin has charted two other songs on Billboard’s charts. He made his first overall chart appearance in May 2021, when “Beauty in the Struggle” debuted and peaked at No. 23 on Country Digital Song Sales. In 2022, “Fafo (Part 1)” — featuring Charlie Farley, Austin Tolliver and OG Caden — reached No. 10 on Rap Digital Song Sales.

Martin hails from Logansport, La., and worked on an oil rig before pivoting to music. Much of his musical catalog details his difficult life experiences — addiction, attempted suicide, brain injury and relapse.

Martin has a string of tour dates scheduled through October, including opening spots for Morgan Wallen and Chris Young. Last summer, he made his debut at the Grand Ole Opry, where he performed “We Ride” and “Goin for Broke.”